The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-03-31
SICKNESS AND SIN
ESPONS|VE TO
SPIRITUAL LAW
Worlds Greatest Religious Teacher
Made No Distinction
LECTURE ON CHRISTIAN SCIENC'
Instructive Address at High School
Hall Last Evening by Wills r.
Gross Of Boston. A

L
An audience of fully two hundred
persons attended the lecture on Chris
tan Science given at high school hall
Friday evening by Willis F. Gross, G.
s. B.. of Boston. A delegation which
filed Berkshire trolley car came
from North Adams to attend the lee
ture
Mr.. Willis, who is a member of the
board of lectureship of the Mother
church, the First Church Of Christ.
Scientist, in Boston. made an excep-
tionally favorable impression upon his
audience. His delivery is pleasing
and his remarks were of that direct
nature that always wins a hearing.
The speaker was introduced by Prin.
cipal F. B. Mabry of the high school.
An astract OF his lecture follows: s,,
In the latter half OF the nineteenth
century one OF New England's illus
trious women made q discovery. the
far-reaching importance of which the
world has scarcely begun to realize.
The discovery was this, namely. that
the healing of sickness results from
the operation of the same spiritual
law whereby sin is destroyed and men
gain "the glorious liberty of the chill
dren Of God"
The worlds greatest religious
teacher made no distinction between
the healing of sickness and the des-
truction OF sin. II the one who came
to teach mortals the way to harmony.
rejected the prevailing belief regard
ing disease and suffering. would 1t
not be well for all men to accept his
Interpretation of divine--faw, especial
lys when by SO doing it becomes pos
sibleF to experience heSSood results
has ever known? ~
The apostles continued to do the
same works as when the Master was
with them, thus demonstrating that
the power to heal was not dependent
upon the presence OF the personal
Jesus. 1t is not known that Paul had
ever seen Jesus, but he was none the
less successful In healing and preach.
ing than we're the twelve and the
seventy.
This spiritual method of healing
disease established by the Master.
was gradually lost sight Of and it
finally disappeared. For nearly six
teen centuries 1t was considered that
the healing works of the early Christ
ians involved setting aside OF law
and order that is not to be expected
in this age. rs
Christian Science claims no more
than Is admitted was at one time an
evidence Of spiritual teachings under.
stood and practiced. The true idea OF
God and man is the Science Of Christ
ianity, and when this Science is un-
derstood there can be no question as
to whether the healing of disease 10
as divinely natural as the overcominS
of sin.
Christianity is more than confes-
sion Of faith; it is vital principle
which remains forever the same. II
the good results are not manifest,
either the fundamental teachings
have not been rightly interpreted or
the student has failed In his applica-
ton. The early Christians were cap
able of many good works because
thought was quickened and faith In
God became vital force instead Of
blind belief.
Spiritual understanding must he a.
effectual now as II was in the begin
ming OF the Christian era. Even
greater works should follow because
men have had abundant opportunities
to test the practical worth Of those
teachings which present the highest
concept OF God and man.
Spiritual teachings are altogethet
reasonable when rightly interpreted,
and they bring to human recognition
a sense of Gods power and love which
destroys fear, overcomes anxiety, and
lifts the heavy burden OF sin and suf.
fering.
Right thinking is necessary in every
human endeavor and the purpose Of
all education Is to turn thought into
proper channels. The relation of right
thinking to good health is beginning
to receive the consideration II should.
Too much attention has been given to
the things that are to be feared and
too little consideration to the things
that are desired. The effort to estab-
lish health should be made along the
same ines that insures success in
other directions. The thought OF
disease must be eliminated. Think
ing about disease is not right think
ing, and II this wrong practice is In
dulged it is not reasonable to expect