La Junta tribune., 1903-06-27

1
| will briefly consider these tenets
as we are taught to interpret them by
our textbook. The first tenet de-
clares the Scriptures to be the suf-
ncient guide to eternal Life He who
subscrtOes TO this tenet, then, adopts
the Bible as his. as the Word OF God,
and declares it to be his mentor and
| guide. The members of this church,
therefore. can not be said TO be dis
believers in the Holy Scriptures. The
fact is. they are the most implicit and
ardent believers in the Bible. They
read and study it daily 1t is their
constant companion.
| The second tenet declares for one
supreme infinite God. one Christ. and
one Christ Jesus. No one. in the light
OF this declaration. can truthfully say
that Mrs. Eddy and her adherents are
a Goddess and a Christiess people.
Nor can it truthfuily be said that
Christian Scientists believe in more
than one Christ or more than one Je-
sus.
The third tenet declares what the
Scriptures teach as the true and the
only forgiveness of sin. that is. its de
struction. When one ceases To commit
a particular sin he is no longer guilty
OF that Gin and is thus forgiven. When
the sinner ceases from all sin he is
forgiven all sin. and his salvation is
thus worked out
The fourth tenet declares the atone
ment to. be unity with God. or ATONE
with the Supreme Good. This is the
true doctrine of atonement. and Christ
Jesus was the Wayshower to this one
ness with God. for he himself in His
character and works was atone with
God He was always about His Faith
er's business. Those who live His
life and follow His example. come
thus into at-one-ment with the Father.
The fifth tenet declares for universal
salvation, the salvation Jesus taught
and proved in His life,-the salvation
from sin, sickness. and death; the only
full and perfect salvation. This sal
walton Is free to every one OF Gods
children. and every individual who
ever appeared or who ever shall ap-
pear on this earth is. In his real self
hood. a child of God. for there is but
one Creator and one creation. Man
made in the image and likeness OF God
Is the true man. the real
| ba
where in the cycles of time the
perfect man of God shall be
manifested Man Is Gods uni
versai and eternal idea. God is
mans divine Principle. and Principle
and idea cannot be separated. Gods
image and his likeness cannot be ef-,
faced or destroyed any more than God
Himself can be effaced or destroyed II
man could be effaced or destroyed. he
were no image and likeness. and the
declaration in Genesis were falsity.
The sixth tenet is q resume, as it
were. of the preceding tenets. II com
prehends them all. My beloved friends.
think. for a moment, you who are
Christian Scientists as well as you who
are not, what 1t Ia solemnly to prom
ise to strive. watch and pray for that
Mind to be In you which was In Jesus
Christ What mighty. yet what a
of Christ Is to live the life of Christ.
In grand epitome Paul. In the context.
delineates the characterize Mind-of
Jesus Christ. Was 1t anything less
than divine guidance that led to the
adoption. ~ final tenet OF the Chris
tian Science Church. OF this sweeping
and ali-inolusive apostolic injunction?
Is it an impossible injnction? Did
Paul mean what he said when he thus
enjoined the Philippians? We think
no believer In the great apostle will
contend that he was enjoining what
he knew to be an impossibility? III
Paul meant what he said and knew
whereof he afirmed, II is possible for
mankind to have In them the Mind OF
Christ, for Paul manifestly spake not
only for his day and age. but for all
days and ages. IL what was possible
in his day is not possible now. the
world has retrograded since then. and
Christianity has ever since been on
the decline. II this is true. what OF
our boasted present-day Christian civ
ilization and advancement? Is the
Christian world willing to admit that
retrogression rather than progression
is the history OF the Christian religion
Christian Science maintains that this
Pauline Injunction is not impossible
but In the natural order Of Christian
growth. What. then. Is 1t to have In
you the Mind Of Christ? Every thought