L. A. S by L. A. S.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D.C. · Jun 2, 1904

L. A. S

By L. A. S.

In a recent issue of the New York Sun, the fundamental doctrines of Christian Science are stated as follows by Mr. Richard P. Verrall, who, being a member of the “Christian Science Publication Committee,” may be presumed to speak with authority:—

In the Scriptural account of creation we read: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” And after a detailed account of all the objects of creation in their chronological order, we are told in the last verse of the same chapter: “And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the hosts of them.”

Upon this foundation, Mrs. Eddy builds her superstructure, and teaches that all evil, and its manifestations, are untrue. Christian Science healing is demonstrated by a denial of the evidences of disease, followed by an emphatic affirmation of man’s perfection as the image and likeness of God.

The above comparisons are intended to bring out the fact that Christian Science, instead of regarding man as an object of psychological evolution, is striving to reveal him as God created him in the beginning. This, Mrs. Eddy teaches, can only be done by gaining a victory over the world, the flesh, and the devil, in the manner outlined by Jesus in his sermon on the mount.

The five physical senses are shown to be the avenues of temptation by which mortals are drawn aside from the paths of virtue, and thereby imprisoned in the dungeon of sickness and sin. Our hope of salvation is further shown to be in the restoration of our spiritual birthright, by means of which we can prove our power to become the sons of God. It will thus be seen that Christian Science, instead of attempting to spiritualize the physical universe, is aiming to reveal the kingdom of God and the brotherhood of man.

The entire absence in this of anything to suggest man’s utter dependence upon Jesus for salvation, and of anything that exalts Jesus as the Saviour of sinners, stamps it plainly as being inspired by the spirit of antichrist. It is one of the world’s many schemes for doing away with faith in the atoning work of Christ, and making fallen man his own savior.

As is pointed out by another writer in the same issue of the Sun, “Christian Science and the New Thought tend to give people hearts of flint,” since “they do not believe in being ill, hence have no sympathy for the sick.” This again stamps these systems as being foreign to the spirit of Him who “is touched with the feeling of our infirmities,” who sought out the sick and suffering that he might manifest his sympathy with them and relieve their sorrows.