The Delta independent., 1924-03-07

To those healed through the WITT
ings and teachings OF Mary Baker
Eddy, or through the understanding
and demonstration of her students
to those healed, as was l, when every
thing else had failed, when even the
last faint glimmer of material hope
had fled-Christian Science is no more
pleasing abstraction, attractive phil
osophy, or beautiful idealism, but,
rather, an immense fact, something
wonderfully near and real; some
thing serviceable, available, within
ones reach, always dependable in
times of uncertainty and trouble, and
never more so than in moments of
greatest need.
l am going to assume that those
present who are not of the faith we
profess, are here, nevertheless, with
the good purpose of learning, in so
far as | may be able to present so
great a subject in so brief a space of
time why l and tens of thousands
like me, in all parts of the globe,
have accepted this faith. l am going
to assume that non-Scientists are here
with the worthy purpose OF learning
to what extent all that they have
heard, disparaging, or commendatory,
of Christian Science. be it much or
httle,-all that they have heard of its
Discoverer and Founder, of its tenets,
its doctrines, its demonstrations, of
the character and intelligence of its
membership, is true or false.
This is unquestionably a trying age,
an age that is putting to the test the
integrity of human morality the
stability of human progress. The very
best in men and in women is sum-
moned, as never before in modern
times, to rally to the protection and
preservation of the good achieved
through centuries of earnest and
decades Of enlightened effort.
Christian Science, which never
bends to reaction, nor stoops to
pessimism, is not fearful regarding the
ultimate outcome of any contest be-
tween truth and error, between good
and evil, for it knows that God reigns;
but, being practical, neither is it OBJ
livious of, nor Indifferent to, the OBJ
legations which present or passing
conditions involve.
A TIME OF UNUSUAL OBLI-
CATIONS
We are living in time when OBJ
legations of an unusual nature must
be dealt with; in a time which calls
for the putting aside OF narrow, petty,
parochial views, that We may fix our
attention upon those things which lie
within the range Of an enlarged Wis
ion; we are living in an epoch when
not to think positively, broadly, deep
ly, and, above all, scientifically and
spiritually, is not to think adequately
or rightly OF the problems confronting
humanity to-day.
There is 80 much popular discon-
tent so much distrust, so much dis
satisfaction, so much disturbance of
thought, nationally and internation-
any-so much of rebellious sentiment
and expression in quarters where one
might naturally look for orderliness
and conservatism; and, more import
ant and more startling than all of
NAACrSs 1iiDA 10 SD Ollk d ltuueUtY
toward INSTRUMENTATION, lawlessness.
immortality, and crime, that the need
of strong current Of contracting
influence, flowing outward from a
spiritual source, is felt deeply by all
intelligent observers.
1t is seen very clearly not only that
this influence, to be effective, must
ha fr1t ht,4 To-
come through channels other than
those through which religious in
structin has been flowing, and, ap-
parently, flowing aimlessly, during
many generations. Leading clerics OF
the orthodox school in Europe and
America have reached the point OF
confessing that what they denominate
as the Church" has lost its hold upon
the masses and much of their effort
Is now directed toward regaining, II
possible. the confidence which they
concede has been lost II is frankly
admitted in the orthodox pulpit, that
the Church, 30 called, has prac-
tically failed in these latter days to
cope with problems OF greatest con.
Germ to the human race. 1t is openly
asserted by theological dignitaries
that the Church" as administered to-
day, has proved to be powerless in
the matter Of stemming the tide OF ir-
reverence, irreligion, agnosticism, in
fidelity, and atheism.
NO CONCESSION TO ERROR
Now, to confess that evil is more
powerful than good that morality can
not measure strength with immoral.
ity, that virtue must give way before
vice,-that Truth is, or can be. crushed
by error,-considered even aside from
religion, and as a purely ethical prop.
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