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"rusybodies."

"rusybodies." image
Parent Issue
Day
4
Month
June
Year
1880
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Among the troubles which beset churches and pastors are those which come froin a clasei of men inarked for unstableness in everything but complaining. Nearly evcry church has a man of this descriptiou. He has no fixed opinión of what the church needs, is sometimos enthusiactic in praise of his pastor, but more generaliy sees in the pastor s reinoval the first hope for the rirosperity of the church. Not troubling himself to look carefully for the causes of decline or the lack of growth he rushes to the conclusión at once tbat everything of an unpleasantcharacter is traceable to the pastor. Suoh a man is constantly obtruding hisopinions on every one whom he can approach.and, probably, by hisincessantcritïcisms and wide cast doubts, helps considerably to make tho unfortunatccircumstances he professes to deplore. Too often such men succeed in creating disaffection and ultimately a rupture of the pastoral relation. They are of the class which Paul condemned as "busybodies," and while their conduct may not be thought to warrant the severcst act of discipline, they need tbat some one should fulfill his coyenant obligation and " faithfully admonish" them of tho gravity of their ofiFcnco against the peace and prosperity of the church.