The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-04-17


livered his second address here Friday
evening TO a large audience in y. M. c.
A. Hall. Mr.. Tomlinson was presented
by Robert Fessenden.
The subject OF Mr.. Tomlinson vas.
"The Unknown God Made Known"
His address was as follows:
/ cheerfully confess that 1 have not
found IL an easy task to put i'm words
this message of ''The Unknown God
Made Known" When 1 accepted Chris
tian Science, about three years ago. L
had been a clergyman for ten. years.
For the work OF the Christian minis
try | was carefully prepared In college
and divinity school. My father before
me was an earnest clergyman and my
mother was "A devout and consecrated
woman. And yet To me Christian
Science is that religion by which the
unknown God is made known.
Because Christian Science Is the op-
posite of agnosticism, infidelity and
pantheism, ii may be opposed by their
believers. Because Christian Science is
not at all like hypnotism and theoso-
ply, Ii would not be strange that their
earnest adherents should not under
stand us. But IL is at first somewhat
difficult to understand why Christian
Science should be assailed by those who
claim TO have the same God and pro-
fess to follow the same Master. The
mission of this system is one with
Christianity. 10 make mankind better
physically morally and spiritually. It's
methods are quiet and unobstrusive. II
appeals only to reason and rests conii-
IDENTIFY i'm the Truth. It's sword Is the
Spirit, its shield faith, It's armor the
good. and IL is willing TO be Judged
by the test of Jesus. by their fruits
shall ye know them"
UNMERITED PERSECUTION.
The study of this denomination will
reveal law-abiding home loving. self
respecting people. Even II the honest
man does not agree with them, he can
rejoice that there is growing In his
midst a rapidly increasing and noble
company of God-fearing people. And
yet not since the days OF the crucihed
one has any cause met with more bitter
denunciation than has Christian
Science. Ii may be that its very
strength is the occasion OF this persecu-
ton. 1t may be that its unexampled
prosperity. the patent fact OF the high
character Of the men and women, which
in ever increasing numbers are flocking
To it's ranks has created misunder-
standing when there should have been
"A welcome to IL as an added power
among the forces OF good. After thirty
years OF unparalleled success in treat
ing sickness and sin, with record of
well nigh a million so-called incurables
restored to health and happiness, why
should il not merit the favor OF all?
But says some listener IF Christian
Science is a better method for treating
sickness than medicine and better
system OF healing sin than theology
thcn does not Christian Science take
the place OF both medicine and theol-
ogy?''
PROMISES FULFILLED.
1t is possible that those vast systems,
with all their long history. all their ven-
cradle institutions all their riches, all
their worthy practitioners and minist-
ers have been I'm vain? Christian
Science does not say SO. 1t would not
take from them one word OF praise. II
would reveal to them the seed OF truth
therein contained. lt would unfold into
fair flower and fruitage their best hopes
and fulfill all their promises. Seed and
flower enfod a promise which the fruit
fuflls. The fruit is but the making
known OF that which in seed and flower
was unknown.
It is not the part of wisdom TO ignore
the past. but TO see its worth and give
credit where credit is due. So OF med
icine and theology Christian Science
does not forget their history nor fail
TO give credit where credit is due. II
cine was born. It's origin was worthy,
for It was the answer 10 n human cry
for help. To Danish pain, to sustain
health and happiness, such is its mis-
sion. To itself il has attracted noble
company. for those eager to help their
fellow-men have sought its ranks. If
we will loak closely into medicine we
shall discern even as the acorn fufills,
so the system of medicine contains
within itself a promise which awaits
fulfllment. There may have been a
i'm the history of medicine when
the drug was everything and the ply
sician nothing. There may have been
time when matter was the all i'm all
and mind was nought. But II such "a
time there ever vas IL has long since
passed away. As is we'll known. there
has of late been a decided movement
away from the excessive use OF drugs
toward the wholesome application OF
common sense. That is 10 say, there
IL TO be seen in the treatment of dis
ease less thought put upon matter and
more given TO mind. Again IL Ia gem
orally agreed that the recovery OF the
patient depends quite as much upon
the quality of the doctor as upon the
quality OF the drug. 1t will be readily
conceded that the startling point in
medicine is not matter. but mind. The
public demands that the physicion be
OF sound mind. and prescribes for him
n long and rigid course i'm mental train
ing.
MIND THE ONLY MEDICINE.
IL is seen that the successful physi-
clan cultivates a cheerful mind, and
the wise one would AZ soon administer
a dose OF poison as 10 give a dose OF
gloom. IL Is To he observed also that
he modern physician has care that
his patient Is kept in the right frame
of mind. lie knows the power OF mind
over body. and nc does his best TO
transform despair TO confidence. lie
puts his /patient into sunny room.
he provides q. cheerful nurse: he sugar
coats his pills. for ne knows that I'm
proportion as ne helps To set the mind
right he will help To set the body right.
But above. all there Us n promise walt
ing fulhllment IN that which the best
doctors affirm Is the curative agent IN
the treating OF disease. As they de-
clare. it Is not the drug but nature
which heals. The drug Is administered
90 remove the obstacles which check
the life forces but II Is really nature.