Rock Island Argus., 1913-06-18

/ experience, and how far short they
come of attaining the good which
I they so honestly seek. it is a fair de-
/ duction that there is something
wrong about their understanding OF
God.
Another subject that enters into the
( religious life OF all people is that of
prayer. Since prayer is the medium
/ through which the connection is estab-
/ lished between the human and the di-
vine, 1t is therefore, of great impor-
tance for every person to find out what
constitutes true prayer. What are its
characteristics, what is its nature, and
/ how it may be employed so as to bring
| % the one who prays with certainty
the blessings which the Scriptures de-
clare shall come as the result of true
prayer.
1t is stated in the 5th Chapter of
James that, The prayer Of faith shall
fsaTe the sick" There is no ambiguity
/ about that language. 1t is not indefin-
[ ite or uncertain in any particular. 1t
/ is, in fact, as positive and direct q
statement as can be made with human
( language. And yet, it would seem
/ that one of two things mus: necessar-
I lily be true, either that statement in
the Scriptures is wholly false, or else
people have not known how to make
/ the prayer of faith Throughout the
! centuries, for, except in sporadic in
I stances, the sick have not been saved
as the result of scholastic prayer. 1t,
/ therefore, becomes a subject for legiti-
mate inquiry in order that i: may be
/ determined, if possible, whether or
not that statement in the Scriptures
is true.
Through Christian Science prayer
hundreds Of thousands OF sick people
have been hea-ed. Is not this great ar
ray Of proof by demonstration at
/ least sufflciest to put every thinking
/ person upon inquiry, lest the Christian
Science theory of prayer may not, IN
fact, be the true theory.
Every person desires to know how
to make true prayer. All people de-
sire good and not evil. Since, through
/ Christian Science prayer, so many
people have found health, content
ment, and peace, it is plain, that soon
er or later, every thinking person will
desire 20 know how to pray as Chris
tian Science teaches.
CREATION.
Another subject about which there
! is great confusion of belief, is the sub
ject of creation. 1t is surprising how
many people there are who do not even
the creation in the Bible. The first
account is to be found in the first
chapter of Genesis, and extends down
to and includes the third verse OF the
second chapter. Beginning with the
fourth verse of the second chapter,
there follows another account that is
! wholly different from the first
In the first account, we are told that
God created the universe, and that
everything made by Him was good,
and lastly, that He created man, in
His image, and after His own likeness,
and that he was good; while in the
second account, we have the allegory
about God coming down to earth, and
mixing up dust and calling it man
Then follows the story of Adam and
Eve, and the Garden of Eden, and we
are told tina: deep sleep fell upon
Adam, and that then sin appeared,
I and that brother murdered brother,
and from that day to this. that the
man made of dust has been a sinner,
and has been at enmity with God.
The difference between Christian
Science and all the so-cal.ed orthodox
churches is that Christian Science &C
! cepts the first account Of the creation
as true, while all of them accept the
! second account as the foundation and
basis upon which they build
Christian Science is the only system
Of teaching, either religious or secular,
that even makes an attempt to explain
| the difference between man and The
Adam-man, and Christian Science does
explain it and makes it perfectly plain.
MENTAL CAUsATION.
l know how difficult thing it is for
people who are unacquainted with
the teachings of Christian Science to
understand what is meant by mental
causation. Humanity has been ac-
customed through so many centuries
! to consider that ali causation is vest
ed in matter, that when we begin TO
/ discuss The subject Of mental causa-
| ton we are dealing with something
that is unfamiliar TO many. When l
was told, that there was no intelli-
gence or sensation in the human body,
| said that the thing was 30 manifes.-
! ly absurd that no intelligent person
could believe it
1t was pointed out to me that this
body which people worship and fear,
and which most people ge: down on
their knees before every day and say
to il, "Oh, body, what can do for you
today. TO keep you from hurting me?"
is composed of something over 20 per
cent Of water. and that the balance OF
it is chalk, lime. starch, potash, and
a few other things-that it is matter,
just as truly as the ingredients Of the
dirt and wood are matter.
then learned that there could be
no more intelligence or sensation in
matter when in the form OF flesh,