The Washington herald., 1917-04-01

The mortal who admits that he can
not grasp the spiritual meaning OF the
Christian Science textbook Is not COM
petent to explain what Christian Seenco
10 or II not Spiritual things In all ages
must be spiritually understood. The great
good that Christian Science Is accom-
plishing in the world is not the result
of any intellectual discernment OF Truth'
IL Is the result Of a higher spiritual uh-
derstanding Of a spiritually operative
Principle, which heals disease ana SIN
and regenerates human consciousness
"one Of the besetting sins OF humanity
Is an innate disposition to pass Judgment
upon spiritual things. and to spread
broadcast the results Of what 1t terms
honest research and investigation. For-
tunately for the human race all such
efforts are characterized by all sucn na,
grant Inconsistencies that even the casu
thinker IA ready to brand them as un-
reasonable and unjust. The test OF one
sincerity In investigating spiritual truth
hinges upon his recognition and aceepc
ance OF this fact, that tne moiIai tII u VI
'carnal mind SO called, must yleio up
all belief in any assumed ability to grasp
spiritual or metaphysical teaching.
The disinclinatlon to deny self. to sur
render cherished theories, beliefs, ana
practices, precludes any seeker from AZ
riying at accurate conclusions relative 10
Christian Science. II he persists in Judg-
ing according to sense testimony, ne
clings to the belief that a so-called nnlte
mind or intelligence can grasp the mean
ing Of infnity or omnipotent Mind. MS
sincerity has not yet been tested. When
through a purified faith and an exalted
hope, he mentally proclaims the suprem-
acy and allness Of the one Mlnd ana TO
1ects all belief in any finite mind' ne
begins to understand the nature ana
essence of spiritual truth, and TO experi-
ence the healing effect Of right Thought:
Z don't understand voices a state OF
consciousness which cannot and never
will understand spiritual truth. That
which believes it does not understand
IA the very thing that stands between the
Individual and the recognition OF truth
1t Is the elimination Of this thought tnat
tests ones genuine earnestness and SIN
certify of purpose.
Something to BE Put Out.
In entering the strait and marrow
way Of Christian metaphysics there Is
something TO be surrendered, discarded
nut our Of consciousness, II Christ. Truth
is to be allowed to enter with meaning IN
his wing A mistaken condition or
thought cannot understand that which Is
correct; when a mistake is corrected an
erroneous thought has been supplanted
by right thought. A diseased or slntul
condition of mind cannot understand the
meaning of health or purity; when disease
and sin are healed. both disease ana I'M
purity have surrendered to sense OF
health and purity. Whatever Is wrong
must always disappear. and that which Is
right takes its place. The true seeker foc
Truth will strive earnestly and prayer
fully to find out what there is within
himself that obstructs Christs coming ana
when it is found. he Will strive just as
earnestly to do away with the seeming
obstacle, to overcome it. "hen ne learns
that it is the material sense. so called
or material beliefs which shut out all
spiritual discernment, he will begin TO
correct these senses by directing them
into new and higher channels of thought
and will no longer look to them for intor-
nation which can come only through
higher or spiritual sense. the sclentlnc
denial or correction of sense testimony
must and does discriminate between the
genuine and the selfish or careless seeker.
Thousands upon thousands OF earnest
Christian people coming from the various
walks OF life have been enabled to prove
the truth of Mrs. Eddy's teachings. and
this fact alone ought to be sufficient to
silence all untempered opposition and
denunciation on the part of any one
who has seemingly failed to bring out
lone individual has proven the truth OF
Christian Science, the same degree Of
honesty, sincerity, and devotion put into
action will do Just as much for another
Because one person in a hundred thou
sand allows himself to become a channel
for nalignity and viciousness towards
what he fmagines is Christian Science, this
in no wise invalidates the results obtain
ed by the sincere and honest investiga-
tor who has sufficiently denied self to
let the light shine in his own individual
consciousness.
ITO one whose thought Is mainly upon
the loayes and fishes it may seem an
easy matter to put Christian Science to
the test, while the honest seeker for
spiritual light will be just as willing to
let Christian Science put him to the test
All authority, law, and government must
rest with Truth, not with the seeker.
This is a point often overlooked by those
who are seeking to understand Christian
Science. They must remember that the
government shall be upon his shoulder,
and not upon theirs, II they would learn
the meaning OF divine Principle and how
to obey the divine will. That which Is
immutable and immortal is not subject to
human dictation- Truth must be allowed
to do all the testing. 1t Is the human
that must learn to obey, not the divine
The human cannot make laws to govern
the divine. The sincere seeker OF Truth
will constantly strive to give God the
right of way. and this will require some
thing more than self-control or even self
denial-it will require a degree Of self
sacrifice that is ever ready to surrender
its own cherished opinions for the reve-
Iation Of spiritual Truth
THE man who thinks he is perfectly
satisfied with himself-sadsfed with his
knowledge Of things in general. with his
own present attainments and station in
life-is not ready to approach the subject
of Christian metaphysics from strictly
religious standpoint; with him the essen
tials of self-sacriflce have not yet sup
planted the selfish incllnations OF the So
called natural man. Selfshness never has
attained and never will attain to an un-
derstanding of spiritual things; 1t exists
wholly within the confines Of theory and
not demonstration. Honesty and Christian
sincerity do not spend their time in
theorizing about the essentials of life.
Their constant aim Is to prove their faith
by their works.
Oner Something Better.
1T has we'll been said that the best
way for its opponents to deal with Chris
tian Science is for them to offer to the