The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-07-23
n ATTACK on mrs. EDDY
,nu4uDR D. uAnKNEss or 0ngnlU
PUBLISHES PAMraGlEr ON nER
Faith. Ast Calls II . Delusaoa.
sAasp Cratacis0 - 1aer neok 'ssea~
eace sna Hsaltn~-naAaealss Hes.


pesusians.. l. u. Hardness. -
MI oberiin. O., has with almost brutal
force attached what he surpss g
30 the doctrines and rracttces %
Christian Scientists. and his argu-
nscns. assumptions and rtdicuie viii Ger.
fasnly receive q great deal Of attention.
II he Is. and the Sunday Chicago Chronicle
says that II Is not about 10 say he b not.
mistaken as TO these doctrines and those
practices. now is the time one would think.
70 make the fact plain 10 the entire public
Of candid and insclisgens people. There
can be no doubt that Christian Scientific
are sincere In their beliefs. and. being -
they may have. a. they claim 20 have. that
on which they confidently rest those Be.
iiefs Now. what the great numbers oe
anxious inQuirers and woaid-he bei.everab
who are an yet unconsinced. want 20 knew
Is what exactly Is that basis OF truth ana
by what mark 70 identify II. II would 90
far 10 help in the emergency could the
Acknowledged alleged vaxartes OF CHRISTIAN
Science be reduced TO plain statement.
Mr.. Hardness IN the preface 10 his PAM
phiet has essaysd Co define the various
kinds az doctrine known respectively a.
faith healing. Christian Science and MIND
cure, with the view 10 separating for hto
readers Christian Science from tho other
forms of what he ses.anaies ~ delusionA
These definitions may be useful here:
Faith healing This theory does not de-
ny the actual existence OF sickness and
pain. but holds that they may be cured
by faith and prayer alone--that 10. faith
cure Is cure wrought ny God In anxwer
10 q prayer. without any material means.
The use Of any means other than anointing
and prayer IL sinful because Il 10 tainted
with unbelief.
Christian Science-This system deNieo
the actual existence Of sickness and palm
and claims that pain IL simply belief IN
pain and that tbs belief il = deluaton %
the human mind: that the human mind -
material. evil and diabolieal ana cannot
relieve sickness. but that cure 10 found
oniy through the healing influence oe
principle or divine science or q certain
mysterious and unexa.a ned principle
which IL called divine mind
Mind cure-The school distinctively
known as mind cure goes TO absurd
lengths In It's theory that tho human mind
IL the causation OF dtsease. but q alo0
holds land In this. too. goes far beyond
the bounds Of reason) that tho human
mind il the only curative agent. And Ito
adherents are net required 10 abstain from
reasonable nursing OF tho sick or from
paying some attention to tho dictates Of
common sense"
DR.. ChurchiIi's Intreauetion.
Between Mr.. Harkness definitions and
the opening Of his sensaiionally energetic
work stands DIR. Churchilrs introduction.
which is almost Of = piece with the thing
IL introduces. After characteriEsnx In
authors production "a a plain. straight.
forward. unprofessionai layman's challenge
Of the system" accompanied by ''ciear and
interesting statements q fact that deserva
the careful consideration OF every man
who cares to keep this generation sane."
he proceeds to give something moro than
a hint Of how no himself regards Chris
tian Science. He says:
1T II evident that the great MAS Of
Christian Science adherents simply exer.
else the common right OF poor human ma
ture TO be shockinsiy Inconsistent and q.
low their influence 70 be cast In favor
Of this deius.on. while they really shed .
large part OF .ta doctrine. In Il not his1
time tina, those who through some cure
on themselves or others have gone over
to profession OF Christian Science should
wake up to the reality Of the simple ahya-
NAL follies into which they have leaped1
I and myself simply unable 10 believe that
many of these adherents can have any ideo
Of serious:y defending much Of what Mrs.
Eddy has written. Witness the GLOSSARY
OF Science and Health Let II be deliber-
ateiy said and clearly understood on all
hands that tho person who intends 10 10
thorough-gosng believer In Christian Del.
cnce agrees simply to turn his hack on all
the most assured results OF modern scl-
ence, on every respectable philosophical
thinker and on every even poorest pre-
tense Of an homes, historical exeeeais o&
scripture. That this result does not often
fully follow Ii not due TO any saving virtue
In the system. but only 10 the healthfue
inconsistency OF the mortal mind -
which the devofee has not been able who'll
~ 20 rid himself. The simple fact b that
the teaching OF Mrs Eddy In such stu.
<..ttO tall fss 1ta@e
and exegesis that II In exceedingly aim.
cult seriously 10 rsfuse n. II seems - q
II could only bo laughed out Of court. ana
70 this to-be- d~sired end Mr.. HARNESS.
discussion ought 70 contribute.
But the Inconsistencies OF Nrs. I'd.
dy's system are 10 paipable that they ought
TO make even a pretty fhnught!ema man
wonder nttle--e. g.. IL the body u nothing
and has no real needs, the syssem af.
firms. II In difficult sa explain the need by
even the most advanced Christian Gcien.
fists Of food and drink and IRE and cioth-
ing So. too. Christian Science ~ baaed
on the denial Of matter and evil. and yet
the healing Of bodily infsrmities occupies
almost exclusive attention. And. last en-.
ample, Mrs Eddy's attempted explanation
OF the reason that = poison kiiis. though
the person taking II believes u absolutely
harmless. IN . two-edged sword Her the.
ory, IA Mr. Hardness points out. h that
the death II due 10 the majority opinion
But obviously n the majority opinion -
80 Controlling Christian Science offers no
real way Of escape from sickness and pain
In other words. her explanation Of th0
failures Of her system explains away al
vasue N the sysfem. And coupled with her
alleged suggestion fhst Mr. Eddy's death
was due 20 as~<nieai poisoning mentally
administered BY ensrsic. thss theory %
the majority opinion In an open invitation
20 return - the superstition and terror
OF the EVIL eye and 10 the horsosa oe
w.fchcraft-'
Poiats Mr.. Hsskness Makss.
Mr. Hardness makes not single dour.
ism 10 begin with but hits oas as christisD
Scientists in che very strss sentence. '~ro
those optimistic persens" nc says. wins
believe that erstuiisy. superstition and
Ike vagaries Of the human mind ara fast
DYING out with the rapid spread OF edurA~
ton ard Intelligence. fhs recent pheaom.
erai growth Of the Christian Sciences De-
fusion must furnish food FOR reflection ana
sag9sss 20 them denomination Of the