We've been thinking this week about a letter written by John Newton, whose hymns you probably know.

In that letter he's describing a series of people who, in many ways, seem to be exemplary Christians,

but they all have one character blemish like a mark on a white shirt or a scratch on a new car.

We've already met Mr. Austirus, the austere Christian, Mr. Humanis, the gregarious Christian,

and John Newton also wants us to meet Mr. Queryllis, and perhaps Mrs. Queryllis too.

So what's Mr. Queryllis' problem?

Here it is, Newton says, he wastes much of his precious time in declaiming against the management of public affairs.

Or to put it in contemporary terms.

He's always expressing opinions about what government or authorities or educational systems,

or the church, he's always expressing opinions about what they are doing wrong,

and he always seems to know what they should be doing right.

And Newton has the courage to say, Mr. Queryllis is just wasting his time and our time too.

And the reason for it he gives us this, Mr. Queryllis has no expert knowledge.

Nor any personally researched information on which he basis his judgment,

he simply parrots things he picks up from talk shows on television or on the radio,

and the particular kind of literature he reads.

And Newton says he is just wasting his time.

I imagine if Mr. Queryllis heard Newton say that, it would be something of a body blow to him.

And it's not because John Newton was uninterested in the affairs of life.

He's the man who actually discouraged William Wilberforce from leaving Parliament

and perhaps going into the ministry and told him to stay in politics,

because Newton really cared about the affairs of the world he really was concerned about the good of the city.

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