Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-04-11

cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast
out DEVILS" This, 1t is true, was not
the teaching of the orthodox theology
of the day. and so Mrs. Eddy had to
find her authority outside the churches,
and she found 1t in the only place for
original statement on the subject of
Christianity, in the books of the Bible
1.-THE Bible" she writes, "has been my
only authority. 1 have had no other
guide in the straight and narrow way
of Truth"
Bible for Authority
So far as the orthodox Christian de-
mand for authority could be satisfied
Mrs. Eddy satisfied it from the Bible.
When, however, the demand came from
a quarter which did not acknowledge
the Bible as an authority, it had to be
met on the purely scientific basis of the
demonstration of divine law. The nat
ural scientist admits the operation of
law, though he claims that the only
demonstrable law is physical.
Christian Science insists that such a
statement is itself in the highest de-
gree unscientific, and points to the
steady and persistent healing of purely
physical conditions all over the world,
through the operation of Christian Sci
ence, as incontrovertible evidence of
the absolutely scientific nature of that
healing. To ridicule this evidence is to
put yourself on a level with the coun-
try gentleman who offered the idea of
cow on the line as an unanswerable
objection to the steam engine. Just as
to deny the Christianity of Christian
Science is to put yourself on a level
with the orthodoxy which denied the
title of Christian to the dissenters.
1t is an extremely foolish habit to
rush into generalities from particulars
in dealing with biblical expressions
Thus it would be very dangerous to
attempt to deduce fixed theory from
the use of the word authority by the
various New Testament writer's. 1t is
however, probably safe to conclude that
1t is used for power regularly delegated
and not arbitrarily seized upon. The
authority of Christ Jesus would, in
such an event, be the result of his un-
equaled understanding of the Christ
demonstrated in the miracles. Any one
who will consult the text of the Bible
will find that this is the case. In both
the gospels of Mark and Luke the ex-
preston that he taught with authority
or power (the Greek word in either
case is the same) is defined Immediately
afterward as the ability to cast out I'M
clean spirits, while in Matthew, al
though this definition is lacking, the
phrase is Immediately followed by the
enumeration of long list of miracles.
The exact significance of this may
be discussed at another time. For the
moment it must suffice to point out the
authority of Christ Jesus was derived
from his knowledge of God, or to use
the actual Bible phrase his exact
knowledge of God, that is his scientific
knowledge of Truth. and demonstrated
in his ability to apply this knowledge of
divine law in healing the sick
"And they were astonished at his
doctrine; for he taught them as one
that had authority, and not as the
scribes. And they were all
amazed, insomuch that they questioned
among themselves, saying, What thing
is this? What new doctrine is this?
for with authority commandeth he even
the unclean spirits, and they do obey
him. Science Monitor