Article January 17, 1920 Issue

Christian Scientists appreciate the kindliness of the criticisms...

Robert G. Steel—Hancock, Mich.

Paimen-Sanomia

Christian Scientists appreciate the kindliness of the criticisms of their religious beliefs contained in the article in a recent issue, but the critic's statements relative to the discovery of Christian Science and to its teachings are so erroneous that space is asked for a brief correction.

A most novel charge is the one wherein our critic states that because Mary Baker Eddy desired by some means or other to gain fame and notoriety she had spells of ill health, during which she thought God wished her to found a new belief. The facts are these. Mrs. Eddy had from childhood been very much interested in religious questions and was a constant student of the Bible. Early in 1866, while suffering from severe injuries as the result of a fall, and in the face of the physician's verdict of a very doubtful revovery, Mrs. Eddy sent every one out of the sick chamber and taking the Bible turned to the account of the healing of the palsied man by Jesus. As she read, a glimpse of that truth which Jesus declared would make us free, lighted her consciousness, and she arose from bed completely and instantaneously healed.

For three years following this experience Mrs. Eddy devoted herself wholly to the study of the Bible in an endeavor to work out the rule of spiritual healing as practiced by Jesus, and promised to those who believed on him, of which she knew she had been the beneficiary. In this search she was successful, naming her discovery Christian Science. After six years devoted to demonstrations of the correctness of her method in the successful healing of sickness, sin, and discord by spiritual means alone, she gave to the world in 1875 the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures." This book is not the Christian Science Bible, as our critic states, but is indeed a key to God's Word, opening up to the understanding all those glorious spiritual truths of the sacred writings, so long obscured by centuries of erroneous materialistic teaching. This book is used by Christian Scientists in their daily study of the Bible.

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January 17, 1920
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