The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-08-22
AGAINST CHRISTIAN SCIENCE.
Rev. E. r. keever Discusses an Old
Err0H KAYiYHd I'm fhia Centnrx

Error Revived in this Century.
At the Holy Trinity Lutheran church at
Seventh and Union streets yesterday morn.
ing the Rev. Edwin 4. Keever preached an
interesting sermon against christian
Science" under the title Of IAN Ancient
Error Revived" His text was:
Timothy, vi:2o-2i: keep tina. which is
committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and
vain babblings and oppositions of science falsely
so called; which some protesting have erred"
When st Paul addressed these words to the
young minister Timothy, he. no doubt, had in
mind a certain class OF errorists who gave the
church much trouble in his day. The disputes
which these false teachers occasioned St Paul
calls "profane and vain babblings," l. e.
stalk with nothing in it." Timothy Is thero-
fore to avoid them a. being beneath that which
In committed to his trust. The ''vain babblings''
are merely the Compositions" or "contradic-
tons of science or knowledge falsely SO called"
Strange to say, the same error which took its
rise In the latter days Of the apostles, and which
ran its course and apparently died out, lifts its
head In the nineteenth century. pretending to
proclaim a new Gospel and bidding for the rec
ignition OF intelligent people.
This new form OF an old error 10 the so-called
Christian science 1t purports to have been dis
covered by a certain woman in this country in
the year 1866, while q certain degree OF scrutiny,
coupled with a reference to church history, will
reveal the fact that nothing more nor less than
aspecies OF ancient gnosticism 10 served UP
rather stale, but seemingly very savory in the
nos'rils of people who otherwise intelligent, yet
appear to possess minds somewhat on the order
OF the sharks stomach, which often
axes in anything but what il ordinarily con-
s!dered digestible food. Ancently this form OF
error wore the garb of the Philosopher; today it
comes in the guise of the physician without his
81 IA
Ing the patient and heal him without drugs.
In discussing this question it behooves us to
consider some of the teachings of "Christian
science .Hith respect To its progenltor 'gnosti-
ctsm,' in order to discover their true character.
First-rhe name: Christian science pretends
To be a Christian and scientific system of meta
physical healing II rejects faith and bases the
application of it's tenets on knowledge. Gnosti-
c'sm was a m!ngling of many heather systems
with Christian idess-a religious speculation.
The development of its revelations
were appreaended by gnosis, or know
ledge. Hence We find that modern
'sc'entis's' have managed to retain the same
name with their ancient co-heretics-the guos-
ties Both likewise claimed TO be christian,
while reasonable examination will prove that
both are essentially anti Christian because they
detract from tho meritorious work of the
SAVIOR
neutrality-suspicious. dealt with the great
antisheses of God and the world. spirit and mat
Ter. idea and phenomenon, and endeavored TO
unlock tie mystery OF creation and explain the
origin OF evil. IL sought to harmonize the crea-
hon of the material world and the existence of
EVIL with the idea of an absolute uod who is i'm
material and perfectly good.
'Christian science reveals God not as the
author OF sin, sickness and death-as divine priu-
eipie exempt from al evil. IL teaches that
matter is The tslsity. not the fact OF existence.
Its object is largely the same
Thtriiy-Gnosiicism taught that the material,
visible world was the abode of the principle of
evil This could not proceed from God else he
We're the author Of evil. I, must come from an
opposite principle. This Is matter.
Christian science declares that al God 10 him.
sell goo; and is spirit. SO goodness and spiritu-
suty must be immortal Their opposites. evil
and matter, are mortal error II the one 10 real,
TOE other Is unreal and cannot be the outcome
Of God
Fourthly -Gnosticism said that redemption
Wss The return from the sensible. phenomenal
"efli 10 the supcrsensuous ideal world. while
science' asserts thai 90 get rid OF sin is 70
al'est sin Of any supposed mind or reali,y-con.
eaeF error by denying its verify.
iarra - another similarity which simply re-
CURES mentioning That is. the gnostlcs in In
Reputation adopted the most arbitrary and ex-
U"sgaat atiegorica! principles: dcspising the
leiief as sensnous AMI the laws of language and
eaegesis - letters OF the mind. Any one W no
feais the literature Of Christian science Will not
Is, 10 find the most complete examples of Hog
'eai reasoning, strained slleVory and inccnstst-
eht statement anywhere to be found IN the
whole domain Of language.
ihe Who,c difficulty with the system Is its
oealsi OF rhy.teal. yea. even ritual reality
TIE resliiy II sin. sickness and death. Any
suea system consistently carried out must come
g. grzcf