Article April 19, 1913 Issue

A contributor to a local denominational weekly foresees...

David Anderson

Melbourne (Australia) Herald

A contributor to a local denominational weekly foresees that "some terrible spiritual tragedies will yet be recorded among the wreckage produced by Christian Science," which he classifies as a "hybrid heresy." Exactly what the alliterative expression means is not apparent; but when the numerous religious bodies which assume to be orthodox have agreed as to what constitutes heresy, it will be time to take seriously the application of the simple term to Christian Science. Some clerical critics of varying theological caliber, from the Bishop of London downward, have ascribed heresy to Christian Science, just as they have called it other harmless names. But a predecessor of the bishop suffered at the stake for a heresy which has since become orthodoxy; and Wesley and Whitefield were both considered "dangerous" heretics in their day.

Froude asserts that the Christianity of Christendom changed with every century down to the Reformation; and it also has been not inaptly said that the heterodoxy of one century is the orthodoxy of the next. The English bishop who defined orthodoxy as "my doxy" and heterodoxy as "the other fellow's doxy," has given the only definition of these words which the ordinary lay mind has been able to grasp. The average layman of today does not bother much about the heresy of a doctrine; he wants to know what are its teachings and practise.

During the past forty years many doleful predictions have been uttered as to the future of Christian Science, and many prognostications have been made of awful happenings to the "foolishly deluded" Christian Scientist, but not one of the vaticinators has been able to point a confirmatory finger and say, "I told you so." The only wreckage produced by Christian Science is the shattering of every belief which conflict with the supremacy of an infinite and omnipotent God. The teachings of Christian Science are those of Christ Jesus. They are to be judged, not by the opinion of those who have not even a little knowledge of them, but by the works they produce. In evidence of his Messiahship, Jesus pointed to his works of healing, and the only creed test he ever instituted was, "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also." Just before his betrayal he also gave to his disciples a "new commandment," obedience to which was to be the indication of discipleship: "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." It is a stock boast of the scoffer that there is little evidence of brotherly kindness and charity in the attitude of many professedly Christian sects toward others with whom they are not altogether in creedal accord. If recognition of the Master's combined—and never by him divorced—injunction to preach the gospel and heal the sick be the heresy of Christian Science, heresy let it be.

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