Article May 3, 1913 Issue

It is not often that a little band of Christians is so...

Charles K. Skinner

Charlevoix (Mich.) Sentinel

It is not often that a little band of Christians is so highly honored as to be the butt of concerted attack by all the evangelical ministers (not churches) of their city, therefore the Christian Scientists of Charlevoix should feel flattered by this attention. Some years ago, when commenting on a bitter, untruthful attack upon Christian Science, Mrs. Eddy, the Founder of this movement, made the following statement: "I love the orthodox church; and, in time, that church will love Christian Science" (Miscellaneous Writings, p. III). About this time her old home church, the Congregational church of Concord, was making a great effort to pay off its debt, and Mrs. Eddy, learning the fact, sent the trustees her check for five hundred dollars to help lift the burden. That the time for the fulfilment of Mrs. Eddy's words is not so far away is quite evident, judging by the statements of many of the clergy in the past few years, statements which serve to show the difference between those who are willing to be tolerant, though they may not understand another's views, and the personal opinions resulting from misapprehension of the teaching of Christian Science as recently expressed by the various passtors of your city in their sermons against it.

One critic says that Christian Scientists "are not willing to go out into the world and make bad men good." I will make the assertion that Christian Science heals more sinstained mortals, who stay healed, than any other denomination. Christian Science welcomes one and all, but it does no proselyting. While "comparisons are odorous," I will refute the critic's uncalled-for assertion by relating an incident which came under my observation a few years ago. A family, poor in the extreme, had moved into some quarters not far from one of the large churches of the city. The wife was taken ill and the husband was out of work; two or three small children comprised the family. The husband called on the pastor and asked him to go to see his wife, but the pastor said that he had no time, nor did he offer to send any one. The man then went to the Christian Science reading-room, which was also near by, and stated his needs. He was given the address of a Christian Science some distance away, and he called on him for help. The Christian Scientist went with him and took care of the case for two days, when the woman was healed and able to do her work.

We are told that "Christian Scientists are not students of the Bible," and it may be conceded that they do not read the varied comments of physical scientists on the Bible. It is admitted by opponents of Christian Science, however, that its followers are the closest students of the Bible of any class of people. Jesus once said to his followers, "It is the spirit that quickeneth; ... the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." This is the teaching in which Christian Scientists believe and trust and follow, and by obedience to which they are able to do their works. With Paul, they believe that the "letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life."

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