AN ANSWER TO CRITICISM

Hoboken (N. J.) Observer

One of the citizens of Hoboken, who is a believer in results obtained by Christian Scientists, takes exception to the sermon preached Sunday by the rector of St. Paul's church. In commenting upon it he says :—

Judging from your report of the sermon of Sunday morning, it is evident that the rector is not as fully informed on the subject of Christian Science as he might be, for he speaks of it as a "faith" cure. If he had a practical working knowledge of it, he would know that it is not "faith" that cures, but understanding. But assuming that it is faith that cures, why should a clergyman, who takes the Bible as his guide, quarrel with the faith-curist? ... Jesus not only healed the sick ("Thy faith hath made thee whole"), and gave his twelve disciples power to cure diseases, but he sent seventy other disciples to heal the sick. He also said, "If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you." Again he said, "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."

The rector, if I am not mistaken, is a representative of a church which claims its authority through and by the apostolic succession. Now, if Jesus gave his disciples this power to heal sickness, when, how, and why did that power get lost? Didn't that power come along with the rest of the authority? Why cannot the good doctor heal sickness?

He cannot say that it was given only to the disciples, for Jesus says, He that believeth in me shall perform greater works than these. The Christian Scientists claim, I believe, that they get the power to heal from the understanding of what Jesus taught, and if the archdeacon will read a few numbers of their official paper (Christian Science Sentinel) he will find that they can substantiate their claim, for it is filled with testimony to the healing power of Christian Science. ...

The number of converts to Christian Science cannot all be due to hallucination,—the favorite argument of the skeptic,—for amongst the number are lawyers and doctors of medicine. The conversion the latter to Christian Science may not seem so strange when a noted physician, writing in the New York sun, Sunday edition, says that "faith is the great lever," and "without faith our drugs would be useless;" and when numerous physicians of the highest standing have stated from time to time that "if the world had never taken a drop of medicine it would be better off." This is "expert" testimony.

I am not a Christian Scientist, never have been, and never expect to be, but as I was cured by Christian Science methods of an ailment which had defied materia medica for over twenty-five years, I think it only right to add my testimony. ... Seven years ago Christian Science cured me in less than half an hour, and I have never had a recurrence of the trouble.

I am sure that a fair-minded gentleman, as I know the rector to be, needs only to be put on the way to seeking the truth in the right place—which in this case is the testimony of sceptics who have been cured—to realize that he does a great injustice to a sect, the members of which try to the utmost to really live the Christ-life of love and charity. ...

It would do the doctor's heart good to attend any of the Wednesday night services in the Christian Science churches and feel the spiritual exaltation of the thankful men and women who, from being on the verge of materialism, have through Christian Science been brought to that peace that "passeth all understanding," which of itself is the understanding of Jesus the Christ.

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THE CHURCH AND CHRISTIAN SERVICE

December 8, 1906

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