The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-01-28

views, I hope I have a just apprecia- ton of his character, and I may add that have passed many hours of pleasant chat with him.
 It would seem to me that we have now gone far enough to make perfect ly clear the principle that I would have you apply to these so-called new thought movements. We are not to rush into an acceptance of every star ting claim without Investigating the facts, nor are we to refuse to consider the facts oGi the assumption that there can be nothing in them. In one of his letters St. Paul declares that there are many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signif- cation" Surely, there are many kinds of voices in this religious movement that has sprung up outside the organ ized churches. We have the faith cure, the mind-cure, the prayer-cure, divine healing, spiritualism, Christian science, the new thought and various other voices heard less distinctly. Here one might say is veritable tangle of confusion. How shall we investigate when there seems to be no common ground on which to stand? Where shall We bring our principle of the text to bear?-"Prove all things: hold fast that which is good" In order to hold fast to anything you must first get hold of it. Where shall we take hold, and how shall we take hold, in our in vestigations of this widespread move ment that I have spoken of under the general head of Spiritual Science?
 First, let me show you that we shall greatly simplify our problem by con- fining ourselves to some particular manifestation of this new power that seems to be at work in the lives of men. Accordingly, I wish to speak of the movement as it is shaping itself in Christian Science and the New Thought, more particularly in Christian Science.
 During the last three decades this sect has passed through an amazing growth. Making allowance for all ex- aggerations of doctrine, all extrava- gances of speech, all the crudeness of every sort, incident to any new move- ment, the hard fact remains that there must be something of good in a re- ligion that has changed the lives of tens of thousands of people from a tra- gedy into a song of praise. It is that kernel of good that we are after. know not how other ministers may feel, nor other churches, But for us there would seem but one course to follow. It is that of openmindedness to every new fact of the religious life that presents itself. We can never for- get that utterance of one of the dis ciples as recorded in the New Testa- ment Master, we saw one casting out devils in Thy name, and he follow eth not us: and we forbad him, be- cause he followeth not us." Nor can we forget the words in which Jesus re- buked him: Forbid him not; for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is on our part"
 My endeavor, therfore, is to approach this subject in the true scientific spir- it. You all have your peculiar preju- dices, and 1t would not be strange if I had mine. I would lay them aside, however, so far as possible, and deal with the subject before me as one who is anxious only to arrive at the truth. l cannot feel that this church would greatly sympathize with me in an att tack on any mans religion.
 Tn ynarc hnfnra toaIr ,1,iy1 ct you have heard here too much concern ing "The Freedom of Faith" to be car ried away against your better selves, by any reactionary appeal, even were disposed to make one. Indeed, I think l may say that I go so far as to ap- proach this subject with kind of eager sympathy. Perhaps have been pecu- liarly happy in my acquaintance with Christian Science people. At any rate, I have never found my nature up in arms, so to speak, either over their teachings or their lives. To say that l accept the Christian Science system of thought as wholly satisfactory inter- pretation of the New Testament would not be true At the same timeI believe most sincerely that these people are emphasizing certain religious facts, the importance of which cannot well be overestimated. It is these facts that I would point out It is these facts that would have the church receive, there by, as I believe, greatly enriching it's own life. If their teachings, as they claim, are derived from the New Testa- ment, then surely they are a part of our inheritance. We have no need to go outside our own fellowship to appro- priate and practice them. I move on from this point in my sermon with full assurance, for I cannot be mistaken in assuming that it is the disposition of all who are under my ministry to ap- proach this whole subject in perfectly frank and fair-minded way. You and are agreed in this: We would take hold of our investigation in that scien- tific spirit that asks only for the facts, and in that Christian spirit that would | lead us to accept and hold fast to those |