Article October 16, 1915 Issue

Our brother says, "It has heretofore been the method of...

F. Elmo Robinson—Dallas, Ore.

Polk County Observer

Our brother says, "It has heretofore been the method of scientists and philosophers to observe the facts of nature and of history, and formulate laws and principles in harmony with the facts." He then goes on to remind us that Mrs. Eddy has departed from this old-time method. In this he is quite correct, but the numerous misconceptions of Christian Science contained in his article indicate unmistakably that he has failed to get Mrs. Eddy's view-point. Assuming that the oldtime method of natural scientists and philosophers is the correct one by which ultimate truth is to be ascertained, and finding Mrs. Eddy's method at variance with it, our critic has at once jumped to the unwarranted conclusion that her teachings are "a collection of vaporings produced by an unbalanced mind."

In her search for truth Mrs. Eddy did not make an observation of the so-called "facts of nature and history, and formulate laws and principles" therefrom, but sought through long and earnest study of the Bible for an understanding of divine Principle, an understanding such as would enable her to interpret creation aright. Other thinkers have begun with effects and striven to interpret the cause from the standpoint of these effects. The great difficulty with this method has been its reliance upon finite sense-testimony. It is because of dependence upon finite that constant revisions have been necessary in the theories of scientists and philosophers. Mrs. Eddy has taken the stand that the only way to reach the ultimate truth about all things is to acquire an understanding of God, since He is the only cause and creator. Our Master taught that God is Spirit. His creation is "after his kind," and is therefore spiritual. The so-called material creation with its sin, sorrow, suffering, and death is but the human misconception of God's spiritual, perfect, and eternal creation.

Those who are familiar with the teachings of the foremost physical scientists should not be startled by Mrs. Eddy's teaching of the non-existence of matter. Prof. Wilhelm Ostwald, of the University of Leipsig, Germany, writes: "Matter is a thing of thought which we have constructed for ourselves rather imperfectly to represent what is permanent in the change of phenomenon." Mr. Huxley has written: "After all, what do we know of this terrible matter, except as the name for the unknown hypothetical cause of states of our own consciousness." Mr. Huxley tells us its existence is hypothetical, and Professor Ostwald that it is merely a thing of thought produced by the human mind. Physical scientists' theories regarding matter have undergone a most radical change, and they are now practically unanimous in teaching that matter is a form of energy. These conclusions of physical scientists are not the teachings of Christian Science, but indicate that matter even from their standpoint is not what it has generally been believed to be.

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