Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-07-25
SCIENTISTS TAKE
EXCEPTION To
SERMON
REPLY TO RECENT ADDRESS
BY REV. HUGH A, COOPER
Discussion of Christian Science
by Prominent albuquerque
Minister Calls Forth an An
SWer From Boston.

Office of the Committee on Publica-
ito of the First Church of Christ,
Scientist Boston Mass, July 20,
1907.
Editor of h Albuquerque Morning
journal, Albuquerque. n. NJ.
Dear Sir: Your issue Of July s re-
ports a sermon by Rev. Hugh A.
Cooper, in which Christian Science is
discussed at some length.
! will not trespass upon your space
or generosity to ask for as many col
umns as were accorded Nj. Cooper's
sermon, nor will I attempt to answer
his statements in detail but with your
permission will notice briefly one or
W allegations.
DIR. Cooper misses the point and
shows that he does not fully under
stand Christian Science when he says
that Christian Scientists place an en-
phasis upon MIND and that the cult
has helped people to recognize the in
fluence of the mind on the body" II is
not the primary office of Christian
Science to lay emphasis on the ac-
tivity of the human mind nor to call
attention to the relationships which
exist between this mind and the body
It constructs for itself, or. to use a
popular term, the body which it in
habits.
The fundamental teaching of
Christian Science is that there is but
one mind-infinite, eternal and good.
This mind is God. Upon this premise
Christian Science builds its logic as
to matter, sin and disease. All teach
ing as to the material mind and ma
terial body is incidental to the great
fact Of the supremacy Of the Divine
Mind or God.
II l.. aas1 that DIpfgffaF Cgfonan
"repudiates the fundamentals of the
Christian religion and that it prac-
tically denies the Bible and repudiates
of cross of Christ. What are the func
dameRtals of the Christian religion?
The various dogmas which have m
bodied themselves within the last few
hundred years in many Christian
sects are not the fundamentals of the
Christian religion. These are very
simple. Jesus said that all the law
and the gospel was summed up in two
commands-to love God supremely
n to love ones neighbor as oneself.
The fundamentals of the Christian re-
ligiou. | take it. We may find in the
only sermon Jesus is recorded to have
preached, the Sermon on the Mount. I
Christian Science in its theory n
practice does not repudiate these fun
damentals, although it does differ, at
times radically, from the dogmas
which have grown up in the Chnstian
church since the time of its and
DIT. Cooper has not read Christian
Science literature very carefully or he
would not say that Christian Science
makes its devotee say he has no
body" Christian Science does not
abolish mans body. nor is IL a philos-
ophy of humiliation 1t teaches that
man has a perfect body, since he is
made in Gods likeness, but inasmuch
as he lives. moves and has his being
in God. who is Spirit. 1t an not prop
erly be maintained that he also lives,
moves and has his being in matter,
which is not God and which Is not
Spirit.
our reverend critic says that good
thoughts are beneficial up to a GER
tain point. but that they have their
limitations. that no amount of thought
will set a broken leg or restore the
crushed hand. II would be interest
ing to know how he would account Tor
Jesus' healing. II Jesus did not heal
hv virtue of His good thought, how
did He accomplish His cures He did
not manipulate His patients. He did
not prescribe drugs nor did lie per-
form surgical operations, and yet He
restored the withered arm, healed
paralysis and palsy and raised the
dead. How hoes Rev. Mr.. Cooper
this vas accomplished
Christian Science teaches that it was
the mind of Christ which healed, and
He himself said. MY Father worketh
hitherto and | work
Mr.. Cooper says he does not believe
that attenuation of thought would
ever save a child from d|iphtheria or
scarlet fever I suppose by that ne
means that he does not believe that
spiritual remedies are adequate 10
protect children from the ravages OF
these diseases. The fat is that Chris
tan Science has healed many such
cases.
Rev. Mr.. Cooper says that there Is
Scriptural authority for believing
that spiritual power IS an etficacious
remedy or preventive. How does ne
ccoun for the story Of the Hebrew
children who were cast into the fiery
furnace II ne believes this story ana
teaches 90. he must account for II IN
some way what preventive did Dan
iel use when he was cast into the
lions den? There is ample Scriptur-
al authority for believing that iaith IN