The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-09-27
WRITES ON THE ORIGIN
or CHRISTIAN SCIENCE

To the Editor of The Age-Herald:
1t is a grave mistake to speak or
originating Christian Science, as did your
Paris correspondent in chronieling the
recent death of an old man in Anvergne,
France. who stated that he 'healed In
secret" in his work among the peasantry
! of that region. Mrs Eddy's work IN
bringing Christian Science to the knoWl-
edge of the world seems to be strange
Nv misunderstood, and there Is abso-
| lutely no basis for comparing her work
with that of this good man. Neither
can he be called her rival Let us
analyze the term "Christian Science" 1t
t must mean the science, or accurate
! knowledge of the Christ This accurate
! knowledge of Christ must be in accord
with the law of Spirit or God. which
| law cannot be other than that which
| shows the nature or essence OF God.
: Even human laws show more or less truly
/ the mental attitude of the people who
! make Them Gods laws cannot be said to
! be made, for it coexists with and ex-
presses His nature. The operation of
beings who are able to recognize it, but
not Originated Mrs. Eddy uses the
term Discovery in describing what she
had learned of the things of God, and 1t
! is noticeable that the unfolding of the
| truths of Christian Science comes to
each of its followers as a discovery more
or less clear In order that this discern
ment of the divine nature and its laws or
| modes of action be made useful, it
must be applied to the conditions of life
presented in human experience. The
right apprehension of the divine nature,
which is always 'in heaven" or har-
mony must necessarily bring into that
! experience a reflection of harmony. The
! Christ-like discernment-more or less
! vivid-has in individual cases been at
| tanned throughout the ages, and Mrs.
| Eddy speaks of this in her book, Sci
ence and Health as follows: Through
| out all generations both before and after
| the Christian era, the Christ, as the
| spiritual idea-the reflection Of God-has
| come, with some measure of power and
| grace to all prepared to receive Christ,
! TRUTH
| The Anvergne healer may have had this
! right apprehension in a degree and also
| the ability to rightly apply It, In that
| case it is obviously incorrect to call
| him a wizard, for witchcraft is classed
! among the works of the flesh or sin, and
| is placed by the apostle Paul in the fol-
lowing list: "Uncleanness, lasciviousness,
| idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance,
| etc. and he says plainly that they
| which practice such things cannot in
! herit the Kingdom of God"-cannot re-
| ceive the harmony resulting from the
right apprehension of the divine nature
It follows that witchcraft is as far re-
moved from true healing as darkness
! from light.
| In the chapter on faith cure in Retro
spection and Introspection, Mrs. Eddy
says, "If Truth Is admitted. but not I'M
| derstood, it may be lost" This point will
! be conceded by all, not because Mrs.
| Eddy said It, but because it Is so. She
! has stated the fact clearly. The ability
| to explain truth SO that each may apply
| it for his own and others needs is
! most desirable attainment and natural
| ly this tends to perpetuate the practice
| of Truth 1t seems that the Anvergne
man in question had not the ability to
make known to others what he discerned
and hence his deeds were wrongly rated
as belonging to the realm of mysticism
We have, however, no means of knowing
Because he Is said to have taken no fee
for his work he is called sincere by
the Paris writer and more disinterested
| than the Christian Scientists of the
United States. The insinuation OF In
| sincerity In this class OF citizens is on
the point. Would any clear-headed man
say that receiving compensation for any
kind of service implies insincerity? In
| that case, how shall we estimate the
| vast arrny of clergymen teachers law
yers. etc.? They receive pay, and justly,
| for work other than manual Moreover,
! what is recorded in the career of Jesus,
| the Master healer? This: That when he
| was preaching in every city and village,
showing 1.-The glad tidings of the King
dom of God" certain women, among
whom were some belonging to the King s
palace, "ministered unto him of their
substance" duke 81 And when he sent
out his disciples to preach and heal
! please note that the two were always
contoined in Jesus instructions), they
were hidden to take nothing but staff
mo scrip, no bread, no money in their
purse" Matt. 10, Luke 100 Afterward he
asked II they had lacked anything, and
they answered nothing" thus giving evi-
dence that substance had been minis
tered unto them. This surely, was COM
pensation given according to the custom
of the times Abundant Biblical author
ity for adequate compensation for honest
work may be found.
In a recent article entitled christian
| Science in Business Life" Alfred Far
low, in pointing out the teachings of this
saving of Jesus, Seek we first the King
dom of God and his righteousness; and
all things shall be added unto you," says
when the Christian places himself under
| the dominion of God, Spirit, his present