Your issue of February 17 contains a synopsis of a...

Charles W. J. Tennant, District Manager for Committees on Publication for Great Britain and Ireland—London

Clacton Graphic

Your issue of February 17 contains a synopsis of a sermon preached at the Baptist church by a clergyman, who is reported to have said that "the church ... rejects Christian Science and regards it as nothing less than a symptom of man's return to paganism." Such a statement could be made only by one who misunderstand the subject, for Christian Science emphasizes the allness of God, Spirit. On page 331 of the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Mrs. Eddy writes: "The Scriptures imply that God is All-in-all. From this it follows that nothing possesses reality nor existence except the divine Mind and His ideas." This teaching cannot be called "paganism."

Our critic says, "Morally, Christian Science dwells on what is less than the best." This statement must be emphatically denied, for the standard of Christian Science is perfection. The words of our Master, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect," indicate the standard for all mankind, and Christian Scientists are endeavoring to demonstrate this according to their spiritual understanding.

Our critic further states that Christian Science "began with a physical need, and involved a change of mind, not one of heart." A change of heart must necessarily be a change of mind.

Again he states, "Mrs. Eddy has no sense of the deadliness of sin." Let me quote again from her writings as follows: "Sin kills the sinner and will continue to kill him so long as he sins" (Science and Health, p. 203). No teaching could be more definite as to the destructive nature of sin.

Our critic is mistaken in saying that Christian Science is "intellectually unsound." It is the outcome of the divine Mind, which is omniscient; it destroys superstition, and it removes despair.

This clergyman fails to understand the difference between the spiritual universe created by God, and the material formation, which is the counterfeit of God's creation, and which was never declared by God to be good. St. John is very definite in his declaration that the present physical world is not of God when he writes in his epistle: "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever."

Our critic, also states that Christian Science dims the glory of Christ. There is no Christian religion in the world today that gives more glory to the Christ than Christian Science, because it acknowledges that Christ is the glory of God, and that this can be demonstrated daily in the healing of the sick and the reforming of the sinner.

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