The Washington herald., 1906-12-10

The National Theater was filled yester
day afternoon, when Rev William p. Nc
Kenzie explained the tenets of his faith.
The lecturer was introduced by Brig.
Gen Amos S. KimbaIl. Z. S. A, retired.
Mr.. Mckenzie. who halls from Cambridge.
Mass, and is a member of Mrs. Eddy's
official board. said in part:
Christian Science has for its textbook
or instruction manual. a book first pub
lished in 1870 by Mary Baker G. Eddy.
and entitled Science and Health with
Key 10 the Scriptures" The author is
now known 10 the world as the woman
who has given to this age the true idea OF
God, and as the philosopher and thinker
who has revolatiouized the sense OF Chris
tianity from theoretical 20 practical. so
that the medieval belief of Christianity
as scheme for future world salvation
Is changing 10 the primitive conception of
Christianity as means for revealing 10
men on earth the goodness Of God in heal
Ing and salvation
The question presented to every man
Is really this: To what do you give pow
err Evil or good? Christian Scientists.
by virtue of their experience are con
firmed optimists- They have seen healing
accomplished where human love and
human skill had given I'D hope. They
have seen apparently incurabIe bad habits
changed with sucn a change in life as
yearly takes place in the earth when the
barren cold yields 10 the beuefcent
warmth of spring
Bitterness becomes Kindness.
They have seen bitterness and cyni-
cism and cruelty melt away. and kind
ness and joy and gentle courtesy take
their place They ind that their faith
ful application Of the teachings Of Chris
tian Science to all the problems Of life
have brought so many solutions and
proofs of the power OF good 10 overcome
evil that they can foresee the ultimate
triumph of good. and forgetting the
things that are behind they press for
ward in the direction Of that goal.
Some teachers who are seldess and
sincere argue that moral evil and physi-
cal pain are not only realities, but benen-
cent realities. Observing how a good deed
shines in naughty world. they seem To
think that the good deed owes its luster
10 the surrounding wickedneas. They
infer that the patience of the bed-ridden
invalid is the product of his pain, and
that the moral courage of the world $
rcformers is due to the wickedness they
opposed But II is his vision Of God that
inspires the saint 10 be meek and the
TefOTmeT 10 be fearless. and in that
vision physical pain and moral evil have
no part. The beauty Of the vision of God
was given 70 US in Christ Jesus. who
said He that hath seen Me hath seen
the Father
EVIL Is Perverted Good.
I never heard it argued that His good
ness and power to bless had any other
source than the Father-God with whom
He was one. He was recognized as the
expressed image OF. Gods character, but
who would say that the hypocrisy of the
Pharisees, the envy of the priests, the
treachery of a disciple, We're agencies in
forming the Christly nature? Why. then.
viii men argue for the benefcent reality
of evil? If evil works good. then its
agents are our benefactOrs; and why
should the most active dOers Of evil be
restrained from their beneficent activity
by our prisons? If physical pain is the
teacher of fOrtitude, why build hospitals
and attempt 10 heal pain?
1T ought to be universally clear to
human comprehension that evil in belief
constitutes a condition Of peTverseness or
reversal from which conversion must be
gained before what is true and normal
can be known at all. or man be apparent
as the likeness Of God. Jesus represents
the Son of God. Judas presents the re-
versal Of true manhood or integrity. and
in that condition Of mind misrepresents
both man and God.
Wrong Habits of Thinking.
ct ought to be clear. also. that sthe
process Of overcoming evil with good is
not a struggle with adverse environment,
but contest with wrong habits Of think
ing The kingdom of heaven must first
be established within Goodness or good
ness must displace ungodliness or goddess
ness
Here we are confronted with a condi-
ton which seems 10 be a concomitant
part OF mans history. which theOlogians
discuss under the name of sin Some
teachers claim this to he the great ac-
tivity of the present life. and some be
Heve its disastrous effects TO be eternal
But If we scientifically examine the
claims of sin, We see how they can be
overcome and annulled as they were by
the Master, who was in all points tempt
cd Ike as we are, yet without sin 20