I was much interested in reading Mr.—'s remarks on...

Marie Hartman—The Hague, Holland. (Translation)

Eenheid

I was much interested in reading Mr.—'s remarks on the article from The North American Review entitled "Must Protestantism Adopt Christian Science?" and on Prof. Hermann S. Hering's lecture. It is not quite clear to me how the critic can frankly admit that apostolic, living Christianity has been revived in Christian Science, and yet oppose the proposition, submitted in the article from The North American Review, that "Protestantism must substantially adopt the faith and practice of Christian Science if its churches are to fulfil their mission to the world." It seems to me that to admit the first point necessarily requires the acceptance of the second.

Christian Science does not pretend to be something new; it admits that in all ages some people have found help for soul and body through drawing near to God in prayer. This only confirms its teaching,—that God's law is immutable, the same as when Jesus demonstrated it in his life and works, his resurrection and ascension. Spiritual understanding enabled Jesus to do all these works, which are no violations but fulfilments of God's eternal laws, and the existence of these laws carries with it the necessity to obey them. Christian Science teaches that those people whom the critic calls the "specially endowed," did not receive more than others, but did accept more of what proceeds from God. Christian Science shows the way to the discernment that all men belong to the "specially endowed," because all have the privilege of becoming "heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ." This Truth—the healing and saving Christ—is the gospel which Christian Science explains and works out, and its "scientific, philosophic frame" is probably of greater value than many suppose.

The critic thinks that Professor Hering is mistaken when he speaks as if to know and to will are identical; but does not absolute knowing always carry with it the willingness to act accordingly? Is a special action of our will necessary to solve our mathematical problems according to the rules which we know to be unchanging? Does not the unwillingness to obey what we know to be true show that the knowing is still so defective or the insight so clouded that we believe it possible that right results or satisfaction may be obtained along some other way? When one acts against his conscience, he has a vague expectation to attain something or to experience joy, and a slight hope in some way or other to escape punishment, viz., the results.

The clear knowledge that there is but one cause, and that true laws are unchanging and cannot be disregarded, spontaneously makes one willing to act accordingly, because in such a case there is no matter of choice. In "The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany," Mrs. Eddy writes on page 4: "When, by losing his faith in matter and sin, one finds the spirit of Truth, then he practises the golden rule spontaneously; and obedience to this rule spiritualizes man, for the world's nolens volens cannot enthrall it." When Professor Hering says, "When the truth of being is known and applied," he does not speak of two different conditions, but of indissolubly connected ones, for it is not possible to know the truth without applying it. As regards the second statement to which the critic objects, where Professor Hering says, "Sin causes suffering as long as it is believed and indulged in," it is not difficult to see that to believe in sin and to indulge in it are synonymous. To indulge in sin proves that one believes in the illusion; to forsake it shows that one has learned to know something that is true.

Christian Science regards so-called unwillingness to obey what we know to be true as wilful unwillingness, which through knowledge of the truth is changed into willing obedience, into unity with the divine Mind. As the spiritual, real man is one with the Father, he is one with Truth, with Love, with good, and the consciousness of this fact helps him to "put off ... the old man" and to "put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness."

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