CHRISTIAN SCIENCE

Evening Star, Issue 19351, 10 September 1926, Page 12

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE

LECTURE BY HR J. BAHDALI BUI \ There was a largo attendance at the Art Gallery last evening, when Mr J. Randall Dunn, a member of the Board of Lectureship of tho Mother Church, Boston, delivered an interesting address on Christian Science. After outlining the history of Gnristian Science, the speaker said the allimportant question be,fore Christian people to-day was whether they as followers of Olirist did the works which He did. Could we think His thoughts to-day and do as He had done? \Miat was it that Jesus thought or understood when ho rebuked fevers, stilled storms, and subdued materiality? Such questions began to form themse. ves in the thoughts of Mary Baker Eddy at an early ago, explained Mr Dunn* in her childhood she was intensely religions, a lover of the church, and a reader of the Bible, and once, when a mere slip of a girl, she had subdued an insane man who had entered the school grounds brandishing a club. She walked quietly up to him and look his hand, and instantly his manner changed. And so it was in later life when a woman brought her child and begged her to ask God to euro its blindness. Cancer, consumption, hip disease, insanity, blindness, etc., all went down before her realisation of the might and glory of the Word of God.

The chapter in the Christian Science text-book entitled “ Genesis ” contained, without doubt, the most remarkable spiritual interpretation of Scripture extant. It emphasised that in tho first and second chapters ot Genesis were to be found two separate and distinct records of creation; tho first dealing with the spiritual, and Um second setting forth an allegory illustrative of the material conception of God and man. On the facts of being set forth in the first chapter, however, the Christian Scientist took his stand. After touching on the claims of Christian Science to euro disease, the speaker said that cases _ might _be pointed out in which nothing tangible had been achieved. The text-book gave the answer very simply and directly. It said; “If you fail to succeed in any case, it Is because you have not demonstrated the life of Christ. Truth, more in your own life—because you have not obeyed tho rule and proved the principle of Divine Science.’’ Christian Scientists admitted with regret, but not discouragement, their, failure to measure up to the Christideal in all cases. However, they were overwhelmingly grateful for the progress already made, and n.skod mankind to bo patient while they were striving for that mind “ which was also in Christ Jesus.” Possibly this was a good reason why those under Christian Science treatment were called “ patients”; the sufferers were asked to lie patient while their practitioners strove lor that reflection of infinite love which would melt away tho mist of mortal belief. and reveal the harmonious man of God’s creating. The Christian Science life-saver refused to be dismayed or discouraged. Ho was grateful that he was doing so well, and prayed for understanding ami grace to do better work in the future. “ Dare he even admit that those who have passed from our sight, battling to the bust moment as good Christian warriors, have gone down in defeat? Never! Mrs Eddy says of such soldiers that they have gained a rich basing of disbelief in death and a higher realisation of heaven. So fear not, and despair not, whether you aro the rescuer or tho one being rescued.”