Article July 19, 1924 Issue

"The higher criticism"

GRACE M. PUTNAM

The dictionary defines a critic as "one who possesses knowledge, discernment, and ability to pass accurate judgment." Humanity approaches accurate judgment only as it yields to the understanding of God, divine Principle. Criticism is often based on little more than human idealism, rather than divine realism. The signs of the times show us that mankind is growing in the understanding of divine Principle. The old order is changing; new and better laws are replacing the older ones. These new laws criticize the former as they show us something better, something nearer the divine standard of perfection. They are not intended, primarily, to pull down the old foundation, but as they build on a better and higher one, to help in healing the world; and only as they do this are they good laws.

In "The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany" (p. 240) Mrs. Eddy says, "Christian Science is the higher criticism because it criticizes evil, disease, and death—all that is unlike God, good—on a Scriptural basis, and approves or disapproves according to the word of God." Jesus, our guide in all things, said of himself, "I do always those things that please him." If we study his life, we shall see that, although he fearlessly attacked all evil, it was with the thought of healing. He tore down only to build on a better foundation; and his rebuke was followed up with the counsel that healed. Our Leader reveals the key to his work when she says in the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," beginning on page 476: "Jesus beheld in Science the perfect man, who appeared to him where sinning mortal man appears to mortals. In this perfect man the Saviour saw God's own likeness, and this correct view of man healed the sick."

A very clear example of the Master's method of criticizing comes out in the healing of the sinful woman. We may be very sure that Jesus understood all the motives that prompted the accusers of the woman to bring her to him and the sin that needed to be healed; but we read that he "stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not." Was he seeing, as he wrote, that perfect man in God's likeness? He must have been; for error quietly took itself out of the way; and the wonderful truth accomplished its healing work. His final words, "Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more," are a profound example of humility and love, for us all to imitate. Criticism, then, to be like the Master's, must be constructive and not destructive. It must be used, primarily, not merely to uncover error, but to heal the situation. Because of failure to do this, that has been called criticism which was nothing short of an expression of resentment, self-righteousness, malice, or hate; in short, the word has been used to cover a multitude of sins.

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