The Washington herald., 1917-03-04
THE PERFECT CHURCH
DESCRIBED BY WRITER
Tells Why Christian Scientists Ar.
Loyal to Faith.

Science Journal, under the caption, 1.-THE
Perfect Church." Robert c. Bryant, NJ.
A., writes:
There are two strong reasons why
Christian Scientists love their church
and are notably loyal to 1t. First. all
Christian Scientists have experienced
some form of healing. either physical,
mental. or moral. through the ministry
of the church. II may have been relief
from sickness. the lifting OF a load Of
sorrow. trouble, want. or limitation Of
any kind, or the destruction of conscious
sin. 1t may have come through hear
ing the truth expressed In a public ser
vice, through reading the literature, or
through the loving work OF some au-
thorized practitioner; in any case II has
come through some branch Of the church
activities.
Moreover. every Christian Scientist
knows that through the ministry Of the
church he is growing in the understand
ing OF Truth and in dominion over every
sense of evil. Every service attended.
every Lesson-Sermon studied. every lee
ture heard. every bit of literature read,
every contribution of prayer or testimony.
time or money-all these help to restore
spiritual consciousness, building for man.
kind that structure which at once pro-
tects from sickness, sin. and DEATH and
! helps humanity to rise above mortal
limitations. The Christian Scientist can
not afford to neglect one of the healing
and helpful influences of his church.
THE second reason why Christian
Scientists love the church and are loyal
to it. is that 1t presents the largest op-
portunity ever offered to men for loving
helpful service for humanity. Since all
men are the children of one Father.
brotherly love and the desire to help
others in their need should be one of tho
| strongest motives of the heart. The world
is full of Neutrality-suspicious., educa-
| tional, social, charitabIe-all aiming to
help mankind. Some of them seem to
be efficient and helpful; others are not.
No Doubt of Value.
Members of other institutions are often
! filled with doubt as to the actual and
ultimate value of the work they are do
| ing. The Christian Scientist has no
/ such doubt; he knows that the truth does
| make men free, and that his church is
teaching and demonstrating this truth,
| for it Is lifting thousands upon thousands
| of men and women out of ignorance
and sin, sickness. suffering and DESPAIR.
and is the greatest influence in the world
| for solving what is called the problem
of evil. Christian Science is bringing
| to the world that knowledge of the one
| infinite God which, as we read in Science
and Health (p. 340), 'unifies men and
| nations; constitutes the brotherhood OF
man; ends wars; fulfills the Scripture.
Love thy neighbor as thyself:' an
initiates pagan and Christian idolatry-
whatever is wrong in social civil, crim-
inal. political and religious codes; equal
ICES the sexes; annuls the curse on man,
and leaves nothing that can sin, suffer,
be punished or destroyed"
THE command of the Master in the
Sermon on the Mount, BE ye therefore
perfect" applies to the church as well
as to the individual Only as we under
stand, however, the spiritual and true
meaning of church as taught in Christian
Science. does the idea Of the perfect
church become intelligible. II the church
were a building of wood or stone; II
1t were an organization resting on NOR
tai belief. governed by human rules. and
supported by human opinions, perfection
could not be hoped for. To the Christian
Scientist the church is not a material
but mental and spiritual building, with
its foundations and walls, its every part,
within and without, formed of divine
ideas. thoughts of God. This is the true
church. the only real church. Under
standing this, the teaching of the Master
becomes clear, and we acknowledge as
real only this spiritual structure, "the
| structure of Truth and Love" (Science
and Health. p. $3.50.
Salvation Is Desired.
Every true Christian earnestly desires
to see mankind saved from sin and evil.
Christ Jesus declared that he came to
save the world from sin, "to heal the
broken-hea-ted, to preach deliverance to
the captiV. and recovering of sight to
fha. ind fN 81
are bruised, to preach the acceptable year
of the Lord He taught and demon
strated that men are saved from sick
ness, sin, and death by the power Of
Truth here and now. The disciples, filled
with great hope. took up the work with
enthusiasm. The church was instituted
to spread abroad the healing truth taught
by the Master. and its saving influence
was rapidly extended in many countries.
Then there came change. The or
ganization continued to grow, but its
power for good seemed to wane. After
1000 years the Christian church of many
denominations is established in all parts
of the earth. but the bright hope in the
| hearts of the early disciples, of humanity
free from sin and evil, is not realized,
and the acceptable year of the Lord
seems to be as far from mankind in this
age as 1t was at the beginning Of the
Christian era
"Christiah Science is, however, again
proving the power of Truth, and the
vision of humanity saved from sin and
evil Is again bright before many people
To this end Christian Scientists are work.
ing daily, hourly, declaring the fact of
the perfect church, knowing that as they
do this they will see externalized that
institution which so lifts up Christ, Truth,
that all men will be drawn thereto. Into
this true structure no mortal or carnal
thoughts or beliefs can come; and as
Jesus cast the money-changers out of the
temple, so the Christian Scientist casts
out of his own consciousness of church
all self-seeking, all devotion to per-
sonality, all pride of opinion, and all
reliance on material means.
THE perfect church is a divine idea,
and its demonstration is the institution
whica is spreading the truth, giving men
dominion over sin, disease, and death,
and elevatins the race. The goal of the
Christian Scientist is that perfect demon
stration in which all men will be seen
to be included in the church. and evil
will be known as error, nothingness and
so utterly destroyed. For this demon
stration the true Christian Scientist is
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