Article January 15, 1910 Issue

Our critic seems to be inclined to find fault with me...

John E. G. Sandford—Bristol, Eng.

Times and Mirror

Our critic seems to be inclined to find fault with me because in my former letter I said that Christianity needs no definition, and he supplies one himself which is purely doctrinal, and would exclude a very large number of sincere followers of the Christ, and I gather that he would deny to Christian Scientists the right to call themselves Christians. To the Christian Scientist, Christianity is a question of demonstration, rather than of definition or profession, for was it not the Founder of Christianity himself who said, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven"? Moreover, when John sent his disciples to Jesus to know if he were indeed the Christ, they were bidden to recount to John, in answer to his question, the works of which they had been witnesses, and in the Gospel narratives we find some very clear and definite statements by the Master himself, indicating how his followers should be known. Here are a few of them: "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also;" "Whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple;" "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." Let these signs attest the Christian Scientist, and he can well afford to let them also be the evidence of his title to the name of Christian, for, as Mrs. Eddy says on page 342 of Science and Health, "Who would be the first to disown the Christliness of good works, when our Master says, 'By their fruits ye shall know them'?"

It would seem that our critic would like to know exactly how Christian Scientists regard Christ Jesus. Let it be said, then, that they follow certain illustrious examples. With Simon Peter, they acknowledge him as "the Christ, the Son of the living God." "endowed," as the Christian Science text-book says, "with the Christ, the divine Spirit, without measure" (p. 30); and they remember the Master's approval of Peter's answer in the blessing bestowed upon him, "Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven." With Paul they would say, "Yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more;" and with Mrs. Eddy (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 399):—

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