St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1906-10-31

:
tian ministry who have devoted so
much of their time and talent to at
tempts Mt ridiculing. maligning and
misrepresenting Christian Science and
its teaching, whether they would not
be more consistent and Christlike if
they would turn their efforts more ear
nestly to learning how to carry out
in their fullness, the commandments
of the Founder of the Christian reli-
gion? The only possible excuse for
not carrying them out is the inability
to do so. We respectfully submit
that if this ever was a sufficient ex-
cuse it has long since ceased to be so.
We further remind our friends that
they can never learn how to do things
by denouncing others who are doing
them, or by declaring that it is impos-
sible to do them. Nothing ever has
been or ever can be achieved on such
basis.
The Christian Science textbook, to
which l have referred, teaches healing
by means above the material. The
author of that book was healed of an
injury which, according to all ordinary
evidence, had placed her at deaths
door. She was thus healed through a
sudden realization of Gods power and
presence. This marvellous experience
aroused within her an intense desire to
know how she had been healed This
led her to search the Scriptures, for
she was sure that they contained the
secret Of true healing. For more than
three years she devoted herself wholly
to Scripture study in its relation to
healing. She especially pondered
Jesus words and works, his teaching
and his practice; those to which | have
referred, with many others. She be-
came satisfied that God was the Heal
er. She proved her understanding OF
His power by healing all kinds of dis
eases, and she proved also that the
same understanding that healed sick
ness destroyed sin. This led her to a
systematic investigation of the rela-
ton between sin as cause and sickness
as effect. She thus felt impelled to
give her experiences to the world She
could content herself with nothing
else. She soon began the pen-work
which brought forth the Christian
Science textbook, and many other
writings. In due and systematic or
der she established the propaganda,
now so well known, and which Is so
rapidly reaching round the world. she
has taught and sent forth thousands
of students who, In greater or less de-
gree, are proving the truth of her
teaching in healing sickness and de-
stroying sin. Those who are true to
their teaching and profession are, in
some measure, proving the possibility
of doing the works that Jesus declared
would be done. They have done work
thus far, however, which in meekness
and humility, they may well take as
hopeful indications of the great p0ssl-
bilities in store for those who are faith
full. Past achievements have been such
as to offer high hopes and great en-
couragement for the future and thus
they press onward with faith and trust
in the omnipotent God, following, as
best they can, in the footsteps OF him
who commanded his disciples to teach
all nations all things whatsoever he
had taught them. For so laudable q
purpose as this, for thus honestly en-
deavoring to carry out the full teaching
of the Gospel, shall any set OF people
be condemned or maligned or ridiculet
or ostracized or ruled out OF the mod
ern synagogues?
THE CAUSE OF sickness.
aI.ooJx, ;p1ioofad q chief nOin
| in Christian Science is that sickness
| is not of God. He Is not it's creator. L
is no part of His law. 1t is, rather, thu
result of not conforming to his law
| This is surely true of those kinds Of
sickness that are we'll known to be TIT
direct result of sin. / do not wish to b.
understood that every kind OF sickness
| is due to wilful disobedience of the oil
vine law, or the law of right living, TO
| am aware, as you are, that some o
the best people the world affords seen
| to suffer most from some forms of sick
ness. What | do wish to be under
stood as saying is that every kind o
sickness is the result of long ages o
human error, of straying away froI
! Gods law. and the innocent SUITE
with the guilty because we are al
more or less, under the ban of thes
long ages of transgression until W
come into an understanding Oh the d
vine law by virtue of which the erro
may be overcome or destroyed. JeSu
came to make known the divine lay
to mankind, and he did make it know
by proving the possibility OF oyercon
ing, in his own words, these huma
conditions.
1t is apparent from what has thu
far been said that Christian Scienc
teaches that sickness is the result Q
sin. in it's broad definition as huma
error. Let me briefly explain. All wi
agree that the sin of lust, or licentiou'
ness is a prolific cause of sickness.
is the source of loathsome and fats
diseases. Physicians agree to this.
Another fruitful and appalling caus
of sickness and death is drunkenness
the excessive use Of intoxicating
quors.
These are among the grosser sins
mortals. They are admitted by all
be wrong. They are the cause of mol
sickness than all other causes. Remo'
them, and you have taken away pc
centage of the source of sickness tn
would reduce its aggregate to an anna
ing extent
But these are not all there Is tn
produces sickness. Sorrow, grief, t
multiplied forms of disappointmel
encouragement, and depression, the
mental conditions act upon the physic
and bring about many of the disOrde