The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-02
GIVES LECTURE ON
 CHRISTIAN SCIENCE Bliss Knapp, c. s. B., of BOs-
 ton Talks at Lyric HOUSE IS CROWDED
Explains Meaning and Operation of Christian Science Religion and Says Health Is an Att
 tribute of God


 theatre was occupied yesterday after noon, when Bliss Knapp, c. s. B., mem- Der of the Board of Bectureship of the Mother Church, the First Church of Christ, Scientist, Boston, Mass, deliv- cred a lecture on Christian Science"
 The speaker was introduced by J. R. Flemmer. first reader Church of Christ. Scientist, Birmingham. He spoke in part as follows:
 Not in contravention of law, but in fulfilment thereof. did the man of Gal ile announce himself and forthwith pre- sent the only system of healing known to humanity-a system which no one can improve, but one that should be understood by all. The method em- ployed was by mental or spiritual prayer. Consequently the only perfect system of healing must be mental and in fulfilment of law. The mission of | Christian Science has been to present the meaning or explanation of the Christ law with such comprehensive | Christian healing.
 | In all that Jesus did, he made 1t clear that the power he employed was not of himself. He specifically declared. The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do." His | ability, therefore, to obliterate disease | and sin was the result of what he &C., tually knew about God, the Father of us all. When he taught that same under standing of God to His disciples, they were able to perpetuate his healing ministry. Indeed, Christian healing was continued for period of 300 years l after the time of Jesus. The ability of Christian Scientist to heal the sick and shining through prayer is wholly due to better understanding of God. who is the divine principle of mans existence. This is in agreement with the Scriptural command. "Acquaint l myself with him, and be at peace" 1 One who is sick is not at peace, One who | is distressed either in mind or in | body it not at peace. Nevertheless, ac- quaintance with the divine nature en- dows one with the divine intelligence which inspires him with the power of peace, and thereby rules out all dis turbances, whether mental or physical. Therein do you have presented in the lbriefest possible statement the precise method of Christian healing-acquaint- ance with divine nature. How then shall we acquaint ourselves with God?
 Divine Acquaintance
 One of the earliest ways of gaining an ifsight into the realm of God was given by Moses in the Ten Command plents. He led the people to think of I the divine nature as> manifested not through a form but through well de- fined laws. Idolatry had its origin in thinking of God as a form. When men undertook to fashion what they might conceive the precise form of God to be they became thereby idolators, against | which we have the second command ment of the Decalogue. As divine Principle, manifesting His power, in telligence, and loving kindness through we'll defined laws. He can be under | stood.
 Right Desires
 If an individual is made to believe that he has no faculty for apprehend- ing spiritual law, he Is cheered In | Christian Science by the swet assur- ance that men are natively and inher- ently spiritual. They are so as ohil- dren Indeed it is impossible for one, by the process of education to lead himself entirely away from that native spiritual sense. Even the supposedly wicked man may know God and be saved from his evil ways This is not
 mere high sounding theory, for 1t is a familiar saying that no one Is wholly bad, for there must be at least spark
 of goodnes in him. Suppose, then, that you address yourself to some very
 wicked man and Ask him if he has
 ever experienced the desire to be bet
 ter and do better; has he really de-
 sired to be good? Few will deny that
 there has been periods when they have
 entertained such desires. Where dc
 these desires to be good come from
 What is their origina No. They must have their origin in the infinity oi good, and that means God-even as Jesus declared. None is good save
 one. that is God
 Health an Attribute of God It is true that Orthodox Christians generally accept this teaching as il
 relates to temptations of sin; but
 Christian Science accepts the same teaching as it relates to temptations of sickness. That is to say. we recog- nize that health is just as much a char | acteristic or attribute of God as ara : honesty and goodness, and therefore 3 1.-the individual makes the same mistake
 who believes that his health is a per
 sonal possession, as he does who be-
 lieves that his goodness and honesty | are personal possessions. We save oul
 health through the recognition of its ? divinity-that it is the gift of God and that God has no more purpose tt 9 withdraw it than He would honesty f and goodness God never died, nor is |, He ever sick. Indeed, it is unthinkabll Q | to conceive of sick God. In fact
 the characterisitcs or attributes o'