The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-04-16


 ing three years of retirement. by earn
 est seeking, by devoted study of the Scriptures by practical demonstration | of the truth already gained, she reached a definite understanding or the Divine science which interprets and demonstrates Christianity In this Science nothing is added to or taken from the Christian ideal, but rather Is that ideal made possible and practi- cable.
 "The teachifigt of Christian Science Is certainly radical and revolutionary, but any system that will interpret and demonstrate the ideal of Jesus can he nothing less. Jesus's career is utterly rnexplainable and incredible on any material basis The only explanation | that can be given of his works is that which He Himself gave. that the | Father that dwclleth with Me, He doeth | the works But Jesus insisted that | all His work was done in conformity l to law He came not to destroy law. but to fulffll 1t. It was because Jesus | understood the law by which Gods power Is demonstrated that He could do His mighty works--for the teach ing of Scripture Is plain that it was {, through knowledge that Jesus fulfilled 1 His mission. The prophecy of Israel | regarding the Messiah was that the ] spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him: | the spirit of wisdom and understand | ing; the spirit of counsel and might:
 the spirit of knowledge and of fear of i the Lord,' And again the prophet de- clares that 1t should be through knowl edge that the Messiah should perform | His redemptive work: By His knowl- ] edge shall my righteous servant jus l tify many Jesus insists upon it that | it Is by His knowledge of God that 1 His works are wrought.
 "The secret of Jesus's power was His I Knowledge of the truth. His mission
 was to bear witness to the truth, and | truth In whatever relation of experi- ence 1t comes Is always practical and valid, as 1t reveals a law of cause and effect. It is in finding in Jesus teach | ihgs this law of cause and effect, in finding. in other words. the principle | that underlies His words and works. | and the rule of its demonstration. that Christian Science is bringing It's mes
 sage and doing It's work today.
 It only remains for us to grasp the
 Divine principle or cause which Jesus 1 taught and understand our relation to l this supreme, infinite cause, to bring | forth in our experience the same divine
 results that appeared in the career of Jesus.
 We remember that God is infinite
 mind; and we are told that God has
 created all things through the Divine Word. As the writer of the Epistle to
 the Hebrews expresses 1t, The worlds were framed by the word of God, so l that things which are seen were not
 made of things which do appear This
 being true, the whole creation is sim ply the manifestation of Gods word Now. a word Is the sign of an idea--it
 is the expression of an idea; and thus
 the statement implies that the Uni verse itself is Gods idea or Gods
 thought expressed. Gods creating has
 been by thinking all things into being.
 and all things continue to exist be-
 cause His thought sustains their being.
 And thus in his real nature, man Is Gods thought and 1t is literally true
 that in Him we live and move and
 have our being The understanding of this great truth opens the way for nor tals to demonstrate the Divine princi- pie in every experience and relation of life. It shows us how, through right thinking we can here and now come
 into such vital immediate relation to God that His power shall prove to be
 the only power; how all evil shall dis- appear before the demonstration of good and the Kingdom of Heaven be es. tablished on earth In such an under
 standing of God and his relation to man, mortals will ind that the real man Is
 inseparably linked to limit1ess life,
 truth and love, and how they consti-
 tute the controlling element in every I b
 And thus Christian Science holds
 that in it's real nature the universe is
 spiritual and not materiali that every object in sGods creation is an express
 sion of Gods thought; that when the Scriptures say that the worlds were framed by the word of God so that things which are seen were not made 1 understand that the real substance of l what has been made is Gods thought,
 and that we shall understand Gods l creation just in so far as this becomes real to us. While this idealism may seem to us to be hopelessly transcen-
 dental and radical, is it any more so | than the teachings of Jesus? Will
 anything less radical explain how Jesus l turned water into wine, walked the wave. multiplied the loaves and fishes;
 how he healed the sick, raised the dead, cleansed the lepers and cast out detn- | ons? Is 1t not evident that Jesus saw I things from a point of view that Is wholly different from that of the world ? I The vision of such a life and career as l His cannot be made to it into the l scheme of a material universe--the | two things do not go into the same | picture; and if we are to take His words as the statement of truth and l His works as the demonstration of | truth, we certainly gain the vision of l that truth as q revelation of the real universe as spiritual and not material. Christian Science has won the con- | victions of it's followers because it has
 brought practical proof. It is not merely a philosophy bringing more or less plausible and beautiful theories; it | is not merely another creed supported | by more or less convincing quotations | of Scriptures. It is a doctrine that
 proves its faith by it's works. Every l Christian Scientist has had multiplied l experiences of its power in healing
 sickness, in destroying sin. in bringing ! harmony out of discord. in proving that good can overcome evil in every expe- rience of life Christian Science is thus in its strictest sense scientific, because it has for It's foundation present prac- ticsl experience whose rational inter- ! pretation reveals a Divine principle and q spiritual law, that can be prac- tically verified.
 Tn following this line of light, the
 Christian Scientist has acknowledged that: As adherents of truth, we take
 the inspired word of the Bible as ouI sufficient guide to eternal life Hand in hand with the Bible--not as supple mentinE its message, not as adding to or taking ought therefrom, but as in-
 terpreting its meaning--is the text
 book of Christian Science, Science and Health, With Key to the Scriptures
 whose author is the Reverend Mary
 Baker Eddy.
 The Christian Scientist has increas.