Article November 2, 1912 Issue

A reverend critic has recently taken occasion to attack...

Ezra W. Palmer—Denver, Col.

Rocky Mountain News

A reverend critic has recently taken occasion to attack Christian Science in the newspapers. This writer almost invariably accompanies his misstatements regarding Christian Science by some reference to his previous affiliation with a Christian Science organization, apparently assuming that this gives him considerable license for belittling Christian Science. The asserted fact of his previous connection gives no dependable evidence of his present understanding of Christian Science. It will be remembered that Jesus had disciples who became offended at his teachings and "walked no more with him." The criticisms of Jesus by these former disciples would hardly be given credence by the Christian world today, because it is apparent to all sincere Christians that those who abandoned Jesus had no real understanding of his teachings. Christian Scientists have no time in which to assail the religious convictions of others, and they know that no man can obtain God's favor by so doing.

Considerable misapprehension of Christian Science is indicated when the critic asserts that Mrs. Eddy "was never satisfied with the progress of the church." What Mrs. Eddy did was to give to the world the Science of Christianity. She discerned that there is an exact Science of God and man, and that this exact knowing of spiritual things was the basis of the mighty works of Jesus and his disciples. To say that Mrs. Eddy was not satisfied with this glorious unfoldment of spiritual things, is to fail utterly to comprehend her life-motive. Furthermore, to assume that one can go beyond the Science of Christianity, as this critic does, is as impossible as to claim that he could go beyond, in a vision, the basic law of mathematics. There is only one Science of Christianity, even as there is only one science of mathematics, and this Science Mrs. Eddy gave to the world in a form adapted to modern thought and modern conditions.

The world has been slow to accept Mrs. Eddy's spiritual interpretation of the Bible. This slowness has been due to the human sense of resistance to spiritual things, and also to the fact that mankind has been accustomed for long generations to think in terms of materiality. Christian Scientists do not claim that they have gained the spiritual understanding which their great Exemplar, Christ Jesus, had. They know, however, that Mrs. Eddy gave to the world a correct interpretation of his teachings, as is shown again by the spiritual healing of sickness and sin through Christian Science. They rejoice in the progress already made, and look forward to the time when all mankind will be freed from the cruel bondage of sin, disease, and death through this right knowing of God. Understanding this true state of affairs, they are not inclined to take seriously the call of those who proclaim that there is some other way into the sheepfold.

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