Article March 23, 1907 Issue

Few things emphasize more pointedly the growing...

Concord (N. H.) Daily Patriot

Few things emphasize more pointedly the growing power of Christian Science and the multiplying number of Christian Scientists, than does the effort being put forth by magazine publishers to cater to their wishes. For February and March it is the Cosmopolitan. In the former number was an interesting article by Mr. Klein, the celebrated playwright, and for the March number is a communication on Christian Science from the pen of the Earl of Dunmore, who is nominated one of England's influential men and literary lights. The Cosmopolitan informs us that in order to supply the demand for the number containing Mr. Klein's article its regular and special editions were entirely exhausted, and it was forced to put out a reprint in booklet form to meet the requirements. Its advance sheets for the March number indicate that the publishers anticipate a still greater demand for that edition than for the February number.

And all of this is interesting, because it points the drift of thought, the awakening of a world to different ideas, a different moral and religious sense, differing conceptions of moral and religious duty. It indicates a breaking away from the old; a restlessness on the part of the many with established conditions; a desire to branch out on new lines; a wish to explore new paths; to blaze new trails through the wilderness of speculation. This is not only true of the religious side of our life, but of the civic side as well. In fact it is true about all lines. Take it in politics: the radical democrat of to-day is the more conservative democrat of to-morrow, and the more conservative democrat of to-morrow becomes the still more conservative democrat of a few days hence, or a few years hence; and he in time—and it does not require much time, either—becomes the aristocrat of the future.

Then what? A fever of restlessness seizes on the mind of the populace. Some intellectual giant comes out of the darkness, some one capable of perceiving that custom can never make right intrinsic wrong. He exposes fallacy; shows unto the many that the special privileges to class deprive them of the most common rights; rolls the stone from off the path of plain duty, and convinces the many that if they would enjoy freedom they must not be afraid to walk uprightly. New thought is awakened, new ambition aroused, and the great wheel of change turns on its axis once more. Then some one relying on himself and the God-given right within him; some one who is not afraid to depart from the beaten track, whose courage has not been driven out of him by custom and subservience; some one true to his highest instincts is born, and strikes out boldly and stands prepared to sacrifice himself for that which he knows to be true. Then the established order of things has to give way; the aristocrat and the conservative democrat have their hold on things broken, and the order is again changed; the wheel turns as before.

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit

Few things emphasize more pointedly the growing...

We'd love to hear from you!

Sign up for unlimited access