Testimony of Healing May 2, 1908 Issue

I did not come to Christian Science for physical healing,...

Hotense W. Lewis

I did not come to Christian Science for physical healing, for I have always been a well, strong woman, though I owned to a seemingly defective sight and wore glasses. When quite young I became a member of one of the orthodox churches, and when doubts and questions arose regarding many of the utterances heard from the pulpit, this church did not seem able to meet any of them. At last I came to the conclusion that there was no certainty about prayer—no certainty about God and His way—and that religion was not needful to me. Regarding the Bible as a literary masterpiece, and as a book which had influenced many lives for good, I felt that no educated person could afford to be ignorant of its teachings, and I continued to read it. The so-called miracles I regarded as gross exaggerations, and that, too, was for some time my attitude towards the testimonies I heard at the Christian Science Wednesday evening meetings. When I first heard of Christian Science it was presented to me as a system of healing in which drugs were not used; and being well, I felt it could have no personal value for me.

Some nine years ago I came to Boston to live, and once in a while attended the meetings in The Mother Church, and there I learned that religion was mixed up with this healing system, and being, as I then foolishly thought, through with religion, I had no use at all for Christian Science. Three years ago I began attending The Mother Church with a friend who had been greatly helped physically by Christian Science, but I was very certain it could do me no good. I would stay away a week or two, but later would again attend the services; and after going along this way for over a year, I concluded that if Christian Science was really all its advocates claimed it to be, it would answer all my questions and its teachings would be reconcilable with the best in the Bible. In order to find out if this were the case,—if Christian Science could dispel my doubts and was in accordance with the Bible teachings,—I bought most of Mrs. Eddy's writings, and beginning with "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," I carefully read each book from cover to cover, and also each week read the Sentinel, and the Lesson-Sermon as found in the Christian Science Quarterly.

As a result I became perfectly certain that Christian Science is all it is claimed to be Positive and clear answers were given to all the following questions: If God sends death, why have we the commandment, "Thou shalt not kill," and why is death "the last enemy that shall be destroyed"? How can the two different accounts of the creation, as given in Genesis, be explained? Did Jesus really heal the sick and raise the dead? If God sent sickness and death (as I had been taught), how could Jesus overcome these things and still say, "My meat is to do the will of him that sent me," and accomplish his work? What did Jesus mean when he said, "he that believeth on me the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do"? I shall never forget the joy and peace I experienced when I was freed from my doubts, and knew that humanity can understand God, divine Principle, and that there is a faith which is deeper than blind belief,—a faith which is understanding; and that the prayer of spiritual understanding reforms the sinner and heals the sick. The statement that "God is Love" at last had a deep and precious meaning for me.

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