The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1924-06-20

q 4 n. member d the board Of
Leciurrship of The Mother Church.
The First CAurch OF Christ Sci.
Enlist. in Boston. Mass. 20 a ca.
pac.ty audience. The lecture Ia fun.
follows
How often are we an impressed
with the mystery of human exist,
encel Whence came we Whittier
are We bounds What is the pur.
pose OF IL alIs These questions have
challenged the wise and simple alike
Of al times and races. gu, ~ at
tempts 20 solve the riddle ana sat,
isfy mortal unrest. TO fathom IN, ~.
ture and determine Eian's destiny.
have sprung theories and philoso-
phies innumemble
The fatalism OF the Orient, FOR
example. holds that an things
which can happen 10 an lndividtal
have been forcordained by fate, By
no possibility can man change or
cvade the course OF events mapped
out for him BY this inscrutlhle su.
perhuman power n fate has de-
cided that his life shall be wrctched.
or that Il shall end IN disaster, he
Is powerless 20 avert the pitiless de-
cree. The doctrine OF prcdestina.
ton. once conspicuous in Occidental
theology. il scarcely less mcrciless
than fatallsm. FOR predegi'natlon.
after appointing select few TO sal
walton. leaves the majority o. man
kind 20 drift helplesgly into a ~.
.ure without a ray Of hope
These. and other disheartenlng dog.
mas. have not been accepted without
doubt and protest Unborn in every
Individual Is a conviction that there
exists 4 power good and heneficent,
which. AT some time and in some
way. win lift the ven Of mystery and
reveal justice. happiness. and under.
standing enthroned where Ignorance.
iawlesSness. and suffering had stub
bornly coutended for supremacy.
Faith has been n tremendous force
In advancing human bettermcnt and
enlightenment. but until faith Itself
Is enlightened and based upon under.
standing. Il will fall short Of bringing
In the millennium.
FAITH AND WILI~PoWER
While faith steadfastly ssustnins
mans hope for better order OF
things than has yet appeared. reason
rcsolutely rebels against any theory
which would make man a victim Of
chance or caprice. or punish him
for aught but his own misdeeds. or
withhold Just reward for right 81.
fort In so doing reason may. espe.
cially II swsyed by human VIII or
encouraged by pride OF intellect. in.
sist that man can himself. unaided
from on high. order the events OF
his career TO advantage. While this
attitude OF thought may be a step in
advance OF such doctrines as fatalism
and prcdestination. Il nevertheless
,veriooks the undeniable fact that
There's a divinity that shares our
ends.
Rough-hew them how We will"
And Divinity. we learn In Christian
Science. prescribes and predestinates
only that which Is good. without ia
Foritism or discrimination. for Divin.
|ty IS good Is just and compassionate.
But the determination on the part
mortals TO control events by sheer
Iprce OF will-power. regardless OF
/ that may be tho divine purpose. is
l hdely prevalent I'm these days and
| uch encouraged by superficial men.
L philosophy. This futile attempt,
ing the familiar figure OF speech.
lift ones self by ones bootstraps,
lis at the outset to recognize that
tsnuine power and ability do not
There in the individual but come
iom q source outside OF him. II
bn Of mine own self do nothing
bnfessed he who spake as. never
pan spake'' and who performed the
works which none other man DID,
Willing a man to be wen. to be
hccessful. or to he happy is not the
practice OF Christian Science, though
is sometimes mistakenly supposed
30 be so. Tho grim determination
Of mortals. typified by the fixed jaw
and the clenched hand. to satisfy per.
sonal desires and ambitions, may ap.
pear for time to produce results.
but eventually such methods fan. and
the last state Of the man who resorts
TO them is worse than the first.
COMPLETE SALVATION
The Christian Science method, on
the other hand. consists in calmly
realizing the indisputabIe fact that
actually and continually God bestows
all needed good on those who walk
uprightly. 1t is for the Individual
TO know this and to act accordingly.
This process involves a resort 10
truth instead OF to human will. And
truth does not need to be projected
or enforced by iron determination.
1t needs only to be understood, &C.
cepted, and utilized.
Thus while wiIl.power strives To
force a way out OF the perilous per.
plexities OF human existence, and
faith assures us that a way exists,
Christian Science points out the way
and invites humanity to walk therein.
I was first pointed out by Christ
Jesus. Thereafter. for long centuries.
was at most only dimly discernIblo,
pntil within the memory Of people
btill living. II was again made plain
by Mary Baker Eddy through her
discovery Of Christian Science.
Many suppose Christian Science 10
be merely a health system, sort of
substitute for drugs and other ma.
terial remedies. But it Is vastly
more than this. IT offers a complete
salyatlon--a salvation not only from
sickness but from sin, sorrow. gl.
perstitlon, ignorance, and All the dis.
comforts. difficulties, and Limitations
which hold mankind in bondage. n
awakens men TO realization that
God has planned more generously
for them than their expectations have
conceived possible.
Now what IL Christian Science that
II should merit these almost extrnvo.
CANT words Of commentators n ia
Christianity made plain. understand.
able, and workable In present.dny
affairs. At tho time Mrs. Eddy dle.