Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-09-27
BICkNELL YOUNG ON
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE

S7nlo IAN oSIENC6
synopsis of his lecture follows:
1T is an encouraging fact that how
ever greatly our views may differ upon
this or that subject, there is always
In our natures and common to them
all. one chord which responds to Chris
tan Science. and that is the universal
desire to prolong existence, or. better
still, to attain satisfaction and be sure
of its continuity. Even the creatures
beneath our feet want to live, and
strive to do SO, so that this instinct
has come to be expressed in the Az
iom, preservation is the first law
of nature
THE fact is that first great cause
is infinite Intelligence, for nothing less
than Intelligence could be the one inf
mite cause. 1t should not be hard for
any thinker to understand that inf
mite Intelligence is necessarily infinite
Wisdom, and one must inevitably con-
clude that infinite Wisdom is wise
enough to do everything in the right
way at once without any experiments
whatsoever. This. thought of God,
possible does aw3 with the old idea
of primary mistakes which have to
be subsequently, directed, and entirely
disSipates the notion that God incor-
rectly arranged a whole lot of things
| in the universe which man must aft
| erwards correct.
| Now Christian Science comes to re-
lieve human beings of these beliefs
which have darkened human thought:
IL fyjVaS nn1arcf q n ~
starts with the perfection of being as
the right standard for thought and in
vestigation, and it proves by unmis-
| taxable results that when people main
tain the right standard in their thought
and lives they gain spiritually in an
unreasonable degree; they gain NOR
ally, as thousands of people testify. in
an immeasurable degree; they gain
UNNECESSARILY in the true basis Of
| health. and they gain through relig=
ious conviction all this, which they
| have never been able to attain through
any other teaching that they have ever
| known. Why? Because instead of
! relying upon belief, they understand an
absolute principle by which they can
test thought and action.
There has never been anything true
| that was not available to mankind or
would not have been if they had been
enough awake to perceive that it was
true. Truth has always existed.
Jesus said to his disciples. when he
| sent them forth, that if those to whom
! they went would not accept the word
they were to be told Notwithstanding
be we sure of this that the Kingdom OF
| God is come nigh unto YOU
| "Now, Christian Science has come to
bring that Kingdom to us all. and TO
unite US on the basis of pure Chris
tianity; to give not a theoretical
knowledge of a PERSONAL Savior, but
one Christ, the one Christ which Jesus
manifested, which constituted his Mind
and power and all the incentive of his
action and all the rule of his life, the
| same Christ which is infinite Truth
revealed in the ideas which even now
| you and | are considering, the ideas
which in themselves are not human but
divine. When ST John said, God is
| love- he only said something that is
true, that always was true; the idea
itself could not have originated in st.
John; he discovered it, or rather saw
it SO clearly that he set it forth in a
simple expression which has never been
equalled.
Nobody has been asked to believe
in Christian Science. and nobody ever
will be asked to believe in it. for Chris
tan Science does not advocate
PROSECUTING process, but explains di-
vine Principle. I should no more think
of urging a person to believe in Chris
tian Science than l should think Of
asking him to believe in the multiple
cation table. Neither one nor the 9th
er is in the realm of belief. We are not
the purpose Of asking people to be-
Science lectures because we want to
help mankind, and weAwant to help
mankind because we waHS to help our
selves, and have realized that the best
way to help ourselves is to, help others.
No human being can BE selfish and
ever put off mortality. For one to at
tain Immortality, which Ks the natural
heritage that God has pqbvided for all
we shall have to be !urfselfish Jesus
did not voice a mere religious adrfroni-
ton but a scientific nece&sity when he
gave the rule. Thou. shalt loye thy
neighbor as myself He als4 said
Deny myself and follow me-
christians generally. but not s9ery
Joyfully, recognize the. necessity Of
self-denial. Christian Science explains
it. and makes it not only possibi% but
glad. 1t is generally supposed to mean
loss, whereas it meant achievement It
means recognition and manifestation
of the dominion which God gives to
man. In self-denial one is not think
ing Of himself. If he were there would
be no selfdenial. He Is finding the
truth Of being, and in that, peace and
power and perfect poise. Jesus ex-
pressed the acme of self-denial in the
words. I and my father are one
Self abnegation enables one to do
good and it is therefore a joyful occu-
patton. 1t establishes liberty. which is
the freedom to do good. since there is
nothing but slavery in doing evil. God
alone rs infinite. Evil is not only finite,
but destructive. The glorious liberty
Of ths, children of Cod is to be found
in TINS individual power to do good.
This kind Of power, which is the only
real Kind is not limited in it's results. It
overcomes disease as we'll as sins, and
yet God. who is this power, has seemed
SO distant and unnatural m us tho+