Article March 13, 1909 Issue

After enumerating many of the good works that Christian Science...

Frank W. Gale

Pacific Grove (Cal.) Review

After enumerating many of the good works that Christian Science is accomplishing, our reverend critic says, "But the problem remains—How deal with Christian Science? What attitude shall the Christian ministry take?" As Christ Jesus declared of the one who should believe on him, "The works that I do shall he do also," and as Christian Science is doing the works, would it not be a reasonable way for the Christian ministry to deal with Christian Science to study it sufficiently really to understand its teachings, and to prove their understanding by doing the same healing works? If this were done, the problem would be solved in a scientific manner. And I may say that many earnest Christian clergymen have adopted this course, and are now preaching the gospel and healing the sick and the sinful as their Master commanded his disciples to do. But if the Christian ministry is to do this healing work, it should be done in the way that Christ directed. Christ Jesus healed all manner of diseases "by the Spirit of God," and he taught his disciples to do likewise, and Christian Science is proving the efficacy of this method.

Again, our critic says, "Christian Science would rob us of the personality of God the Father," and then seems to prove the anthropomorphic conception of God as being "like and old man sitting at a desk in the skies, ruling the universe." It is just such a belief in an anthropomorphic God that Christian Science denies, and it is questionable if any enlightened Christian minister still entertains such a belief. Jesus said, "God is Spirit;" and the first Article of Religion of the Methodist Church says, "There is but one living and true God, everlasting, without body or parts, of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness." Do the Methodist clergy believe this? If so, they agree with Christian Science, for it teaches that God is infinite Spirit, Life, Truth, and Love, and is our Father. While declaring that God is divine Principle, in the sense that He is the "source or cause from which a thing proceeds; ... a permanent or fundamental cause" (Standard Dictionary), Christian Science also teaches that God is the divine infinite person who is the Father of all and tenderly cares for His children.

In regard to sin, Christian Science teaches that it is a human experience which must be recognized as sinful and overcome through divine power. Christian Science does not tolerate sin, but teaches that it does not exist in Spirit, God, and therefore is not real and eternal; that it must be repented of and turned from before it is destroyed by Christ, Truth. The critic says, "The problem reduces itself to this: Is Christ the Saviour of the world? or is he the first Scientist? Take your choice." According to Christian Science, Christ, the Word of God, is the Saviour of the world; and as Christ Jesus had a perfect understanding of God and His spiritual law (which is true science) he is "the first Scientist." It is also evident that all Christians should be "Scientists," for the Master said of his disciples, "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

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After enumerating many of the good works that Christian Science...

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