The Washington herald., 1917-01-21
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE
TOPIC OF WRITER
Declares Christianity an Exact Science
or Truth Is Accident

Shall 1t be denied that q system which
works according to the SCRIPTURES has
scriptural authority? When she put
this question, which embodies also .
challenge. to be found on page % OF
Science and Health, Mrs Eddy was
maintaining that Christianity must be
scientific, says q writer In the Chris
tian Science Monitor In discussing the
Scriptural authority Of Christian Science.
Mrs. Eddy further declared, says the
writer, that IF Christianity is not scien-
tihc, and Science Ia not OF God. then
there 10 no invariable law. and truth
becomes an accident"
In that case" continues the article
In question. "the whole fabric Of Chris
tanity would rest upon an uncertain
foundation. and that portion OF mankind
which accepts 1t as the purest form OF
| religion-would be laboring under q de-
lusion. The world is only Just beginning
to awaken to the fact that the term
science has q deeper and wider appli-
cation than is embraced in the popular
idea True. however, you use 1t, 1t is
eystematized knowledge. classified ac-
cording to the ascertained truth; but in
the metaphysics of Christian Science II
Is lifted out Of the realm OF the enpiri-
cal or experimental into that OF ceru-
tude.
'It is a far cry from the Athenian 'un-
known God,' to the 'Unknovable' OF
Herbert Spencer; and II In the many CEN
turtles intervening between these two,
| there had been no unfoldment OF the
J truth to human thought, then indeed
truth might be called an accident-ft-
I ful, ephemeral and iIlusive-and We might
even sympathize with the great philoso-
IL a.. - - Aa-
scribed, to reconcile science and relig-
! ion But you cannot meet human needs
with the unknowable, or by indefinite
4 conceptions of God, who Is responsible
| for all reality. You can only do IT by
knowing that He is absolute good, and
1 is manifest as Life. Love and Truth.
This. as a matter of fact, II the only real
, knowledge, because 1t Is based on an un-
impeachable premise. All the philosoph-
ical talk about the creator as an 'un-
| thinkable abstraction cannot change
the eternal truth that God is. and that
| he Is q rewarder Of them that diligently
| seek him. II It be asked how can truth
be proved, the answer is, Simply by its
effects when applied. And thus one Is
reminded OF an apostolic utterance which
is a correlative of Mrs. Eddy's question:
Show me thy faith without thy works,
and I will show thee my faith by my
works
According to Scripture.
Christian Science claims to work 'ac-
cording to the Scriptures' because every
fundamental need of man is being met In
precisely the way set forth in the Scrip
lures. Can It be said that this differs
from the divine mission Of Christ Jesus!
When Christian Science declares that
sickness, In an outlaw, the outcome OF q
false sense of life and mind, Is II not
working on the spiritual basis recosnized
by the Master. on which He healed the
sick by the power of Gods word? When
II contends for the unreality of evil. and
says 1t is a lie Of mortal belief, Is It not
following In the steps of Him who said
, the devil was a murderer. that he had no
truth in him, and that he was q liar and
the father Of lit
ChristiaL FflitaSs.
II Christian Science were q panaeea
for physical ills only II would not be, as
it is. the Science Of Christianity: It would
hot in fact dtner materially from other
methods Of healing. But 1t u the revela-
ton Of life and law. The knowledge
gained In n causes q man to be rooted
and built up in Christ. Truth; to be 'es-
tablished in the faith. .-.. Astounding
| therein with Thanksgiving II is law.
the law Of the spirit OF life In Christ
jesus making free from the Law Of sin
and death Hence II Is revolutionixiny
human thought, purposes and desires oy
reversing and overthrowing all carnl tes-
timony.
The effect. Of course, In the ratio OF a
mans sincerity and clear apprehension OF
the absolute truth. permeates every nook
and corner Of his consciousness and caus-
es him to realize the imperative call to
harmonic profession and practice. What
a strange and uncomfortable phenomenon
II is, wrote Bishop Fraser, that people
who can write and say such beautiful
things. as pious people call them, about
religion and the peace and Joy in the
Holy Ghost, seem to find SO little OF It
themselves and seem such strangers to
all they talk about"
Touch with Divine Essential.
The Jewel of consistency in the
Christian life can only be retained by
him who is in touch with divine pow
er, and who in Quietness and conf
dence relies perpetually, on. divine
strength. That is knowledge. You can
not depend upon that of which you
know nothing therefore. II is that the
| Science Of Christianity which is
knowledge brought to bear upon the
falsities that are the bane of mortal
existence, is the only remedy for the
worlds woes The simplest Christian
life is always the most potent for
good. That is why Mrs. Eddy went
straight to the Bible and found there
the Principle Of all healing md re-
demption. She Is, therefore, justified
in asking another question on the page
of Science and Health already re-
ferred to (342): Who would be the
first to disown the Christliness of good