Article October 18, 1913 Issue

The Lectures

with contributions from H. B. Herds, Daniel Mayer, William A. Doctor, Frank C. Hills, Homer H. Allen, George A. Bacon

Bliss Knapp, lecturing on Christian Science, was introduced as follows by H. B. Herds:—

That persuasive appeal of the prophet, "Come now, and let us reason together," seems peculiarly applicable to the present time, when the theater is gaining in its appeal to the people and the church is proportionably losing its hold upon them; it seems appropriate also to this age in which the multitudes seem to think that if they can only come into the possession of a big bank account, a palatial residence, and a six-cylinder automobile, they will glide sweetly, serenely, and happily along flowery roads straight into the pearly gates of immortal bliss. What a pitiful delusion; what a colossal mistake; riches in themselves never brought happiness to a single human being. It is only those receiving these things as the reward of right thinking and right doing, who find that riches even faintly typify spiritual blessings. In order to enjoy the so-called good things of this world, something else is necessary than the mere legal title to a certain amount of land or wealth. The prodigal son found his happiness, not in grasping his share of goods, but in partaking of his father's love. Mortals are born into a material world, and look to material things for their support, their pleasure, and their happiness. They "listen with credulity to the whispers of fancy, and pursue with eagerness the phantoms of hope" held out by the material kingdom, until their eyes are blinded to the beauty and the goodness and the power of the spiritual kingdom.

I want to say that Christian Scientists believe in the inspired Word of God, and look to God as omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. The first tenet of Christian Science [Science and Health, p. 497] reads, "As adherents of Truth, we take the inspired Word of the Bible as our sufficient guide to eternal Life." To Christian Scientists the Bible is the Book of books, and they constantly read and study their text-book, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy, because it is the Christian Science commentary upon the Bible, and to those in search of spiritual food it wonderfully illumines the Scriptures and makes of the Bible the most interesting, the most practical, the most helpful book in the world. Christian Science impels its adherents to search the Scriptures, and they do this with a joy, a buoyancy, and a pleasure passing that given to the romantic child by its first reading of the "Arabian Nights' Entertainment," for this "Key" opens the spiritual eyes to the inexhaustible treasures of the Bible, and enables the earnest and honest searcher, ever and anon, to pick up and appropriate beautiful and priceless spiritual pearls from the limitless ocean of truth and good that it spreads out before the spiritual vision.

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