"Be not dismayed"

Whatever its seeming hindrances and defeats, human history has proved beyond peradventure that truth demonstrated always survives and in the long run overcomes every resistance to its advance. Christian Scientists need not therefore be troubled by any show of antagonism to the demonstrated verities of their faith, but they certainly do need to be exceedingly thoughtful and wise if they would be free from all responsibility for this antagonism and the resulting delay in the world's redemption. The progress of the Christ-idea has always been hampered, not so much by the opposition of its foes as by the inconsistencies and unwisdom of its friends, and one of the generally recognized proofs of the vitality and divine impulsion of the essential truths of Christianity is found in the fact that they have lived on and accomplished so much, despite the unworthiness of the human factors of their expression.

This unworthiness is likely to be the more noticeable in connection with Christian Science for the reason that it uncovers latent error in the mentality of its representatives and thus for a time may seem to intensify their ignoble impulses, while on the other hand its share strikes deep, into the fallow ground of venerated theologies and thus becomes an offense to unthinkingly contented believers, and especially to ecclesiastics. Further, the world has reason to expect the more of Christian Scientists, since their standard of excellence is so high. They declare for the legitimacy and practicability of the call to relive the Master's life; and since the world is growing more and more intolerant of pretense, those who dare to champion such an exalted ideal and who neglect to live up to it, can but bring both their own integrity and the worth of that which they espouse into question if not contempt.

Today the attitude of the secular press grows more and more kindly toward Christian Science, but the grossest misrepresentations of its teaching are constantly being given extended circulation through the columns of certain religious periodicals. These derogatory statements cannot be interdicted, nor for the most part corrected in the publications in which they appear; nevertheless, instead of proving a disadvantage to our cause, such attacks can be made to contribute to its advance, provided Christian Scientists are truly honoring their faith. There is no question whatever about this ; the influence of a humble, healing Christian life is more than a match for the influence of all unjust criticism.

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Among the Churches
April 8, 1916
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