Precept & Practice – MARCH 20 – Detraction

Detraction is one of a class of sins.   Man may be harmed by his fellow-man in divers ways – in person, in goods, or in reputation.   By detraction one is invaded, not in limb or body, nor in material possessions, but in character…..   Without speaking one word that is untrue;  without uttering one vulgar expression;  nay, with apparent reluctance and with affectation of charity which might deceive the devil himself, the detractor attains his end;  with smooth hands and polished utterance, does he blot, blur, deface, and defile the character of his victim…..

What, then, is detraction?   It is a taking something away;  a paring off;  a kind of petty minute robbery.   It consists in depreciating others;  in disparaging them;  picking flaws in them;  finding fault;  ascribing evil motives to their acts;  putting a bad construction on what they do.  It is made up of slurs and innuendoes, of unkind speeches and mysterious hints and gestures;  it is often clad in a garb of witty sayings and graceful, clever satire…..

Charity covereth the multitude of sins:  but detraction does the very opposite:  it drags off whatever robe may hide them, and sometimes with a jest, sometimes with a mock assumption of virtue, sometimes with malice prepense, and sometimes for mere lack of aught else to do, points out defects and descants on infirmities.

The Reverend Morgan Dix (Sermons, Doctrinal and Practical)

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From the Introduction to Precept and Practice

The kindly welcome given to my other little books, ‘Being and Doing’ and ‘Character and Conduct,’ must be my excuse for adding another collection of extracts to the number now in circulation.

The quotations are gathered from the books of many earnest thinkers, and deal with Life in all its length and breadth, with ourselves, our characters, our plain unvarnished faults and weaknesses, our often untoward circumstances, and with all that drags us down;-  with our purposes, our religion, our love and friendships, and with all that uplifts us;-  with our relation to others, our influence and responsibilities, and finally with those stages of our journey which bring us to the Road’s Last Turn and to the Silent Land.

CONSTANCE  M. WHISHAW