Editorial July 24, 1915 Issue

"Thy neighbor as thyself"

Archibald McLellan

It is a strange commentary upon the preaching of the gospel to which men have listened for centuries, that today the world seems far from the fraternity which should be the fruit of all this endeavor and the logical outcome of the Christianity epitomized by Christ Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount. It is only fair to the multitude of noble men who have devoted themselves to this work, to admit that this preaching has supposedly been founded upon and in explanation of the Scriptures which declare that God is good and man is created in His image and likeness; but somewhere or somehow it has fallen short of its purpose. Despite all this preaching, and the hope men cherish of their ability to do right, it is a lamentable fact that multitudes have failed to reach a higher plane of living and to bring out in their daily lives that sense of brotherhood which Mrs. Eddy so inspiringly describes on page 340 of Science and Health.

To the thoughtful Christian Scientist the explanation of this failure is quite simple, and it should be plain to all who accept the doctrine of divine omnipotence, unless this acceptance includes a belief that God is the creator of sin and all evil, a belief which Christian Scientists realize is selfcontradictory and illogical. This explanation is that so many men rely largely upon human will-power for all they wish to do or hope to bring about, and are thus depriving themselves of access to the only power which really exists. Instead of this false and illusory belief in mortal mind and human will as being able to govern and control mankind, Christian Scientists are learning that God, divine Mind, alone reigns, and they are seeking that constant at-one-ment with this Mind which makes them masters of their bodies as well as of their fate. When mankind learns that human will is like a broken reed,—not to be depended upon for any purpose,—the road to health and holiness will become more definite to them and they will more successfully travel it. Men need to know that God is not the creator of evil, and that He alone possesses power, no matter how plausibly evil may present its claims. "Our proportionate admission of the claims of good or of evil," Mrs. Eddy writes on page 167 of Science and Health, "determines the harmony of our existence,—our health, our longevity, and our Christianity." None need to realize this fact more definitely than do those who are struggling in the grasp of what has best been described as the demon intemperance.

To the thousands of men who are fighting what seems to them and to their friends a losing battle with this demon, Christian Science comes with the offer of deliverance. That the promise has been fulfilled to many of them, is evident from the testimonies which from time to time appear in the Sentinel and Journal, as well as those given orally at the Wednesday evening meetings wherever a Christian Science organization exists. The most impressive testimony of all, however, is that which is furnished by the lives and actions of these men in their relations with their business associates and in their home life. The number of such cases is very large, and the proof they afford of the direct efficacy of Christian Science is most convincing to other men, for the evil of intemperance is wide-spread, and will-power and "cures" alike have long been recognized as but palliative.

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