Article November 7, 1914 Issue

In a recent issue appears an extract from an article in a...

Charles W. J. Tennant

Kensington News and West London (England) Times

In a recent issue appears an extract from an article in a parish magazine by the vicar of St. Mary's, West Kensington, on Christian Science. The vicar begins by saying: "The question has frequently been asked, 'What do you think of Christian Science?' which is not surprising, for this movement has attracted world-wide attention, drawn many cultured minds into its fold, led thousands to forsake their churches and identify themselves with this religious sect." He then goes on to say that he has made a study of Mrs. Eddy's book in order to find out what the teaching really is, his conclusions being that it is certainly not Christianly scientific, for it is distinctly opposed to Christian doctrine.

Now, let us examine this point. Christian doctrine is condensed into a nutshell in these words of Jesus: "The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Does our critic realize what it means to love God with all our mind? Does it not mean to have only the Mind of Christ in us, "bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ [Truth]"? Now, if the belief in evil is being held in consciousness, this is breaking the first commandment and not loving God with all our mind. Christian Science teaches very clearly the difference between the Mind which was in Christ Jesus and the carnal mind. St. Paul tells us that "the carnal mind is enmity against God." What does this mean? If it means anything at all, it means enmity against Truth, opposition to Truth. This being so, it is very clear that Jesus did not think with the carnal mind, for he said, "The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise." The correlative passage to this is found on page 180 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy, where she says, "When man is governed by God, the ever-present Mind who understands all things, man knows that with God all things are possible. The only way to this living Truth, which heals the sick, is found in the Science of divine Mind as taught and demonstrated by Christ Jesus."

Now, since God is Spirit, God must know all things from a spiritual point of view. The carnal mind, or mortal mind, can only think from a material point of view, therefore these two view-points are polar opposites. God's view-point is correct, eternal and unchangeable; therefore the carnal viewpoint is incorrect, temporal and mutable. Now the question is, Which view-point are we going to have? Christian Science teaches one how to obtain that Mind "which was also in Christ Jesus," to think from his view-point, and thereby emulate his mighty works. When our Master said, "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do," he might have said, He that thinketh as I think will do the mighty works that I am doing, and greater.

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