Article September 27, 1900 Issue

An Answer to Rev. M. J. Grable

E. A. Marritt

Cleveland (O.) Plain Dealer

Editor Plain Dealer.

Sir :— My attention has been called to an article in your paper of August 20, 1900, being a summarized account of a sermon by Rev. M. J. Grable of the Dunham Avenue Disciple Church, the subject of which was Christian Science. The article states that he had received a number of questions about Christian Science during the previous week and answered them before he began his sermon.

It would seem that the Rev. Mr. Grable was a student of the Christian Science text-book, if he was able to answer the questions correctly. That does not seem possible when he states "Christian Scientists have laid hold of an important principle of healing, namely, suggestions." I have been a student of Christian Science for about twelve years, and have yet to learn that there is the first word in the text-book relative to "suggestion" as a method of healing; therefore, there is no ground upon which such an assertion can be made. The charge of suggestion as a healing method in Christian Science is most common and it is generally referred to as "mental suggestion." Can any one but practitioners of Christian Science tell by what power they heal, and are not assertions to the contrary by any minister, assuming more than they have any right to do when they insist that the Christian Scientists do not know by what power they heal? Christian Scientists heal by divine power, not by any other method. Suggestion is akin to hypnotism, which claims to assume control over a subject by an idea suggested to his mind. This is evidently on a material basis. If hypnotism is a science it is mortal made and is not taught by Christ. There is, therefore, no affinity between "suggestion, hypnotism, innuendo, etc., and Christian Science," for Christian Science is the Science — knowledge — of Christ. Christians are not taught in the Scriptures that Jesus hypnotized his patients. He said that without the Father he could do nothing, therefore, God healed by His word and Christian Science interprets the word of God and thereby heals, demonstrating the power of Truth over error.

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