Article October 29, 1910 Issue

In essaying a reply to your anonymous correspondent,...

R. Stanhope Easterday

Indianapolis (Ind.) Star

In essaying a reply to your anonymous correspondent, writing in response to my former letter, I am almost loath to burden your readers with tedious repetitions, but I feel that as long as they can stand tedious criticism they can stand courteous rejoinder. Truth, moreover, is really more interesting than meaningless fiction to a well cultivated mind.

Our critic hurls an indelicate challenge at Christian Scientists, attempting at the same time to dodge behind the superficial surmise "If marriage is unnecessary" and to buttress the stand with a juggled reference to page 31 of Science and Health; but it is unnecessary for us to take up the gauntlet in our vindication, because we have already safeguarded this avenue of approach in our former letter by citing Mrs. Eddy's reasonable vindication of marriage at the present juncture and for possible centuries to come. On page 31 of Science and Health, cited by our critic, she far from intimates "a human father to be unnecessary,". but reasonably quotes our Master's own wholesome mandate: "Call no man your father upon earth, for one is your Father, which is in heaven." If our critic questions this citation from Science and Health, he questions not Mrs. Eddy, but Jesus Christ.

Very far, also, from intimating on pages 56 and 57 of the above cited Science and Health, that "there should be a discontinuance of the marriage relation," Mrs. Eddy unequivocally declares in this very connection: "Until the spiritual creation is discerned intact, is apprehended and understood, and His kingdom is come as in the vision of the Apocalypse—where the corporeal sense of creation was cast out, and its spiritual sense was revealed from heaven—marriage will continue, subject to such moral regulations as will secure increasing virtue."

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