Articles

We often hear criticism spoken of as one of the evils of which we should beware, lest in some idle moment we indulge in it, but before we reach the conclusion that criticism is necessarily evil, let us inquire more deeply into its province and meaning. Criticism is defined by Webster first, as the art of judging with knowledge and propriety of the beauties and faults of a literary performance or production in the fine arts; second, the act of criticizing, or a critical observation, or a detailed examination and review, and finally it is defined as censure.

The Bible—just as we have it— is supreme in that it relates to the subjects of which it treats. We are dependent upon it, and almost alone upon it, for what we know about Christ Jesus, his life and labors, and of the antecedent, cumulative, and contributory forces which made his advent the great central fact of all the world's history.

The goal of every sincere Christian Scientist is perfect demonstration over sin, sickness, and death. We are taught that these are unreal, but it is our task to prove their unreality, and the qualifications necessary to this end are ours by man's natural and divine inheritance.

The genuine Christian strives to trust God. This is the basis and substance of his Christianity.

IT is narrated in the sixteenth chapter of Acts that Paul and Silas, while tarrying at Philippi, were committed to prison charged with disturbing the peace. We also read that as an extra precaution against their escape the jailer thrust them into the inner prison and made their feet fast in the stocks.

THE subject of inherited disease, so called, is one with which all are familiar because of its frequent recognition by modern educational theories, hereditary influence being recognized by medical science as a cause or predisposing influence in disease. Heredity thus forms the topic for many formal discussions in medical societies; it is recognized scientifically in institutions for the treatment of insanity, dipsomania, confirmed inebriety, and degeneracy, and in many books and treatises written by physical scientists, experts, criminologists, and publicists.

THE forty-ninth chapter of Genesis closes the record of Jacob's earthly experiences, and it must have been a wonderful realization of the allness of God and His spiritual idea, man, that came to this faithful patriarch before his departure. Through repentance and patient, persistent effort on his part to overcome sin, he had been delivered many times from sinful beliefs of the flesh which the carnal mind had so often inflicted upon him, and the saving power of Christ, Truth, was always revealed to him through an angelic message.

IT has often been asked what Jesus meant when he said of the faithful follower, "Greater works than these shall he do. " Is it indeed possible for any one to do greater works than Jesus did,—he who raised the dead, walked on the water, healed all manner of disease, fed the multitude with the few loaves and fishes, gave sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf? These works manifested power over human beliefs and mortal ills which could not be surpassed, yet we can well see that the standard of human thinking in that age would indicate that, as the thought of mankind advanced, greater works of every kind would be possible.

PROBABLY Jesus' parable of the talents has been used more widely than any other to urge boys and girls as well as men and women to make the most of themselves. Its promise of reward has inspired countless thousands, and its condemnation of indolence has doubtless spurred many others who might not have done so well had they felt that there was no penalty for neglect.

ALL students of Science and Health are familiar with Mrs. Eddy's definition of "church," which reads as follows: "The structure of Truth and Love; whatever rests upon and proceeds from divine Principle" ( Science and Health, p.