The Portland daily press., 1899-05-27

back to Christ himself, and even farther.
Christian Scientists uss vnrious syno-
nyms in place OF God. One OF these, for
example. is Good. Nothing evil can come
from God, they argue. Sinlis not derived
from God, who is Good. 1t isa product
of ourselves. So with sickness. Sickness
Is another form of sin, and can be thrown
off In the same way as sin, that is, by
spiritual uplifting. 1t Is not in any way
associated with the mind cure. .lhypnotism,
mesmerism or anything Of the sort.
\ They claim that they are following the
example of Christ, and obeying 1.-THE pre-
cepts of the Bible. They point to the
various cures effected by Christ while he
was upon earth, and to those worked by
his apostles after his ascension. They
claim that Christ's Injunction Ito his
apostles, "Go into all ths world,I preach
the gospel, and heal the sick. :" is some
thing more than mere form of words.
They accept the injunction literally.
There is no prescribed form for healing,
according to Christian Science rules.
There is no formal prayer required. Ac-
cording o,the best authorities on Chris
tian Science. no spoken Ewords need be
used. But there must be spiritual up.
lifting, however secured. 1t Is better II
the patient is believer in Christian
Science, or willing to accept 1t but suoh
condition is not necessary. There are
recorded cures when the patient was even
opposed to the practice Of Christian Sol
| ence.
| The character Of some of the cures re-.
ported strikes the average Investigator as
| impossible. The unbeliever SCOTS at the
suggestion of severe surgical operation
or the treatment.of a severe case Of con-
| tagious disease by spiritual means, but
the Christian Scientist piles testimony
| upon testimony to confirm this point.
Moreover, the character of this testimony
| Is such as to add to the weight Of oonflr-
nation. Uuequivooal testimony In this
| respect could be obtained from some Of
the most intelligent and respectable famis
lies in this city and vicinity.
According to the theories of Christian
Science, there should be no such thing rs
death. Man should live forever. And
SO he does, you are told, when you touch
upon this point. He lives forever; per.
haps not in the same form as that which
he occupied on this earth, but In some
form. 10 them there Is no such thing az
death. 1t is simply a passing over
There ia to them q future life, but its
nature is purely speculative. The doc.
trines of hell fire and infant damnation
are secuted by them. They claim that
1 hot Of in,
connection with the thought of loving
God.
The doctrine of Christian Science advo.
Gates higher spiritual state of living.
1t admonishes the obser vance of tn @ gold.
en- rule. The criticised point in It's teach.
ings Is that which relates to healing tho
sick. II there is one thing more than
another to ruffle the temper of a believer
in Christian Science, it is to have soina
one ask: "what explanation do you give
when a person dies under Christian
Science treatment?'
Tho chances are that he will reply.
"What explanation does the regular physi-
clan give wh en- person dies under htG
treatmentP And then he Twill probably
ask why the thousands of failures on the
part ofiphsyicians are not chronicled with
the same eagerness as the few cases in
which Christian Science treatment is not
successful. They make.the assertion, and
claim that 1t is susceptible of proof, that
fewer people die under Christian Science
treatment, In proportion to the number
of patients, than in any other system Of
healing. Boston Herald.