Article June 19, 1915 Issue

In the report of Pastor—'s sermons on Christian Science,...

Avery Coonley

The Danville (Ill.) Press

In the report of Pastor —'s sermons on Christian Science, he continues his argument that the teachings of Christian Science are not in accord with the Scriptures. Each one of the long list of Christian sects is founded upon the Bible; each differs from all the others in its interpretation thereof; and each, if it chose to address itself to criticism, would declare all the others "unscriptural." Our critic's indictment of Christian Science on that score would therefore with as much reason be directed against all the other churches; but such discussion in the public press, if defensible at all, is certainly worse than useless when based upon ignorance of the teachings criticized, as in the present instance.

Christian Science deplores the universal belief in the phenomenon called death, but does not ignore it, and our critic's long disquisition on that point is wide of the mark. On page 487 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Mrs. Eddy says: "Life is deathless. Life is the origin and ultimate of man, never attainable through death, but gained by walking in the pathway of Truth both before and after that which is called death;" also on page 324: "Jesus said substantially, 'He that believeth in me shall not see death.' That is, he who perceives the true idea of Life loses his belief in death. He who has the true idea of good loses all sense of evil, and by reason of this is being ushered into the undying realities of Spirit."

In another of her works, "Unity of Good" (p. 43), Mrs. Eddy writes: "This generation seems too material for any strong demonstration over death, and hence cannot bring out the infinite reality of Life, —namely, that there is no death, but only Life. . . . The achievement of this ultimatum of Science, complete triumph over death, requires time and immense spiritual growth. I have by no means spoken of myself, I cannot speak of myself as 'sufficient for these things.' I insist only upon the fact, as it exists in divine Science, that man dies not, and on the words of the Master in support of this verity, —words which can never 'pass away till all be fulfilled.'"

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