Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-11-20
CHARLES OHRENSTEIN
DELIVERS LECTURE ON
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE
Friday Evening at City Hall Un-
der the Auspices of the Au-
gusta Society-Complete Text
of the Lecture AS Delivered.

A good sized audience assembled at
City hall Friday evening to hear
Charles I. Ohrenstein Of New York lee
ture on Christian Science, which lee
ture was free and given under the
auspices of the Augusta society. Mr..
Ohrenstein, who is a. member OF the
board of lecturers Of the First Church
of Christ, Scientist, Of Boston. spoke
as follows:
In the discussion Of any subject, 1t
is always desirable to start with some
point Of agreement. One that very
naturally presents itself will undoubt-
eddy be found in the fact that we all
desire to live. But even II we live,
there is not much satisfaction in liv-
ing without health; for health is alb
solutely essential to peace, freedom,
prosperity and happiness. May we not,
then, ask ourselves whether any prac-
teal system Of education exists which
teaches how we may live, be well, free,
prosperous and happy? More than
this since the subject we are to dis
cuss is religion, may not We further ask
whether the religion of Jesus Christ
provides such system and the correct
Interpretation Of it, the education cap
able of accomplishing the desired re-
suits?
Jesus Mission.
What Jesus came to do, what he
taught, did. and lived, may we'll be tax
en- as his mission. What was this
mission?
Jesus came to preach the gospel or
good news to the poor. He came to
heal. to liberate. to destroy the opera
lions of evil of every kind in human
experience, to confer abundant life as a
result OF the knowledge of God which
he taught, and to usher in an era ac-
ceptable to God, in which God should
be accorded all power and reign over
all absolutely and completely. Did he
fulfill this mission?
Jesus preached very little, but did a
great deal. The gospels show this.
From boyhood he was about his Faith
er's business. This business consisted
Of teaching by example as well as by
precept what God is. what God does,
and how God does what He does. In
providing the tax money in the draft
Of fishes, he showed that God provides
for the most simple and common needs.
In healing few sick people in Naza-
reth, he showed that spiritual means
should be sought and applied not only
in extreme cases but in minor ailments.
In restoring sight to the blind, speech
to the dumb, hearing to the deaf, in
healing leprosy. epilepsy. etc. he show
ed that God "healeth all thy diseases"
and that none are incurable to Him.
To-, no
Which had bound her many years, he
showed the emancipating power of God.
and in raising Lazarus from the grave,
he showed that God does give life. and
that He gives it abundantly
Jesus Works the Result Of His Chris
tian Science.
Science is defined as the knowledge
of principles and causes" Now. did
Jesus do these works through ignor-
ance or mere belief in something. or
did he do them because of a specific,
accurate. and demonstra BILE knowledge
Of their underlying Principle or cause?
No rational being would claim that
they We're done through anything but
such knowledge; and if they were thus
or science. applied by Jesus Christ,
were they not wrought through Chris
tan Science? That Jesus looked upon
his works as the result of this Science.
is indicated by that immortal utter
ance: HE that believeth, on me. the
works that l do shall he do also. "a
definite demand upon his followers for
like proofs that they understand and
practice his teachings: and his imme-
date followers, and their followers for
three hundred years after them, did
as he commanded.
Jesus did his marvellous works be-
cause of his knowledge of their under
lying Principle or cause. 1t will be
admitted that this knowledge was the
knowledge of God. the knowledge of the
reign or the kingdom of God, the
knowledge of man and of mans rela =
tionship to God, which he came to
teach mankind. The question that oc-
ours very naturally at this point is,
What is God?
God.
In the tongues in which the Bible was