TENETS OF CHRISTIAN SCIENCE EXPLAINED BY BOSTON VISITOR

Wanganui Chronicle, 10 November 1950, Page 2

TENETS OF CHRISTIAN SCIENCE EXPLAINED BY BOSTON VISITOR

The annual visiting lecturer to the Christian Science Church this year, Margaret Morrison, of Boston, addressed an attentive audience at the Opera House last evening. The speaker was introduced to the audience by Mr. C. Franklin Brown, the chairman.

“The first command from God given in the Bible is, 'Let' there be light, and the record reads, 'There was light,” she said. It further states that ‘God saw the light, that it was good,' In this light that was good the entire creation of God was seen to be good and very good. But in the second chapter of Genesis we are told that there went up a 'mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.’ Thus the light pronounced by God—good—in which all creation is seen as good, and very good, became obscured, and men began to walk in darkness instead of in light. They began to have obscured and perverted beliefs about God and His creation, instead of true Ideas and right concepts. "For several hundred years after the ascension of Jesus his followers walked In that light of Truth and were enabled to cary on his work, healing the sick and sinning and raising the dead," said Miss Morrison. But again the mist of materialism obscured the light, and only glimpses of It were caught by those who sought for Truth in the way pointed out by Christ Jesus. But, however much the light may be obscured for individuals or for nations, for moments or for centuries, the light of Truth and Love is never for one instant extinguished. It shines everlastingly and uninterruptedly. So in time there came into the world one so pure in her desire truly to know and love God, so filled with compassion and unselfed love for humanity, that the command ‘Let there be light,’ was fulfilled in her in such clarity that it could be given to the world in Its scientific application to human needs. And today Christian Science has come, a light into the world, and whosoever follows, understands, and obeys its teachings shall not walk in darkness in trouble and fear, but shall have the light of Life, of Love and harmony. “It has been said of Jesus that ‘first he wrought and then he taught’ (Chaucer). This may also be said about the Discoverer and Founder ot Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy. For some years after her healing, which came about through the light of understanding thrown on a record of healing in the Bible, she studied consecratedly’the words and works ot Jesus, of the prophets and apostles, and proved, by many works of healing, the truth of her discovery beforefore she gave it to the world in the Christian Science textbook, ‘Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures.’ Mary Baker Eddy was the most daring and intrepid thinker the world has seen since Christ Jesus. She is the world's most courageous explorer. When the light of spirtual understanding dawned upon her she dared to follow where it led through fiery trials, through all the persecution, scorn, and ridicule of that carnal mind which is enmity against God. “In no way is the Inconsistent reasoning of false theology more clearly shown than in its reasoning about God and man, for, while Christendom has agreed, theoretically, to the fact that God is Spirit, It has declared man, the image and likeness of God, to be matter. Accepting the teachings of Christian Science, then, means coming out from the false concept of man as a corporeal, limited, fleshly being into th# fact of man as an Incorporeal, spiritual, indestructible expression of Mind—a state of consciousness—a divine Idea, not a material object. Man co-existent with God can no m> e have a beginning or an ending than can God. “As this true definition of man begins to be understood in human coni sciousness we will remain more and more untouched by the untoward phases of mortal existence—becausa we will be enabled to think rightly about them.”