The Rev. George Tomkins
Member of the Board of Lectureship of The Mother
Church,
The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts
Before a large audience in the Lyceum Rev. George Tomkins, D. D., of New York city, delivered an address last night on "Christian Science."
The speaker was introduced by Attorney C. L. Hawley and with them on the platform was D. N. McKee, the reader of the First Church of Christ (Scientist) of this city, under whose auspices the lecture was given.
In introducing Dr. Tomkins, Mr. Hawley said that while the speaker of the evening is one of a minority he might be right for it is entirely possible for a person to be in a minority and right at the same time.
Dr. Tomkins had been a Baptist minister for twenty-five years, but three years ago became a believer in "Christian Science," and is now one of its leading exponents. He then introduced the speaker of the evening, who, after announcing that The Tribune had secured the exclusive right to print the lecture, proceeded with his forceful and eloquent discourse, which was as follows:
In the Christian Science Journal of May, 1897, we stated how "second-hand prejudice" was the beginning of our knowledge about Christian Science, through the repeated denunciations of a preacher who by some is regarded as the monopolist of a special "corner" on whatever sanctity exists in what he called "this Hellbound New York." By him Christian Science was purposely (but erroneously) classed with theosophy, mind cure, spiritualism, hypnotism and witchcraft, as "of their father the devil," in order to bring out into bolder contrast the alliance of his own verbosity with whatever he could make use of from "Science and Health," without acknowledging his indebtedness to the woman described in Revelation xii, and elsewhere in the Bible as one "whom the world knows not" and "of whom the world is not worthy."
Attending a Christian Science testimonial service, my clerical criticism was disarmed by the resistless evidences of such "children of the devil" as testified of changed and Christly lives, permanent healing, unbounded love and positive triumph over sin, sickness and death! Bewilderment yielded to desire —
"If such sweetness of the stream,
What must the fountain be?"
As an honest investigator for truth, I determined to trace this stream to its source, regardless of position or pleasure.
An interview with the deservedly esteemed principal of a New York Christian Science institute soon revealed that my several faith cures of the bedridden, consumptive, rheumatic, paralytic and lockjaw, as well as the raising of a dead child, in connection with my past ministry, instead of being spasmodic and infrequent, could, with the understanding of divine Science, become a daily experience in a ministry of saving and healing; as, in fact, has been her constant experience for the last twelve years, and in like marvelous manner, that of her manly son since devoting his life to Christian Science.
While seeking guidance, the two texts, "we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth," and "if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God," appealed to me, and I at once determined to enter the December class of 1896, notwithstanding I was occupying a Baptist pulpit every Sunday, besides being in evangelistic services every day. The God-thought in Christian Science appealed "as far as the heavens are above the earth," from the material tendencies and teaching of existing creeds. Henceforth, my duty was clear. "Cut the shore lines!" "Burn the bridges!" Even if, as the old Scotchwoman put it, it meant "only Christ and a crust."
Then, as if journeying with Jonah in the much-disputed "living creature" convoy "through the depths of the sea," chemicalizing awhile "in the belly of hell," we at last saw that "salvation is of the Lord!" When God had led his servant to where he could most effectually use him, He gently placed him on terra firma, to "preach the preaching that He bade thee." Few seem privileged to travel so far below the surface, where Baptists particularly pride themselves, on having been plunged. Consequently, disputers, shallow thinkers, abound, disgruntled at the "sacrifices required," and fearing to launch out into the infinite ocean of Life, Truth and Love.
Matt xxi., 41, then struck me very much at variance with my Calvinistic theology. I asked "How could God withdraw His kingdom, when once bestowed?" "To whom did He entrust His gifts of fruit-bearing?" "What led to such abortive results from such God-given privileges?" "Is the King of this Kingdom the 'same yesterday, and to day and for ever'?" "By whom are the fruits — healing the sick, casting out (d)evils — produced?" Who, but Christian Scientists, a nation or people evidently therein prophesied of by Jesus himself? Conscience is forever satisfied on Bible grounds.
"Only the love that is divine,
Can change a mortal's thought of life,
Break down the strongest barriers,
And put an end to seeming strife."
The revelation of Christian Science came to the Rev. Mary Baker G. Eddy in the year 1866, and its truth and power were immediately demonstrated by signs following. For thirty-two years sinners have been reclaimed, depraved appetites for opium and intoxicating drinks have been destroyed, the sick have been healed of every disease, including insanity; the blind have received their sight; the deaf their hearing; shortened limbs have been elongated, crooked spines have been straightened, and law after law of the human mind has been broken. The one great text-book of Christian Science is "Science and Health, with Key to the Scriptures," by Mary Baker G. Eddy. "Science and Health" is now in its one hundred and fifty-fifth edition, and the demand for it is constantly increasing, because hundreds have been healed through perusing its pages. We also have a Christian Science Weekly, and a Christian Science Journal (monthly), and Christian Science Bible Lessons (quarterly). There are about 2,000 duly qualified and certified practitioners; 300 organized churches, with nearly half as many more services where there are at present no church organizations; also about 100 training institutes. One hundred and twenty practitioners are in Greater New York, sixty-seven in Manhattan borough. There are six of these organizations or churches in New York city, three of which own church buildings. A beautiful building is now being erected at the corner of Central Park West and Sixth-eighth street, by the Second Church of Christ, Scientist, New York city.
Flourishing churches are also organized in London, England; Paris, France; Dresden and Hanover, Germany; and in Canada, Brazil and Scotland.
The Mother Church is in Boston, Mass. All others are the branches. These churches are emphatically healing churches. I have witnessed the crippled carrying crutches walking, and those deaf thirty years, hearing.
Christian Science is demonstrable Christianity. Through the spiritual understanding of the teachings of Christ Jesus, its followers are enabled to obey His command to "heal the sick" and do the works he and his disciples did. It is not faith cure, because it does not perform its wonderful works through blind faith in a personal God. It is not mesmerism or hypnotism, because it denies absolutely the power of the human mind and human will, and claims no will but God's. Through recognizing the one Mind and man as the reflection or idea of that Mind, it forever establishes the brotherhood of man. It is the perfect salvation from sin, disease and death Christ Jesus came to bring. Christian Science, in a word, is the law of God, good, Principle being Life, Truth, Love and eternal harmony!
The Bible contains the Gospel, which in Anglo-Saxon is Godespell or Good-news, better "news of the good." Now good, proclaimed to and appropriated by suffering humanity, makes them whole, emphatically, through this Good News of Wholeness.
Webster helps to a true, scientific definition of this word, holy: "Health, salvation, happiness, whole, well." The word "whole" is defined as "well, sound, healthy, holy, possessing or being in a state of health and soundness." So practical Christian Science enables us to obey Paul's word, "Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." That is, if you exercise your reason as sane men should, you will come to the understanding that you are able to respond to the question of Jesus, "Wilt thou be made whole?" for in Acts, ix:34, we read, "Jesus Christ maketh thee whole." More than a million in this country have responded to the question in the affirmative, and proved the Bible absolutely true, as Christian Science enables mankind to understand it. It is full of the "hid treasure" of healing truth. This "hid treasure" is discoverable only to those who understand the Principle of being — of man's relation to God, and so "live, and move, and have their being" in the one Mind.
In Colorado we once journeyed up to the altitude of 10,000 feet by the loop line, which, as it climbed the mountain, circled the range, and came over itself triumphantly — a marvel of engineering skill. As it crossed itself, we saw before us a magnificent panorama of the Rocky Mountains, which we could not have seen on the lower line. This is a lesson to Christians of every name. We find in Christian Science, as well as in all Christianity, that only as mortals see the nothingness of a self apart from God, and thus overcome it, do we make triumphant progress upward and onward by the demonstration of Spirit, which alone has power to uplift us. This is the privilege, yea, the right of every true Christian who is willing to open his eyes to the understanding. Even Luther said: "I fear that pope, self, more than the one sitting in Rome." Let us manifest the like determined purpose to fulfill Paul's injunction in Romans, vi:11: "Likewise reckon ye also yourself to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." Abandon self, and see its nothingness, and as opposed thereto, your real consciousness, resurrected through impersonal Truth and omnipotent Love, and alive unto God, Spirit. Thus we will see the force of Psalm, cvii:20: "He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions."
When at Silver Plume, Col., we found two Yorkshiremen who had left their homes and those dear to them, risking life and health, chiseling their way into the very heart of the Rocky Mountains, in their eager desire for hid treasure. What distances will not men go, what risks will they not run, in the hope of gaining wealth, and what seems to be lost health! But if men amass wealth by the million, or billion, and have not health, they may deplore with Jeremiah, "Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit." Now Christian Science enables us to leave the profitless environment of the mortal senses, and the difficulties and sorrow of the past, as well as the claims of ill health. Awaking from its dream, we strike forth for the imperishable. It requires God-given motive-power to chisel through the rocky mountain of self. Not being satisfied with a materialistic belief about God and man, we sink a deep shaft through the quartz of mortal life and love, and daily smelt down our rewards of diligence into the pure metal of Life, Truth and Love.
Christian Science comes at first to every consciousness in infant form. We tenderly care for and nurse it. At first we can do little more than admire it and watch its gradual development. It grows stronger each day, reaches out, begins to discern truth from error, distinguish between the things God made and the things God did not make, between the material and the spiritual, the real and the unreal, and soon is able to speak for itself, as Jesus did, even at the age of twelve. He both heard and answered the questions of the doctors. But we are not to remain infants indefinitely.
Our Master, the Prince of Life, took a living text, a little child. He bade his disciples become as that little child in their guileless receptivity of truth. Receptivity was his one point. The first knowledge a child receives is the alphabet. Now let us reverse all our mortal senses of years, and unlearn all our old ideas about theology and medicine. These two words have had a mesmeric influence upon us. We have been, perhaps, like the agent of a western railroad station, who, at the close of day, would put his ear to the rails, listening for the sound of the coming express. Soon he would see a flickering light approaching. Then, as he stood spell-bound by the rapidly nearing headlight, he slowly awakes to his danger. By one supreme effort he leaped at the last instant to the platform and realized a life redeemed from destruction. There are thousands of God's dear people standing spell-bound between the twin rails of theology and medicine, mesmerized by an ominous rumble in the distance — a fear of death; and the approaching flicker of a false light which entrances them until escape is almost impossible.
In this process of "unlearning" and learning afresh, as simply as does a child his alphabet, we meet this question: What constitutes demonstrable truth? What is Christian Science? Is it Bible science? Note the following Scriptural texts.
It is able science. "And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work." Formerly we limited its scope to mean a favored few. In the light of Christian Science we see its full scope means that God enables us all to do the works of Jesus.
It is Bible science. "The word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, . . . dividing asunder the soul and spirit, . . . and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Once we thought that each mortal had a soul of his own and that this soul could be divided from spirit; but in the light of Christian Science we know that there is but one Soul, one Spirit, and that God; and that this two-edged sword separates all the beliefs of mortal mind from the thoughts of divine Mind.
It is Clean Science. "I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed." Formerly we were cleansed by belief in material remedies. Christian Science shows that Truth is the cleansing Principle. Jesus said, "Now are ye clean through the word which I have spoken unto you."
It is Divine Science. "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" We once thought we had light and strength by virtue of His creating the sun and giving us fresh air. Now, we know that Spirit enlightens, strengthens and renders us fearless.
It is an Equal Science. "The Lord respecteth not the person of any man." St. Paul says (II Cor., v:16), "I know no man after the flesh, not even Christ Jesus." Christian Science boldly declares there is no personality, neither personal good, personal evil, nor personal man.
It is Free Science. "Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ maketh his people free." Mortals ordinarily believe that our freedom must be circumscribed by mortal limitations. Now, it is seen that impersonal truth frees us from all mortal sense limitations — the law of sin, sickness and death.
It is a Glorious Science. "When Christ, our life, shall be manifest, then shall we be manifested with him in glory." We once thought that we must die to "go to glory." Today it is plainly proved that the Christ Life is present glory. Our Master said, "The kingdom of heaven is within you," therefore, a condition of Mind to be brought out.
It is a Healthy Science. "I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God." The old thought was that we shall have God's health when we get to Him. Now we demonstrate that the God or good health is our present heritage, manifested joyously.
It is an Individual Science. "Every one of us shall give account of himself unto God." Formerly, that through Jesus's atonement mortals were saved. Now we know that each individual is responsible to God for his own stewardship; or, as the Bible says, "Work out your own salvation."
It is a Just Science. "The just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him." Old judgment; we were God's executors to pass judgment on evildoers. Christian Science teaches us to see that truth destroys injustice irrevocably.
It is a Kingly Science. "Ye are a kingdom of priests to offer spiritual sacrifices unto God." Old thought; preachers have monopolies. Christian Science makes us see that the kingdom of God implies a kingdom of Spirit, a realm which is spiritual, and whose subjects are spiritual.
It is Love Science. "God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." Old thought; that God was the author of both human love and divine, that they were one. Christian Science shows that there is but one Love, and that Love divine; that the human love is but a false sense, which we must lose in order to gain the true.
It is Mind Science. "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." Old thought; that the mind of Jesus was uncontaminated by natural parents. In Christian Science Mind is God and the Christ, being the image and likeness of God, has the same Mind. Christian Science alone shows us how to put on this Mind, through the fullness of the understanding.
It is a Neighborly Science. "Which . . . was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?" Old thought; that we should be neighborly only to those who were appreciative and reciprocal. Christian Science teaches the brotherhood of man, and how to bring it out so as to make all mankind our neighbors.
It is an Orderly Science. "Let all things be done decently and in order." Formerly it was right to be sanctimonious and punctilious. Christian Science is not indelicate by diagnosis, indecent by insinuation, nor disorderly in practice.
It is the Promised Science. "Not one thing hath failed of all His good promised." Once; that promises were kept when circumstances permitted. Christian Science demonstrates that God's promises are good only, and good always, and good unfailingly.
It is Quick Science. "He hath made him of quick understanding." Formerly we thought that it is an old-time prophecy by Jeremiah of Jesus only. Christian Science shows that God is just as willing to give His spirit of quick perception without limit here and now.
It is Right Science. "Let the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings." Once thought that priests only are righteous. In Christian Science every right thought of truth is a ray of healing light.
It is Spiritual Science. "We demonstrate the spirit of God with power." Once held that saying and reading prayers was a demonstration of religion. In Christian Science we practically demonstrate the power of God to heal, regardless of seeming difficulty or distance.
It is True Science. "We can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth." It is ordinarily believed that truth is unaffected by our own inconsistencies. In Christian Science Truth "will overturn until He, whose right it is, shall reign."
It is the Uniting Science. "That they may be one, as Thou, Father, art in me, and I in Thee, that they may be one." Formerly it was thought that there would be a physical union of creeds and denominations. In Christian Science we manifest the spirit of oneness with allness that the world may know that Truth is God.
It is Wise Science. "Wisdom is justified of her children." Old thought; we justify our Christianity by the learning of the schools and creeds. C.S.; that the characters of Christian Scientists justify the manifest wisdom of our Mother in Israel.
It was formerly thought and taught that constant attendance at religious services was the means of churchly edification. Christian Science teaches that spirituality excels creeds, doctrines and sermons, all of which, to a greater or less degree, head to mesmeric abuses.
It is Yielding Science. "Yield yourselves until God, as those that are alive from the dead." Old thought; by enrolling our names on church books we thus yielded. Christian Science shows that our thought, having been resurrected, we joyfully yield ourselves in order that God be in all our thoughts.
It is Zealous Science. "God redeemed us from all iniquity and purified unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." Once we believed that zeal would prove our standing with God. Christian Science shows that because redeemed, purified and separated to God, His service would be the delightful outcome.
The Bible thus demonstrates the practical excellence of Christian Science, not only in the foregoing alphabet, if I may call it such, but in these glowing words of Jesus, as potent now as when uttered nineteen centuries ago: "I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." He is the way to God, the truth of God, and the life in God, and none can possibly come to God but by him. Therefore Truth could submit his embodiment to be buffeted and even to be crucified, conscious that men could not destroy him, the manifestation of the Father's love. So we may submit that which is mortal to be crucified by Truth. It will not annihilate, but will uplift us.
The stormy elements of time and sense in their conflict result only in the clarifying of our perceptions of this uplifting Principle. It is not we who uplift ourselves. It is that we rest poised, on the understanding of God, with faces set like a flint, Zionward. As once when mountain climbing in Europe, overtaken by a terrific storm, and in instant peril of death, I crept for shelter under a projecting rock, I gazed, shuddering, at the dark chasm beneath. Spell-bound I looked through the gray vapor, swirling in tempestuous torrents that all but swept me from my feet. Suddenly I saw something moving! A huge Norwegian eagle, with outstretched wings wider than these extended finger-tips! It was facing the driving storm and rising higher and higher, with no effort save to keep its wings poised! Wise in its instinct, it let the storm it so bravely breasted lift it above the warring elements. So the Christian Scientist calmly rests upon the understanding that he is spiritual now. Amid the storm of error, he rests, poised, conscious that the testimony of the material sense is false, and that omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient Love lifts him to present omniscience, where peace broodeth as a dove!
I have proven to you that Christian Science is not only science, but Bible science, Christ's science. Since such is the fact, it follows that Christian Science is the antipode of mesmerism or hypnotism.
The important announcement was made by Dr. Frank J. Lutz, former president of the state board of health of Missouri, that "hypnotism is the cause of many people becoming insane." Dr. Lutz says that the effect of hypnotism upon the nerves of the person submitting to a hypnotic test is a great deal worse than the result of incessant smoking, and even of the drinking of absinthe. Dr. E. C. Spitzk, the specialist, says: "I feel called upon to say that after extensive personal observation and much study, I am firmly convinced that whatever amount of good may come from hypnotism is offset by the amount of harm which comes out of its use in medicine."
While Dr. G. Sternberg closes an able article on the subject of "Insanity Caused by Hypnotism," with these telling words: "I am convinced that if the bare truth could be generally learned, the startling fact would come to light that the insane asylums contain a great number of inmates who would never have reached their portals had they not been started on the route by the use of hypnotism."
On the other hand, there are those present who know of one brought straight out of the asylum for Christian Science treatment; in two weeks he was perfectly healed, and resumed his business as a traveler in the jewelry trade. Age 35, and a perfect athlete in appearance, we received a letter recently in which he says: "When I get tired or am tempted, I take my little friend, 'Science and Health,' out of my pocket, and listen to what it says, and I soon get right and rest well."
Here is a letter from an asylum in a distant state, the medical superintendent had said nothing could be done for the patient; and on the request being urged for Christian Science treatment, said: "Yes, that gentleman in New York may do what he likes, I will not interfere, it will do no good, she is past doing anything for." Thank God, Christian Science demonstrated omnipotent and omnipresent Truth, and she is now perfectly sane.
The double event in London on Nov. 9 was the Prince of Wales' birthday, and the gorgeous pageant of the lord mayor's show. At the lord mayor's dinner, the premier and other politicians made speeches, outlining the policy of the party in power, and as a token of the queen's great favor, grapes are sent to that table from the royal vine at Hampton Court Palace. These grapes are the most luscious in the world, and are sometimes sent to the crowned heads of Europe by courier as an expression of the queen's affection. Sometimes we have stood in that royal vinery, wondering why the vine-dresser should clip off every one of its huge leaves and growing slips. It was that none of its nutriment should go for anything but the formation of grapes. Inside that vinery every inch of space was covered with royal purple grapes. Centuries have passed since it began its useful career as a slender sapling, planted beside the palace wall. It struck root. Then, instinctively, it reached out under the beautiful garden, and the high wall with its deep foundation, then across the paddock where the royal steeds are reared, and pushing farther, it went underneath the meadows where the cattle graze, until it is found imbedded beneath the constantly flowing river Thames, whence it draws its vitality, which it converts into those splendid grapes!
Thus, an unpretentious New England woman, a sincere seeker for the source of all good — that which alone can satisfy the insatiable desires of a humble, delicate, yet highly refined, truth-loving, God-honoring student — delved beneath the flowery gardens of human praise, the thick walls of deep-rooted prejudice and difficulty, the paddocks of vain glory, and the meadows of animality, and rested not until she reached the inexhaustible source of eternal vitality, the "pure River of the Water of Life, the streams whereof make glad the City of God." Suppose you were the roots of that vine! Would you be concerned about what was on the surface? In the gardens, walls, foundations, paddocks or meadows? Certainly not! So long as you got to the whole river to supply your insatiable thirst.
Now Mary Baker G. Eddy, by diligent, loving perseverance, reached that infinite Source, and has an understanding "clear as crystal." It "proceeds from the Throne of God, and the Lamb" — that is, it emanates from divine Love, to which we are reconciled by the "Lamb," which indicates sacrifice. She, thus discovering our atonement with our Father and Mother, God, like the other "Mary," "pondered these things in her heart," until with her clear understanding she brought forth the Christ-truth to this age, as impersonal Truth. This Christ-Truth is his second coming which is mentioned and referred to in the Bible over 300 times. In Paul's epistles he speaks about the return of our Lord fifty times. No doctrine has suffered more from its friends than this one has. Some people say it means death. But death is our enemy. He has conquered death, hell and the grave. Christ is the prince of Life. There is no death where he is. Death flees at his coming. Dead bodies sprang to life when he touched them or spoke to them. His coming is not death. Look at that account of the last hours with his disciples. What does he say to them? "If I go away, I will send death after you to bring you to me?" Not at all. He says, "I will come again, and receive you unto myself."
As aforetime, the Israelites did not, or would not, recognize him, because they were looking for a material kingdom. So today men are looking for a material bodily manifestation which is forever done away with, for we are to see him so, i.e., in the flesh — no more forever. "In like manner," (that is) "as he was blessing them, he was parted from them." He has come the second time, blessing, enveloping or baptizing us with Spirit, once for all. We read of Spirit assuming the bodily form of a dove and abiding on Jesus. He so delighted to do God's will that Spirit was undisturbed, therefore "abode" on him. He promised to send, and has sent Spirit to "abide with us forever." This absolutely disproves the error of the second personal coming. Hear the following plain statements, seven wonderful verses:
First — "We shall never know Christ after the flesh any more forever."
Second — "He has sent Spirit to abide with us forever."
Third — In Christ, Truth, "dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and we are complete in him."
Fourth — Christ, Truth, hath "abolished death and brought life and immortality to light by the Gospel."
Fifth — That, "as he is, so are we in this world."
Sixth — That "the same works that he did, and even greater" (or fraught with greater seeming difficulty and at greater distance) "shall we do also".
Seventh — As we rise out of a seeming selfhood apart from God, and see our atonement with God, we manifest that we "have the mind which was in Christ Jesus."
We conscientiously declare that "Science and Health, with Key to the Scriptures," now in its one hundred and fifty-fifth thousand, is seen to be foretold, as well as its author, Mary Baker Eddy, in Revelation, x. She is the "mighty angel" or God's highest thought to this age (verse 1), giving us the spiritual interpretation of the Bible in the "little book open" (verse 2). Thus we prove that Christian Science is the second coming of Christ, Truth, Spirit. As was promised, this is the Spirit which should testify of the Truth. We glory in its having been demonstrated to a sick and sinning people, by Spirit, through her, whom we do not worship, as some state, but whom we love and call "Mother" — the tenderest word in any language.
Three years after her recovery from an injury pronounced fatal, she searched for the Great Cause of all good. The further period of six years was the furnace of patience, when, like a refiner of silver, she patiently toiled to separate spurious mortal thought from the priceless Principle of infinite Mind. This Principle she discovered to be the solution of that problem, and a definite Science, and, therefore, impressed it with the insignia "Science and Health, with Key to the Scriptures." Many have been healed by its perusal alone, to my personal knowledge. Our Bible, "God's Book on Wholeness," covers a history of 6,000 years concerning God and God's people. This book declares God is Spirit and Father of us all. There is not a chapter or a verse anywhere that states or implies that God — Spirit — was ever sick, lame, blind, weak or had met with an accident, or had caught a cold. How can His child, made in "His image and likeness," have any illusion fasten itself on him, which could not fasten itself on his Father, God? We have not to preach men out of hell, but to cast the hell of sick and evil thoughts out of men! Nor have we to preach men into heaven, but the heaven of God's thoughts of peace, health, happiness and the harmony of heavenly conditions, into the consciousness of men! And we do it scientifically!
Doubtless, you are frequently told that Christian Scientists deny the Bible. Instead of refuting that blessed Book, you will clearly see by the words in our first tenet that we must accept the Bible before we can enter the ranks of Christian Scientists. That tenet is as follows: "As adherents of Truth, we take the Scriptures for our guide to eternal Life."
Again, replying to the question, "Does the founder of Christian Science deny or despise the Bible?" let this speaker answer, as one of those invited to be present last February to hear her, at her first appearance in her new church. Mrs. Eddy read the ninety-first Psalm, without using glasses, said a Concord paper, "Her rich, clear, melodious voice served to the very best advantage to emphasize that beautiful passage of Scripture which she characterized as being the Pearl of the Psalter, and containing more of meaning than is condensed into so many words anywhere else in all literature, except in the Sermon on the Mount by the great Galilean. She made this Psalm her text and theme, and, taking it, passage by passage, exquisitely brought out Christian Science, as applied to practical life."
Now, whosoever chooses to quit the so-called pleasures of sense, whosoever wishes to leave its pains and sorrows, and deliberately decides to yield to the domination of the self-life no longer, shall "abide" under the shadow of the Almighty. When this thought becomes general in human consciousness, me-thinks I see in that spiritual uplift the gathered Tribes, twelve times twelve thousand, stand with solemn hush, as they realize in its fullness that through the understanding of absolute Truth they have "awakened in His likeness." The at-one-ment of God and His people is perfected. When we fully understand our at-one-ment with God, we can send up the shout, "A King is in the Camp!" Truth is triumphant! For he says today, "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." Why was this power ever curtailed or lost? Constantine's union of church and state had the materializing effect upon the early Christians of depriving them of this power; for Gibbon's History of Rome says it was exercised up to the close of the third century, when they not infrequently raised the dead.
Mortal mind ever strives to materialize spiritual truth, good. It attempts to personalize good and calls it God. Then it imagines that good has an equal opposite, evil, which it deifies and calls D'Evil. This materialist interpretation of what is spiritual is the cause of skepticism and infidelity. Mortal mind — or as our translation gives it, the carnal mind — is a limited application of the word, mind — Rotherham translates it "The mind of the flesh," which is not simply antagonistic, but as Paul declares, "is enmity against God" — good, Spirit, Life, Truth, Love, "and is not subject to the law of God, good, neither indeed can be."
Hence it is that mortal mind assumes to counterfeit the all-wise Truth with its opposite, falsehood; Life, with its antipode, death; and Love, with its subterfuge, hate. Thus it did twenty centuries ago, when it thought it had killed the prince of Life. Mortal mind crucified the perfect exponent of this triune Principle, Life, Truth, and Love, and it would do it today if it could. But the resurrection of Christ, Truth, bursting the bonds of error, has ever liberated each and all that will "reckon self to be dead indeed," and let Truth rise triumphant over every manifestation of mortal sense.
Let me illustrate this with a circumstance within my own knowledge. Very near the spot where we are erecting our new edifice for the Second Church of Christ, Scientist, in New York City, about seven years since, a broken pavement stone was being removed, when a greenish-yellow growth appeared between the two pieces of stone. It was the shape of a turned-down dish, and when removed it was found that one single grain of wheat was the cause of that entire growth. The rain on either side had moistened the wheat, and the sun's warmth had penetrated the stone, and had quickened the hidden vitality of the lone grain of wheat — the hidden life which no microscope can discover — until in seeming protest against its burial and being trodden under foot of men, it burst asunder that stone, and appeared free!
Thus our Master, our Way-shower, impersonal Truth, the Principle of which, wherever hidden in human consciousness, will make itself manifest. Mortal sense must yield to resurrected Truth! You ask why I declare this? Because mortal sense has not intelligence, and is incapable of judging what Truth is. Truth is God, unchanging and eternal. We cannot possibly demonstrate Truth unless we have the spiritual sense, and have absolutely right relations with Truth. We dishonor Truth, God, when we honor what is untrue, and, therefore, unlike God. Error is Truth's opposite. We name it only in order to destroy it. Love is the governing Principle. Mortal sense is not Love. Love worketh no ill to its neighbor, but mortal sense is the prolific source of all human ill, which Truth alone can and does destroy.
All of this seeming
Is error screaming,
Voicing its lie
That pain is real;
Whereas 'tis nothing.
Only that's something
Which reflects God
And wears His seal.
God is our Father,
We are His offspring,
Image and likeness!
All we can bear.
Striving for nothing.
Missing His Something,
We fail to reflect
The Immortal we share.
Love is Perfection;
We its reflection
When from the senses,
The mortal, we turn.
All that's eternal
Make men fraternal.
Hear ye! "Know the Lord!"
Christ's Science learn!
Demonstrate Spirit
As Jesus did it,
Knowing, abiding,
Under God's Dove:
Weakened and watchful,
Mortal mind's limit
Yields to our Principle —
Life, Truth and Love.
— George Tomkins.
[Delivered Dec. 6, 1898, at the Lyceum and published in The Scranton Tribune of Scranton, Pennsylvania, Dec. 7, 1898. In numerous instances in making this transcription, capitalization has been changed to correspond to standard Christian Science usage. Paragraph breaks have been added to extremely long paragraphs. It should be noted that the Reverend has rendered numerous Scriptures above quite freely, even though they are in direct quotes. The article in the May 1897 issue of The Christian Science Journal (pp. 80-83), to which the lecturer refers, was entitled "What Made a Baptist Minister a Christian Scientist". The "New York Christian Science institute" that the lecturer visited was operated by Laura Lathrop, CSD, who received Christian Science class instruction from Mary Baker Eddy.]