The true worship of God is the acceptance of infinite Principle as the only cause for being, though religious understanding is by no means limited to this or any other form of words. In all ages men have caught glimpses of the true God, and their varied strivings for understanding of God have been blessed with some measure of fulfillment and peace. Because Truth is indeed infinite it can never be limited to any human sense of worship, to any earthly organization, nor to any body of people zealously cherishing their special phraseology. The Christian Scientist, therefore, recognizes good wherever he sees it and rejoices that all truly religious thought and action must have one purpose, to express and demonstrate divine intelligence. As Mrs. Eddy says on page 13 of "Christian Science versus Pantheism," "Love all Christian churches for the gospel's sake; and be exceedingly glad that the churches are united in purpose, if not in method, to close the war between flesh and Spirit, and to fight the good fight till God's will be witnessed and done on earth as in heaven."

Love is divine Principle manifest as right activity, and is thus far more than a mere human sentiment, for it must be exemplified in strength as well as kindness. Rightly expressing divine Love is living in accord with Principle all the time and not assuming an unnatural attitude on special occasions. In fact, a man can worship God by proving health and success in his daily living as he never could by trying merely to appear sanctimonious. Christian Science practice, which enters into every detail of experience, is entirely natural because it manifests the nature of divine Principle, of which so-called human nature and whatever is considered humanly natural can be only the counterfeit. It is right for all to go forward together in the discernment of the divine nature and in the practical application of this supreme naturalness to the problems of health and business as well as of morals.

Christian Science does not seek, however, merely to take a place as one of the religions of the world to be tolerated by humanity generally and to be received by some with what John Stuart Mill called " a dull and torpid assent, as if accepting it on trust dispensed with the necessity of realizing it in consciousness, or testing it by personal experience." The one infinite and incontrovertible Principle which Christian Science expresses is for all to accept and rely on wholly, even though the way of approach to it may seem to be as varied as the conditions of human thought which must turn in the right direction in order to find surcease. Christian Science can be discussed endlessly, and every discussion can arouse genuine interest in Principle; but discussion must lead to demonstration or it is worthless. The vitality of absolute Principle is manifest as actual wholeness of spirituality replacing the wretchedness of materiality. Only in proportion as this spiritual replacement is proved, is one worshiping the Father in spirit and in truth.

On page 21 of "Pulpit and Press" Mrs. Eddy writes: "Our unity with churches of other denominations must rest on the spirit of Christ calling us together. It cannot come from any other source. Popularity, self-aggrandizement, aught that can darken in any degree our spirituality, must be set aside. Only what feeds and fills the sentiment with unworldliness, can give peace and good will towards men." For this righteous consummation, the loss of nothingness but not the loss of anything real is necessary, since the wholeness of Principle lived in daily experience does not involve the giving up of any good whatever. Wherever the Christian Scientist may be, and whatever he may be doing, he has abundant opportunity to be free and buoyant in manifesting the "spirit of Christ," the essential understanding that divine intelligence with its spiritual idea is ever the present reality.

At the picture show, in shopping, riding on the street cars, in motoring, and in all the other minutiæ of human experience, one must know Principle as the cause of all that is real, and exemplify Principle by glad right action. Unless the worship of God, the acceptance of infinite intelligence as the only motive power, is present through these daily details, it is of small avail to erect church buildings for formal services once or twice a week. Vital worship is the comprehending and demonstrating of spiritual happiness in the now, happiness which does not depend on and is not shown by merely fatuous and superficial human mannerisms. The true unworldliness is robust, not mawkish, in that it represents living in the infinite consciousness of spiritual vigor and liberty. The business man, in his relations with customers and employees, the professional man, in his serving others, and the statesman, in his work of reconciling differing points of view to the one standard of right, must all worship Principle daily in order to be successful and satisfied in the eternity of the present.

Now church buildings are constructed by Christian Scientists because church services are one means which Mrs. Eddy provided for the giving of the truth which Christian Science teaches to the world. "The outlook," she says on page 150 of "Miscellaneous Writings," "is cheering. We have already seen the salvation of many people by means of Christian Science. Chapels and churches are dotting the entire land. Convenient houses and halls can now be obtained wherein, as whereout, Christian Scientists may worship the Father 'in spirit and in truth,' as taught by our great Master." The essential meaning of all that constitutes true church service must be a healing force in every community, revealing to all the oneness of Principle and its idea, until all learn to serve divine intelligence with enthusiasm, taking advantage of all that Mrs. Eddy provided for the progress of all seekers of the truth. When the church service is alive with understanding of Principle, the many participate in it with eagerness, because their thinking is aroused and their practice of Truth in their own experience is broadened by the intelligent sharing in what is right. The worship of the one I AM in spirit and in truth, through the acceptance of the divine Mind as the only true "I," is the lifting up of the "I" from the earth which draws all men to the truth.

Gustavus S. Paine.