Editor Ontario:— It was recently stated in a sermon delivered in the Bridge Street Church, that Christian Science was "Pantheism," a religion of heathenism, existing before the advent of Christ, with a little addition tacked on by Mrs. Eddy. The Century dictionary defines a Pantheist as "one who believes that God and the universe are identical." Science asserts God is Spirit, and is reflected only by spiritual things. God is not, therefore, it is said, identical with material forms, but is identical with Spirit and with nothing else. Christian Science is therefore not Pantheism, but in direct opposition to it. Pantheism believes in the intelligence of matter, which belief Christian Science overthrows.

There are over four hundred sects of Christians, each one of the four hundred founding its claims upon the Bible, and having some dogma peculiar to itself, each sect numbering thousands, some millions of believers. Among them we may well ask where and what is truth? In examining the claims of a religion how often we look with a prejudiced eye? A man who is prejudiced is one who judges in advance of the evidence. He does not wait for the facts and found his judgement thereon, but comes to a conclusion because of certain mental conditions of his own. Prejudice has caused the great wars between different religions, which have deluged the world with blood, caused millions to die the most horrible of deaths from persecutions; each persecutor invoking the name of God and claiming to be warring for God to destroy obstinate unbelievers; praying to God to help their arms and destroy His enemies. Protestants have flown at each other's throats in many lands, each claiming to be God's appointed to chastise the rebellious. In these modern days better counsels prevail, and people are allowed freedom of worship and of thought, none daring to molest. Every religion must pass through a baptism of fire. For thirty years this has been the case with Christian Science. During this period Science claims a million of believers, spreading what they regard as Truth over the earth. Christian Science founds its belief on the Bible as the great corner-stone of the edifice. In the National Cyclopœdia of American Biography, in a notice of Mrs. Eddy, are these words: "Many people of the thinking class are turning to this science and adopting it, because in it they find a solid foundation, a sure and abiding peace, the verification of the promises of Jesus and a demonstrable Christianity."

Nearly two thousand years have rolled away since Jesus' death. Mrs. Eddy looked at the world. Notwithstanding the efficacy of the atonement, what a picture does the world present? According to Christianity the world is leprous with sin. Instead of taking advantage of the atonement, millions are rushing to perdition. The salt of the earth, compared to the mass of men, is infinitesimal. Still there is no change. Still the promised time, when the world shall recognize Jesus, seems very distant. She thought, Have we known all the Truth? Have we followed the example and precepts of Jesus so closely that nothing remains to be done? Does nothing remain to be discovered? Must this present state of things continue? Is there no balm in Gilead—is there no physician there? Meditating on these things light came to her. She thought, We believe in God. God is good. God is everywhere. Man was created in the image and likeness of God. God is Spirit. Man is the temple of the Holy Ghost. God being the all good there cannot be evil where God is. Then there cannot be sin and disease where God is. Then is there something distinct from God in man? Christian Science reveals Mind as the only living and true God, and all that is made by Him as harmonious, immortal, and spiritual. Material sense defines life as something apart from God, and man as very far apart from God. Science reveals Life as a complete sphere, as eternal, self-existent Mind. Material sense defines life as a broken sphere, organized matter, and mind as separate from God. Science reveals Spirit as all. Material sense says that matter is something beside God, and that matter and evil are as real as Spirit and Good. Science declares that evil is the absence of Good. Good is ever-present, evil is therefore unreal and Good is all that is real. Science says to all diseases, "Know that God is all power and all presence, and there is nothing beside Him; and the sick are healed. Material sense says there is something beside Him which he does not, cannot reveal. Science declares sickness is a belief, a latent fear, made manifest on the body in different diseases. Science says to fear, You are the cause of all sickness, but you are a falsity, darkness, nothingness. You do not exist, and have no right to exist, for God, who is perfect Love, casteth out fear. Science says if suffering exists it is mental only. Matter has no sensation, and cannot suffer. A person says he is sick; convince that person that he is in error, that sickness is an evil, that it cannot possibly exist where God the Good is, and the man's mind becomes permeated with the idea, and sickness disappears. I have said matter does not, cannot suffer. Remove mortal mind from the body, and carve the body as you will, it does not suffer. Take, for example, the hypnotist, when by his will he works upon the mind of another, so that to the subject bitter becomes sweet, sweet bitter. Legs can be amputated without pain, because the mortal mind is controlled by another mind. I have seen an enormous quantity of red pepper administered to a subject, sufficient to kill him if in a normal state, and yet do him no injury whatever, because the hypnotist controlled the mortal mind, and the subject believed it to be sugar. It is the mortal mind that makes the suffering. Now let Christian Science convince the mind that its idea of being sick is an error, because where God is there cannot be sickness, and the man recovers. This mortal mind is in antagonism to God; it is earthly and material. Christian Science is a religion of reason. Its basis demonstrable knowledge. Its God is known and provable. Its men the true image and likeness of God. Its prayer the effective, workable understanding possessed by Christ Jesus. Its principal object is the cure of sin and sickness as taught and proclaimed by Jesus. Its social and civil purpose the establishment of the brotherhood of man within the commonwealth of God. Its appeal is made to all in the words of the apostle, "Show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works." Space precludes a longer notice of Christian Science. It is impossible within the compass of a newspaper column to present more than the barest skeleton of the subject as I understand it. Those who wish to know the claims of Science should read the works of Mrs. Eddy and judge for themselves. Very superficially acquainted with the tenets of Christian Science, I am quite aware how imperfectly I have presented the subject.