The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-04-21

stand that the Christ-method was not for
PentecOst only, but that it is still Christian
10 follow it,. and that it is scientific now
because il was scientific when Jesus taught
and practiced il, for il wOul have been
untrue then if untrue now. and would
have been contrary to the eternal and IN
hanging laws which govern the relations
Of men 10 God in those days, If il be con-
trary to those laws, or. in other words. I'M
scientific in these days.
Did the Christ-method use drugs. or
magnetic healing. or hypnotic suggestion,
and deal with man as subject TO material
laws? No. Did il deal with man as a spir-
itual being in the image and likeness of
God who is spirfD, applying spiritual
methods under spiritual laws? Yes. Did
Christ, or Peter. or Paul, or Elijah. base
their successes in demonstrating over sin
and sickness upon any power which they
claimed 10 reside in their own PERSONAL
ties? Never. Jesus expressly declared that
His works were of the Father" not of
himself. When the lame man was healed
by Peter and John, Peter found it was
why marvel We at this, or why look We
so earnestly on us, as though by our own
power or holiness We had made this man
10 walk? . . " Through faith i'm His
name hath made this man strong. whom We
see and know; yea, the faith which is by
him hath given him this perfect soundness
in the presence of you all" Until church
and state were united by Emperor Con-
stautine about the beginning of the fourth
century, and apostolic powers claimed in
the church, no such doctrine as the possess
sion of a personal power TO deal with sin
and sickness belonged TO Christian liter
allure. While the Reformation threw off
many man-made theological dogmas, the
dogma which imputes the power to per-
form 1.-THE works of Jesus and others TO
some divine element in their own persons
has still survived in some OF the churches.
And when this dogma is disputed the hand
of horror is uplifted and Christian Scien-
lists are charged with denying the divinity
Of Jesus. Yet Jesus said: He that belieVeth
on Me, the works that 1 do shall he do
also" emphasizing it with the further
statement that even greater works would
be done. The thought runs through all
the Bible that God is the fountain of life"
that in God I'VE live and move and have
our being that God is our refuge and
our strength" and that 1t is our duty to
rely upon the promise of Christ, 10, 1 am
world"
Dowieism accepts the false theological
dogma that Elijah. like others, had some
power in his own personality by means of
which he was able to heal the sick. To.
this dogma Dowieism adds the pagan dog
ma of the reincarnation Of souls very near
ly as it is known to the Vedic religions.
From this union springs the monstrous as
sumption that Dowie is the prophet Elijah
reincarnated. Thus it is plain that Chris
tan Science and Dowieism are radically
different.
The magnetic healers'' mentioned by
Rev. Farmer make the claim of some power
in their own persons by which they can
heal the sick. 1t is distinguished from the
alleged power attributed by the theolog-
ical dogma in this, that the magnetic
healers teach this alleged personal power
to be magnetic, hypnotic, etc, instead Of
being a special spiritual gift from God.
Magnetic healers, ike drug doctors, deal
with man on materialistic basis only, as
II man were a mere physical combination
of bones, blood, nerves, brain and flesh
world" Thus it is plain that magnetic
healing and Christian Science are radical
ly different.
1t is no more scholarly or fair-minded
to put Christian Science, Dowieism and
magnetic healing into the same category
because they both oppose the use of drugs,
than IL would be to put the w. c. T. L..
and Northumberland into the same cate
CORY because they alike oppose the use OF
intoxicating liquors. How would DR.. Far
mer like to have some Opponent or Meth
odism (and there were days when il had
as bitter and intolerant opponents as
Christian Science now has. bunch Meth
odism and Mormonism together because,
for example. they both tolerate the use or
drugs for the sick, contrary, as Christian
Science contends, TO the promises, teach
lngs, examples and commands In the Chris
tian's Bible, however IL may be in the
Bible? DO unto others as We
would that others should do unto you"
SecOnd-Dr. Farmer condemns Christian
Science because he says that it heals our
bodily and pays no attention TO
our spiritual infirmities. His condemnation
would be just If it were true. But he is
wholly mistaken on this point. The benef-
cent work of Christian Science is witnessed
quite as conspicuously in the betterment
of it's adherents morally and spiritually
as in their betterment physically. In fact,
the two go invariably together, just as with
the lame man healed by the ministry Of
Jesus. In the United States and through
out Christendom, not only have the sick
been snatched from the edge of the grave
after drug medication had abandoned them
as inCurable, in thousands upon thousands
of cases, but ~drunkards and others have
been led to free themselves from vicious
habits, and atheists have been taught to
recognize God and infidels to accept the
scriptures as true. Anyone who will be
willing to investigate Christian Science
from it's own standpoint. rather than from
the standpoint Of the Misrepresentation
and misconceptions of its opponents, will
find this statement to be justified by album
dant and ncontro-ertible evidence.
DIR. Farmer makes the singular criticism
that the works" done in Christian Sci
ence are spectacular" He even says that
Jesus was compelled TO work miracles
by the curious and unbelieving crowd. !"
And DR.. Farmer, standing in a Christian
pulpit, even goes so far in his depreciation
of what he is pleased to call spectacular"
as to declare that Ito raise one from the
dead is the greatest of all spectacular mira
cles." Christian Scientists ask why it was
if Jesus was compelled to heal the poor
unfOrtunates who sought Him, that He
commanded us to preach the gospel and
heal the sick?" They ask why il is that
the Scriptures show us that Jesus depended
upon the spectacular as DR.. Farmer
terms the signs following" when he sent
back word to John as to who He was?
Christian Scientists ask DR.. Farmer what
10 AlGdAAA Nv AALC - AAAel
faith without works is dead, and by the
scriptural remark about showing our faith
by our works. if these works are to be crit
icised by a modern Methodist preacher as
Spectacular" Is it a part of the higher
criticism to speak apologetically of that
most sublime and beautiful episode, the
raising of Lazarus when his two weeping
sisters. Mary and Martha, besought Jesus
for his intercession? Can DR.. Farmer ex-
plain TO us why the sick are farther away
from Gods love and care than the SHINING?
Can DR.. Farmer explain TO us how his
statement. unsupported by aught in the
Bible. that Jesus was compelled to heal
the sick, raise the dead. etc, can fail TO de-
tract from the lofty character of Jesus and
from the divine dignity of His life and
mission?
And Jesus went about all Galilee. teach
ing in their synagOgues, preaching the gos-
ner of sickness and all manner Of diseases
among the people. Then assembled to-
gether the chief priests and the scribes
and the elders Of the people unto the pal
ace Of the high priest. who was called
Caiaphas. And consulted that they might
take Jesus by subtilty and kill Him."
Why did they wish to kill Jesus? Because
His works in healing the sick, raising the
dead. etc. were converting the people away
from the established forms Of religion; in
short, were painfully spectacular" to
their sense. Can DIR. Farmer explain how
professions Of faith are better than demon
STATIONS? If he can. he can justify both
his own attitude and the attitude of those
who met /. the palace of the high priest
in the days Of Calvary.
CLARENCE a. BUSKIRK,
Princeton, Ind, April Is.