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INTERESTING LETTER QUESTIONS RESPECTING CLASS DISCIPLINE DEAR BROTHER RUSSELL:— Some of us desire your further advice on two points: (1) What attitude should we take toward brethren who hold little wneetings not authorized or appointed by the Class with which they are connected? (2) We note your recommendation concerning testimony meetings and their helpfulness in character-development. What should we do in a case where elders oppose such meetings, but where the Class desire to have them? THE EDITOR’S REPLY We think if rather unwise for a brother claiming to be a member of the class to entirely ignore that class in the matter of holding meetings. For him to inaugurate meetings, advertise them. hold them during the regular hours of the meetings of the class, ete, would seem to be in the nature of ignoring the class; and to hold meetings at the same hour might he considered an opposition, However, even though all this were done, it would not constitute a cause of offense or of excommunication. The class should rejoice to know that the Gospel of the kingdom is being preached, even though it were preached in a strifeful and contentious manner, as St. Paul suggests. (Phil. 1:15-18) A class would have no more right to think or speak evil of such a brother and of his effort than to think or speak evil of any Christian minister of any denomination and of his effort. If, however, a brother were invited to give a little talk in a private or a semi-private manner to a few, not as a regular class, nor as an opposition meeting, nor at a conflicting hour, there would seem to be no ground whatever for reproof. On the contrary, we should all commend his love and zeal and, thanking the Lord for the brother’s privileges, seek as good for ourselves. We are to keep strictly in mind that the Lord has not given any of us a right to supervise His work nor to forbid another to preach the Gospel. The disciples of old did this on one occasion and Jesus rehuked them, saying, “Forbid him not; for there is no man that shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evi] of me.” (Mark 9:38-40) Again he said, “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matt. 18:20) He did not say that the two or three must be authorized, commissioned, or in any manner privileged of men. Hence, whatever there is of co-operation in the church should be merely of love, of wisdom. of estimation of the divine will and the oneness of the church. We are surprised to learn that there are any in opposition to the weekly testimony meetings which we have so strongly urged. In our experience this class of meeting is one of the most spiritually helpful. In many places if it were necessary to have but one meeting, the classes undoubtedly would hold on to the weekly testimony meeting as the best and most helpful of all. We commend Wednesday night as being a most suitable occasion for this kind of meeting. We have already recommended that the weekly topic be the Manna text of the preceding Thursday. Observing this rule, the Lord’s people all over the world can study and think much along the same lines and, looking for experiences in the same direction, obtain corresponding blessings. We recommend a trial of this method to all of the classes everywhere. They will have plenty to testify about if once they acquire the hebit of looking for the Lord’s providences in the affairs of life, noting experiences and lessons and comparing them with the instructions of the divine Word. ‘Those who are following this course are often surprised to note how much more every day is worth to them than formerly. With many, life is a business routine or a dream. As new creatures we desire to have every day full of Christian experiences and intelligent thought directed and moulded by the divine Word. This blessed condition is attained largely by the method we have indicated. Our growth in grace depends not so much on the number of chapters or verses which we read, as upon the exercise of our minds, hearts and wills in connection with what we already know and what we daily learn of the will of God. It is not for the elders, but for the class to determine what meetings it wishes to hold. When the class decides, the elders, of course, still have their privilege of resigning. Indeed, it would certainly be advantageous, both for the elder and the class, to have such elders resign as desire to rule the Lord’s household, instead of desiring to serve it. However, our experience teaches that frequently supposed oppositions are merely misunderstandings. We advise a careful study afresh of Srupies In THE Scriprures, Vol. VI. Indeed, we remind the dear friends how leaky are all our memories, and of the wisdom, therefore, of the course being followed by a great many—the reading of the entire six volumes of STUDIES IN THE SCRIPTURES every year—twelve pages or more every day. Those who are following this course report great blessing and give evidence of great clearness in the truth. Vou. XXXII BROOKLYN, N. Y., NOVEMBER 1, 1912 No. 21 EVIL SPEAKING AND EVIL SURMISING Many are the peculiar subterfuges which the fallen nature uses in its attempt to stifle the voice of Conscience. We have known people who took cognizance of the Scriptural injunction against slander, evil speaking and evil surmising, and yet who were so confused on the subject and so unaccustomed to scrutinizing their own conduct that they would utter slander in the very breath in which they expressed their strong disapproval of evil speaking. In order to avoid such a condition of confusion it is well to have in mind a clear definition of these terms. SLANDER A FACTOR IN ANARCHY A slander is anything uttered with the intention of injury to another, whether the statement be true or false. Both the Law of God and the laws of men agree that such injury is wrong. True, many slanderers are never prosecuted; true that even newspapers have times without number escaped heavy damages for libelous slander, on the plea that they published the defamation as news which properly belonged to the people. Public men consider it good policy to let ordinary slander go unnoticed, realizing that many of the false statements made by the opposition press will properly be credited as falsehood. The effect of public slander is very injurious, and brings about a gradual growth of slander among the people. This condition is sure to work evil to themselves and to their institutions. Government officials and other men thus slandered lose their influence for good over the lower classes, who are thus being helped along day by way to greater lawlessness, and are being thus prepared for the period of anarchy which the Scriptures tell us is near. EVIL SPEAKING INDICATIVE OF UNGODLINESS Evil speaking includes all defamatory or injurious remarks against others—words of hatred, malice, envy or strife—everything which would injure another to any degree. Even an uncomplimentary remark respecting another, injuring his reputa (330-335) tion, is evil speaking, although the uncomplimentary statement be true. All of our words are taken by the Lord as an index of the heart. If our words are flippant, frivolous, unkind, unthankful, rebellious or disloyal. He judges the heart accordingly, on the principle that “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” (Matt. 12:34) Thus in all the varied circumstances of daily life, our words are continually bearing testimony before God of the condition of our hearts. Godlikeness certainly cannot include any harmful gossip, any unclean or unholy conversation, any disloyal or rebellious words. Let all such things be put far away from those who name the name of Christ in sincerity and in truth. The tongue is the most powerful member of the human body. As the Scriptures say, with it we may praise God or injure men. Not only may we injure those within reach of our tongue, but our words might extend their influence throughout the world and from generation to generation. Our tongues are the most wonderful power that God has given us. It has been said that all of life’s experiences deepen when presented in language. When uttered, thoughts impress themselves deeply upon the mind. We should certainly take heed to our tongues.— James 3:9, 10. EVIL SURMISING INDICATIVE OF AN IMPURE HEART Evil surmising consists in imagining evil motives to be hehind the words and the acts of others. Proceeding out of the heart not fully consecrated, evil surmising will attribute some selfish or evil motive to every good deed. This form of sin is ranked by the Apostle Paul as contrary to the words of our Lord Jesus, opposed to godliness, and of the same spirit as envy and strife—works of the flesh and of the devil.—l Tim. 6:3-5; Gal. 5:19-21. Those who have cultivated that spirit of love which “thinketh no evil” have developed their characters and have become [5122]