Article June 4, 1927 Issue

Your anonymous correspondent, in reply to my letter,...

Miss Evelyn L. Webb, Committee on Publication for County Antrim, Ireland,—Belfast

Evening Telegraph

Your anonymous correspondent, in reply to my letter, says that "it would be more convincing if I were able to affirm that Mrs. Eddy's followers not only tried to do the work of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were willing also to accept the same remuneration." It is in accordance with the instruction of Christ Jesus to his disciples that remuneration is accepted for the practitioners' time in Christian healing; for did he not say in sending forth his students to preach the Gospel and heal the sick: "Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes. . . . And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house. . . . And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire"? At the time of our Lord, payment for service was not so often made in money as in kind: we read of the women who "ministered unto him of their substance." It is evident that it was clear to the Master that the so-called human mind is prone not to value that which is received for nothing, and he well knew the importance to the recipient of valuing the priceless truth which was freely given to him. Evidently the same argument confronted Paul on his mission, calling forth the reply, "If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?" Paul maintained that it was in accordance with the teachings of Jesus that payment should be made for spiritual service: "Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel."

It is as necessary to-day as it was in the time of Paul that those who give up their entire time to the work of spiritual healing receive something in return for their services from those who can afford to pay. The writer knows of numbers of cases where men and women, convinced of the truth of Christian Science, have given up prosperous businesses and substantial salaries in order to take up the work of spiritual healing, and so have become poor for Christ's sake. A large percentage of work in Christian Science is done without remuneration.

Your correspondent refers to a learned rabbi from whom he has sought most of his information against Christian Science. In our Lord's time it was not the rabbis who would have given the clearest exposition of the teachings of Christianity or of the life of the Master; and Christian Science, which is based wholly on the teachings of Christ Jesus, may be misunderstood by the rabbis of to-day!

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