The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-10
GROSS SPEAKS ON. CHRISTIAN SCIENCE
 AT LYRIC THEATRE
Is Given Close Attention. Christianity Should Make Man Healthy as Well as
 Holy He Says

Willis F. Cross of Boston, a member of the board of lectureship of the First Church of Christ, Scientist, yesterday spoke at the Lyric theatre in the ,n- terests of Christian Science before an audience which comfortably filled the lower floors of the theatre
 Mir. Cross explanation of Christian science was listened to with close at
 tention by the audience At the close
 of the meeting much literature was distributed Mr. Gross said in part
 .Few persons will deny that Christianity has heep inc greatest power for good in the history of human experience Throughout Christendom at least Jesus or Nazareth is accepted as the world great, est religious Teacher. Those who preceueu Him prophesied the fuller revelation U, truth, while those who came after couiu only reiterate the Fundamentals or h.s doctrine and acknowledge theif ihuep'eu ness to the great demonstrator or Sou % , power to deliver suffering huhahi'y h the bondage of evil.
 Jesus teachings were understood oniy in part. and the purpose of His mission was comprehended by few. He af1irmeu and reaffirmhed that He taught only tne things He had learned Of the father' Concerning the purpose of Ills lie "ors He said: ITO this end was l born anu for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the trutn' That He was faithful witness even Ills enemies were compelled to acknowledge. When He spoke the word the people were astonishd at His doctrine; for lie taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes' He lived as he taught others to live and He demonstrated the truth and practical worth or Ills teach- inss by healing the sick, reforming the sinner and doing many other mighty works
 .,The healing of sickness is one of the beneficial effects of Christianity and 1t is no more contrary to the natural oper- ation of Gods law than is the healing Of sin Christianity should make man healthy as well as holy, and 1t would do so if material theories did not limit the power of truth. Human wisdom ac- knowledges Gods power to forgive sin but contends that the sick man must resort to material remedies and regain his health through obedience to material laws This false belief prevents the ex- ercise of that faith which the apostle James declared was able to save the sick.
 "Mortals have made a fatal mistake In consenting to the limitations of faith in- 
 ones understanding of truth Is unequal to the healing of sickness. would 1t not be well to search out the cause and earnestly contend for the faith that was once delivered unto the saints? A per son gains nothing by declaring there are abundant evidences of the truth of Chris tianity and that first proofs are no longer necessary. whereas he would gain much by striving for the faith of early Christians which was able to heal the sick as we'll as convert the sinner.
 "The Masters demonstrations of truth were so varied and complete that 1t seems strange humanity has not seen in these healing works the proof that spiritual understanding is the universal rem edy for all the ills of human experience. The failure to realize this can be ac- counted for only as one considers that these works are regarded as miracles; 1. C., 1t Is believed they were in some way accomplished contrary to the natural operation of the laws to which men and women of today are subject. This erro- neous conclusion has prevented the demon- stration of power which is able to de- liver them from every form of evil.
 When Paul was permitted to plead his own cause in the presence of King Agrippa and the principal men of the city, he asked this searching question:: Why should 1t be thought thing in credible with you, that God should raise the dead? And Christian Science Is asking of thinking men and women or today, believers in God believers in the verity of the sacred writings, believers in the power and efficacy of prayer. why should 1t be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should heal the sick?
 While 1t may seem that the chief pur- pose of the Masters works was to help those in need of help and to convince the world that His teachings were true, yet the great benefit of these works to uni versal humanity. is to be found in that they were practical applications of the truth which he declared would never pass away but would remain for all men to understand and demonstrate.
 christian Science teaches it is divinely natural to be healthy and unnatural to be sick. The discords termed sickness and sin. and all other inharmonious conditions and experiences. can be dealt with as in telligently as can the discords of music oI mathematics. and they will be overcom. as readily when the divine principle oi harmonious being Is understood and tn, laws thereof intelligently obeyed.
 According to Christian Science, laws o1 nature are not laws of matter but law, of divine mind. and the worlds mos successful Healer declared that His fol lowers in all ages would be able to hea l the sick in accordance with these un 1 changing laws.
 Jesus declared that He could do noth l ing of Himself. Whatever was accom- plished was the work of God. Is 1t no
 evident that he considered the healinl of sickness as divinely natural as tn healing of sin? He did not teach tha there are two laws, one to be obeye' by the sick man and another by the sinner There is but one law. the law of diviu mind, and obedience to this law Is re ouired of both the sick and the sinful Whatever the human need. obedience t the law of God will supply that need, fo