Article August 2, 1913 Issue

The Morning Union recently contained a sermon, delivered...

Thomas F. Watson

Grass Valley (Cal.) Union

The Morning Union recently contained a sermon, delivered at the Congregational church, purporting to be an exposition of Christian Science, in which the minister alludes to the "Christian Science Bible." Now it is well known by nearly every one today that the Christian Scientists use the same Bible that is used by other churches, namely, the King James version. They also use the Lord's Prayer in every service. There are many commentaries on the Bible, but the Christian Scientists have chosen "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy, because it enables them to understand how God's word, when rightly understood, heals the sick and sinning as readily today as it did in the time of Jesus and the apostles. "He sent his word, and healed them," is as true today as when it was first uttered, and Christian Scientists are proving it, not by "the power of suggestion," as this minister declares, for Christian Science teaching is diametrically opposed to mental suggestion.

The critic evidently has a misapprehension in regard to the Christian Science teaching concerning sin. Science and Health states as follows: "The belief in sin is punished so long as the belief lasts" (p. 497). Again we read: "For victory over a single sin, we give thanks and magnify the Lord of Hosts. What shall we say of the mighty conquest over all sin? A louder song, sweeter than has ever before reached high heaven, now rises clearer and nearer to the great heart of Christ; for the accuser is not there, and Love sends forth her primal and everlasting strain" (p. 568). It is well known that Science and Health is in all the public libraries, and can be easily obtained or borrowed; therefore each may read and prove for himself that Mrs. Eddy's teachings do not in any way conflict with the Bible. It is also a well-known fact that many have been led to investigate Christian Science after hearing or reading a manifestly unjust criticism of it by one whose ignorance of the subject had caused him to misrepresent the truth; and so the "wrath of man" is made to praise God.

The critic's statement that Christian Science is on the wane and that the churches are decreasing in number, is not borne out by actual statistics, for there are more Christian Science churches now than ever before. However, they do not boast of their numbers, knowing that "one on God's side is a majority." The Christian Science Sentinel of June 14 stated "that the growth in membership of The Mother Church during the past year has exceeded that of any previous year of the history of the denomination." Christian Scientists, as a whole, are so busy preaching the gospel and healing the sick, in the way the Master taught, that they have no time to criticize their neighbor's religion.

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