The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1916-03-08
Not a New Doctrine.

I
Not a New Doctrine.
To the Editor of The Gate City:
| AS reported in recent issues or your
valued paper, Evangelist Scoville has
taken occasion to criticize his concept
of what Christian Science teaches.
He is especially emphatic in his de-
nunciation OF what he terms new
doctrines" placing Christian Science
under this classification. Now, as a
matter Of fact, Christian Science is
not new doctrine" It's principle is
God, and it's practices are those
which were instituted, recommended
rand practiced by the founder Of chris
| tianity. Therefore as teaching OF
truth, Christian Science is as old
as christianity itself.
| When Mrs. Eddy discovered the
principle of christian healing and
| made it known to humanity In her
text book, Science and Health with
Kew to the Scriptures, she simply dis
covered something which had always
existed, and which might at any time
have been discovered and put into
practice by anyone sufficiently sp1rl-
tual and pure in thought to do so.
This evangelist makes the point
that Nicodemus testified of Jesus:
Thou art a teacher come from God,'
and speaking Of Christian Science he
states: Thou art teacher come from
Boston, like Mrs Eddy Nicodemus
could testify that Jesus was teacher
come from God because OF certain In
}disputable proofs of His Messlahshlp
that were presented.
The critics of Jesus time asked:
Can anything good come out OF Naz-
areth?" Jesus teachings. however,
did not originate in Nazareth. Neither
did Mrs. Eddy's teachings originate in
Boston. To be historically correct,
Mrs. Eddy does not claim to have dis
covered Christian Science in Boston.
She taught and practiced it there just
as Jesus taught and practiced chris
tian healing in Jerusalem and through
out all .Judea. The proofs which Jesus
offered of His Messiahship are identi
cal with the proofs which Christian
Science is offering Of its christianity.
This preach asks: "H Mrs. Eddy
Is teacher sent from God, why
doesn't she rise from the dead?" How
strangely similar this question Is to
the statement Of the hooking rulers
and soldiers at the cross on Calvary.
who said: He saved others, let Him
save Himself il He be the Christ
Luke 1895.
The evangelist has taken occasion
to saw many unkind and unjust things
concerning Mrs. Eddy and Christian
Science. Thinking people, however,
know that abuse, vilificatfon, misrepre
sentation, etc, even when combined
with ridicule and cheap alleged witt
cism, is not valid argument. Chal-
lenges to perform miracles inter
spersed with "scathing denuncfations"
may be one form of "old-fashioned re-
1 ri, xtN% h vptN
will appeal to the impulses OF right
thinking men and women who appre-
ciate the ordinary amenities Of chris
tfanity.
Thousands Of intelligent christian
people have embraced the teachings Of
Christian Science. Why? Certainly
not because of the "impotency Of the
doctrine" but because OF the fact
that they have found it to be intense
" practical religious teaching, and
because of its teaching Of the omntpo-
tence Of God, they have been healed
Of sickness and sin and their lives
have been immeasurafbly bettered. In
all of this. there is the positive rec
ognftion of the infinite presence ami
power Of Christ, "the same yesterday
and today and forever"
Christian Scientists believe in and
practice Christian healing because
they have scriptural authority for do
ing so. and because they consider it
to be essential and fundamental to the
practice OF christianity as Jesus
taught it.
He who would decry Gods power to
heal. or rid,cule those who believe II
the manifestation of this power at
this time or at any other time, does
so in the face of SOME very plain
teachings OF Scripture Christian Sci
strongly emphasizes Gods allness,
ever presence and all power which
certainly includes power over sickness
as we'll as over sin. If it is true that
God healed the sick in Jesus' time
land no christian can doubt IT. then
Il h1. triic, HAT (Sad heals flA