LECTURER TELLS OF PRACTICAL APPEAL OF CHRISTIAN SCIENCE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18585, 10 October 1928, Page 6

LECTURER TELLS OF PRACTICAL APPEAL OF CHRISTIAN SCIENCE.

“ Christian Science: Its Practical Appeal,” was the subject on which Mr W. Stuart Booth, C. 5.8., lectured at the Choral Hall last night. Mr Booth is prominently associated with the movement in America, and he gave a very interesting discourse to a good audience.

The first Christian scientist, the lecturer said, was Mrs Mary -Baker Eddy. Sixty years ago there were none, till Mrs Eddy suffered from a supposedly fatal accident. - The doctors held out no hope for her, but her faith was strong, and she made a miraculous recovery which she attributed to what is now known as Christian Science. Since the day of Mrs Eddy, countless hosts of people had had similar experiences, and they and many others with them had embraced the belief. The faith of the scientists was a devoted study of the Bible, and the first tennet was the beautiful and simple clause, “ As adherents of truth we take the inspired word of the Bible as our sufficient guide to eternal life.” Many people read their Bibles, yet they were not healthy, and it seemed as if the principle had failed. In effect, they themselves had failed, for they had not grasped its true spiritual import. “ The letter killeth, but the spirit liveth.” Christian scientists believed that Christ was always with them, to alleviate pain and suffering. Christ was the exalted name which was bestowed upon the Saviour, but Jesus, the human name, was the one by which lie could best be understood.

Mrs Eddy had reasoned deductively from the Bible. It wrs obviously God’s will that pain and suffering should be alleviated, and that sinners should repent and see the error of their ways.. The Master classified sickness as error, not truth. Christian science did not run contrary to any religious belief, but it was based on the reaiisa tion that God did away with pain and relieved distress, and overcame evil, and that man’s true desire was for good. Christian science did not teach against science, nor was it merely a form of mental suggestion. It was the result of the ideas of the divine mind. Divine love met every human need. There were many examples to bear cut the principle. Christ himself was one man who most needed courage and freedom from fear.

The principle itself was unfailing, and such apparent failures as had been met with were due entirely to lack of faith. It offered a clarifying explanation to the Bible promise that had been the stumbling block of many: "Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and 1 will give you resfi”