Article May 20, 1911 Issue

This is an age of scientific development, and why not...

Alfred Farlow

Washington (D. C.) Post

This is an age of scientific development, and why not scientific religion? Mrs. Eddy has discovered the Science of the Master's teachings; she has proved the word of God to be demonstrable. She has stated the Principle and rule of divine Science, and thus related its saving truth to the lives of mortals. Skepticism and infidelity are due mainly to the generally prevailing effort to retain religious beliefs which are undemonstrable, and which in large measure are in conflict with physical science. Christian Science harmonizes religion and physical science by correcting the erroneous view of both.

It is freely admitted that the teaching of Christ Jesus which Mrs. Eddy has emphasized is not in accord with material testimony, but the question of science is not a question as to what seems to be, rather as to what is. Even modern physicists have demonstrated the unreliability of material seemings, and some have discredited them altogether. Moreover, if we are correctly informed, most if not all religionists agree with Mrs. Eddy's premise that "God is Spirit" though perhaps without noting that they do so in contravention of material sense. Hence, they need only to be consistent to indorse all that Mrs. Eddy teaches, since her entire system of thought is wholly consistent with her premises. The premises of Christian Science are Scriptural, and the distinctive feature of Mrs. Eddy's work is her formulation of a system of consistent deductions from these premises, the acceptance of which is making religion more practically significant to present needs, as in the healing of the sick.

Christian Science is not, however, merely an improved system of therapeutics. It inculcates that spiritual regeneration and religious practice which enables mankind to rise superior to bodily ills. It is here seen that Christian Science is not a form of or related to mysticism or occultism. It may be as easily understood and demonstrated as a mathematical proposition, but as in the study of mathematics one cannot gain a certain understanding of the rule while skipping the "examples for practice," so one cannot be sure of his knowledge of Christian Science and neglect its proofs. One cannot gain a working knowledge of Christian Science without using it. Furthermore, the student must be content to have the first lesson first, the second lesson second, and so on, and each successive lesson must be practised in order that sufficient advancement may be made for an understanding of the next.

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