Article July 22, 1916 Issue

Many of your readers will doubtless wonder why a clergyman...

Thomas E. Boland

Lititz (Pa.) Express

Many of your readers will doubtless wonder why a clergyman should apply the adjective "Christless" to Christian Science, a religion which is not only teaching the necessity of returning to primitive Christian healing, but is actually exhibiting the "signs" which Jesus declared should "follow them that believe." It would appear to an unprejudiced observer that a church teaching and demonstrating how Jesus' full mission of both healing and preaching may become a part of the daily life of men today, with the unnumbered blessings this includes, ought to receive its warmest welcome at the hands of other churches.

The student of history will, however, look back along the line of reformers and find that in introducing something different from the then prevalent opinion they encountered opposition and persecution. In sacred history the most conspicuous example of this is Christ Jesus himself, whose persistent persecutors were not the "common people," for they "heard him gladly." Mrs. Eddy was aware of this condition in mortal thought, for on page 28 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" she has written, "The trials encountered by prophet, disciple, and apostle, 'of whom the world was not worthy,' await, in some form, every pioneer of truth." The fact that prevalent modes take exception to something not in every respect in agreement with their doctrines, need not then be taken as evidence of the error of the later comer.

The fact is, no one can read the Christian Science text-book with an unprejudiced mind without seeing that Christian Science is founded directly on the Bible, with particular emphasis on the mission of Christ Jesus. Christian Science brings not only the words but the works of Jesus into understandable relation to daily living, and makes Christian healing—the predominant factor in the Saviour's earthly career —not only a present possibility but a present experience. Of Christian healing there is no monopoly. Any one on earth is free to acquire the knowledge of God which Jesus used to bring about this much to be desired result, but this knowledge is gained by sincere, unprejudiced seeking—not by criticism.

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