The Washington herald., 1921-01-25
LECTURER SEES
PERSONALITY AS
EVIL INFLUENCE
Rev. A. ]. Graham Gives
Interpretation as Christ
ian Scientist.
(The Subject of this Lecture Il
"Christian Sciences The Voice
In The wilderness,"D


Personality. in the sense in
which it is generally understood.
is deadly bane, leading to hero
worship OF the bassr sort and is
of earth, earthly" said Rev. Andrew
]. Graham, of Boston, c. 8. B., men,
ber of the board Of lectureship of
the Mother Church, the First
Church of Christ, Scientist, in Bos-
ton, Mass, in lecture on Christian
Science yesterday.
Those who are acknowledged
to have striking personalities" add
ed the lecturer, ARE the same who
dominate over other men and wom-
en- either through wealth, position,
voice, eye. feature, attire or some
other physical manifestations; such
submission is nothing less than
slavery. Sir William Hamilton
speaks Of it as the sign of a fe eble
mind. 1 would rather say it pro-
duces a feeble mind; for many
otherwise noble men and women
have been drawn into this wilder
ness of drought and serpents
through admiring or fearing and
following personality.
The basic law for the guidance
of Christian Scientists in this mat
ter. is found on page 40 OF the
manual of the Mother Church, by
Mary Baker Eddy: Neither ami
mostly nor mere personal attacn-
ment should impel the motives or
acts of the members of the Mother
Church. In Science, Divine love
alone governs man."
Perhaps Mrs. Eddy has stressed
none of her teachings more emphat-
tcally than when she warns against
following personality. Personality
Is material and temporary; individ-
uality is spiritual and eternal. Per-
sonality vaunteth itself, Is puffed
up, behaveth itself unseemly, seek
eth always its own, is easily pro-
voked. thinketh evil. individuality
'vaunteth not itself, is not puffed
up. doth not behave itself unseen
ly. seeketh not her own, is not easily
provoked, thinketh no evil.
ITO admire excessively PERSONAL
lty ends in disaster. To love in
dividuality means life and peace.
The reflection of God. good. in
men and women constitutes their
individuality. Such men and wom-
en- we love and in loving them we
love God. What we Christian Sci
3 IhNlSNS lONC III GOug
is her individuality, she manifest
ed so much of good. Increasingly
she strove to take her personality
away from thought.
The greatest reformation ever
known in the realm of teaching was
begun when Mrs. Eddy eliminated
the personal preacher, and insti.
tuted the Bible and Science and
Health with KaV ha
as the only preachers in the Chris
tian Science congregations. Every
Christian Scientist knows that Mrs.
Eddy's teaching leads from person
ality to the Christ truth: and that
is the reason why we all love her
and are safe in so loving.
II would feel that 1 had neglected
a privilege and a duty were l to
close this lecture without some allu-
sion to my own physical healing and
to my mental release from the old
theology. that is, the beginning of
my release from the mortal mind
wilderness.
In 1872 l became a member OF
an orthodox church. The six years
following were passed in preparing
for the ministry. Beginning in 1877
and for thirty-four years thereafter
! l preached and ministered in that
church, standing sincerely and 10y
ally by its doctrine, discipline and
worship. As a clergyman ! was bit
t6rly and unreasonably opposed to
Christian Science and frequently de-
nOunced both Christian Science and
Mary Baker Eddy. publicly and pri-
vately.
During the three years prior To
| 1911 suffered increasingly from in
digestion, liver trouble, and as dag
nosed by one physician, chronic ap-
pendicitis. A so-called nervous
breakdown ensued and a horrible
never-absent fear came on, which
| filed my thought with distressing
pictures day and night At that
time. being in Oxford England, !
was led to receive treatment in
| Christian Science, which resulted in
instantaneous physical healing, and
what proved a still greater relief
the destruction of the beliefs in old
theology Through the truth OF
Christian Science I was in one mo-
ment. transformed from the poign-
ant sense of fear and pain to a state
or relief and peace. There was only
one thing l could do and that was
! the lsHt "nlch came &c
me as l sat in darkness and in the
shadow of death"
The lecture was given under the
auspices of Fourth Church of Christ
Scientist of this city at Masonic
Temple Auditorium, and repeated in
the evening in the edifice Of First
Church. Rev. Graham was intro.
duced by r. Lyman Harvey. first
reader of Fourth Church, in the
afternoon, and in the evening by