Article November 13, 1909 Issue

The conjoined propositions of the Christian Science textbook,...

Alfred Farlow

New York (N. Y.) Tribune

The conjoined propositions of the Christian Science textbook, that God is Spirit and that Spirit is the only Life, substance, and intelligence, are not to be found anywhere in literature outside the Scriptures and in those writings which are founded upon Mrs. Eddy's premises. Thus it may be noted that Mrs. Eddy's teachings are based wholly upon the Bible, and that they do not include any of the magnetic or philosophical beliefs which were in vogue previous to her time.

It is not correct to say that Christian Science is a mere therapeutic system, unless we be permitted to use the word therapeutics in the broad sense, as applied in the overcoming of sin as well as sickness. As mortals we stand in a more or less imperfect state, and in recognition of this condition the Scriptures admonish: "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you bothe to will and to do of his good pleasure." This working out means an overcoming of all that is unlike God in the individual. It means a growth into the full stature of manhood in Christ. Truth. The psalmist said: "I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness." Thus he expressed the proposition that we shall be satisfied when we become entirely Godlike, and that this state is to be reached by an awakening. This corroborates the teaching of Christian Science that man in his real individuality is the image and likeness of God, and that we need only to awaken to a full consciousness of this fact in order to attain to that state of perfect harmony which is named heaven.

It is apparent that there is something to know and to practise in order to be Godlike or to be God's likeness. Such knowledge is justly entitled to the name Science, hence the propriety of the name Christian Science. Christian Science may be effectually applied to every righteous act of the individual, since it gives to him added understanding of right and additional moral strength to do the right. Whatever of prosperity may accrue to the individual as a demonstration of Christian Science is in keeping with the Scriptural promise: "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." It is a perversion of Christian Science to assume that every individual can be made rich as the result of Christian Science treatment, or that a lack of riches can be taken as evidence of a lack of Christian Science practice.

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