Mower County transcript., 1904-12-21


assembled at Hunkins' Music hall Fri
day evening, Dec. 16, to listen to an IN
telligent and thorough discussion OF
the principles of Christian Science by
William D. McCrackan c. 5. B., an
official member of the international!
Board of Lectureship Of the First
Church of Christ, Scientist, Boston,
The address was listened to With close
attention as the lecturer spoke at
length of the i'racticability VI Chris
tian Science and it's adaptibili'y to the
human race. Miss Winifred Parmen
tor, clerk Of the local church, introduc'
ed the speaker in a few we'll chosen
words. \ number from neighboring
towns were present. The following is
sa extended synopsis of the lecture:
This term, Christian Science, is
nothing short Of an inspiration; for
Whist, I ask you, is the great conflict
which is supposed to be before the
world Of ideas today, the irrepress1-
BILE conflict, as it has sometimes been
called? Is it not the seeming conflict
between revelation and reason, be-
tween Christianity and science? The
pulpit, the press and the university are
constantly searching for common
xround for these two factors. Earn
est men, in their most earnest mo-
ments are striving to reconcile them.
Christian Science has discovered
this common ground, and has affected
this long sought reconciliation, by
pFoving that there is no conflict be-
tween revelation and spiritual reason,
and none between Christianity and d.
vine Science, but that the two coin
eide and are based, not on the evl
dence Of physical sense, but on the
higher evidence OF spirit.
Christian Science is showing that
Christianity, in order to fulfill it's be-
nign mission, must be understood to
be truly scientific, and that the term
Science must be applied to- the orderly
working OF Gods laws and must, there
fore, be essentially Christian in mean
ing.
THE NATURE OF GOD.
The study of Christianity, and thus
Of Christian Science, properly begins
with the study of God. 1t will be read
sly acknowledged that much depends
upon the answer to the question:
What Is God?"
It is only beginning to dawn upon
mankind at large how much depend
upon this answer. While it has, per
haps, been generally conceded that
mans attainment of holiness has de
pended upon this answer, it has not
always been recognized that his true
happiness also, depends upon the
same answer, still less that his very
health-mental, moral and physical-is
affected favorably or adversely, ac-
cording as God is understood to be
Spirit and Love, as the scriptures de-
clare Him, or supposed to be a god o.
wrath and variableness, as the hui
man mind has only too often imagined
him.
We canot afford to think falsely
about God. He must be to us the in
finite, allpowerful, all-knowing an<'
everpresent Father. from whom come
eth every good gift, in whom we live,
and move, and have our being.
As a matter of fact, all Christians
are pretty we'll agreed upon this def
milton: God is quite generally regard
ed as the First Cause, the Creator and
Controller of the Universe, including
man. If there be a point Of diverg
ence from the generally accepted def
uition which Christian Science marks
this point is more likelyto appear in
the practice of our Christian profes-
sion than in the definition itself.
It Is we'll to acknowledge God as
supreme over, evil OF every sort but
ls better still. to know Him to be SO in
specific instances of sin, sickness or
sorrow, and thus to make practical
rpn,icatjOn of this knowledge or un
derstanding In reforming the sinner.
healing the sick and comforting the af
That mankind at large is by Nc
means akreed as to the nature of God
is shown by the fact that some per-
sons, still consider Him to be the au-
thor and procurer Of sickness, if not
OF sin. In the minds Of some people
this loving Father, whose power Is un-
bounded. and whose ways are infinite,
Is supposed to send sickness to his de-
tenceless children in order to reform
them! This majestic and glorious First
Cause, having an unlimited choice ir
she matter Of selecting methods for
governing man, is believed to decide
to do evil: that good may come, when,
unhindered and unchecked, He might
do good directly.
Christian Scientists do not believe
IN god OF this kind It does not seem
reasonable or logical to them that the
Source Of all good should send forth
evil. even as subterfuge for doing
good. Christian Science teaches us
to know God as completely and wholly
good, without variableness or shadow
Of farming. Christian Scientists do
not believe that God deliberately af-
Aicts His children, or that evil in the
world can be traced to Him., 1t is diff
cult to estimate the harm which has
been done by the teaching and incul-