Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-07-08
THE TRUE AND FALSE
IN CHRISTIAN
SCIENCE
CLEAR CUT ANALYSIS OF
DOCTRINE OF MRS, EDDY
Rev. Hugh A, Cooper Talks
Plainly of Rapidly Spreading
Faith Which He Holds Both
UnchriStian and UnScientifiC.

Last night in the First Presbyte-
rlan church. Rev. Hugh A. Cooper
delivered a sermon from the subject,
'The Effect of Thought on Bodily
Christian Science" his text being
Proverbs Z, %, AS he thinketh in his
heart, so is he"
The is one of the most
deeply interesting heard in an Albu-
querque pulpit. dealing as it does
clearly and without reserve with a
subject now very prominently before
the people of all faiths and all
creeds. The sermon follows:
The shape of a glass gives form to
the liquid it contains, but not quality.
The water may be pure or putrid.
While we heal much Of environment,
and while we admit its influence. we
affirm that the real moulding charac-
ter Of the man is from within. AS a
man thinketh in his heart" says Solo
mon, so is he" And again, "Out of
the heart are the issues of life" The
heart means. of course, the intellect
n affections.
While our text was used more es-
peclally with reference to character,
il has a much wider application. The
iiLluu influences the DOuN, ana II IL
upon this that | desire to speak.
1t is not absolutely true. however,
that as a man thinks so will he be
in bodily health. 1t is not true that
a man who is sick can under any con-
dition think himself well. No "atten-
uatiOn of thought will save a man
from the toothache when the nerve is
exposed and the dentists telephone is
out of fix. 1t is true, however, that
as morbid thoughts may bring sick
ness, so right thoughts may under
certain conditions make the body
well. 4 sunny disposition. like the
natural sunshine, will nightly help
TO combat the germs of disease. Sick
ly thoughts tend to a sickly body,
while the healthful, buoyant thought
is better than medicine. at least in
the majority Of cases. The influence
of the mind on the body is indicated
in The fact that the thoughts of fear
have been known to kill people. The
rapidly with which the body is ef-
fectcd. by the mind is revealed in the
blush which comes simultaneously
with the thought of shame. 1t is not
at al difficult to believe hat the
people who are most afraid OF a dis
ease are the most likely to contract it.
II the cause of eacn disease could
be traced IL would doubtless reveal
that the mind had much to do with it.
II would probably reveal that anxiety
Is as great a destroyer of life as war
ana famine combined. A change of
diet is sometimes a good thing, but a
change Of thought sometimes might
be more efficacious. The habit Of
bodily cleanliness is a good thing, but
a cleansing of thought is equally good.
When the thought is cleansed the
body will not be long neglected. A
good climate Is a good thing, but Il
is nothing to the man whose mind is
held by the demon of encouragement.
As well shut up you house and ex-
poet it to be healthful as to shut up
your mind to low or morbid thoughts
and expect a healthful and vigorous
body.
These truths. expressed In various
forms, the medical profession has al
ways believed and proclaimed. In
these latter days. however. a class of
people calling themselves Christian
Scientists by an emphasis which they
have placed upon mind, and a denial OF
the reality of matter have drawn to
Themselves considerable attention. To
whatever extent the cult has helped
people to recognize the influence of
the mind on the body It is deserving
Of praise, but when IL declares thai
everything is mind and that there is
no matter, ii is a different matter.
There are " sides to the discus
sion suggested by the name. viz.
The Christian side and the Scientific
side. or rather as | shall endeavor to
the un-Christian and the I'M
scientific.
Christian science repudiates the
fundamentals OF the Christian reli-
gion. | am not FOND Of religious CON
YnNpTgN M an hag ..ar lawrl 40
say a harsh word against another
church. including the Catholic. In
common we nave too much that we
hold dear. while we have a common
enemy without which needs our
united energies. But when IL m
to an organization which practically
denies our Bible and repudiates the
cross Of Christ. 1t is not loyalty TO re-
main silent. Christian Science is by
no means as innocent as its title
would indicate. A short time ago !
received a letter from a lady in Chi
cago who had formerly been a MEM
Der OF this church. She asked for her
letter and I wrote. telling her Of a
condition 10 be complied with in such
cases. (She had been absent several
years. She replied again that she
did not want the letter In order to nut
her membership in a church. that she
had discovered the truth IN Christian
Science. IN her opinion the purest
minded. and the greatest Christian
scholars 81 the centuries have taught
and lived in ignorance of the truth.
The great honor Of discovering the
truth" was given to Mrs. Eddy some
thirty or forty years ago.
Now / admit that there b. truth"
in Christian Science. Every great err
ror which has gained attention has
had some ruth 40 the bottom. a pure
lie cannot live. II is because Of the
truth In which 10 Is couched that
Christian Science has become such a
monstrOus delusion. The genius Of
Mrs. Eddy Is seen in this. DO in MOTH
ing else. that She put upon her system
the garb Of religion. Not only is
there truth in Christian science. bit
there are m~ultitudes Of truc people
who are in its membership The
thing which ] most dislike about q
is Its hypocrisy n makes Us deKotee
say he has no body, and yet he
clothes that body. walks with De-.
adorns % and has his friends bury 30
when he b. dead. When be puts his
hand In a machine % is crushed or
into the fire i is burnt. and yet h.
says he suffers no pain. Il IS all Ia
ne mind. As I have said there Is a &
great deal in The mind, and wrong
thought g. often the cause uf disease
No amounf Of Thought. however. VIII