In recent issues of your valued paper a Boston correspondent...

Willard S. Mattox

Philadelphia (Pa.) North American

In recent issues of your valued paper a Boston correspondent discusses the latest departure from orthodox Christianity instituted in a church in this city. In the course of his remarks he says that the new experiment is "like Christian Science only in so far as its results are achieved through mental suggestion."

This statement at once separates the methods of the church mentioned not only from Christian Science. but also from Jesus' practice, notwithstanding the fact that the system inaugurated at said church has been called christian therapeutics," and your correspondent says of its founders: "They cannot help feeling that they may have found a way of making the Christian religion as taught by the New Testament somewhat the factor in the life of these days that it was in apostolic times."

If it be true that the church referred to believes its methods to be similar to the apostolic methods of healing, then the modus operandi in the present instance should be so nearly like the methods and practice of Jesus and his apostles as to be easily identified. Upon examination, however, the methods employed in this church do not seem to be reminiscent of Christian healing. Your correspondent says that applicants for treatment are "first examined by one of the advising physicians." Imagine Jesus accompanied by a retinue of expert neurologists, who examined the multitudes and decided upon the type of the disease, permitting Jesus to heal only such patients as were found to be suffering "wholly or in part from functional nervous disorders!"

Inasmuch as Jesus and his disciples did not employ medical science to assist them in their healing ministrations, but depended absolutely and without qualification upon God, it is difficult to say how this modern experiment can justly claim relationship with Jesus' healing when it declares that it is limited in scope to nervous diseases. and must first have the dictum of materia medica in order to know how to proceed. Jesus did not attempt to make any alliance with medical practice. He was content to base his cures upon his understanding of the power of God.

The article in The North American says that the treatment "consists of a very few simple appliances of the basic principles of Jesus Christ's sort of Christianity," and in another place in the same article it is stated that the results are achieved through mental suggestion. In other accounts I have seen it said that "waking suggestion and hypnotic treatment" were resorted to.

Do the exponents and defenders of this healing class seriously contend that Jesus was a hypnotist, and that he healed by mental suggestion or hypnotic treatment? If he did not so heal, and if they are loth to claim that he did. how then can it be said that a modern system which employs such methods is in any way like "Jesus Christ's sort of Christianity"?

The Christian Scientist shrinks from associating hypnotism and mesmerism with Jesus' career. He said. "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work." and he declared, "I can of mine own self do nothing." There is no mental suggestion or hypnotic treatment indicated by these words. The same perfect Mind or intelligent power which Jesus understood and invoked is available to-day. and has been made practical through Christian Science. But there is no effort on the part of Mrs. Eddy or Christian Scientists to view Jesus' practice in the light of modern psychology, mixed with a faith in drugs. It seems to us sufficient to view his methods in the light of pure spiritual understanding. Christian Science is a genuine return to primitive Christian healing.

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