Article October 15, 1904 Issue

A Minister's Experience

A little more than three years ago, I caught a glimpse of Christian Science through the sore necessity of one to whom I owe more, in a human sense, than to any other. In its application to this dear one, I saw a little of its power to heal. I then bought a copy of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy, and have been studying it regularly with increasing interest, satisfaction, and benefit ever since. In this pursuit I have been much helped by other and more experienced students, through whom I first learned of Science; by my faithful teacher, and by the publications of The Christian Science Publishing Society.

In the autumn of 1890, after the second session of my university course had been interrupted by illness, I was appointed a "student missionary" of an orthodox church in Canada to a "mission field" near our old home. Here I found my health equal to the task of preaching and visiting, though I was afraid of the strain of college studies. After a year, I returned to Queen's University (Kingston, Canada), but with a run-down feeling. Before the year ended, our home circle was broken by the sudden death of a very bright and affectionate sister. Owing to ill-health, I did not return to college after the Christimas holidays, but was given charge of a vacant pastorate in the country, where I remained for a year. I then returned to Queen's, pursuing my studies during the session and preaching during the summer. Thus I completed a course in arts.

The college work, especially in philosophy, English literature, and political science, upset and transformed very completely the religious traditions of Calvinism and the literal belief in the Scriptures in which I had been reared. Hence, though I loved the preaching of the gospel as I understood it, and found much spiritual encouragement in the college Y. M. C. A., I found the Westminster Confession of Faith so distasteful that my entrance to the Divinity Hall was postponed and postponed. However, more than a year after being graduated in arts, I passed the matriculation into theology, and began the study of divinity under Principal Grant.

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