The Glenwood post., 1908-12-12

Progress of Christian Science,' The
Fresl.yterian church was well filled and
many spoke very highly of the dis
course. which was as follows:
.'It is not the purpose of this dis
course to attack Christian Science.
While l reserve the right to criticise
the movement in the course of my re-
marks wherever / think it deserves
criticism, yet my real aim is to make
clear the reasons why Christian Science
has made such astounding progress in
spite of its many manifest faults. In
order to achieve this purpose, l must
ask YOU to 20 back with me into the
lag, century that we may investigate
tho conditions under which this sur
prising movement arose
"I do not think anyone will dis
mute the statement that in very
large degree the 10Th. century was
materialistic, one, at least the latter
half of it. Its materialism found most
striking expressions in the accumula-
tion Of colossal fortunes, in the organ
ization of gigantic trusts and corpora
tions, in the development of the Prodi
gious resources of the great West To-
course I am speaking of America) and
the extension of our influence as ma
ton or world power. 1t was in tn
period that the Vanderbilts, the Gouids
Rockefellers, Stanfords, Hearsts, Have
mevers. Armours Hartman, Hill and
many others acquired their almost
fabulous riches. 1t was in this period
that the great insurance companies II
the Eouitable, New York Life,
York Mutual, and others were built
to such astounding proportions. 1t was
in this period that the mighty oil, steel
suoar tobacco, meat and other trusts
were organized. 1t was in this period
that the mines, the almost boundless
grazing and farming areas, and the
mighty cities of the West were develoT
ed. 1t was in this period that the u
ted States demonstrated that nava
and military prowess, which has wor
us the aspect of the world, that Ha-
waii, I l.o Rico, and the Philippine
were acquired, and that in other ways
bur country extended her materia
wealth and power.
+" These are but a few evidences @
18th. century materiafism. 1t would
be easy to give others by calling your
attention not only to commercial, but
to political and educational develop
ments, but think those submitted are
sufficient. But what has this materi-
alism to do with the development and
progress of the church of Christ
Scientist? We shall come to that by
and-by.
'The most astonishing thing about
this materialsm to the American peo-
ple--notwithstanding the fact that -
the light of history, it should not have
been at all astonishing to them-was
unprecedented pursuit of material had
been attended by an equally unp"v-
cedented trampling under foot of things
spiritual. Money and morals, intended
by the Good God to go hand in hand in
His world, were found to be running
fearfully uneven race, with money in
far and disparaging lead. There sud
denly arose a number of what might hc
called social and political chemists
who by pouring into the solution of con-
ditions some fearless Investigations and
relentless prosecution, precipitated a
black and nauseating substance, VIII
Awe call moral corruption. They were
,eachers like Parkhurst; lawyers lik'
Folk, Hughes and Heney, and maya
zine writers like Steffens, Russell and
Tarbell. In the composition of the
great corporations and trusts was re
vealed the ingredients of greed, extor-
tion and injustice; of THE insurance
companies. fraud, dishonesty and mis-
appropriations; of politics, graft, un-
faithfulnees and wholesale corruption
and of the great western developements
land grab, timber frauds and other rob-
berries of the government. Things of
the snirit- oOod mrals riUhteousuess
public honor, fidelity, purity, were dis
covered to be in sad state of neglect
The lofty ideals of true civilization
were not included in the aim of society
The mind and the heart had been made
to serve mamon to serve him al
the cost Of their most precious herita
Res. Materialism had reigned supreme
and had exacted terrible tribute of it,