Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1908-10-08

there - Out one christ. They
inculcate the omnipotence. omni.
presence and omniscience of God.
The last Of these tenets enjoins up
on all who subscribe to them The
necessity of watching and PRAYING to
have in themselves the same mind
that was also in Christ Jesus. to do
unto others as we would have them
do unto Us, and to be merciful. lust
and pure.
The early records of this church
contain the following interesting and
significant Item: SAT a meeting of
the Christian Scientist Association.
April l9, 1879, on motion of Mrs. Eddy.
1t was voted to organize church de-
signed to commemorate the word and
works OF our Master. which should
relnstate primitive Christianity and
its lost element Of healing"
We point to the tWenty-ejght wears
intervening history in witness OF The
correctness Of that early declaration
During these years many thousands
have been brought out of conditions
OF SIN, sorrow, grief, woe, distress, dis
ease and sickness, who, without the
aid OF this scientific Christianity,
would have rema ned in abandoned
and hope ieSS conditions. We do not
hesitate to lay. therefore, as matter of
current history, that to d most wonder
full and gratifying extent primitive
Christianity has been reinStated and
its lost element of healing re-es-
tabliShed.
Christian Science teaches that God
is in truth Almighty If He is Al
mighty then surely He is correctly de
tined by the other terms OmnipOtent.
OmnlpreSent, OmniScient, supreme al d
indltinite He who is all powerful is
always all powerful. He who is omni-
present is never absent. He who is all
wise is never less than that could not
be by the very necessity Of His all
wisdom.
Objection is sometimes made that
Christian Science is heterodox because
as the directors claim it declares
against Gods personality.
The Christian Science definition of
Of God does not describe more i'm
personal God, as that term is COM
monty used and understood, than does
the orthodox definition as contained
in the " estminSter Confession of
Faith. This definition is substantially
accepted by all churches calling them
selves Evangelical. / quote it almost
in full:
There is one living and true Cod,
who is infinite in being and perfec-
tiOn, a most pure spirit, invisible,
without body, parts, or passions, i'm
mutable, immense, eternal, incOmpre-
henSible, almighty, most wise, most
holy. most free, most absolute, most
loving, gracious, long suffering,
abundant in goodness and truth, for
giving iniquity, transgression and sin
God had all lie, glory, good
ness, blessedneSs in and of himself,
and is alone in and unto himself all
su Hcient. x He is the alone
fountain of all being, of whom,
through whom, and to whom are ali
things. His knowledge is in
finite, infallible, and Independent up
on the creature, SO as nothing is to
him cOntingentOr uncertain"
Words could not define a more i'm
personal God, if we accept words at
their ordinary meaning. If we give
TO the words quoted from the Con-
fession Of Faith their ordinary and
rational meaning, we could not i'm
agine a better definition of an i'm
personal God. May | not fairly and
honestly ask: How can we think of a
God who is ''infinite" as being COM
posed of flesh, blood and bones, with
all the intirmities and limitations per-
tanning thereto? How Can we thus
can we thus think of a God who is
'eternal?" How can we thus think
of a God who is 'Almighty?" How
i1Iz Of -
without body, parts or passions?" I
captiOuS criticism, but by way of sim
cere and earnest inquiry.
The Methodist Episcopal church
adopts substantially the Westminis-
ter definition, but leaves out the word
passions" thus describing God as
being without body or parts" And
yet our orthodox ministerial friends
including those of the Methodist
church-oppOse Christian Science
largely upon the ground that. as they
claim, it teaches that God is not a
person. 1t remains for our orthodox
friends, not for Christian Scientists,
to explain how God who is infinite.
who is Spirit, who is "eternaP',
who is without a body, parts or pas
sions," can be a person in the ordi-
nary sense of the term, or merely
big man., as he is SO commonly
understood to be.
The definition above quoted is found
in the Westminster Confession of
Faith of the Presbyterian church of
the United States; and, as | have said,
has been substantially adopted by all
the orthodox Christian churches. 1t
in yyln &c
Shorter Catechism. The book from
which | quote bears date of 1906, so
that it stands as authority now.
| now call your attention to a part
of the New Testament record which
we consider as fundamental Christian
doctrine or teaching | refer to the
great commandment given by Jesus to
his disciples, called by some Bib.e
to the Twelve. If it is true that this
Christian doctrine or teaching then
surely those who desire to live Chris
tain lives cannot too much study nor
too well understand it. For present
purposes, ! quote the account con-
tanned in Matthew 10th:
$50 not into the way of the Gen.
CllOos uiIA 1lOO WY Vi
ritanS enter We not; but go rather to
the lost sheep Of the house of Isreal.
And as We 60 preach, saying the
kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers,
raise the dead, cast out devils; freely
We have received, freely give
Provide neither gold nor silver,
nor brass in your purses, Nor scrip
for your journey, neither two coats,
neither shoes, nor yet slaves: for the
workman IS worthy of his meat" Or
of his hire, or wages, as il is else
where rendered.
This commandment is a unit. 1t
is not two commandments There is
in this language 20 authority to sep
arate or subdivide it. No more au-
thority to do this than there is to re-
iect it as whole. The words relat-
ing to healing sickness and doing the
other works there mentioned are not