The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-04-05
Christian Science.

so-callcd Christian Science, a modern
sophistry that is making some Roadway
among the credulous class Of people,
received Some pretty hard knocks at
the hands of a lecturer in New York
the other day. The lecturer. William
A. burlington, characterized the So
called faith as a product "of ignorance.
lrrsverence, vanity. vulgarity, incense
quercc, indifference and greed" and
charged that Its textbook, Science and
Health. With Key to the Scriptures, "
was written in a jargon at once irri-
tatlng and comIcal in the eyes Of intelli-
gent and educated persons not under
the spell o. the delusion.
In speaking Of the bllsphemous pre-
tensions Of Mrs. Eddy, the holy head"
Of the sect, the lecturer said:
Christian Science is the pI'esumptuous
assumption that in 1866 God revealed to a
chronic Misunderstanding from Nne physi-
clan. one school OF medicine, one phase OF
quackery. to another. as the Eysierical do
truth that during long centuTies He had
hidden frcm priests. scholars. poets, and
even the simple. and gave to her a key 10
unlock the sealed book Of the Scriptures.
with the extraordinary result that, - use
tho discovcrer's own words. Most OF the
knowledge had CLEANED from SCHOOLGIRLS
vanished like a dream"
That her doctrine is not Christian from
the view point Of the church, would appear
from Il recent letteS to Mr.. Septlmus j.
Hanna, ore OF her twelve apostles: for.
like the discoverer Of Mormonism, she has
a body OF apcs-les, called the beard OF
Leoturesh!p OF the Firs; Church OF Christ,
Scientist. To Mr.. or Judge Hanna, then,
"a new discovery OF science always has
awakened the world to fierce combat, and
Christian Science is no exception to this
rule. ] have marveled at the press and
pulplt's patience with me. when ] have
taken away their Lord TO present the
risen slvler. more spiritual appearing Of
Gods powCr-and / thank God, and the
Yox populi. for these signs OF the times"
The cause OF the growth OF Christian
Eddyites TO peculiar divine power OF
healing all manner OF human inhrmity
And in this pre.ense lurk the physica, dan
gers that concern individuals and the com
munity at large regardless OF RELIGIOUS be-
lIefs or metaphysical notions. II Is well
settled law that the Individuals right TO
believe does not Imply right to manifest
bizarre beliefs in acts injurious TO the
physical and moral welfare Of others.
But the most conclusive points he
made against this everyday nonsense
was the recital of the correspondence
he had with Carol Norton, who is on
the board CT Christian Science lecturers.
Mr.. burlington said he had propounded
to him the following questions:
III material aids to the injured arc
harmful. what course would you or Mrs.
Eddy adopt in the following cases?
"(a.) Walking along the street, n
brick falls from above and cuts your
head. causing the blood to flow?
"(b.) A child at table swallows n fish
bone and Is in peril OF stranBulation?
"tc.) Your child is riding in a stree;
car and a person with continent small
pox sits down beside 1t?
I'D A child in the street is run down
by cable car and bleeds from sever
ed artery?
"(e.) a baby falls from a window and
fractures It's skull"
Mr.. burlington read two replies to his
questions. which were as follows: THE
questions In your letter of April 20 I
will shelve for the present. desiring to
do one thing ut time" and, later. at
ter being pressed for an answer: II pre-
fer to shelve them because to answer
them would bring about wholly irdlGer-
ent results"