Article January 3, 1914 ISSUE

A recent issue contains the report of a sermon by the...

D. M. Ely

Piqua (Ohio) Leader

A recent issue contains the report of a sermon by the Rev. Mr. Montgomery on Christian Science. While he finds much of worth in the teaching, his statements in regard to sin and sickness and the manner of their healing need correction. Christian Science takes antagonistic grounds against the reality of sin and sickness and classifies them as Jesus did in the eighth chapter of John: "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it." The nothingness of sin becomes apparent as the allness of God is understood. Jesus also said, "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." Certainly he meant that the knowledge of truth would free us from those things which are unlike truth.

Christian Science teaches that every thought which does not reflect the nature of God, of Life, Truth, and Love, and embody the fruits of the Spirit, "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentless, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance," is of the carnal mind, which is "not subject to the law of God." The Scriptures teach that as a man "thinketh in his heart, so is he;" and in order to think aright, it is necessary first of all to know God aright, so that every thought may be weighed in the balances of Truth to determine its source, whether it be of God or not.

Christian Science declares that 'sin will receive its full penalty, both for what it is and for what it does;" and also that "escape from punishment is not in accordance with God's government, since justice is the handmaid of mercy" (Science and Health, pp. 542, 36 ). Christian Science does not compromise with evil in any form.

The reverend gentleman asks, "Why is the line drawn at medicine" in the healing of sickness? To this it may be answered that Christian Scientists do not use material means or remedies in the healing of sickness, for the reason that their medicine is prayer. In the opening chapter of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" Mrs. Eddy defines the prayer which heals the sick as "an absolute faith that all things are possible to God,—a spiritual understanding of Him, an unselfed love" (p. 1 ), and that this prayer does heal the sick is proven by the joyful testimony of those who have been freed from sickness and sin and are living witnesses of the power of this Science to heal all manner of disease.

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