Article August 8, 1901 Issue

The Doctrine of Christian Science

John White

The Philadelphia Times

To the Editor of The Philadelphia Times.

In the report in your issue of June 18, of the Methodist Episcopal preachers' meeting in Camden, held the day before, you say that the Rev. F. A. DeMaris denounced Christian Science, and said, "How can a doctrine be Christian that denies the fundamental principles of the church? It teaches that prayer is vain. It teaches the pre-existence of the soul. Christian Science is certainly a misnomer. It is a wolf in sheep's clothing. It is masquerading with a mildewed theosophy on the one hand and a metaphysical cure on the other. I believe it to be one of the abominations of the present age. Insidiously it is worming its way into the thought of the age, and I believe that the time has come when the clergy should speak out with no uncertain sound."

The thought arises how much better it would have been if our reverend critic had devoted the most of his time to communion with his reverend brethren on the beauties of Methodism and a little of it to some of those of Christian Science, its rising, rapidly growing, sister denomination of Christians, and wishing it Godspeed, instead of denouncing what he either does not understand, or perverts. It is difficult to believe that a Christian minister, a follower of the meek and lowly Jesus, really made such disparaging statements in respect to a denomination of Christians, not one of whom, I am safe in saying, had ever laid a straw in his way. Christian Science is pre-eminently Christian, for it is in accord with every command of Jesus, including his final command: "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.... And these signs shall follow them that believe; ... they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover" Mark, 16:15, 17, 18).

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