A Lecture on Christian Science
DeliveredmI.O.OFhall
her of the Board of Ixdurcship of the Mother Church w
The Mother Church, ine nrsi
Church of Christ Scientists in Bos
ton, Mass.
The lecturer was introduced by
Prof. Thos. H. Gentle, of the Ore
gon Normal School, who said in
Part: . . ' u
"Truth ana error nave ever uecu
A lecture on Christian Science followed, too, the explanation, "This
was delivered to a large ana appre-. is me eternal, mat they might know
ciative audience, at the Odd Fellows thee the only true God, and Jesus
Hall, by Bliss Knapp, CVS. B. Mem- .Christ, whom thou hast sent. "Two
w of the Board of Lectureship of things are therefore needful to save
uuc s me. 11 is io Know bod, and al
so His Son, Jesus Christ. Some be-
ieve that Jesus was God and that
belief excludes the God and father
to whom Jesus, himself prayed. The
condition of thought that sets aside
Christian healing may not be so
much a lack of faith' as a complete
omission from prayer of any recog
nition of the God and father to
whom Jesue prayed.
Jesus not God
It was the day of the resurrection
early in the morning, that Jesus ap
peared to Mary and sent her with a
message, saying, "Go to my breth
ren, and say unto them, I ascend
unto my Father and your Father
and unto my Gcd and your God."
Now if Jesus were God, as so many
believe, and there is one God, how
could God have brethren? But, in
asmuch as he recognized himself to
the two great objects of human in
terest; the one to be discovered and
preserved, the other detected and
cast out. From time immemorial
man has struggled to know the truth
and thereby secure his freedom
" 'Ye shall know the truth and the
truth shall make you free.'
"History abounds with the records
of the great who from time to time
have torn the veil of mist from be
fore man's gaze, and thereby opened
up new vistas of hope, of aspiration
and ODDortunity. The roll of these
world seers is well nigh endless:
Confucius, Moses, Socrates, Plato,
Aristotle, Dante, Shakespeare, Milt
on, Goethe, Rousseau, Kant, Fichte,
Hegel, Spencer, Darwin, Haeckel,
Washington, Lincoln, Anthony, Ed
dy, Willard, and toppling far and
above this galaxy the man of Gall
lee Jesus.
"Gradually, but certainly, out of
the narrow and painful views of
life, man is emerging into the full
and rounded visions of the perfect
day. Round by round he is climb
ing the ladder which shall finally
land him on the heights from which
he can correctly survey his kind in
all its seemingly varied implica
tions.
"All hail the day when mankind,
regardless of color, station, birth,
nationality or sex shall find itself in
possession of that knowledge which
heals and inspires, which gives
comfort of body and peace of soul,
A crown of glory for those who
having seen the light have in turn
transmitted its radiant effulgence
unto even the least of us.
"Friends, today we are met to
getner to drink atresh at new
fountains of inspirations, and to sit
in the attitude of learners at the
feet of the renowned leader of the
Christian Science movement Mrs.
Eddy. It is a great privilege and
we deem ourselves most fortunate.
Our guest and speaker of the hour
is Mr. Bliss Knapp, of Brookline,
Mass.
"Sir, we assure you our heartiest
good will. You honor us greatly
We shall listen attentively to your
words of wisdom.
Mr. Knapp's lecture in full fol
lows
During many centuries men have
grown accustomed to think of relig
as a naven ot rest to those in
. sorrow and temptation, but while
religion ministers to the mind, it re
gards the deceased body in helpless
compassion. Such helplessness con
trasts strongly with the religion of
Jesus Christ, who made no distinc-
uon between mind and body. He
asked, "Whether is easier to say,
Thy sins be forgiven thee, or to say,
Arise and walk?" He set the stand
i ...
"Q ot religious achievement by
neahng sickness and sin in the same
Prayer. It is the puroose of Christ
jan Science to increase the joy of
le by restoring to the infinite com
Passion of Jesus' teachings, the lost
element of healing. -The
invalid is not frightened at
na disease. It is the possible termi
nation of that disease that frightens
him. Then his frightened sense finds
seet consolation in the Master'
inning, "I am come that they
mght have life and that they might
have it more abundantly." There
"neuinerrutn about God as He
actually is, it destroyed death and
the grave, and thereby proved the
nature of God to be Life. "Fori am
come that they might have life and
that they might have it more abund
antly." "This is life eternal, that
they might know thee, the only true
God. and Jesus Christ, whom thou
hast sent."
People could see physical changes
wrought by Jesus readily ano in a
manner that admitted of no doubt.
But a natural question to follow is
this.-Could it be taught to others?
It is said that no one really under
stands a thing for himself, until he
can teach it to another. That Jesus
made disciples who could repeat his
healing ministry was the proof that
the healing power could be taught
to others and that he understood it.
Indeed the early Christians proved
the same thing by continuing these
works of healing for 300 years after
the time of Jesus. Even so the
Christian Scientist is today perpet
uating that healing ministry iust to
be, not God, but the son of God, he i the degree that he gains a correct
could ha"e brethrenand could truth
fully say, "Go unto my brethren,
and say unto them, I ascend unto
my Father and your Father and un
to my God and unto yourGod."When
Jesus was before the tomb of Laza
rus, it is recorded that he "lifted up
his eyes, and said, Father I thank
thank thee that thou hast heard me.
And I know that thou hearest me
always." He certainly was not
praying to himself on that occasion.
Previously he had said to the wo
man of Samaria at the well, "God is
Spirit." When, therefore, the disci
ples gathered around to examine
the spear wound and the nail prints
he took occasion to remind them
that "Spirit hath not flesh and bones
as ye see me have." From that the
disciples knew that the human form
of Jesus was not God. Indeed, to
worship a fleshly form would be in
conflict with the second command
ment of the Decalogue, which for
bids the worship of any graven im
age. Jesus recognized, moreover,
that the power he employed was
not of himself for he said, I can, of
minewn self do nothing: .. .be
cause I seek not mine own will but
the will of the Father which hath
sent me." Again he said, referring
to himself, "The son can do nothing
of himself, but what he seeth the
Father do."
God's Healing Nature
In the face of so much popular
misconception about what God real
ly is. Jesus found it exceedingly
difficult to get the people to accept
the truth'about him. It was neces
sary to avoid, in so far as possible,
any statement about ooatnaiwoum
be open to doubt or comroveisy.
Hp Pndpavored theretore to poriray
a right apprehension of boa ny
making the people familiar with the j
effect of divine power on humanity.
The popular belief prevailed then as
now, that God sends sickness to
discipline mortals and bring them to
God. But when Jesus portrayed the
nature of God as He actually is, it
had the effect of healing the sick m
every case and thereby proved m a
manner that admitted of no doubt
or controversy, that sickness is no
part of God's nature. Another pop
ular belief adhered to then as now
was that God knows, or at least per
mits, sin. That, too, was aisposeu
of by showing the effectdivme pow
er had in cleansing sinners even as
light aiwaysdispellsdarkness. More
over people believed then as now
that God takes away our loved ones
for some inscrutable P;"
this belief has undoubtedly thrust
more people into infidelity aud ag-
nosticism than have ever been res
cued therefrom. But when Jesus de-
understanding of Him "whom to
know to know aright is life eter
nal," an understanding of the God
and Father to whom Jesus prayed.
Healing Law
The first man in Bible history to
know God well enough to heal sick
ness and sin was Moses, and it came
about by his recognition that the
divine power operates through law.
Before that he knew God only as
the great "I am," but that was not
sufficient to win confidence in him
self as the messenger of God. The
necessity for him to speak the truth
about God so convincingly that the
people would actually believe what
he said, was the occasion for God to
reveal His healing nature by two
distinct signs. The first was with
the rod by which was proved the
divine supremacy over personified
evil. The second was the healing
of leprosy. Perhaps those two were
selected because none but the power
of God has ever been known to de
stroy leprosy and sin. But that ex
hibition of divine power over sick
ness and sin revealed to Moses the
existence of a well defined law of
healing which enabled him, there
after, to employ the divine power,
guided by the intelligence of a well
defined law, in healing leprosy and
serpent bites. It revealed to him
the existence of certain facts con
cerning the healing nature of God
in which no variation has ever been
perceived. It marked the existence
of an unchanging law of healing
with which human beings had been
hithprto unacauainted. It revealed
something so definite and tangible
about the nature of God that the
people believed him just as God saia
they would.
God Is Truth
Now that which Moses saw in the
healing power of God was the Truth ;
whereupon he declared, "Thou art
a God of truth." David later de
clared in the psalms, "Thy law is
the truth." And Jesus indicated the
intimate relation that exists between
Truth and the healing law, when he
said, "Ye shall know the trutn, ana
the truth shall make you free."
That is, a knowledge of God, not as
a human form, but as Truth has a
healing effect. Mrs. Eddy has there
fore accepted that scriptural defini
tion that God is Truth, and also its
intimate relation to law; for shehas
written in Science ana nem, im
personal intercommunion but divine
law is the communicator of truth,
health, and harmony to earth and
humanity."
It is true'that every system of re
ligion known to men claims to be
the promulgation of revealed truth,
hut that which differentiates the
demonstrable revelation of Jesus
Thrift (mm ntl .l ..
..v., an uuirre is us power
w give lire and to restore health. It
is me lite-giving power in Christian
truth which makes it demonstrable
m nealing sickness and sin. (W
school of philosophers has propound-
eu me meory that truth is two fold:
mat mere is one truth called reason,
and another truth called revelation
uui mat revelation has no law and
is lacking in a reasonable explana
tion. I he result is agnosticism
nnsuanity. on the other hand
teaches there is but one Truth and
this Truth is God. It teaches more
over that divine Truth is expresed
mrougn law which may be under
nt A rl.i... 1 1 - . . .
-tu unu ui-uiuifeiraiea inuiristian
healing. This teaching reconciles
reason and revelation in the oneness
of Truth.
True Worship
some may feel they have lost
their God in thinking of Him as
1 ruth; but Jesus declared in all
earnestness that "The true worship
ycissuan worsnip me rather in
spirit and in truth." That may be
clarified by another of Jesus' say
ings : None is good save one, that
is God." Now the spirit of law of
infinite good is goodness, and the
true worshippers can worship infi
nite good only through goodness,
For example: No one goes directly
to the basic meaning of mathemat
ics. He must go by way of its rules
or laws. The simple law that two
and two are four mediates between
the basic meaning of mathematics
and the prospective student. Even
so no one can go directly to infinite
good. He must go by way of good
ness, which is the law or attribute
of infinite good. That is, he must
worship infinite good in the under
standing of goodness. Mrs. Eddy
has said in Science and Health, "A
pure affection takes form in good
ness. i hen as one entertains an
affection for others that is pure and
constant, it takes form in goodness,
which is an attribute of God. In
this simple process he comprehends
the law of goodness, and in the un
derstanding of it he reaches to the
actual recognition of infinite good
In the same spiritual understanding
of divine law shall one worship the
God and Father who is Spirit and
Truth.
God Is Principle
As the nature of God continued to
unfold before the vision of St. John
it was revealed to him that "God is
love." Paul described the intimate
relation that exists between Love
and Truth when he said, "Love
the fulfilling of the law." Other
scriptural names used to define the
nature of God are Soul and Mind
Christian Science accepts all those
descriptive definitions of deity and
adds one more. Since there is a di
vine law to express the healing, it
reasonable to suppose it must have
a Principle. That is, the nature of
God must include Principle as a de
scriptive definition. But far from
expressing any of the coldness of an
inanimate law, the divine Fnncipl
comprehends all intelligence, gentle
ness, peace and power to heal and
save mankind through law.
If one were to stand at the base of
the great pyramid and gaze in won
der at its vast dimensions, he cou
not see its whole structure from that
sinele viewpoint He must see
from the north and the south, the
east and the west. He must explore
its passages and chambers within,
Not until he had seen it from every
ancle, and learned the meaning
its structure and design, could it be
said that he had actually seen the
pyramid. In like manner the vari
ous scriptural names which are em
ployed to define the nature of God
are all essential to a complete un
derstanding of Him.
True Intelligence
The Christian Scientist becomes
familiar with God's ways in a most
practical manner. Jesus referred to
God as "my God and your God."
le is therefore mv Mind and your
ind. The practical operation of
that was proved to me w hen I was
student in the elementary schools.
or a month I was troubled with a
difficulty that may be described in
the words of Paul, "The good that
would I do not : but the evil which
would not, that I do." With me
was a difficulty in answering my
school problems correctly. Though
might know the correct answer, I
would invariably say the wrong
thing. Instead of excusing that on
the basis of stupidity, Paul saw in
such conditions the warring of the
i'shy mind, and so did my parents
ho were Christian Scientists. My
mother proceeded to heal me of that
ifficulty according to the teachings
of Christian Science. With wonder
ful patience she explained to me, in
anguage I could easily understand,
the reason why children go to
school. It is not so much to assimi-
ate a large mass of facts as it is to
develop certain faculties; such for
example as perception, reason, mem
ory and application. Then she ex
plained to me that they are faculties
of the divine Mind, and as such"
must be reflected through all alike.
t concedes the right to every one to
achieve the mental might of a geni
us. Inasmuch as God is my Mind
and my intelligence, it was my right
and duty to claim and exercise that
intelligence which knows all that is
necessary to know. So clear was
my relation to divine intelligence
established, that I ceased to limit
my mental capacity by the size of a
brain. Its scope was broadened to
that larger view of divine intelli
gence which transcends brain. The
explanation was continued until I
could realize to a degree my true re-
ation to God who is the only Mind
and intelligence. When I could
realize this, it became a reality to
me, with the result that I was com
pletely healed of the difficulty. The
truth about God, and my relation to
Him had set me free. Therein is
the proof that no human intelligence
has any validity if contrary to the
divine faculties; and such of the
human faculties as are valid, must
derive their validity from the divine.
Mind Of Christ
We have no record in the four
gospels that Jesus ever permitted
himself to be deceived or taken ad
vantage of in any way. Had he been
victimized, it would have been by
reason of a lack of intelligence. But
he claimed and exercised the divine
intelligence that knows all that is
necessary to know, and thereby set
the standard for all mankind. It
was the mind which was in Christ
Jesus that enabled him to heal the
sick, even when they were absent
from him, as in the cases of the
centurion's servant and the Syro- .
Phoenician's daughter. It was the
Mind which was in Christ Jesus that
enabled him to heal leprosy and
raise the dead, even to the raising
of himself from the tomb." It was
this Mind which constituted his di
vinity, and enabled him to say, "I
and my Father are one," and also
the correlative statement, "My
Father is greater thfcn I." It was
the divine Mind which was in Christ
Jesus that enabled him to say, "Be
fore Abraham was, I am," and, "Lo,
I am with you alway, even unto the
end of the world." We are more
over enjoined by the scriptures to
"Let this mind be in you which was
also in Christ Jesus." And "Be ye
therefore perfect even as your Fath
er which is in heaven is perfect."
The Comforter
Before Jesus went away he prom
ised us another Comforter. That no
misconception might arise, he took
the precaution to explain the nature
of this promised Comforter. It
should not be a man, nor a person,
but rather the impersonal "Spirit
of truth." He explained further
that the "Spirit of truth" would
lead mankind into all truth, even to