Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-02-25
OUTSIDE POINT OF VIEW
Who Knows?

lie OltleE oUIludy evening TIE WIFI
er attended services, in the NJ. L.
church at Marshalltown and listened to
an attack by. the speaker on the Chris
tan Science church and the author of
II, Mary G. Eddy. Viewed from a
Methodist, not to say Christian stand
point, the address was an able one.
The career of Mrs. Eddy and the IL
logical. unchristian and unscientitic
part of christian Science" was COM
ipletely shown up. and in the slang of
the day. Christian Science did not
have leg left to stand upon" Never
theless as the writer walked out into
the street, two women just leaving
the church ahead OF him were discuss
ing the sermon. One OF them said:
Did you ever hear such talk in your
life? Why he did not even quote cor
rectly, and you know many OF his
statements were not true All of
which goes to prove that these two
women converted 81 against their
will. were of the same opinion STILL
But the writer thinks he finds text
in the statement of the preacher on
that occasion, that when he Uhe
preacheD took upon himself the obli-
cations of minister, he was bound to
condemn and expose error. whenever
and wherever he found II. Further
more there was only one sure guide
for precept and pratice and that was
the Bible. (The writer will be pardon
ed in giving the sentiments rather
than the exact words OF the preacher).
The audience. thoroughly in sym
pathy, with the speaker. showed their
approval by hearty amens, and IL there
was a Christian Scientist present. he
or she wished themselves elsewhere
The previous Sunday night the same
speaker demolished (?) the Spiritual
lists by probably the same obligation
1t will be in order. for him TO anihil-
ate the Roman Catholics next Sunday
night, and then devote his attention to
the other twenty or more different
church organizations in Marshalltown.
and by that time THE world, flesh
and the devil will need polishing off
All this will be done In the name Of
his obligation to denounce error and
from the facts he finds in the Good
Book.
In other words. this good brother is
out on his crusade, knowing error
wherever 1t exists and finding proof OF
IL in the Bible. He knows he is right.
therefore all other sects and church
organizations are wrong. 1t is no
drawback to his eloquence and argu-
ment that all OF these various Chris
tian organizations derive their faith,
practice and precepts from the same
good book. He virtually says, in some
inscrutable way. Providence has Civ
en- me the omniscience that can de-
tect error everywhere. God has Civ
en- me the light by which am en-
abled to positively know OF the error
OF the Spiritunlist and Christian Sci
enlist. To be sure they can read the
Bible as well as I can. but their men
tai faculties are so dense. so obtuse,
their reasoning faculties SO obscured,
that they imbibe error from the same
source l get truth. light and under
standing. There is no escaping this
logic II the reverend gentleman was
in earnest. and he certainly appears
to be.
Now the writer is not very familiar
with the creed. doctrine or faith of any
church. Christian Scientist or Spirit
ualistic organization. Still he has an
idea that the good brother in the pull
pit denouncing the Christian Scientists
is not preaching the exact doctrine OF
many of his predecessors in Metho-
dist pulpits. For instance. Methodist
preachers at one time and in some
cases preached on the divine right OF
slavery. and convinced their audiences
that slavery was right. In fact. they
proved it from texts in the Bible.
Again, the characters OF many OF the
Old Testament personages are SUBJ
jects OF many grand sermons but can
the present-day good men and women
pattern after them? One can not read
the Old Testament and find the God
OF the chosen people condemning the
polygamy of those days. The many
cruel wars. assassinations and out
RACES mentioned in the Bible certainly
received little or no condemnation from