Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-05-27

healing They are led by Mrs. Eddy, who is the
high priestess OF the whole movement She
rivals deny IL, and her account OF the divine
origin OF the faith is worth mentioning In
1866, according 10 her story. she fell accident
ally upon the sidewalk and suffered spinal in
jury ana paralysis, which physicians declared
would result fatally in few hours. Her pastor
called to see her just before the end was
apparently at hand and offered her conSo-
lation. She begged him TO return in the
afternoon. but no one believed she would
at that time Gods actual relation Ia,
ward her and to the human race was made
clear, and she realized that her disease was hut
an error, which, when sunplanted hs the truth
would disappear. BY the light OF her new
knowledge She brought herself by mental pro
cess into "A proper attitude toward JchuN an aud
when the clergyman called a few hours later
expecting to comfort her hereavcd relatives
she met him at the door. Ever since Mi>. Eddy
says she mas had the power OF healing Others ~
she was herself healed. The creed WHICH she
has formulated a. the basis of her new SYST, IN
Is a peculiar Theological mixture. But. n Prot
stacy Fowler said In a recent paper on the sub
Ject. III they heal. people will not stop at
question of theology il they heal they will carry
the day. and they ought to- Hence il H. that
Hawthorne Hall, where the Christian Scientists
worship. Is thronged for ala hour before the
time Tor service each sunday. - eager ar,
people 10 hear that. after the standing r,,sm *
all taken they crowd around outside the doors
where they can catch only an occasional worsi
or two
A NEW RELIGION.
The service consists of ordinary devotional
exercises preceding "A sermon BY Mrs Eddy
But the creed She teaches il SD blndlV aud illo,-
catly presented, is so full OF apparent inconsis-
tencics that it would be an impossible task to
describe il even in outline. "God is an infinite
mind: matter is nothing. Personality j. the
embodiment of mind. Forgiveness of sin means
obstruction of sin-theSe are ideas gained hv
listening 10 one OF Mrs Eddy's rambling talks
The Rev. A. J. Gordon, Il. d., a prominent Ban
list clergyman. who has studied the books al
the Christian scientists thoroughly aud talked
with all the leaders. pronounccs their creed "A
mixture Of FantheiSla and buddhism. The de-
fusion. lie says. is most insidous The large use
OF the Bible, the strenuous demand for holiness
ana seif-abneSation III the disciples. the results
apparently effected i'm the ministry 10 the sic,
these are very powerful considerations for at
tracing converts, and 50 hundreds of young
ladies especially IRE drawn into the system
under the impression that they are getting some
inner quality of Christianity. Or. Gordon pre-
diets that this is not the final issue. II the body
Is only a phantom and the flesh only "A shadow
by and by some very practical sinners wiA take
refuge under the system and insist that the
sins of the body and the tranSgre>Sions of the
flesh are harmless. since they are only the phan-
tom of a phantom and the shadow ot a shadow
DR.. Gordon regards the whole system a. a sort
of witches cauldron, in which eVcry cpnceiv-
able heather and Christian heresv is Seething
and simmering to produce the subtle essence
called mental medicine.