The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-04-26

Board of Lectureship Of the Mother
Church of Christian Science in
Boston, Mass.-His Remarks.
In the Lyceum last night before an
audience that filled the theater to the
doors, Carol Norton, c. S. D., delivered
his lecture on christian Science and
Common Sense" under the auspices of
the congregation of the local Christian
Science church The speaker of the
evening was introduced by Colonel l..
A. Watres, who spoke as follows:
SPEAKER INTRODUCED.
1t Is a crowning privilege to live in
the dawn of the twentieth century.
There is expansion everywhere
geographically, commercially and
scientifically and in the religious world
as well.
A war for humanity has changed
the map of the world Upheavals in
the spiritual sphere are Transforming
the theological atlas by hidden, but
none the less resistless power.
Growth and progress are witnessed
everywhere.
The canal transport has given way
to Stevenson's locomotive, and this in
turn to the finer mechanism which in
sixty seconds runs mile
The Santa Maria was weeks in cross
ing the ocean, but her fashion has been
set aside by the Kaiser Wilhelm der
Crosse. which makes the voyage in
six days, plus n few hours.
The tallow dip of our grandfathers
has been supplanted by the electric
spark, which throws a fashlight for
many miles, or burns incandescently
at your will
Ericson's propeller, which the high
admiralty court of England but re-
Gently demonstrated to he a fiat failure,
today equips every respectable vessel
that ploughs the sea.
Within the memory of not the oldest
inhabitants, Morse was ridiculed,
doubted and called names for asking
congress to construct a telegraph line
from Washington to Baltimore.
Today messages are sent round the
globe in less time than it requires to
explain the method, and wireless tele-
graphy is an accomplished fact.
But yesterday, as it were, men were
content to wait for days, and travel
long distances to communicate with
friends upon business or pleasure.
Today, thanks to the Wizard of the
West" we may talk through a hole in
the wall over the wire for a thousand
miles: and the busy man in Chicago
becomes uncomfortable in his rage if
Exchange" does not give him his man
in Boston within three minutes after
due demand.
A STRIKING EXAMPLE.
Our own city furnishes a striking
example of the growth of ideas.
A college or university of over three
thousand used to be considered well
nigh unmanageable.
Yet. in ourvery midst, presided over by
a modest genius, the COllipry Engineer,
practically the largest university in the
world, is giving to over seventy-tive
thousand of the youth. not only of our
own. but of every civilized land. the
advantages of a college education, the
better equipping them to meet and dis
charge life's duties and responsible
ties.
Both time and your patience and the
occasion all forbid that | should fur
ther pursue this limitless line Of
thought.
Permit me briefly however, to sug-
gest that Stevenson discovered no new
law. The law Of mechanics has always
been the same.
Had the wise men of the east un-
derstood it, their journey would have
been materially shortened. Stevenson
merely discovered the applicability of
that law.
The law applied by Ericsson is as
old as Sinai. Had Columbus under
stood it, we would have been discovered
several weeks earlier than we We're.
Professors Henry and Morse and Edi-
son but put a harness upon a power
which had existed for all time.
Had 1t been understood when the
Erie canal was opened, that important
event would not have been announced
by the firing of cannon.
Solomon's Temple, in all its glory,
was not lighted like this Lyceum, be-
cause solomon understood not the law
governing arc and incandescent lights.
And may it be said that growth and
progress are limited to things mate
rial?
1t is thinkable that the understanding
of Gods law, which created and gov
erns the universe. including man, is
stunted in its growth?
with due respect for our grandfath-
ers, are we TO be bound by their in
terpretations and conclusions concern
ing GODS law any more than we should
be by their recognized lack of knoWl-
edge as to the physical laws?
THE SAME VITAL LAW.
Who shall say that Christian Science,
as taught by Mrs. Eddy in Science and
Health has discovered a new law?
The law of love and of truth and of life
has been the same moving and vital
law since the morning stars sang to-
gether
Christian Scientists have but discov-
cred that this spiritual law-this law
~ God may be so understood and ap-
piled as 10 tighten the burdens, and re-
lteVe the dtStreSseS of a suffering HUI
manity, and that when properly under
stood, it heals the sick as well as the
sinner. Was not this the plain teach
ing Of the Master when he walked
among men, and are not many thinking
and scholarly people agreeing these
days that ii must be as true now as il
was eighteen hundred years ago?
me large and growing body of ear
nest Christian Workers, so ably repre-
sented by the speaker of the evening
can do no harm to the world, nor To
any other body of Christian workers.
They believe in Gods power TO q great
er extent than do their critics-and for
DONG good deeds to impotent men, are
lhey called in question. For this they are
ridiculed and prosecuted, until even the
cherished provision of the bill of rights
that 'one may worship God according
lo the dictates of his own conscience
IS practically repealed, or at least sus-
pended.
In these days when there is an ear
nest pleading everywhere for "the
unity of the spirit in the bond OF
pCace,' 1t would seem but reasonable
10 expect that all who bear His name
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