Article November 26, 1910 Issue

THE UNITY OF MAN

RICHARD P. VERRALL.

In the latter part of the last century Mendeléjeff, a Russian chemist, discovered what is now known as the "periodic law," which governs the relations of the elements. After plotting a chart for the purpose of proving his conclusion, Mendeléjeff wrote an essay in which he said, "It may be expected that new elements should be discovered to fill blank spaces within the table, and their properties can be predicted from a consideration of those of the adjacent elements." During the next few years three new elements, gallium, germanium, and scandium, were discovered, each exactly corresponding with the descriptions which had been outlined.

This illustration serves to show, from the standpoint of human experience, that systematizing what we have enables us to know what we have not; then, after seeking and finding, we awaken to the fact that the desired object has always been at hand and merely awaited our recognition. While materialists have been vainly trying for centuries to formulate a science of natural phenomena, and have attempted to trace every physical effect to some basic cause, it is interesting to note that beyond the hypothetical ether they cannot go, and they are forced to admit that the problem of matter cannot be solved by the physicist, but must be left to the metaphysician.

Christian Science, like a modern Sir Galahad, picks up the glove at this point and enters the arena of scientific discussion. It shows that matter does not have to be accounted for at all, and that Spirit alone is the infinite substance. While mortal belief persistently claims that material knowledge makes men wise, and that physical things are good to look upon, it has signally failed to make good these claims. One qualified to speak authoritatively on this question declared centuries ago that "all is vanity and vexation of spirit."

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