Article May 10, 1913 Issue

THE LECTURES

with contributions from George H. Freuhling, Albert D. Nortoni, S. W. Rider

Bliss Knapp delivered a lecture on Christian Science in the Kursaal. There was a large attendance. The chairman, Col. W. E. Fell, J.P., said if they would permit him for a moment, he would like to tell them of his experience when he first heard of Christian Science twelve years ago. He was standing one day in October on the platform of a station in the Highlands, and a friend walked up to him and addressed him. He discovered that they were both bound for the same house. This friend, when he last met him, was in a very bad state of health; in fact, it was plain he was fading away. But he was on that station platform looking strong, and in first-rate condition, and on going up to the house, the speaker found that this friend was a Christian Scientist. A few days later, when sitting at dinner next to a lady, the latter, who was looking across to his friend, turned toward him (the speaker) and said: "What a beautiful countenance your friend has, and how good he is! What a pity he is a Christian Scientist!" In reply to this remark, he turned to the lady and said: "Why, my dear lady, you call a man good and beautiful, and the thing which has made him so has the qualities you call pitiful." The chairman said he had heard similar remarks since then. In continuing his story, he said, when Sunday came along, he went for a walk with his friend, and the conversation naturally turned upon religious subjects. His friend said: "Do you know I am a Christian Scientist?" and he replied in the affirmative, but said he did not know in the least what it was. His friend began to tell him, and he pulled up and said: "Of course, we must believe in faith-healing, for to deny it we must deny that Christ Jesus healed the sick, and that his disciples healed sickness after his crucifixion."

But, the chairman said, he did not want that audience to go away with the idea that Christian Science was simply faith-healing. Faith certainly was required, but it was not faith-healing. After that conversation with his friend, he was in a great mental turmoil, but his heart was filled with hope in that, the darkest hour of his life, when everything seemed to slip away from him, and with the desire that his hopes would not be dashed to the ground. He said: "I believe you have the truth." His friend replied: "Yes; we accept the whole gospel, and we know that every one of the words spoken by our Lord was an example for us, not only then, but through all time."

Harrogate and Claro Times.

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