Article March 9, 1907 Issue

A PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER'S TRIBUTE TO CHRISTIAN SCIENCE

REV. FRANK N. RIALE, PH.D.

The little "honest confession of the soul," "Our Debt to Christian Science," which I took the liberty to make some time ago in the Westminster, a Presbyterian weekly published in Philadelphia, it is needless to say has called forth all kinds of criticism and comment. In at least six periodicals I have noticed the article reprinted in full, either with editorial words of warning or expressions of great satisfaction and delight. Some have cried out, ecclesiastically speaking, "Man overboard!" Some of my dearest ministerial friends have written wondering why I was so ignorant; others why so injudicious. The attitude of the editor of the Westminster was very clearly stated in his caption to the article and his after-comments. Here it is in a sentence: "Christian Science is nonsense; and we do not believe in it enough to burden the believing capacity of an idiotic mosquito."

Mrs. Eddy gave one of her sweetest love-messages in regard to this severe criticism upon herself and her work. In a little personal note to the writer, not a drop of anger was expressed, but only love abounding toward those who criticised so cruelly and wrote so contemptuously about that which is to thousands the dearest message of heaven that ever came to their hearts.

I am very glad indeed to express my own reason for gratitude for what Christian Science is doing; for he is not a truth-lover who would not be willing to proclaim upon the house-top the honest convictions of his heart. I do most sincerely feel that the spirit of the message of Christian Science is that which ever has been dearest to the heart of Christendom at the moments of its deepest awakening; and is truly naught else than the heavenly-anointed message of Jesus. It is a living consciousness, not a mere theoretical assent to the great cardinal truth of all religion, that "God is All and in all," and that in Him there can be no darkness at all. It is the awakening of the conviction in our hearts, by the witness of the Spirit, that "God is Love:" and that in Him there never has been, nor ever can be a problem in human life that the working out of this love will not solve. It is a conviction that the present working out of this love in the hearts of the believers is for the great purpose of forgiving all our sins and healing all our diseases. God's great purpose from the foundation of the world is the bringing forth of the sinless, sickless, and deathless man. and to show that there is no more reason for a man being sick than for being a sinner. The whole creation groaneth and travaileth for the bringing forth of just such sons of God as is so clearly expressed in Christ Jesus. This consummation so devoutly to be wished is not some far-off divine event toward which the whole creation moves, but is potentially present now, and is actually present to every one that believeth. The "tree of life" is on both sides of the stream of time—here and in what men call the after-here. The great final message of the Spirit is, "Come,"—enter into the fulness of Him that brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, which is hid as good news from many, on account of the ecclesiastical bushel we have placed over it.

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