The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-09-29
Editor Palladium


this controversy" We would fain Ut
terly eschew controversy, and in the
spirit of the Master say to other forms
of religion and medicine, as did Adam
to Lot, Let there be no strife" Con
troversy is Improbable and unpleas
ant The writer's sole mission as
committee on publication, and his on
ly purpose in writing on this or any
other occasion in the interest of Chris
tian Science is to correct misstate
ments and misapprehensions relative
to Christian Science teaching. Did
our brother but confine himself in his
communications published IN your col
umns to his own field of research and
to medical thesis, or did he but under
stand and correctly state, in incidental
reference thereto, the principles OF
Christian Science, our voice would not
be raised in remonstrance.
1t would seem that in this last in
stance, hardly better course could be
pursued by us than simply to turn
back upon our critic his own quota
tons from the Bible and from the
Christian Science textbook, utterly TO
refute his arguments. If your readers
will but scan again the doctors last
effort, giving no heed to our present
or past articles, our own contentious
will. we feel sure, be reasonably estab-
lished and very clearly will it be seen
that Ibis Bible quotations conflict so
| far as his effort to buttress medical
and physical science with scriptural
authority is concerned; while at the
same time Mrs. Eddy's line of argu-
ment and spiritual Interpretation OF
| the scriptures on the points cited will
appear rational and reasonable. A
careful and unbiased study of Mrs. Ed
dy's entire book in connection with
the bible will serve to convince any
one. far better than can possibly our
poor effort or that of DR.. Thurston, of
the comparative truth and efficacy of
the two systems under discussion.
In our first reply to DR.. Thurston,
far from an attempt to "sneerlngly
insinuate' as to his professional prac-
tice, we commended the thoroughness
of the gentleman's grasp of medical
and anatomical information, we de-
pricated in no sense the profession or
achievement of the present-day repu-
table physician, but we did maintain
and we still contend that spiritual
things, i. e., spiritual life, spiritual
healing, spiritual man, can be discern
ed only spiritually" We have not at
any time misquoted or distorted the
language of our critic, and we regret
that the gentleman does not give us
credit with being actuated by com
mon honesty" in our efforts to set
forth the principles of our faith and
give a reason for the hope" that is
in us.
Our critic would commiserate us in
our futile 60 effort to ignore atomic
matter, organic life or material exis-
lance, positive philosophy and exact
physical sciences" His sympathy is
doubtless well intended, but in this
instance is not well directed. The
atom itself is, to say the least, but
an assumed quantity, and in the light
of advanced scientific research has
come to be very doubtful one. Indeed
it is now maintained that recent de-
velopments have completely exploded
the theory of the atom, and in conse-
uuence principles of physics and
chemistry, once considered fixed, have
been turned much awry, and text
books on the above named subjects
recently published contain sweeping
revisions Exact" physical sciences,
indeed.
The greatest Teacher that ever liv-
ed declared, "The words that l speak
unto you, they are Spirit and they are
Life" The Good Book teaches, I'm
the beginning was the word the
Word was God,-in Him was Life"
The same inspired book assures us
that to know Alright" our God is Life
eternal. Jesus healed the sick, raised
the dead, fed the multitudes and fast
ed forty days. by simply knowing that
God is the Life of man, but never once
did he use drugs, take note of physi- |
cal organism, urge obedience to health |
laws or hygiene, or maintain that food. |
air or water sustain or perpetuate life. |
On the other hand He urged, Behold /
the lilies of the field The life is
more than meat Very evidently he
successfully ignored organic life and
physical existence in his final victory
over matter and the senses in his Oil /
vet experience. Significant for all, in /
Guiding even our good critic, in this
connection, is our Lords command, |
THE works that | do shall We do al |
So Christian Scientists find approx |
nation to final achievement along
spiritual lines extremely gratifying
and encouraging, TO say the least, and |
like Paul are content to press toward |
the mark
AS to positive philosophy" If our
critic will but analyze the term phil.
osophy' he will find that it means lit
orally "a love for or a search after
knowledge" None of those whom the
world has designated philosophers ev
err advanced beyond the theoretical
stage in their processes Of reasoning, /
none set forth positive principles. Yet
il is such philosophy that DR.. Thurs +
ton designates positive" And what /
of the gentleman's exploited wisdom
of the ages," Jesus, who was, after 4
all, the only real philosopher. who was I
the one of all the worlds teachers and .
reasoners who solved all problems,
who healed 'all our diseases" spoke
''as never man spoke and