The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-11-08
PROF. HIRING ON
 CHRISTIAN SCIENCE Lectures at Lyric Theatre to
 Large Audience BASIS OF TEACHING Introduced By Mrs. J. D. Matlock, Professor Herring Outlines Views
 and Pays Notable Tribute
 To Mrs. Eddy

A large audience greeted Prof. Herman S. Herring yesterday afternoon at the Lyric theatre to hear his lecture on Chris- tian Science. Professor Herring is a mem- Der of the board of lectureship of the mother church in Boston and his com ing had been looked forward to with great interest by local Christian Soien- tists4-
 He was introduced yesterday afternoon by Mrs. J. D. Matlock, second of tho Birmingham church. Professor Herring spoke in part as follows
 Christ Jesus the great physician, the divine healer, has for all time set the standard of perfect healing before hu- manity. and that many do not yet believe in His gospel results from d lack of un- derstanding of the true nature and phi osophy of the so-called miracles which He performed. His ethical teachings are very generally accepted even by agnos- tics; although the spiritual records of the healing work as a part of His divine mission meet with dissent from many of the cultured people of today.
 'The gospels record many instances of the healing of physical disease by Christ Jesus and His disciples; He restored q withered hand. He healed an impotent man and man born blind: He healed paralysis dropsy, hemorrhage, leprosy. epilepsy and violent insanity, and He raised the dead.
 "Furthermore He specifically command ed His disciples that they should con tinue His healing worK.
 Peter, John, Philip. Paul and other followers healed paralysis deformty, in- sonity, lameness and also raised the dead, in connection with their missionary work: iu fact, healing was practiced quite gener- ally tha carly Christians
 "Al. those who admit that Christian healing is even desirable can but welcome a consideration of what it would involve. what it would depend upon. Let us con- sicer, therefore. whether there Is 8 science, a principle and law which can be applied, and how this application can be made Let us inquire also what we can and must do with the prevailing belief in matter, that greatest stumbling block to belief in the Bible and the fulfllment of it's promises.
 Mental Nature of Matter
 Matter was formerly believed to be an entity separate from force or energy, but recent researches and discoveries have rendered this view untenable In short matter is now regarded as the ap- pearance. externalization or projection of force or energy. and consequently what we touch. taste. smell, see or hear is in fact force.
 This then brings us to the viewpoint of materialstlc philosophy and psychol- oGy, from which 1t further appears that the mental faculties which we cali sight. hearing. etc.. are different forms of vibration and consequently what we see, hear, feel taste. or smell is a mental impression. Christ Jesus proved the mem tai nature of matter and existence when He walked on the water. stilled the temp est healed the sick raised the dead and other ma atpriaf conditions
 Matter Not Substance Nor Life
 "rhe chief difficulty in realizing the mental nature of matter is the belief that matter is substance.
 'One of the fundamental properties of substance Is substantially, which Is de- fined as being that which is lasting, that which has real existence. that which ia actual and not illusory This means that substance Is indestructible and perma- nent, and matter cannot therefore be real substance since it is both destructible and transtory it is relative not abso- lute: mental concept, and not sub stantive actualty outside of conscious ness. It is but an appearance of sub- stance to physical sense.
 "All this leads to the perception that there Is no life in matter since one of the fundamental characteristics of life is con- tinuity of existence which, as we have seen, cannot be predicted of matter.
 '1t is thus seen that there is neither substance nor life in matter or material phenomena: that our existence is not material but mental a state of conscious ness and that truth and life can only be conceived of metaphysically On this plane alone can we analyze existence log lcally and intelligently, and solve it's problems.
 We are now ready to concede the pos sibility of Christian healing, that which
 tContinued on Page seven.)