Literary Notices

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Nov 10, 1909

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 36, No. 44.

“Christian Science: the Faith and Its Founder.” By Lyman P. Powell, Rector of St. John’s Church, Northampton, Mass. G. P. Putnam’s Sons, New York and London.

In the preparation of this book the author has delved into every phase and side of Christian Science. He has read a hundred or more works for and against the cult; has read and reread every edition of “Science and Health;” has made special inquiries of the proponents of the faith, traveling hundreds of miles in order to ascertain the correctness or incorrectness of various claims. He sets before us in his little book, in its eight chapters: Christian Science and Historic Christianity, Science and Health, The Source of Its Ideas, The Founder of the Faith, The Philosophy, The Religion and Theology, Christian Science Healing, Marriage and the Family.

For many years he discouraged none who sought its ministry, but in the evolution and growth of the cult he gave it closer observation and more serious consideration, which brought him to three conclusions; namely:

“1. That when members of any Christian church turn to Christian Science healing, they usually turn away from historic Christianity.

“2. That there are in the theory of Christian Science certain structural weaknesses which may easily be overlooked by people unversed in philosophy, theology, or science.

“3. That the answers of the accredited exponents of the movement to the criticisms which are steadily gaining headway, satisfy none save Christian Scientists, and such others as read carelessly and think loosely.”

Mr. Powell goes on to show by abundant evidence that the real author of Christian Science is not Mrs. Eddy, but Mr. Quimby, to whom Mrs. Eddy once gave credit, but whom she in later life repudiates. What she herself claimed as a revelation is shown to be an adaptation of old views.

What has been proved by others, is very clearly demonstrated by Mr. Powell, that Christian Science is but another form of pantheism, and results in philosophical anarchy. It is a book which strikes tremendous blows at the deceptive philosophy, and is packed full of information for those who desire to know the origin and teaching of Mrs. Eddy’s work. It ought to have a large circulation. We do not see how it is possible for a candid mind, a mind not under the delusion of Christian Science, a mind which desires to know the truth, to come to any other conclusion that that to which Mr. Powell has himself come. It seems to us that he has been more generous toward the false philosophy than the thrice-proved facts would warrant.

“Christian Science in the Light of Holy Scripture.” By I. M. Haldeman. Price, $1.50. Fleming H. Revell Co., Chicago.

Taken all in all, this is a remarkable book, presenting as it does a fearful broadside of Holy Scripture against one of the most terrible errors of modern times. The book takes up authoritative statements on Christian Science, many from Mrs. Eddy’s book, “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,” and then places with the statements the exact truth as recorded in the Word of God. After this manner the author presents the teachings of Christian Science and the teachings of the Bible side by side, upon the following subjects: Christian Science and Matter; Christian Science, Sin and Evil; Christian Science, Sickness and Disease; Christian Science and Death; Christian Science and Man. In a similar manner the Christian Science teachings and the teachings of the Bible are presented upon the subjects of God, Christ, the Devil, Christian Doctrine, Prayer, Marriage, Woman’s Place in the Church; and then five more chapters close the book. These chapters are entitled: Christian Science and the Name It Never Exalts; Christian Science and How It Handles the Word of God; Christian Science and the Integrity of the Bible; Christian Science and the Shadow of Antichrist; Christian Science and the Twofold Peril. At the close the author has a chapter in which he sums up all the arguments of the book.

Barring some arguments relative to death and man’s nature, which are not as strong, we think, as they might have been, the book is a marvelous compendium of truth, as contrasted with the error of Christian Science. While it is not exhaustive in the absolute sense, practically it exhausts the subject so far as covering all the leading points is concerned. And it is an unanswerable argument.

Christian Scientists will never be able to meet the array of evidence which here condemns them as antichristian and unscriptural.