Article April 22, 1911 Issue

The clergyman whose sermon on "The Lesson of Mrs. Eddy"...

Ezra W. Palmer—Denver, Col.

Rocky Mountain News

The clergyman whose sermon on "The Lesson of Mrs. Eddy" was reported in your columns, acknowledged the great work she has accomplished, but he signally failed to find the vital reason for the growth of Christian Science. The clergyman finds there is "no close consecutive thinking in her writings, no forceful expression." As a matter of fact, Science and Health is one of the most absolutely logical books ever written. It is based entirely on the allness of Spirit and the all-power of God. Not a statement, not a premise or conclusion, strays in the slightest degree from this fundamental basis.

Our critic decries the healing of physical ills and decides that they are "not very impressive." If he would investigate, he would find the healing done by Christian Science is in the highest degree impressive. Literally, thousands of people have been saved from the grave through Christian Science, and these people would hardly agree that their healing was not impressive. The saving of a man's life is to him quite vital. The gentleman furthermore betrays his ignorance of the nature of Christian Science when he confuses it with mind-cure, and states that exponents of materia medica use it in part. Christian Science treatment is prayer to God and prayer to Him alone. Reliance on materia medica or on the control of one mind over another, in whole or in part, would defeat healing in Christian Science. God needs no aid to heal men who come to Him. Since the gentleman is not impressed with Christian Science healing, it may be wondered what impression the commands of Jesus have on him, when he gave his disciples "power ... to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease," and commanded them to "heal the sick," a command Christian Scientists literally follow.

The final test of any religion is results. "By their fruits ye shall know them," said Jesus, and by this test Christian Science calmly stands. To heal according to the commands of Jesus, an understanding of the Science of being, such as Jesus possessed, is necessary. To her credit, Mrs. Eddy gave the world this scientific knowledge of Jesus' words and deeds, which heals and purifies. True spiritual healing is vastly more than physical healing, although that is important. It involves regeneration of the man, a change of view-point from the material to the spiritual. The healing of physical ills, the uplifting of man to see and know God, Christian Science accomplishes, and it accomplishes both by the same method. It measures up to the test of Jesus, which no half-grasp of truth or inflation of personal needs or opinions could ever accomplish.

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