Article January 12, 1918 Issue

The kindly spirit in which the speaker at Christ Church...

Samuel Greenwood—Victoria, British Columbia

The Times

The kindly spirit in which the speaker at Christ Church Cathedral touched upon the subject of Christian Science, as reported in The Times, will be appreciated by Christian Scientists. Since Christian Science differs to some extent from the doctrines of his own church, it is but natural that he should not agree entirely with its teachings, as he understands them, nor advocate their acceptance by his congregation.

It is a matter of regret, however, that in quoting from Mrs. Eddy the speaker was not careful to give the correct text. No such passage appears in Mrs. Eddy's writings as that given in quotation marks in your report of the sermon. The correct quotation regarding the Trinity is as follows (Science and Health, p. 256): "The theory of three persons in one God (that is, a personal Trinity or Tri-unity) suggests polytheism, rather than the one ever-present I am. 'Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord.'" The rest of the quotation given in your report is apparently an attempt to combine certain phrases taken from various portions of Science and Health as if they formed one consecutive paragraph. Even if correctly worded, this method is not just to an author, nor to the subject treated.

The impression given, that Christian Science places Jesus on the same level as the rest of humanity, is not correct. Jesus was the Son of God more than all others, in that he partook most of the divine nature and was able to demonstrate man's oneness with the Father. When human beings reach the same exalted perception and understanding of God, they will have the same right that he did to call themselves the sons of God. St. John declared of himself and all Christians, "Now are we the sons of God," though he was careful to point out that this divine sonship is not yet appreciable, in its fullness, to the human sense. Jesus himself taught that his Father is also our Father, else why the prayer that is repeated in every church in Christendom? Those who accept the Lord's Prayer as expressing the true relationship between God and man must also acknowledge the tie of brotherhood existing between the Master and all who truly love God.

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