The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-11-09
will be the cities that have the inter-
urbans. There is no getting away
from this conclusion.
5urrciI on Christian Science.


surrcii on Christian Science.
Il. 4. Burrell in Washington lIowa)
Press: Rev Charles Brown In one OF
his bright Chautauqua talks here
spoke bit aboui this latest cult
that is playing hob NTH the evangeli-
cal churches. He has been preaching
q series Of Sunday evening sermons
on up-to-date topics, and one was on
this alleged science" an amplifica-
ton OF his remarks here The pub.
Hshed discourse is before me. He
tells how he spent over $500 taking
lessons from Mrs. Eddy herself some
twenty years ago. says all the good
ne can conscientiously say about the
good effects on the grunters WAC were
won't to enjoy poor health" and then
he plainly, humorously and in spots,
almost savagely goes for it declaring
| It IS a silly, illogical, unscientific,
autocratic. dangerous thing, narrow
ing IN its effect as cult and practice
on the young, and meuace to the
community, inasmucl as its followers
declare there is no disease, and are
careless as to the laws of health,
and endanger neighborhoods by pay
ing no attention to such contagious
diseases as smallpox, scarlet fever.
malignant diphtheria, tuberculosis.
and the like. Indeed, he takes a
heavy fall out of Mrs. Eddy. For a
short skit, it is quite as amusing
and forceful as Mark Twains incom-
parable book on the Science That
book is high-water mark of C. s.
criticism. Its subtlety, humor, wit.
logic, smoked out the Mother her;
self. and she went into print about it,
q thing she rarely does.
But talk and laugh as we may
about this cult, The modern church
has got to pay attention to curing
diseases, or go bump The Emmanuel
movement in the east is recogni-
ton of this fact. No less man than
Rev. Russell H. Conwell tie great
Philadelphia preacher, admits that
he believes more or less in mental
healing. He is Baptist In a late
interview he said: THE church is
passing through one of the most
dangerous periods of it's existence.
What the outcome will be no one
can tell. You see, the church has
drifted away from the practices Of
Christ. Religious people think
Christ spent most of his time in
preaching. They forget that he went
all through Galilee healing the sick
and teaching the ignorant. The church
did both once, but rich men establish
ed schools and hospitals, and now
nothing remains but preaching and
the social side of religion. Tie
church universal must teach and heal
if it is to be prosperous and success
full
What is the church for, anyway
Nothing is palmer in the Gospels
than the fact that Jesus and his
disciples and apostles healed the
sick, cured all manner Of diseases,
handled poisonous vipers. and He
promised that they should do more
wonderful things than He had done.
Do they do it? Where? When?
The modern church is doing anything
else than these promised things;
pastors are reading nice essays, tell
ing about Abraham's capacious, con-
tinental bosom and spelling about
Moses. and tie old worthless, but they
are not healing and curing, and Mrs.
Eddy has got her tremendous vogue
by stepping into that gap and at
least processing to do what Jesus did.
The church must get move on itself
along those lines. OF be depleted,
sucked dry of members, and play sec
ond or third or forty leventh fiddle.
Either Jesus was mistaken, or the
church is deNnquent-take which horn
ron like. 1t will not answer merely
to ridicule Mrs. Eddy-the church
must either fish of cut bait-you
can't dodge it. One reason why the
hoi polloi doesn't go to meeting more
is, taey can't see that the church
really stands for anything. It Is
respectable. but dilettante; it talks
about faith, but hasn't faith
enough to do the works" that Jesus
did and that He promised they should
do. They are not doing it. Why not?
Mrs. Eddy and her church is at least
protesting to do it. Why lambast
her before you show us the fruits"
of your faith?