At a recent Wednesday evening meeting at First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Chicago, there were given two testimonies of an unusually interesting character. One was given by Mr. John Lloyd of Chicago, an employee of the Western Union Telegraph Company, and was substantially as follows:—

"My principal contention against the churches in general while in the old thought was that Christianity was not practical. I often made the statement that when I found a religion that was practical for every day as well as Sunday, I would adopt that religion. So bitter was my contention against the churches that even after I had turned to Christian Science for physical help, when the name 'Church' was mentioned by some of the ladies at the reading rooms when I was there for treatment, I said to myself, 'If these people have any church business connected with this work, the first thing they know I will quit them.' A little later, however, and after my nature had somewhat softened under the benign influence of Infinite Love, I got into conversation with one of the ladies at the reading rooms and she told me something about the Mother Church, and how the Treasurer had sent out notices to the subscribers at the time the church was built notifying them that they must stop sending in money, as sufficient funds were at hand to complete the work. 'What!' said I, 'do you mean to tell me that some church acknowledged that it had enough money?' She said, 'Yes, that is the way we do in Christian Science.' My reply was, 'That is the greatest miracle of the nineteenth century.'

"After taking up the study of Christian Science it began to become clear to me what 'Church' really meant, and that I had at last found a church that was practical and that it was a church for Sunday, Monday, and every day, every hour, and every minute, if you please.

"I have had many demonstrations in business to prove this. For example: Not long ago, at Davenport, one of the men employed by our company made a request of the company. The request was made through me. It was refused, and when I handed him the letter stating the reasons why it was refused, he seemed to grow very angry, directing his anger towards me. I went up-stairs and the thought came to me, 'I guess I had better not go down-stairs again until this thing blows over.' Then came the thought, 'Until what thing blows over? There is not anything in this house, neither up-stairs nor down-stairs, but Infinite Love; and I am going just where I have a right to go in Infinite Love.' I went down-stairs and there wasn't any anger there. I met a real good-natured man, and everything was all right.

"Again, while doing some complicated work in private house in Cedar Repids, in which were nine small children who climbed over me, scattered my tools, and pulled my wires, the thought came to me, after having worked there several days, 'Am I working right? and if so, where is the evidence of my reward?' About this time, the lady of the house said to me, 'Don't you ever get mad?' Well, in the old thought, had I been doing that work under the same circumstances, that woman would have known that I was mad, and would have known also that I did not care to be bothered by children scattering my tools and pulling my wires. As it is, Christian Science often enables one to preach a sermon without words.

"What a change this Science works in character! In the old thought I was engaged in the labor movement, and finally got into the Anarchist movement. I had often made incendiary speeches to the unemployed, and even some of my most radical friends said that I was going too far and would finally get into trouble. The Chicago Tribune, at about this period, advocated that I be suppressed. The Chief of Police of this city, who was a friend of mine, sent me warning and requested that I keep quiet, or I would get into trouble. My chief points of attack were the church, the clergy, and the Bible. Expecting a revolution, I had often said, 'Boys, don't forget the Bible; they should all be burned!' What now is my attitude toward the clergy? Why, I love them. How much do I love them? In proportion to my understanding of Christian Science; and as I grow in the understanding of this Science, I learn to love them more. And as for the Bible, it, in company with Science and Health, is my daily companion. I never fail to take them on the road, and they can always be found in my room.

"In the light of Christian Science I learn to love and understand it. I thank God that I have come to an understanding of this Science, and thank Him for giving us our beloved Leader, Mrs. Eddy. And I am also grateful to the faithful ones who have rallied around her in all the storms of opposition and oppression."

The other testimony was by Mr. Roy Goodwin who said in substance:—

"About one year ago, I came into this church one of the most unhappy men in the City of Chicago.

"Some eight or ten years previous to my coming into Science I wore a truss to support a very serious rupture, one that was so severe I could not cross the room without pain if the truss were removed. A short time after accepting Christian Science I removed the truss and have not had occasion to use it since; but, great as the physical healing seems to be, it is nothing as compared to the revolution that has taken place in my thought. For a number of years I was employed as a railroad man and was known as a labor agitator. I was engaged in several railroad strikes and was put in jail several times for the same. This finally culminated in 1894 with a sentence, by the United States Circuit Court, of three months in Woodstock Jail, with Mr. Debs and others. The jail sentence did me no good; from the jail I joined the Socialists' and Anarchists' groups of Chicago, and became more desperate in my efforts to strike back at those whom I supposed were responsible for the oppression of myself and other working men. So intense was our hatred that at one time I remember gathering together some twenty of the most desperate men in the city for the express purpose of burning the city to the ground; but, led by our hatred as we were, we were unable to perfect our plans. Our chaos was so great that we could not even elect a chairman of the meeting.

"From this state I descended still lower until I began to associate with the worst criminal class in Chicago; and this was my state of mind when I turned to God through reading Science and Health. I was like a hunted animal at bay, with not a cent in my pocket or a place to sleep except the street. My constant preaching and thinking of poverty had produced this result, until through a kind friend who had tasted of the blessings found in Christian Science, I was led to Science and Health. I commenced by reading from 10 A.M until 11 P.M. with the result that my condition has steadily improved, and I can truthfully state tonight that there is not a man, woman, or child on God's footstool that I do not love. I have completely overcome poverty and all that goes with it.

I can truly rejoice, with thousands of others, for the many blessings that have come to us through Christian Science, and I thank God for the message given to suffering humanity through Mrs. Eddy and Science and Health."

These experiences are convincing proof of the transforming power of Christianity, when Christianity is understood. These men were battling against their own false views of what Christianity is. Many thousands, nay millions, of good people are opposed to Christianity, or the teaching of Christ Jesus, because of their misapprehension of what it is. Jesus of Nazareth was not only the teacher of the true brotherhood of man, but he was the demonstrator thereof. When men come intelligently to read and understand the true intent of Jesus' life and teaching, their prejudice against Christianity is at once removed. It was manifestly reserved for Christian Science to bring out the brighter and fuller conception of the Nazarene's life and teaching. This fact is strikingly illustrated by the testimonies of the two gentlemen above referred to. Their experience, while novel in some of its aspects, is in its essence, the experience of many, many thousands who have been awakened to a higher and better sense of Christianity. These thousands, in common with the two whom we have quoted, are rejoicing in this fact. Daily, nay, hourly, this multitude is augmenting in numbers.

The only truly effective "strike" is to strike for a higher and better conception of the Christ. This conception will eventually settle all differences between capital and labor, as well as all other discords of humanity. The entire philosophy of altruism is embraced in that one great precept of the Nazarene: "Therefore, whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, do ye even so to them."