“CHRISTIAN SCIENCE:” ARE ITS DOCTRINES TRUTH OR ERROR?
By George Ide Butler
We are living in a wonderful, a marvelous age. No other in human history compares with it. In every avenue connected with human life we discern a feverish activity, a rushing intensity, a tremendous pressure of contending forces struggling for mastery. New and wonderful inventions meet us at every turn. Ideas and schemes, new and strange, surprise us continually. Old ways and methods are discarded, and relegated to obscurity. Even in the great fields of national life rapid changes are discernible. The old moss-covered nations living in the dim past for ages, asleep in their old traditions, taking no interest in any but themselves, only desiring to be let alone, are now being moved by the elixir of new thoughts and modern views and interests, and are rousing up to enter the fray with the foremost modern nations. The sleepy Orient is waking up. What wonderful changes have occurred in the memory of many of us, in old and young Japan? China is being stirred from top to bottom. And no telling what will occur when the sleeping giant becomes fully awake. The Mohammedan nations are alert, seeking to keep pace with the great procession of earth’s political powers, that they may be ready for the final consummation. The leading modern Powers are racing over the earth, seeking to find weaker peoples or sparsely populated regions where they can plant a flag or establish military stations, and gain another slice of old earth’s surface, and hold in subjection a weaker race. All are jealously watching one another, lest some advantage shall be gained over them. Never were the Powers of earth preparing as now for the great and final conflict. In no other quarter is seen greater stir, ferment, and change, than in the religious world. Those of us who are old can better discern this condition than those who have come later upon the stage of action. Notice the change of attitude in the Protestant and Catholic churches, the most influential of all the religious bodies of Christendom. In the days when some of us were boys and girls, the Protestant bodies26generally regarded the papal Church as being the Apocalyptic Beast, finally destined to go into perdition. Now many Protestant ministers teach that it is one of the oldest members of the great Christian brotherhood of churches, true churches of Jesus Christ, to be honored as such. Quite a change to occur in half a lifetime. The Protestant bodies are even courting the old mother Church to help them to accomplish some of their most cherished designs, especially the enforcement of Sunday laws upon everybody, whether they believe in Sunday sacredness or not. And the ancient mother very graciously accepts these advancements, and kindly assists these bodies in exalting an institution of her own origination. The honor being paid to many of the papal holidays in these later years by most of the Protestant churches, is another straw showing the direction of the wind. Various other evidences might be given. The practical acceptance by the great mass of Protestant educational and religious institutions of the teaching of geological skeptics and Biblical critics is rapidly filling the pulpits with ministers having little practical faith in the inspiration of the Scriptures. Multitudes of professed Christians have very little faith in the Bible as a book of authority. With the great Christian anchor—the word of God—practically discarded, the drift is rapid to various substitutes and vagaries of theological cranks and religious impostors, for the religious faculties demand something to cling to. In this brief glance at the changes occurring in the religious world, we cannot refrain from calling attention to the remarkable increase of interest in old heathen mythology and pagan doctrines now being manifested even in the most civilized countries. The intelligent reader will certainly not forget the great convention of all religions at the Chicago World’s Fair. Here assembled learned Brahmins from India, Buddhists from China, Shinto teachers from Japan, Mussulman instructors from the Mohammedan countries, and a host of representatives from other religious cults, Catholic and Protestant. Days and perhaps weeks were spent presenting and listening to the various beliefs of all these conflicting creeds. A famous Protestant preacher acted as chairman, and a leading Catholic divine made the opening prayer. The proceedings were all published in one or more large elegant volumes. What the beneficial effects of all these efforts were we have never been told. Possibly it may partially account for a renewal of interest being taken even in our own land in old heathen doctrines and views. It is a fact that some eminent writers have accepted Buddhism, and small companies of believers are found in our own cities. The public prints have told of teachers of these old religions coming or intending to come here for the propagation of their doctrines. These things show the disintegrating effects of unbelief, and the lack of spiritual power in the great mass of teachers and membership in the popular churches of Christendom. Another fact very noticeable in the lifetime of many yet living is the coming up of various bodies claiming wonderful supernatural power, gifts of healing, etc., and relying on these things especially, as proof that they have special heavenly indorsement, and a wonderful work to do. The Mormons are among the first of these who come in this generation. They have indeed cut quite a figure in the last threescore years. From a very humble beginning (their prophet, Joseph Smith, coming from the lower walks of life) they have made quite a mark in the world. They have full control of one State in the Union,—Utah,—and nearly a balance of power in several others. Their influence is felt quite strongly throughout the great western slope of the Rocky Mountains. Their push and energy in propagating their religion, and in material progress, have been very remarkable. They send out thousands upon thousands of missionaries to preach their views to very many countries of the world. They strongly claim that they shall do great things. By their energetic efforts, they yearly gather large numbers of believers. The Spiritualistic movement since the Rochester rappings in 1848, has spread wonderfully around our globe. It has created a wonderful stir in many places. It has penetrated even to kings’ courts, and made converts, it is said, even in royal households. Many judges of courts, members of Congress or Parliament, and various public functionaries have believed in its claims. The leading mediums have practiced their arts among the highest circles. They have claimed to perform wonderful cures. The public progress of Spiritualism has not appeared of late to be so rapid as some years ago. Whether this progress is properly illustrated by the stream rising in the hills and mountains, making a great deal of fuss and noise as it runs over falls, rapids, and rocks, till it reaches the more level intervals, where, though it is much increased in size, yet its progress is quiet and noiseless, we cannot say. Of one thing I am very sure: Spiritualism, as it is popularly called, has wonderfully affected multitudes of minds, many of whom perhaps are unconscious of the fact. It is being received by many who are really unaware of the origin of the views they are adopting. Take one illustration: The denial of the existence of a personal devil is very common in many professed evangelical churches. The idea prevails almost everywhere. The Spiritualists have made this view pre-eminent in their teachings, and have done more to disseminate it than any others. The denial of the second coming of Christ is also strongly taught in their philosophy. Many are accepting it; and so of other doctrines. There are very many other smaller movements presenting similar teaching, claiming wonderful power to heal—Dowieism, mind healing, etc. I will not now notice these at length. I will close the list by mentioning “Christian Science,” so called, the subject of present investigation. This is about the latest of these semireligious cults to attract public attention. Mrs. Mary Baker G. Eddy familiarly called by her disciples “Mother Mary,” is the pioneer, the leader, and the prophet of this new religious movement. Her leading doctrinal book, containing a full statement of her views and doctrines, is entitled “Science and Health, with key to the Scriptures.” In the first pages of the preface, edition 201, 1900, she states that she discovered the system which she denominates “Christian Science” in 1866. Her first pamphlet on Christian Science did not appear until 1876. Her first edition of “Science and Health” was published in 1875. Her “first school of Christian Science mind-healing was begun by the author in Lynn, Mass., about the year 1867, with only one student.” In 1881 she opened the Massachusetts Metaphysical College in Boston, Mass. To set before the reader some idea of the growth of this new religious cult, I quote from the Christian Science Journal of June, 1901, the official journal of Mrs. Eddy:— “The first Christian Science church was organized in Boston, in 1879. There are now 441 organized churches, and 134 other places where services are held—575 in all; in Canada, Great Britain, France, Germany, Australia, and elsewhere. In the past four years the movement shows an organization of about six church societies monthly in the United States. The per cent of growth during ten years has been greater than that of any other denomination. The first one hundred editions of “Science and Health,” each edition consisting of one thousand copies, were published from 1875–96—twenty-one years; the second one hundred editions from 1896 to 1900—four years.” I give an extract from this same journal, from Professor Seward, an Episcopal layman, bearing on their increase: “They never proselyte; they never seek patronage; they never advertise, except in their own official magazine; they do not dedicate church buildings until they are paid for; they have a larger church property than any other denomination in proportion to their membership; they have a larger attendance. The growth of the movement is beyond all precedent.”—Pages 154, 155. They further claim (page 52) that “more than one million persons have been benefited by their teachings.” Certainly, if these be facts, their progress has been very rapid during the one fourth of a century of the existence of this movement. It is very proper to inquire why this progress has been so rapid, and what are the doctrines Christian Science teaches. In our next I shall begin the examination of this movement. (GEO. I. BUTLER.)