The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1915-09-16
PROFESSOR HERING's ADDRESS

PROFESSOR HERING'S ADDRESS
There is no question of such gener-
al interest to mankind as the one OF
healing. The universal demand and
endeavor of humanity is for a larger
measure of health and happiness than
is today attained and there is mani
testify great need of some better means
of healing than that in general use.
In the Bible-that remarkable and
unique book which is believed in, re-
spected, and loved by millions of peo-
pie as the standard of morals and
right living and as the true record of
the appearing of divinity on earth for
the salvation of mankind,-in both
the Old and New Testaments of this
book there are many statements which
point to a means of healing both sin
and disease which Christ Jesus proved
to be far superior to all others, a heal
ing and saving power which should
be searched for and found along very
different lines from those generally
followed, and which is above and
apart from all that is material.
SPIRITUAL HEALING NOT GENER-
ALLY ADMITTED
The Scripture of both the old and
new Testaments recounts many in
stances of the healing of physical dis
ease by the prophets, by Christ Jesus,
by his disciples and by some of his
followers who were not his personal
students.
To be consistent all professed be-
levers in the Bible must needs recog-
nize the fact of spiritual healing, and
yet the vast majority do not believe
in it practically, many do cot even
admit ii to be true historically, while
physical scientists as a body deny its
possibility.
It is difficult for the materially
minded to see how physical results
can be attained through spiritual
means. The teaching of the schools
regarding the nature of matter pro-
duces such a materially biased con-
seriousness that the nature OF spirltu-
al existence and spiritual power is
very difficult 20 grasp.
We thus see that it is material sense
which LENDERS the attainment of an
ing of the Bible; this is the fertile soil
from which springs the doubt agnos-
ticism and infidelity of our times.
Let us then look into the question OF
matter and see if it is paramount to
Spirit.
THE MENTAL NATURE OF NATTER
According to recent discoveries in
physical science matter is form OF
energy instead of the indestructible
stuff or entity it has been believed to
be. It's unit, the atom, Is found to be
composed of positive and negative ell
ectrical corpuscles, called electrons
and ions.
Idealistic philosophy and phychol-
ogy teach that material objects are
but objectified mental impressions or
concepts and not exterior substan-
tive entities.
Thus we never really see, hear, feel,
taste, or smell matter or objects, but
merely experience sense phenomena
which we call matter What we think
we see is not an object exterior to
consciousness, but only an impression
In consciousness due to what is as
sumed to be some form of vibration,
Since consciousness is acquired
largely through the five physical
senses, and these senses testify only
to that which is dimensional and rel
alive, matter must be defined as the
appearance OF substance and not sub
stance itself. Thus II is wholly men
tai state of mortal consciousness.
These are not the teachings OF
Christian Science but the conclusions
reached through research and discov-
cry in the domain of physical science,
Psychology, and philosophy and they
show that even from a physical stand
point, what we term matter Ia not
what IL is generally believed to be but
Ia wholly a mental phenomenon and
has not been and cannot be accounted
for in any other way
Christ Jesus proved existence to be
wholly mental when We walked on the
water stIlled the tempest and over
came other material conditions.
Having considered the mental ma
tnre Of matter let US now see what
this so-called mind IL which perceives
material things and OF which matter
ia the obJeeiined concept or external
ifaiion
Because It's sense Of things IL ma
trf,al aud Ia largely gained through
the nyv physical senses, this mind 10
A consciousness that 10 eogniEant only
81 thar which Is dimensionai. variable.
assiruciible.