Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-07

mortalS were fidden to come Tor rest!
The belief that the sick in these latter
days can have no hope of being healed
except what these material systems
offer them, is a delusion which Chris
tians, with the memory of their Mas
ters life, should be ashamed to hold.
The way of humanity has not been
growing brighter unto the perfect day
if materia medica is the best balm left
to mortals for their sickness and sor-
row. This is not progress, but retro
gresSion, when we remember now
abundantly Jesus proved. so many hum
dred years ago, that neither God nor
man requires drugs to heal the sick
successfully. Materia medica was the
popular resort for the diseased then as
it Is now, yet Jesus healed its incur
ables" without drug, operation, or hyp-
notism. He did this in evidence of what
Christianity, the then new religion,
could do for afflicted mortals, proving
thereby the existence of higher way
than belief in matter by which to reach
God. 1t is true that the generation in
which these marvels were performed
soon passed away, but is IT true that
nothing remained to the next genera
ton, and the next on till now, save
history, mere record of what had
been? Was there no vital Principle eX-
pressed in the truth which Jesus taught
that is capable of producing the same
results under similar conditions to the
very end of time? If this is not so,
Christianity was little more than an
ephemeral idea, q mere shooting-star
across the heavens of human conscious
ness, giving q passing burst of bright
ness and then vanishing forever. Goa
pity the future of the race If the voice
of the healing Christ is never again to
be heard this side of death, stilling the
tempests of human want and woe, heal
ing the broken heart, and making Whole
the diseased.
Human misfortune and misery are
here to be overcome as in the time OF
Jesus; sin and disease are just as ram
pant; and death, as a dreaded spectre,
still stalks among us, gathering in It's
prey. Surely if mortals ever needed
Christianity to redeem them from these
conditions they need it today. The suf-
ferers throughout the earth to whom
materia medica has given TO relief, and
whom it confesses that 1t cannot save,
need help as sorely as did the Jews
whom Jesus healed in Palestine SO
many years ago. Why should not the
Christ-truth be applied to their needs
also? Why not? Has Christianity worn
itself out, while materia medica has
come down the centuries gathering new
strength and helpfulness? Has God
ceased to respond to the prayer OF
faith, or have Christians ceased to trust
in Him,-which is it? Has Christianity
ceased to heal the sick because IL is
not able, or because there Is better
way?
These are not superficial or idle ques-
tions but are of the deepest concern
and import to mankind. ALI the condi-
tions which Jesus encountered during
his ministry exist today. There are the
same physical needs, the same sense OF
separation from God, the same bond
age to the material senses, the same
love of evil, and also the same ABILITY
to understand and receive truth. Wnat
then has been lost. what is lacking TO-
day, the truth of Christianity or the
understanding of it? 1t is an accepted
historical fact that the Christians OF
the early Church healed the sick
through their religion alone; while the
Christians of the present day generally
repudiate this sacred duty as havlns
nothing to do with their religion. Has
the Church another and better name
than that of Jesus Christ whereby 70
save men from the grasp OF dlseasef
Basic Law Endures
The basic law of mathematics never
wears out, its intelligent appllcatloi
brings the same results today That i
did five or ten thousand years ago. l.
never gives sign of decay or of making
way for substitutes.
| What, then, of Christianity! What o
the teachings of Jesus, who saio
s'Feaven and earth shall pass away, bu
my words shall not pass away! VIVA
| of this healing, when he SAID tnat M
| followers should do the same WORKS
and even greater! What of the world
wide preaching of the gospel IT
obedience to his command, and the
worldwide disobedience to his com
mand to heal the sick as well! Wna'
of the excuses, and the unbelle1, Deslue
the remembrance of Jesus parting
words, ''Lo, I am with you AWAY, ever
unto the end of the world!' what OIL
all this, with the world so full of woe
and heart -ache and misery-and so full
withal of professed followers of the
great Way-shower!
How can Christians seriously believe
that they have nothing better than
materia medica wherewith to minister
to the sick and rying. while they have
such a, wonderful heritage as the life OF
Jesus? When he left his students there
was no suggestion Of there ever being
any other right way than his own OF
healing either the sick or the sinful
Az what point, then, or by whose
authority did materia medica supplant
the Christ-way of doing this work!
There should be some definite and rel1-
able data to support the common plea
long since passed. This data should be
at least as definite and reliable as that
upon which we base our belief In Jesus
miracles" and those of his disciples
Bald statements are not conclusive or
any subject. much less on one which
so yitally concerns the destiny OF man.
kind. But no data have been pre-
sented. absolutely nothing, either In
Scripture or out of 1t, to justify such
position, Facts are demanded of Chris
tian Science and are given; why are
they are also given by those who deny
1t and the healing efficacy of Chris
Christ Jesus said. "I will not leave
you comfortless;" "Come unto me,
and I will give you rest" Have
these words lost their original meanine
for physical sufferers, or are material
medicines the only fulfilment which
they can expect of these sweet prom
ises? When distress of body or the
persistent fretting and turmoil OF world
ly Worries so disturbs the sufferer that
he cannot rest, to which shall he turn
the Christ-remedy, or soporihc drug
that may perchance be the beginning
of a degrading appetite? When the
body is burning with fever or racked
with pain, is it the best and wisest q
Christian can do to turn to materia
medica, instead of to the truth or the
Christ-presence, although Jesus said,
"My peace I give unto you; not as the
world giveth?" These were the state
ments of the great, Godlike man who
understood the reality of being better
than has any other in all history. ana
who gave abundant proof that Truth
would do all he promised of 1t. All