Article November 20, 1915 Issue

As one who has been from childhood a Bible reader and...

E. M. Ramsay—Lerwick, Scotland

The Shetland Times,

As one who has been from childhood a Bible reader and regular churchgoer, I quite sympathize with your correspondent's fear lest heretical teachings should be allowed to dim "the faith which was once delivered unto the saints." When Christian Science was first presented to my notice I too approached it with misgivings, as its teachings ran counter to many things which I had hitherto believed to be true; but further investigation convinced me that its teachings were those of primitive Christianity and were therefore in strict accord with our Lord's words and works.

In all philosophies it is necessary to understand the precise sense in which are used. The expression "reality" as employed in Christian Science means absolute reality. Nothing is absolutely real which is unlike the nature of God, the only creator, First Cause, or Principle of the universe. As we begin to learn to dwell in thought on the spotless purity of God, and realize that the Bible tells us man was originally made in the likeness of this most pure God, we find that a great change is taking place in our consciousness. Our tastes are becoming refined and elevated; our intelligence and skill increase; our health is improved. This inner change is naturally manifested in improved surroundings,—the intemperate man being rendered steady, the delicate man strong, so that he can do better work and receive better pay. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

Our Saviour stated plainly that the healing of the sick should "follow them that believe." Before becoming a student of Christian Science I believed these words, and that every word our Lord uttered was true; but I did not understand the saying and had never known any one who did. Now by way of illustration let us suppose that a manuscript has been discovered in Egypt which purports to contain the recipe for the long lost Tyrian dye. A number of learned men set to work to decipher it. They differ as to the meaning of many phrases, but one of them produces the dye. Does not the production of the dye offer the best proof that this scholar's rendering of the manuscript is the correct one? So long as I believed in the reality of evil and matter I was never able to heal myself or any one else; the countless answers to prayer which I have received since accepting the Christian Science explanation of the gospel teaching is to me the proof of its correctness. I now see that the way to get free from sin and illness is to turn more and more to God, to dwell on the purity of His nature, His fatherly kindness, His wisdom, His power, the beneficence of His loving law; and I also see that by imputing so much power and intelligence to evil we have riveted the fetters of illness and sin on ourselves and on others and taken from the omnipotence of God.

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit

As one who has been from childhood a Bible reader and...

We'd love to hear from you!

Sign up for unlimited access