The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1901-04-19

NO mater 4 s7.ze and 10 mind In mat
ssr: NJ nerves In Intelligence and no
Intelligence in nerves: No matter in life
and Ne life In matter: % matter IN good
and NO gesd In matter. "AaA again, "ths
hve senses arc the ply steal avenues and
instruments Of human errsr;;" ''svil 10
net; sickness and death are unreal; dis
pei tho belief of sickness and cast ous
the illusion Of matter, and you heal
disease" Upon which declarations an
eminent divine has somewhat ironically
observed: ga short and easy road this
to physical paradise; this innumerable
host Of sufferers that ill the asylums,
hespitals and retreats and homes the
world over, have only to say, and hold
to it: It is all oelusion: We are not
blind, or deaf, or crippled, or raoked
with pains, consumed with fevers, de-
voured BY cancers, tortured by gout,
wrenched by rheumatism: it is only Q
. miserable lie, horrible nightmare,
and we will have no mors.of it; begone;'
sad forthwith the cries Of pain cease,
the sick wards are tenantless, and uni
versal health and gladness prevail"
Tho obligation imposed BY the propo-
sitien submitted In our theme Is two
fold: First: To establish the fact of
human suffering. This will require but
little proof beyond the testimony Of
personal experience. Indeed, it has
seldom been called in question until the
invention of Mrs. Eddy's socalled
science. But should more proof be de-
manded it is not difficult to obtain.
| N There is what might be termed
the proof of revelation. And here it
might be well to remark that there is
at least one thing which Christian
Science and Christianity hold in com
mon. Both claim to believe the bible
to be revelation from God, and ack-
nowledge its ultimate authority in mat
ters of faith and practice, though in
terpreted from widely different stand
points. Take any complete concordance
OF the scriptures and you will find that
the inspired writer's OF the Word OF
God recognized the reality of human
suffering and "the sweet uses of adver.
sity."ss If YOU look for the word sffliction
it is used with various shades of mean
ing 1863 times; pain in its various forms
33 times, while 'pascho,' the Greek
term of suffer, endure, experience, ie
used 40 timss in the New Testamsnt
alone, to say nothing of adversely, siok-
ness, sorrow, and kindred words which
imply suffering in some form. Now ii
suffering is not an actual experience in
human nature why should the bible
employ such terms.
(2) Then there is the proof which is
derived from personal experience as to
the reality OF human suffering. Chris
tian Science may teach us to discredi,
our senses and to deny the reality ot
those affections of the mind call sen.
sation and perception: aud to scof al
the idea OF our possessing a material
body, but that does not destroy the fac,
of pain from the aching tooth or burn.
) ing fever. Nor is this. alone
the result OF distorted imagination.
(3) Furthermore there is the proof
which comes from observation, the tes
timony which comes from the sick
room, the hospital and the asylums
and other institutions. Is this all de-
lusion or dream? No, my friends, de-
not be deceived by any such illogica
aud unnatural theory of life as that ad
vocated by Christian Science.
"Our pains are real things, and all
Our pleasures are but fantastical:
Diseases (appear) Of their own accord
But cures come difficult and hard
Second. The second obligation i'm
posed by my theme is to Indicate the
Place and Purpose of Human Suffering
in DivineE Economy" Did time permi
it would be interesting to inquire int,
the origin of human suffering, whether
self-originating, satanic, or divine: o.
does it result from a violation of nat
ural law. But must coufine myself tt
the limits prescribed by my theme
t Permit me to say, in passing, however
that the ground OF solution of the prob
lem OF human Altering is to be sough
t quite largely along the lines OF natura
law; and human ignorance, conceit an,
y selfshness, not God, must be held re
+ sponsible in a large measure for huma
+, suffering. | have but little sympathy
personally with the prevalent idea tha
: all suffering emanates from God. Tha
: is to say, that God taxes aroitra re
i venge upon all who transgress His law
Q Willingly or unwittingy.
q However, the doctrine Of divine provi
v dence, as Set forth in the scripture
o clearly teaches that God does sometime
q entail suffering as a corrective ageno
upon those VINO persistently trasgres
9 His laws. II But to begin at th
!. very foundation principle, in seeking t
determine the place of suffering in th
divine economy, would observe: