and herein lies
the secret of a teacher's power. Mrs. Pearl has this faculty of
gathering and holding the thoughts of her audience, and I could not help
noting the calm and satisfied expression as they went out after the
lecture.

"The first lesson is about The True Foundation, and while much of it is
what we have known and believed, it is stated in a new and interesting
way. I will give it, as nearly as possible, in her own words:

"It is necessary to have a common premise in order to sustain a
harmonious argument, and the first thing is to find a base or foundation
from which and upon which to build. Our doctrine is to be established by
sound reasoning and scientific argument, and we must go back to the
beginning and learn something about the First Cause of all things.

"In ancient times students devoted themselves to the study of pure
reasoning, and they found that by putting themselves in harmony with
First Cause, they attained a power, by certain lines of thought and
through the speaking of words, to perform wondrous works, healing the
sick, having dominion over all creation.

"They discovered the different results of speaking words of science,
which are words of truth, and words of error or words contrary to
reason. Right, true words brought forth right and true conditions to
everyone around them, but deviation from this line of reason, would
bring discord and trouble and undesirable conditions. These wise
thinkers declared Mind to be the First Cause of all creation, and
announced the study of Mind and the words and ways of Mind, to be the
profoundest theme that could engage the attention of man.

"We find this philosophy and these conclusions corroborated by the
Bible, which we shall consider and prove to contain revelations of
changeless, eternal truth.

"Truth is universal, and whatever is true in one part of the universe
must be true in all parts. That which has been understood and conceded
to be true in all ages and climes is what we call universal truth.

"Because the first chapter of Genesis, then, agrees in all essential
particulars with the accounts of other nations and among other peoples
we consider it universal truth.

"Because it is so beautiful, logical and spiritual, we revere it;
because our own inner consciousness of truth agrees with its statements,
we concede it to be as accurate and reasonable an account of Creation as
we have, and we are therefore willing to use it as the basis of ou