Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-07-01
ON CHRISTIAN SCIENCE
Abbot Edes Smith Attempts to Correct
Some misconceptioas of What
tho Doctrine Is,
To THE EDITOR OF The WILIMAR


the Doctrine Is,
TO THE EDITOR OF The W1LLMAR
In q recent issue of the Republican
Gazette was published letter from
George W. Haselton which indicates
q total misconception of Christian
Science and of Judge Hanpa's recent
lecture. The editor of the paper was
not willing to publish this correction.
Will you not, therefore, kindly give
me space for the same?
To the Editor OF the Republican, a.
zette:-The characteristic letter." as
you call it, from George W. Haselton
in your issue of May "a indicates a
total misconception of Christian
Science and of Judge Hanna's recent
lecture. Will you not, therefore,
kindly publish this correction.
The word science means literally a
system of Knowledge, and, strictly
speaking, it should be applied only to
absolute and eternal truth governed
by unvarying law. Pure m athematics
is the best exampleof absolute science.
This is absolute truth apart from all
material application. Applied mathe.
mates, where this absolute science r.
applied to material things, is less ab-
solute and the unvarying laws of pure
mathematics are here subject to such
changes and notifications as are
made necessary by material condi-
tions and limitations, friction, and so
forth. Evidently matter is no criterion
of science. Christian Science is based
on the principle of good, and it's law
is the unvarying law of God. When
child is trying valnly to explain
why twice two is five the more he tries
to explain this error the more con-
fused he becomes. Finally be goes
back to the principle of mathematics,
beginning at the foundation, once one
is one. At length he learns that twice
two is four and then the old error dis
appears never to trouble him again.
Thus, when something not good ap.
pears In our life we are taught to turn
at once to God and His eternal and
unvarying law, the supremacy OF
good destroys the false appearance OF
evil, which can have no permanent
found alton since God, the only Crea-
tor, creates nothing but good.
The child may make a~mistake in an
example Of mathematics, bat none the
less mathematics is science The Christ
ian Scientist may not always reach
the highest demonstration the
apostles OF Jesus sometimes failed to
heal, and in the Bible we are told that
in certain place Jesus himself could
not do many mighty works because OF
unfavorable mental conditiops-but
none the less Christian Science is
science in its truest and highest sense,
it is the knowledge of Him whom to
know Alright is life eternal"
The absurdity of the claim that
Christian Science cannot be science
because it does not involve an educa.
ton in materia medica may be exposed
by the following brief quotation from
Professor William James, of Harvard
university, himself q learned doctor
of medicine: "The present condition
of medical knowledge is widely differ
ent from such q state Ia finished
science.) Both as to principle
and as to practice our knowl.
edge is deplorably imperfect. The
whole face of medicine changes un
expectedly from one generation tt
another in consequence of widening
experience, and as we look back with
q mixture Of amusement and horror q
the practice of our grandfathers, sc
we cannot be sure how large q portion
Of our present practice will awaken
similar feelings in our posterity ,
As to whether germs, microoes, bac
terra or bacilli cause diseases o.
whe ther diseases cause germs, mi
crobes, bacteria and bacilli even doc
tors Of medicine themselves are no
agreed. will here ateemphaticall,
that Christian Science theories g Il