Article November 14, 1925 Issue

The comments made by an anonymous writer in your...

Carrington Hening, Committee on Publication for the State of New Jersey,—Chatham

Press

The comments made by an anonymous writer in your recent issue in the Open Forum column and under the heading, "Christian Science and Religion," are so unwarranted and misleading that I beg space for correction. First of all, it should be known that in a majority of cases the editors of newspapers are quite willing to publish a synopsis of a Christian Science lecture, knowing that it will be of great interest to many of their readers, besides being a correct and authorized statement of Christian Science. Let it be added that Christian Science is based on the Scriptures; in fact, Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, was from early childhood an earnest student of the Bible. The revelation or inspiration came to her when in sore need, and when her physician gave no hope of her recovery from the effect of an accident. She read from Matthew 9:2, of the healing of the man with the palsy, and was instantaneously healed. Afterwards her search of the Scriptures was even more diligent and enabled her to write the textbook of Christian Science, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," which has proved to be the Science of what Christ Jesus taught and practiced. Hundreds of thousands have been healed of their sicknesses, and sinners reformed, through this metaphysical treatment, thereby proving the saying of the Master, "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." In view of all the good that Christian Science has accomplished, it seems strange that one should criticize this method because it does not agree with his own preconceived ideas that are based on the material instead of the spiritual; for the spiritual is the real and eternal, while the material or temporal is unreal. This is evidently the difficulty with this writer: he is taking the Bible in a material sense, and fails to get the spiritual interpretation, which is the most important of all.

Mrs. Eddy says in Science and Health (p. 492), "For right reasoning there should be but one fact before the thought, namely, spiritual existence." This spiritual interpretation, or light on the Bible, was that which was referred to by the lecturer as the "high interpretation of the teachings of the lowly Nazarene," which Christian Science is giving to the world. The proof of a correct understanding of the Scriptures is in the works or results which follow, for "by their fruits ye shall know them."

Because there was a great need on the part of humanity for surcease from sin, pain, suffering, disease, and discord of all kinds, Christian Science came at a time when sorely needed, and it surely has been proved to be the Comforter which Jesus said would come to lead humanity into all truth. Mortals are saved, or salvation is reached, in proportion as the old man with his deeds is put off and the new man put on, as Paul says. Only by putting away the false or limited can the good or true be understood. This is what is meant by the Scriptural passages: "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, ... I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil;" and, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." And the truth or law of God is revealed to us to-day through Christian Science, not to destroy but to save humanity from the world, the flesh, and the devil, and is a means or way by which all may forsake unrighteousness or wrong thinking for righteousness or right thinking. As Christ Jesus was termed the Way-shower, it was quite natural for Paul and Silas to say the way to be saved is to "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ;" this is exactly what Christian Science teaches.

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