Article December 26, 1908 Issue

The phenomenal growth of Christian Science is due...

William E. Brown

Los Angeles (Cal.) Examiner

The phenomenal growth of Christian Science is due to the fact that it gives earth's weary, discouraged, and hopeless ones what they have been seeking—strength, courage, and hope. In addition to bringing them health and harmony, it brings them a satisfying understanding of God and His laws, and the ability to overcome in themselves and others all that is unlike the Mind of Christ. While Christian Science is efficacious in healing all manner of disease, its real mission is the healing of sin—the cause of all ills—sin in this connection embracing all ignorance and disobedience of God's laws, whether wilful or unintentional. In fact, it would be impossible to heal one physically in Christian Science without improving him spiritually and morally, and this emphasizes the fact that Christian Science is of divine origin. Christian Science is strictly in accord with the teachings of Jesus and is daily and hourly proving that it has correctly interpreted his teachings by fulfilling, in a large measure, the works he said should follow "them that believe."

It is preeminently Christian in its nature and accomplishments, and has nothing in common with hypnotism, mesmerism, mental science, or faith-cure. Mrs. Eddy has contended for the past forty years that the church should heal the sick as well as the sinning, and that the command of the Master to heal the sick is just as imperative as the command to preach the gospel. Said Jesus, "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also." While it is gratifying to note that Christian Science has succeeded in awakening the church to its remissness in healing the sick, it is to be regretted that any church should make an effort to do this by methods other than those taught and practised by Jesus and his disciples. The Emmanuel church movement frankly admits that it employs suggestion,—one of the most harmful of the carnal mind qualities,—and this practice is instantly seen to be at variance with the teaching of Jesus, who relied wholly upon the divine Mind in healing the sick. Again, this movement attempts to cure only functional diseases, and gives organic diseases to the physicians for healing. There is no warrant in the teachings of Jesus for such segregation. On the contrary, the diseases and given power to heal "all manner of sickness and all manner of disease."

The ability to do the works that Jesus did is limited only by lack of spiritual understanding. It will be recalled that when the disciples brought the lunatic boy to Jesus, in reply to their inquiry, "Why could not we cast him out?" Jesus said, "This kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting," clearly indicating that the case in question required a greater degree of spirituality to banish it. It will indeed be a glorious day when the church takes up the healing work commanded by Jesus, relying wholly upon God, "who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases."

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit

The phenomenal growth of Christian Science is due...

We'd love to hear from you!

Sign up for unlimited access