In the Forest City Summit under the caption "Prodigal...

Willard J. Welch

Forest City (Iowa) Republican

In the Forest City Summit under the caption "Prodigal Son" is a report of a sermon in which the clergyman said, "It is the cross which is left out of Christian Science."

In "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy, the Christian Science textbook, on page 288, it is written: "The cross is the central emblem of history. It is the lodestar in the demonstration of Christian healing,—the demonstration by which sin and sickness are destroyed." In her Message to The Mother Church for 1902 Mrs. Eddy writes: "The great Master triumphed in furnace fires. Then, Christian Scientists, trust, and trusting, you will find divine Science glorifies the cross and crowns the association with our Saviour in his life of love." And in the Christian Science Hymnal (p. 214) is a beautiful hymn written by Mrs. Eddy and frequently sung at the services held the world over by Christian Science churches, which contains these words:—

Then his unveiled, sweet mercies show
Life's burdens light.
I kiss the cross, and wake to know
A world more bright.

Throughout the entire writings of Mrs. Eddy the cross of Christianity is made brighter and clearer by her teaching and testimony. To say that the cross is left out of Christian Science is to make a statement so regardless of truth as to indicate either inexcusable ignorance or the deliberate belying of a religion which reforms the sinner and heals the sick now and here. Such reformations of course do not appeal to one who recognizes no results unless accomplished in his own way, yet the Master said, "The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do." The question then is pertinent: Does this gentleman who claims to wear the mantle of an evangelist, reform the sinner and heal the sick? Such is the real significance of the cross of Christianity which Jesus commanded his followers to take up.

Cowper speaks of a man who "built God a church, and laugh'd his word to scorn.' Christian Science teaches that God's church is "the structure of Truth and Love" (Science and Health, p. 583). The marvelous growth of the Christian Science church, which has been established scarcely forty years is ocular proof of this statement; for Christian Scientists build upon no other foundation. Many thanks are due the free press of this free country, for through this medium people are discovering that "fanatic faith, once wedded fast to some dear falsehood, hugs it to the last," and they cannot longer be deceived by such hypocrisy.

A recent editorial in an Iowa paper says: "The person who will stand up in a pulpit and condemn Mrs. Mary Eddy and her followers, who are striving to do nothing but good in this world, upholding nothing but that which is good, pure, and Christianlike, and call them fools for following a false faith, is afflicted with a severe case of leakage of the brain and is in no condition to call other people fools. We are not a Christian Scientist, but we know some splendid people who are. Every good cause which is leading up to better and purer people had a starting point. We are all striving to reach the same place, but we are firm in our belief that there will be some disappointed beings, who are spending so much time attending to every one else's business, left out the golden gate."

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