The Red Cloud chief., 1912-04-25
Christian Science ....
Speaks For Itself
Royal D. Stearns of Lincoln
Replies to Rev. Bayne's
Article Of April 18th.

The following letter has been re-
ceivcd from Royal u. Stearns of
Lincoln:
Lincoln, Nebr., April l6, 1912.
Editor The Chief
In your issue Of April lith, you have
an article relating to Christian Science
which | wish to explain. | wish TO
say In advance that Christian Scientists
Ms religious body never criticise the
work or attitude Of other religious
bodies In their respective fields OF
Christian Science body may differ
from them in the Interpretation and
application of the scriptures to every
day life: Christian Scientists realize
that it is not Christian for them TO fix
standards of merit for others; they
strictly follow the admoniticn Of the
Bible, Judge not"
Your Rev. critic says "Pnul never
regarded his work rs that of healing"
Paul doubtless regarded his work as
that comprehended in the command OF
Jesus to his adherents Of oil time. "To
preach the kingdom Of God and To
heal the sick" Paul did heal the
sick and raise the dead: he overcome
the deadly effect OF the bite OF the
poisonous viper, moreover In Acts we
are told that, "God wrought special
miracles by the hands of Paul so that
the diseases Of the sick departed from
them and the evil spirits went out of
them"
l am glad to notice that your critic
acknowledges that healing is success
fully done by Christian Scientists. the
proof however IL overwhelming that
the healing of almost every known
human ailment is being successfully
accomplished all over the civilized
world by the Christian Science method
and in the larger percentage Of cases
after all resources known To human
skill and science have been resorted 10
without success. But your critic at.
NIt w Jts
of the claw of suggestion
wonder how the law of suggestion
could be applied In tho case whe G
Jesus healed the daughter of Jairus,
and the centurion's servant, and in
other instances where he was absen,
from the individuals healed. How
could Jesus raise the dead through
,, the application of any claw OF sug
gestion?" In the Psalms we read tha,
"God sent his word and healed them. >
~ will heal all thy diseases and for.
give all thine iniquitics.' The prayer
of faith shall save the sick Tie
"cifectual fervent prayer of the right
eous man availeth much;" it Is the
right application Of divine principle
that heals the sick in all etlicien,
christian healing. Jesus did not
claim personal power TO heal; He said
my Father worketh hitherto and
work. The Son can do nothing OF
himself but what he seeth the Father
do. can OF mine ownself do nothing
the Father that dwelleth in me, he
doeth the works" God is universally
recognized by Christian Scientists ms
the only healer. Ip the first bible ac-
count of healing it Is plainly stated
that abraham prayed unto God and
God healed Abimelech."
Your critic also finds fault with
Christian Scientists views concerning
sin. Christian Scientists do not deny
that siE and sickness constantly mani.
fest themselves as present and real to
the human experience and seem very
real to the finite mind 1t does affirm
however that to God and the true or
spiritual man, all sin, sickness, pain,
etc are unreal. This is clearly in
accord with scriptural teaching and
cannot be changed by human philos.
ophy. The Bible declares that God
created all that was made and "God
saw all that he had made and behold
it was very good. That being un.
deniable your critic has the alterna.
tive Of saying either, sin and sickness
are good because God created, and
consequently real and indestructible,
or else they are not good, not real to
God, nor to the true man, aud hence
can be destroyed by the power OF
God. The view Christian Scientists
take accords with the statement Jesus
made, II am not come to destroy but
TO fulfull." Had Jesus entertained
the belief that God purposely as a
part of His scheme of creation sent
sin, sickness, etc, upon those who
came to him for help He certainly
would not have sought to change their
physical conditions for whatsoever
God doeth is done forever God is
without variableness or the shadow Of
turning; "the same yesterday. today