The Monticellonian., 1916-06-08

eyes?
1t is a noteworthy fact whose sig
nificance ought not to be overlooked
that the following in Christian Science
is made up to a large extent of those
who were at first incredulous in re
speet to II, and especially in respect
to its practical works. The proof has
so accumulated throughout Christen-
dom that these practical works are
in daily and abundant evidence, that
the denial of them has been over
whelmed and silenced. But our oppo
nents frequently asserted up to few
years ago that Christian Science cur.
ed those only who merely imagined
themselves to be sick, but no others
i. his assertion itself was founded on
Imagination and not on facts, for the
evidence proved from the outset thar
so-called incurable as we'll as durable,
organic as we'll as functional, and
chronic as we'll as acute diseases were
met and vanquished. For a time,
however this assertion, too often
rashly made by those whose positions
should have made them more careful
about their statements, were listened
to. mere were many persons VINO
manifested complete Indifference, as
there are yet. Besides, the world had
for long time been SO accustomed 10
drug medication that any method
which did not employ drugs seemed
- 10 hai 4ar
Not the only instance when the light
shineth in darkness: and the darkness
eomprehended it not" However not,
withstanding Indifferent and skeptieal
ears, the facts and their evidence be-
gan to accumulate; slowly at first, and
afterward with greater and stu great
er rapidity.
Those who had been sentenced
themselves to speedy graves by ma
terra medica, on account of so-called
incurable diseases; those who had
near relatives. husbands, wives. chill
dren, brothers, sisters mothers, faith
ers, under similar sentences, very
largely composed the class who first
NPuluI6u DIS II 0ttlIlCu TIE last CIldnCt
left them, to try Christian Science.
And. To- usually to their great sur,
prise, the doors of a great joy were
opened. and the sentences OF death
were cancelled Such glad tidings"
spread fast. Soon all kinds of physt
cal sicknesses and sufferings and
many sorts of vicious habits and ten
denotes were found to be knocking at
the doors where they hoped, many of
them just barely hoped, to be made
free Thousands have been delivered
in this way from the very cutters of
alcoholic drunkenness and restored to
lives of sobriety and usefulness and to
the arms of their families. In our
larger cities especially there are no
inconsiderable numbers who have been
assisted in overcoming the use of
opium, morphine. cocaine, choral.
and other vicious. habit-forming drugs.
There are now numbered scores of
thousands who have been lifted up
from long years of pain and apparent
ly hopeless inyalidism. And there Is
a multitude of witnesses of the class
to which, permit me to say. | belong.
We have seen the grim visitor which
men call death shadowing the thresh-
olds of our homes and threatening to
bear away fading loved ones from our
family circles; we have heard our ply
sicians despairingly admit that their
~, in nd
through this rediscoyered way of saw
ing the sick, the way, the truth and
the life" to which we have at last
gone, our loved ones have been re-
health once more blooming in their
cheeks and the light of health agan
beamng from their eyes! Is it any
wonder that in our gratitude we re-
peat the words of Jesus: Though ye
believe not me. believe the works?
The great body of the adherents OF
Christian Science thus far is made up
of those for whom its truth and de-
pendability have been tested in a prac
tical way. in their own persons or
nOHltSs oH the Otttti udtlNlt pui tlillIG
are made of those who have pre-
judged the subject according to their
preconceiyed notions and belief. Their
theories of denial are not based on the
evidence, but rather are those theories
of denial which are based upon be-
liefs already held-those theories Of
denial, in fact, which have opposed
and hindered every forward step in
human thinking and progress always.
Which is better and safer, the expert
mental knowledge and experiences o.
Christian Scientists. on the one hand,
or the individual opinions, on the
other hand of those who oppose Chris
tian Science. whatever their reason
for doing so? Which class of evidence
has weight in the courtroom? Is II
not that of the witnesses who know
the facts about which they testify
while opinion evidence is seldom re
ceived at all?
In speaking of the class of our crit
les | have Just referred to. critics who
turn stubbornly deaf ears TO our evi
dence and stubbornly hostile eyes to
our facts, refusing to be convinced
thereby. whatever the evidence and
facts may be, like the opponents OF
Jesus in his day. | find that | need
frequently to remember tolerance and
charity rather than severity or I'M
patience. Probably this may come
from being courtroom lawyer for
many years. But | hope that it will
not be out of the way for me to say
of tho niacc NJ critioc hove raforrod