Article March 3, 1934 Issue

I regret that your correspondent reads resentment of...

Arthur E. F. Court, Committee on Publication for the North Island of New Zealand,—Dargaville

North Auckland Times

I regret that your correspondent reads resentment of criticism into my letter, because I can assure him that I have none whatever. I am sorry that his remarks were misprinted, but I could, of course, deal with the sermon only as published, and in any case the general public could hardly be expected to appreciate the typographical error.

Christian Science has nothing to do with gnosticism, because its teaching as to creation is based on the first chapter of Genesis, and Christian Science claims that "there is but one creator and one creation" (Science and Health, p. 502).

With regard to the command to baptize. This is generally regarded as a symbol of the true baptism, a public witnessing to having accepted the Christian teachings, and was no doubt deemed necessary by many; and this is borne out by several statements in the Scriptures. For instance, when Jesus went to John the Baptist for this public baptism, he said, "Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness." And the Gospel of John distinctly says, "Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples." In Matthew 20:22 it is recorded that Jesus asked, "Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" clearly indicating a baptism very different from the formal sprinkling with water. The Christian Science definition of "baptism" is, "Purification by Spirit; submergence in Spirit" (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy, p. 581), and Christian Scientists maintain that this cleansing baptism is indispensable.

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