Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1911-10-17
Clarence G. Eaton, Of Christian Sci.
ence Board OF Lectureship,
vat Armory Opera
House.
FOURTEENTH ANNUAL ADDRESS
Auspices Of Local Christian scien
fists Good Attendance Despite
Bad Weather.

. : ( Z y + E. =
Bad Weather.
Clarence C.. Eaton of Tacoma,
Washington, delivered the four
teenth annual lecture on Christian
Science, under the auspices of the
local church, at the armory opera
house Friday evening. In spite OF
the hard downpour of rain between
seven and eight o'clock, a good siz-
ed crowd of people braved the ele-
ments and were present to hear Mr..
Eaton's address. Had the weather
been favorable 4 much larger num-
Der would have attended.
The lecturer was introduced by
Mayor Sparboe, a prominent member
Of the local society, in neat and
very fitting manner.
AS a preliminary to the address,
Mr.. Eaton explained that the object
OF these annual lectures was to re-
move prejudice and clear the public
mind of erroneous impressions con-
corning Christian Science. While
Mr.. Eaton is no orator, he has a very
pleasing and earnest style which en-
lists the interest and close attention
Of his hearers. IN part the speaker
said:
Christian Science meets the re-
quirement of preaching the absolute
mess and the allness of Good, good,
by works or demonstration, rather
than by words or arguments. Chris
tian Science does not announce a
new, strange or Irrational concept
of God, but unfolds and declares
a correct comprehension and true
and just understanding of His be-
ing, qualities and law. To broaden
>the average individuals concept OF
God, there has been introduced into
the teaching of Christian Science as
terms or synonyms of God other than
ordinarily used, those of Mind, Soul,
Principle, Life, Truth and Love. The
terms Intelligence and Substance
are also employed as synonyms to
further aid the student in his COM
prehension of God, as we'll as to in
dicate His nature, attributes and
qualities. These terms when rightly
understood and applied in conjunc-
ton with the most profound con-
cept which it is possible for us to
grasp of omnipotence, omniscience
and omnipresence, serve to turn
thought away from a circumscribed,
limited or humanized sense OF Deity
and direct 1t toward that imperson-
al. II mite. supreme and absolute
intelligence, consciousness, presence
and power whom we have designat-
ed as God.
When we include every attribute
OF goodness, justice. mercy, compass
sion and tenderness which we would
naturally associate with the term
Father as applied to God. and at
the same time exclude from our
thought all sense of injustice, ha-
tired, anger, vengeance and change
ableness, we are able to obtain and
enjoy a more righteous and true
sense of God as the one infinite. all.
A concept OF. God answering to
this will inspire love for and rev.
erence of Him. Moreover. 1t will
quicken within us spiritual con-
seriousness, recuperative and redemp-
tive in its operation, and which will
act as silent power to lift us above
the false and illegitimate beliefs Of
mortality, obliterate the undesirable
moral or physical effects which
those beliefs may have produced,
and provide an adequate defense
against the influence and action OF
all that is unlike God, good.
One infinitely good God and one
infinitely perfect universe. includ-
ing man is what Christian Science
declares and teaches. And upon
this question it holds that 1t is just
as important that we shall have
correct understanding regarding
perfect man as the creature of God,
as it is that we shall have true
knowledge of perfect God as the
creator of man. IL one or the other
or both are excluded from our relig-
ious teaching and practice, then Is
our faith likely 10 be dead and our
hope indeed vain.
To account for the absence of n
more general Belief in religion
embodying such postulates. We must
ascertain how far and wide we have
strayed on these questions and what
has led the world into the confusion
and trouble In which 1t Is involved.
All that we find In biblical history