Article August 7, 1920 Issue

From the standpoint of Christian Science, the only true...

A. J. Chapman—La.

The Times-Picayune

From the standpoint of Christian Science, the only true healing method is the one employed by Christ Jesus. We know that when his followers possess as much of the divine Spirit as the Master possessed, they will be able to demonstrate the same healing power that he did. If the method employed by the so-called "Miracle Man" is an exercise of the human will or the practice of hypnotism or mesmerism, then it is not the Christian Science method, but far from it.

Mrs. Eddy said on one occasion (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 97): "Erring human mind is by no means a desirable or efficacious healer. Such suppositional healing I deprecate. It is in no way allied to divine power. All human control is animal magnetism, more despicable than all other methods of treating disease. Christian Science is not a remedy of faith alone, but combines faith with understanding, through which we may touch the hem of His garment; and know that omnipotence has all power."

Christian Scientists have no quarrel with other systems of healing, nor do we criticize or condemn other systems, however much we might disagree with them. We realize that when a man is sick, he wants to be healed, and when he is benefited by any of these methods, we are glad. When the Master was performing his wonderful healings, he was condemned by those who opposed him and it was claimed that he cast out devils by Beelzebub, and to this he replied: "If I by Beelzebub cast out devils [evils] by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges. But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God is come unto you." Perhaps the words of Jesus will better illustrate the position of Christian Scientists on this subject, for when his disciples discovered one who was not strictly a follower of Jesus casting out devils in his name, they complained to him about it in the following words: "Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us; and we forbad him, because he followeth not us;" and in reply the Master said: "Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is on our part."

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