Testimony of Healing June 6, 1914 Issue

When I was quite young, my mother, who was afflicted...

W. E. James

When I was quite young, my mother, who was afflicted with a malignant growth, inquired of a Christian Scientist relative as to the healing of this disease, and from discussions at home my young thought was impressed with the idea that Christian Science was not sound doctrine. Launching out into the world at an early age, I experienced changes of environment which led me to altars and slum missions, to both sides of the liquor bar; I was house-help with the best people, and hobo with the worst. I early became convinced that if I would have better conditions, I must work out of the present ones, for hope, so common with mortals, had quite failed to lift me out of them.

Landing in a certain city about the time of a campaign, the slogan of which was "Bringing this city to Christ," I was again induced to seek the penitents' altar; but the evangelist's pleading and my friends' prayers failed to awaken an affirmative response to their inquiry, "Don't you feel that Christ has saved you?" I then sought personal interviews with clergymen of prominence and questioned them as to why they maintained a given faith, and the answers were practically the same, "Because my parents brought me up in this church." The answer did not satisfy me, but nevertheless I was baptized and united with a Christian church. Later I lost my interest in the church on account of its theoretical teaching, but soon after became deeply interested in the Bible, and perused it many a midnight hour. The books of Job, Proverbs, Psalms, and Ecclesiastes gave the most enlightenment, and I began to be convinced that God was not a person, but intelligence, of which man's mentality is the image and likeness.

On a street-car one Sunday morning, a number of people left at a certain street, and some one inquired who they were. The conductor answered, "Christian Scientists." Some unkind remarks were made, a discussion followed, and from some things said about practical religion, I decided to find out for myself, and shortly after I became an earnest student of the Christian Science text-book, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Testimony of Healing

I feel it my duty to testify to the power of Truth, and I...