Article February 24, 1912 Issue

May I draw attention to the fact that there must be...

Frederick Dixon—Kingston-on-Thames, England.

Surrey Comet

May I draw attention to the fact that there must be something much more than "curious" in the teaching of Christian Science, if it can appeal to the spiritual hunger of mankind. The simple fact is that, no matter what critics may say, Christian Science is the return to primitive Christianity. It is new, inasmuch as it is a revolt from what the speaker himself termed the husks of the dogmas of which men are wearying; but it is old indeed, inasmuch as it is merely a return to the gospel preached by Jesus in the first century of the Christian era, a gospel which was itself the culmination of the knowledge of the Christ which had been coming to humanity through the monotheistic religion of the Hebrew people for centuries previous.

Jesus of Nazareth said of the father of the Hebrew people, "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad." It is obvious that Jesus did not mean that Abraham had seen the son of Mary; what he did mean was that Abraham had that vision of Truth, that dim perception of the Christ, which manifested itself in his revolt from the hideous polytheism of the surrounding nations, and his proclamation of monotheism. This perception of Truth was manifested when he crushed back the instinct which the influence of the old Moloch worship would have led him to in the proposed sacrifice of Isaac, substituting in its stead the ram caught by its horns in the thicket. This was Abraham's vision of Truth, a vision which constituted him the father of the people of Israel, who remained alone the chosen people, until the day came when the Christ was accepted by the Gentiles also.

The vision of Abraham was perpetuated by the patriarchs and by Moses, in those stern provisions of the law which, in a rude age, repressed the sensuous and fierce passions of the people within bounds approaching more nearly to Principle than the unchecked license of their fathers. It was Moses who showed the people that the God of Israel was manifested through that supreme intelligence which separated the Red sea before the hosts of Pharaoh, and brought the water from the rock in the wilderness. This vision of the Christ as gained by Abraham, and perpetuated and enlarged by Moses, was necessarily an ever-broadening one, and was expressed by the prophets in their revolt against burnt sacrifices, particularly in the well-known words voiced through Isaiah, "I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats." So, little by little, the truth grew, and the light became brighter, until' there came the forerunner of the Christ, the man who preached the gospel of the baptism of water. And then, at last, there came that full illumination of Truth, when the baptism of John gave place to the baptism of Jesus, who baptized not with water, but with fire, and with the Holy Spirit.

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