Los Angeles herald., 1908-07-12

life and character you find as the fruit
OF Christian Science. Do you find Its
followers to be immoral dissipated
frivolous, gossipers. mischief makers,
what st. PauIs letter to Timothy de-
scribes as TRAITORS, heady, high
minded, lovers of pleasure more than
lovers of God?" Or do you find them
moral, meek, striving to know the
Mind of Christ and to do the will of
GodG l have made this investigation
for myself, and must bear witness that
they invariably stand for the highest
morality and the purest spirituality.
/ Why has the church opposed this
movement? For the same reason thai
1t opposed John Wesley and Method
| ism; because 1t judges its followers
by ecclesiastical standards and not by
the Christ standard. I have read the
books that have been written against
| Christian Science and have this to
say about them "They are right in
condemning what they condemn, but
what they condemn is not Christian
| Science
Take the question of sin. Those who
| do not understand the teaching of
| Christian Science have an idea that
1t condones sin because it treats it as
an illusion and not as a reality. l ask
| you. is there anything more awful than
insanity, the hopeless delusion of a dis
eased mind? Christian Science has i'm
pressed me with the disastrous nature
of sin far more than scholastic theol
ogy ever did, for it has led me to con-
slider the law "to whom We yield your
selves servants to obey, his servants
(his slaves We are to whom we obey"
Christian Science holds the terrors of
the law over the sinners head more
relentlessly than the Church does, for
1t has no forensic scheme of forgive
ness to abate one jot or little of his
responsibility. Sin is forgiven when it
is removed, and not otherwise. Chris
tan Science says as Jesus did, "Sin
no more, lest a worse thing come unto
thee"
Psychology of the Heart
One effect of Christian Science is Of
measurable Importance. 1t brings
Christianity back to the child standard
where it's divine Founder placed 1t. The
essential distinction between Christ's
message and than of Buddha, Confu-
Gus, and all other founders of re-
ligions, is right at this point. They
told the children that they must become
like their disciples. Jesus told His dis
ciples that they must become like little
children. Verify / say unto you, Who
soever shall not receive the kingdom
of God as little child shall in no wise
enter therein" Ecclesiasticism and
scholasticism have utterly ignored that
eternal principle. What is the result?
The result is well stated by Prof. Ros-
we'll d. Hitchcock in these words:
after nineteen hundred years of pro-
pagandism, Christianity is now obliged
to apologize for Christendom
Christian Science gives the world a
new psychology which meets equally
the need of the child and of the phil
osopber. It's fundamental principles are
expressed in five postulates:
1. God is the only Cause.
2. Spirit is the only Substance.
8. Love is the only Force
4. Harmony is the only Law.
5. Now is the only Time.
This is a psychology of the heart and
not of the intellect. Intellect is a. de-
throned king. Its reign is past. Its
successor is intuition-soul@perce
instead of sense-perception. Why have
some of you read the textbook of the
new psychology, Science and Health
with Key to the Scriptures" without
understanding it? Because you did not
have its viewpoint. 1t is written from
the point of idealism, or the absolutely
spiritual, and you read 1t from the
point of the material and intellectual
1t is condemned as Illogical; but 1t ex-
presses the logic of the heart, and not
of the intellect. Intellect says that man
is combination of matter and spirit,
and must die; Jesus said that man Is
spiritual and will not die If he obeys
the Laws of Spirit. He came to abolish
death.
Christian Science gives it's followers
81 new enthusiasm in studying the
Bible. Why? Because its psychology
interprets the sacred writings spiritual
ly and not materially. 1t reveals the
Supreme Being as a God of pure Love,
and not as combination of Love and
vengeance.
Is Spiritual Home
The psychology of Christian Science
is gradually bringing into it's ranks a
great company of thoughtful people who |
have been repealed from the churches |
by the unphilosophical methods of |
scholastic thought. Yet at the same
time it attracts multitudes of simple
hearts that receive the Truth, without |
questioning, as little child The COM
mon people receive 1t gladly.
Christian Science provides a spirit
lal nome for class of people that
the churches have not only neglected,
but practically ostracised, namely, act
tors and actresses. The dramatic in
5tinct Is one of the fundamental ele-
nents of human nature. AS we all
know, its first expression was religious
in the miracle plays and passion
plays. Christian Science bridges the
gulf which the churches have created
between themselves and the members
If the theatrical profession. Scores of
lctors are now coming into the Chris
ian Science church, and 1t is the uni
orm testimony of theatrical managers
hat these actors are not Cnly trans
'ormed themselves, but their influence
lpon their associates is most benficent
A single Christian Scientist in a troupe
viii gradually change the character of
ne whole company, and substitute
harmony for friction and discord.
1 will now speak of some of the
of Christian Scientists.
They never seek to proselytes They
never solicit patronage. They never
idvertise except in their own official
magazine. They never dedicate a
,hurch building until 1t is paid for.
They have a larger church property in
to membership than any
,ther denomination. They have a
anger average attendance and larger
Their church rooms are
llways open.
The growth of the movement is be-
'ond all precedent. 1t has been esti-
mated, judging by the past growth
cen years the Christian Science church
will be larger than any other denomi-
ation in America, and in twenty-five
ears it will be larger than all other
combined. Why may
We expect this growth to continue?
Christian Science meets a uni
ersal human need.
But hear a cry of alarm, "a worn
n! a woman! This movement origi-
ated with woman!" Well, did not
originate with a woman
Vas 1t not through the Virgin Mary's
piritual concept that the eternal !
hrist was embodied in the child Je