The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-12
WIS. EPDYt DISCOVERY.
Exploiting Human Crcdullty. h Calls her
ImDOsture Christian science.

lmDOatuFc NurthtA1N Scir"cts
To rvs EDIroR ov THE suS-Sir: In TIVE
SuN OF October s Mr.. kiretchJian propounds
20 me this inquiry: What II II that Mrs. Eddy
of Concord discovered ?" with your per-
mission ! will answer the question. feet
that I can give him precisely the Information
he seeks.
Mrs. Eddy has discovered the boundlesr.
the infinite credulity OF the human race
She has come by gentle stages TO a clear
realization OF the fact that there In no pre-
tension 10 absurd. no invention 10 monstrous
but hosts OF human beings will jump for a
chance to subscribe to II a. an inspired
message.
As Mark Twain has truly said: The absurd
ity the human race cant swallow hasn't been
invented yet" By that he means that human
ingenuity has as yet been unequal TO the
contrivance OF an absurdity 80 great that
multitudes will not gulp IL down without the
straining OF a muscle or the auiverlnE OF an
eyelid.
Some thousands Of people believe Mrs. Eddy
when she says that the Creator OF the uni
verse delayed His revelation in a past eternity
to make her the special and direct recipient
OF His confidence: they believe her when she
says that she restored her third husband TO
life twice after life was extinct; they believe
her when she says Il quote from her auto
graph. letter before mel that she brought
out one apple blossom on an apple tree In
January when the ground was covered with
snow: they believe her when she says that
many pale cripples who came into her church
leaning on crutohes were healed by ner ser
mon and went out carrying their crutches
upon their shoulders: they believe her when
she says, as she did in your columns over her
own signature. that she healed at one. sitting
a cancer that had so eaten into the flesh OF
the neck that the ~Jugular vein stood out Ike
Sheff." d died a Of CANCER n Of the sSls' BREAST ser sftsT seven eS
years OF hideous suffering. they believe her
when she says that II her Jngular. vein were
her alleged science. Hard as she has tried.
she has been unable to invent any impossible,
any incredible, any unbelievable thing which
her followers will not as one man. perhaps
! ought to say as one woman, believe. TINS
Is Mrs; Eddy's great discovery. and this alone.
pared the sworn testimony in the shape Of
afidavits Of a number OF entirely responsible
IssS sh WIN was SP teaeh sHe a a system aen1 Of mental
healing precisely like Christian Science and
openly pr%oclaiming it TO have been the dis
Me-. although she now claims to have dis
covered II herself in 1865 by a revelation
II would be imposing upon your space to
give the whole story OF the imposture. but
l have set 1t forth fully in, pamphlet form ana
no attempt has been made to contradict. my
showing, which IL as conclusive as the best
possible legal evidence can make anything.
am not Interested in rescuing people from
religious imposition. II is a matter OF no
concern to me that people believe unbeliev-
able asseverations put forth in the name OF
religion; but am concerned for the sick,
suffering and helpless children whose tender
lives are turned over to the hopeless igno-
rance OF healers who deny the reality OF pain
and permit no sane attempt at alienation,
1t is barbarOus that this thing should be
permitted in an age we pretend to call en-
lightened. and II the sum total OF such need
less human suffering could be accurately
stimated it would shock US into placing sane
aud humane restriction upon the stupid ana
brutal practice.
Christian Science treatment is the attempted
employment OF mental powers to cure dis;
ease, aud like mental science, so called, and
faith cure and DOvieism, some thing have
been accomplished by IL; but its claims go
far beyond its accomplishments. They are
for the most part utterly preposterous. The
mind can do something for the body Every
body knows that mental shock has killed and
that robust hopefulnesS IL a powerful Chra-
tive agent, but Christian Science never cured
locomotor ataNia or cancer. never restored a
disinteRrated lung or kidney, and never made
an apple blossom come out on an apple tree
in January. Most of the alleged cures are
One OF our prominent physicians recently
visited a woman here at the request OF a
relative, and. though the woman. an ardent
declared that she had been cured by Christian
Science and that there and then she had not
the slightest illness, inside OF twenty-four
hours she was dead.
Numberless cures are alleged. but the proof
H. not forthcoming. Press Agent Wilson told
of the wonderful effects Of Christian Science
treatment in an alleged carbolic acid burn
ing case, where the injury. was too horrible
TO picture; but though they we're publicly
called for he has given no facts that could
make impartial investigation possible. The
last thing in the world Christian Science heal
prs will submit their alleged cures TO Ia the
scrutiny Of persons competent TO determine
their reality.
In a personal letter received some time ago
from Samuel l.. Clemens he said: so far as
! know, men have never showna noticeable
degree of sanity i'm their affairs. and to me
IL seems rather large hattery to intimate that
! they are capable of it.: and surely in the
| dwelling cTazes that from time 10 time take
possession Of the minds of men he will find
strong warrant for his opinion:
FREDERICK W. PEABODY,
BOsrON, October II.