Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-11-06
CHRISTIAN SCIE nee.
Lecture Delivered BY Judge VIM. G..
Ewing Sunday Afternoon IN hrist-
ian Science: Physician and Re-

Judge William G. ewing of Chicago
spoke to n large audience in the Howard
Opera House Sunday afternoon ON
Christian Science: Physician and Re
dcemer."
The Hon. Robert Roberts introduced
the speaker in substance us follows;
In contemplation of the infinite and the
search after religious truth, the mine
wandors far and wide. 1t has always been
SO. No repressive influence has ever been
able to bind it or to ~circunscribe it. From
time to time some prophet, true or false.
Is heard to cry Eureka. I have found
it-a new light for the soul: from the
heights | have spied out a happy land of
promise where many wanderers may find
rest and peace. 1t is generally wise
to give ear to the new voice. 1t may
bring us glad tidings. but If not. 1t Will
only add one more to the many disap-
pointmcnts of the inquisitive spirit. All
churches that name the name of Christ
make a common profession in that All pro-
fess to teach their followerers to be good
and to do good. So far as practice follows
profession there is little to fear in any
of them. In recent years n new cult has
been developed popularity known as Chris
tian Science. Many of us cannot UNI
derstand precisely what that is. \ dis
tinguished gentleman has come to tell MS
about it. I bespeak for him a fair hearing.
Judge Ewing spoke as follows:
1t seems reasonable to say that "
Christian Science is p~roximatcly what lis
adherents claim for it. its merits should
command Thoughtful, candid investiga-
ton: that ii it has prophYlactic or the
rapeutic force of even slight efficiency
afflicted men and women everywhere
should know that fact. and certainly II
1t heralds in any measure the message
Jesus brought to the world, the weary
children of mon all round the globe
should know that fact. | stand before
this audience to-day with the single pur-
pose of encouraging honest, dispassion-
ate Investigation OF a subject that pro-
foundly has impressed my own highest
sense of truth. ] recognize the fact that
my cause is confronted by sectarian pre-
iudice and by the antagonism OF all the
schools of material medicine: and II is to
those preiudiced ones I especially address
myself. fully recognizing the fact that
whore prcjuigment is not, truth heaven
panoplied Will meet and satisfy honest in
vestigation.
The general impression of the people
Who never have investigated Christian
Science is that its sole purpose is phys
ical cure. that it is something that per-
tairs solely to bodily welfare while the
truth is that physical healing is but an
Incident If Christian Science. 1t is true
that Christian Scientists do insist and,
indeed many of us know. indeed, there
trc persons IN TINS nail VINO 90 KNOW as
certainly as Paul krew, that his Redeem
~ lived. that Christian Scienc q does
hrin9 surCeaso to the h"artache and
hcarthroak of men, that it does give roses
for ashes, peace for pain, love for hate,
health for disease and life for death to
men, and yet neither one of these, nor
all of them combined, is Christian
Science. They are the results. the ireNi-
table product of Christian Science under
stood and lived: while Christian Science
itself is a religion pure and simple, the
religion of the Rhlo: our fathers Bible,
without prefix or sufix. without apology
or oXcusc. the religion that Jesus came
into the world to establish. the religion
that He taught in the temple, the religion
that He preached throughout all Juicd.
tho religion that He so lovingly and ten
derby practiced among all His people,
and il is all of this or it is not anything
that is worthy of your thought or ming
for a single moment. In my advocacy
Of Christian Science, ! plant myself IN
solutcly upon tho proposition that Christ
inn Science is given to the world by the
life and teaching IF Jesus Christ. | he
lieve, and I am persuaded, that the reli-
gion of Jesus Christ is worth more tc
men than everything else that has beer
or car he crowded into his universe. and
whatever iinpiuPes upon that, whatever
lessons the sweetness and song Of love
If that will meet with my opposition. and
in all conscience should meet with yours,
and on the other hand | am sure that il
Christian Science is the message Jesus
brought to earth. ii will receive your cor
dial Endorsement and active effort 10
give it to the world. Now. while the heal
Ing power ct Christian Science is a mere
Incident. still strangely enough 1t is the
feature of our belief that meets the mos
d"risivo opposition. | propose to discuss
briefly with YOU the two phases IF Christ
ian Science, namely. as "A therapeutic
agent and IS a religion. the highest con-
cept Of God as Father Preserver. Savior,
! assert that thc medical force of Christ
ian Science appeals as strongly TO the
common sense Of men, as does the cura-
tive quality of any drug. In asking
your attention to this feature of Christ
ian Science, ! only ask that you will Try
it by the same rule. anply" to it the same
test hat Ill all the past have been AND
to-day are invoked to determine the
merits of material mediocre. 1t is cl7al
TO my mind that if the therapeutic virtue
Of Christian Scene" is measured by its
works. it's fruits. its cures, if determines
nv precisely the same rules applied t.
the use of the medicine of men. YOU will
find that il Vets all tho requirements
demanded by medical science in dctcrmin
ing incidentally the value of drugs anC
furnishes every reason, every possible rca
Son. for your accepting the medicine
force of Christian Science as "A prcsorVel
OF health ard as a profession has al any
time asserted for reliance upon matcria
remedies. 1t is an uncontroVerted propo
! sition that the use of material mcdi
cine from the beginning has been. and
now is. based wholly upon experiment.
certainly hoard nothing in saving that
there is not a physician living who car
tell you WHY any drug has its rcputeC
effect, No one will deny that tho entire
practice of the administration of drugs is
based solely upon observation of actua
tests. and is wholly dependent upon tn,
theory that n remedy effective in a larG
majority of cases, involving similar con
ditiOnS, is a safe remedy to administer II
that class of cases. | have stated the rul,
nv which the value of each drug il test
ed, find no fault witt the modus employ
ed by the doctors in reaching their ulti'
mate standard of judgment rcspectinf
the choice of the remedies they use, bu
invite all who are satisfied with such ,
I ast of the virtues of material medicin,
to try by the same rule the medicinal Vlr
tues or healing power of Christian
Science.
Some facts respecting the practice q
Christian Science will aid you in reach
ing a conclusion respecting its medicina
virtue. This science has been praCtiCeo
in this country for about a third of =
century, in a very limited way for "A while
but for the last two decade quite eNtou
lively. so hat now its practitioners ar,
numbered 10y tens of thousands. and ii,
patients by hundreds OF thousands
Within q years, in the United Statc'
alone, quite 1,O00, 900, including both scN
80 and all ages, in every variety and con
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