Article January 22, 1916 ISSUE

The recent attack of a local clergyman on Christian Science...

Judge Clifford P. Smith

Boston (Mass.) Traveler

The recent attack of a local clergyman on Christian Science differed from his others chiefly by reason of the fact that it was delivered to an audience of fellow preachers. This fact, however, did not add anything to its weight. It is vain in any circumstances for a representative of one Christian faith to say that another "rejects all distinctive Christian teachings." The most that this can signify is that his concept of the Christian religion differs from the other. In this instance the reverend gentleman named four particulars: "The personality of God, the Trinity, the salvation from sin, and the sacraments." Christian Science accepts all that Christ Jesus taught on these subjects, and does so in a simple and evident manner. An unbiased person would be far more likely to find a plain correspondence between the four gospels and "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy, than he would between the gospels and the creed subscribed to by our censorious friend.

Take, for instance, the question of salvation from sin. Jesus said to an adulteress, "Go, and sin no more." Mrs. Eddy has consistently said, "The way to escape the misery of sin is to cease sinning" (Science and Health, p. 327). Or take the question whether the Deity is one person or three. Jesus never taught that God consisted of three persons, but expressly approved the statement, "He is one; and there is none other but he" (Mark xii. 28-32, American Revised Version). So Mrs. Eddy said, "God is One,—not one of a series, but one alone and without an equal" (Science and Health, p. 117). It is a clearly proved fact that the creedal doctrine of three persons as Deity dates from the fourth century.

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