The apostle Paul directs thought away from creed and ritual, even from that which meant so much to his coreligionists, namely, the passover, with its unleavened bread; and he tells them of a better way to keep the feast, which is to get rid of the "leaven of malice and wickedness," and to partake of "the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." What strong words are these, and how grandly do they characterize the advancing thought which is fast parting with the mortal concept through Christian Science, and is putting on Christ, to use again St. Paul's way of describing the great change which comes to one who accepts the truth of being!

"Sincerity and truth"! How much these words stand for, and yet time was when Truth was regarded as something cold and unapproachable to say the least. Perhaps Isaiah's words which tell of the attitude of mortals toward the Christ-idea would very fittingly express their feeling toward Truth. He says: "When we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him." Christ Jesus said to those about him that the truth he had to offer would make them free, but they turned away from it; yet when he was arraigned before Pilate he did not hesitate to declare that the end and aim of his earthly mission was to "bear witness unto the truth." In the centuries since that day many professed followers of Christ Jesus have been in large measure sincere, but they have not understood the truth which he taught; hence the general failure to prove it in healing works, as did the Master.

It is very evident that Pilate saw the sincerity of the one before him, even if he failed to grasp the mighty import of the truth declared, but he was not prepared to meet and master the pride and prejudice of mortal mind which preferred its own false concepts, based upon material evidence, to the truth which Jesus voiced in this last stirring appeal to his would-be judges. There may have been a certain desire on the part of Pilate to hear about the truth, but there was no answering sincerity in his nature, or in that of the priests and rulers who stood by, ready to condemn this fearless exponent and demonstrator of Truth, and so he had to turn away from them and trust to the sincerity of his small band of unlettered followers to give forth to humanity by their works more than by words his divine teaching.

In ringing words, our beloved Leader said, at the great gathering of Christian Scientists, at Chicago, in 1888: "In no other one thing seemed Jesus of Nazareth more divine than in his faith in the immortality of his words, He said, 'Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away;' and they have not" (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 99). At the same time she called upon her followers to go if they must to the prison or scaffold, "but," she added, "take not back the words of Truth." Truth has indeed grown beautiful to them through her teachings, and they have known its divine influence in their lives, healing them of sickness and sin. It therefore remains with them to make Truth beautiful to those about them by their sincerity and love, for the one virtue is inseparable from the other.

There may be some blinded mortals who think that a harsh utterance of personal opinion means "sincerity and truth," but such is rather the "old leaven" which should be purged out, because it can never "evoke healing from the outstretched arm of righteousness" (Science and Health, p. 365). In his epistle to Titus, Paul again urges the need of sincerity, with other spiritual graces by which we "may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things." To be, not merely to seem, is the end and aim of Christian Science, and we should never forget that Truth is the rock of ages, and that its reflection in human consciousness, in words and deeds of simple sincerity, will outlast all the storms which may arise, and reveal Truth's idea in its own beauty, purity, and power.

Annie M. Knott.