The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-04
A view or cHEIsTIAN SCIENCE.
A. . Faith 70 10 st Least sS Great socso-
logical RlxnlncsWce.

N~SH1@
To n EDITOR or n eUN-Sr: What
ever che attitude OF self-rsspecting people
may be toward Christian Science. there are
very few who do not condemn the conduct
OF those newspaper reporters who forced
themselves into the home Of the venerable
Mary Baker O.. Eddy at Concord. N. H.. on
the plea that the public was Interested IN
moving whether she was actually alive.
whether she was under a regular physicians
care. and whether she managed her own
affairs. '
The truth is that in this unseemly episode
the rights OF an aged woman. who had long
since retired to a life of religious contempla-
ton, were vulgarly disregarded. The Interview
was unnecessary from a newspaper standpoint.
and farce so far as results we're concerned. But
it succeeded In emphasizing what many have
been slow to recognize: that Christian Science
Is a social movement. not an Isolated per-
sonality. Had these reporters found moth
ing but the shadow OF a memory Of Mrs. Eddy
at Pleasant View the Tremendously earnest
movement which she has inaugural ed. In
spired and guided to It's present worldwide
proportions would nevertheless have been
the best possible proof OF ner power as a
itself.
Wholly. apart from the question Of person
power OF. Christian Science to restore the
conduct and over the diseases Of the body
Nothing but DOWNRIGHT intellectual l~sziness
VIII DISPOSE a man to regard Christian Science
as a lad. a craze or an ephemeral cult. On
deepest aspirations in the spiritual life OF the
race. In the proRress OF, the peoples OF
Christendom two main tendencies have come
to light as the distin euishing features OF our
civilization. One is the mastery OF science
over the forces of nature and the other the
mastery of the spiritual in mar over the
corporal, the a~scendency of the spirit over
and an embodiment Of the latter OF these
am speaking as one who is not unfamiliar
with the religious and social history of Chris
tendon when / say that Christian Science 10
the only m ,vement since the Wesleyan re-
v which 70 ba sn ss earlier sTv p Sosit ~ the cen TN Sen5Sf ~
ness OF the western world.
Because Of that fact It L a movement 81
results. as a constructive social force. on the
small scale to which II has already expanded.
are COMPARED with the dlsaDpointing futility
Of nlne-tenths of our materialistic philan-
throDy, and with the confessed failure OF most
OF our schemes Of benefcence, one can hardly
escaDe the conclusion that now, rs in the
totterin9 days Of Roman power, the saving
or human society from it@elf must depend
primarily upon the canacity Of religion to
tnSase into the lives o. men and women the
standing. without which no people has ever
been able to escape the doom OF those who
Su"h il the movement with which the name
OF Mrs. Eddy Is inseparably associated. II
It's success nvovokes its detractors to de-
nnunce II as - pious fraud. It proves that
they have as yet not got the spiritual point
Of view. and it reminds us that all Of the
worlds treat RELIGIOUS movements have been
helped IN. recognition at the start by such
unsympathetic opposition.
NEW YORK. November 8.