The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1920-06-28

arlv church. The ardent faith of
he Christians which had thriven I'M
der merciless prosecutions was
caught in the insidious snare of for
malism It's light began to wane, its
vision vanished, and it sank approx
imately to the worlds level, where
it seemed to sleep for thousand
years, while every phase of sin and
tyranny was practiced in its name.
These centuries constitute what may |
properly be called the Dark Ages. A |
theoretical system of salvation had |
thrust itself between God and the
individual man. "And it was night"
THE RE-DAWN
In 1866 A. d. John Wvcliffe, called
the Morning Star of the Reformation
was at the zenith of his influence. An
article in the Encyclopedia Britannica
which gathers up the thought OF
many scholars says: "He John Wy
cliffe) may at least claim to have dis
covered the secret of the immediate
dependence of the individual Chris
tian upon God, relation which
needs no meditation of any priest,
ana W WlllCll VIC WI V EetNActiiiN''NS ~
the Church, however desirable, are
not essentially necessary" This s"lllt
of the Reformation began to do away
with serfdom and feudalism and to
emphasize the right Of the individual
1t broke somewhat the bondage IN
which the human mind had been held,
and thought thus released became ac-
tive in MANY directions. The print
ing press appeared, the Bible was
translated into languages understood
bv the people, the catacombs with
their valuable early Christian records
were thrown open. In Florence and
Venice painting, SCULPTURE, architec-
turc, and metal work displayed them
selves in wondrous forms and colors;
Spain and Scandinavia sailed distant
seas in quest of new worlds; while
England, Ireland. Scotland and Bo-
hemia were stirred by more vital
sense of religion. The renaissance
of thought known as the Rises of
Learning uuickened also the spiritual
faculties so that the ecclesiastical
body which opposed the Reformation
FASTENED missionaries to India and
the new world. Among most Europe
an Protcstants, missionary bands and
Bible societies were active. Wherever
British merchantmen sailed the seas
there were earnest efforts to carry
, the blessings of Christianity.
Christian Scientists are not I'M
mindful of, but recognize, the value
of this Reformation movement In hu,
man history, which "repared mankind
for the reception again of the unmu,
tilated gospel. They acknowledged
5 the Reformation stood for activity II
G the right direction, but was not radl
cal enough to remove all the ms
, conceptions about God with whlcl
the Dark Ages had becloudet
| thought If man is to be freed IRON
the burden of sin, sickness, and deatl
he must find such freedom through
4 God who neither creates nor sustain
} those evils. Christian Scientists know
4 no god but the good God. God |
? revealed more clearly through tn
\ teachings of Christian Science thai
), through any other religious instru
G ton, and the real Christian under
:. standing which Jesus possessed be
c comes possible, at least in some q
v gree, to every one through the stud
$ of Christian Science, which prove
d that Christian Science is the genuln
k misunderstanding, ora Chrlstla
n knowing. The Reformation move
D ment did not free itself entirely trol
II the false teaching OF the DARK Age
|, To some extent it still sees Goa
IS through Smoked glass" Doctr
= nallv it holds to mental posltlof
} which involve the belief that 10
l. creates and sustains SIN, sickness
Ie and death, while practically 1t teaci
$. os that the man who is sorry for h
+, sin NAV always be forgiven, but u
,e sick man who is sorry for his slckne
in can hardly ever be healed. THIS COZ
20 Trajectory attitude of thought WI
IF never entertained bv Jesus. The ia
is that so far as specified cases IN u
st New Testament are concerned
Of healed sickness much more trequten
)6 " than sin. This is the pronllhe,
o. feature in the ministry OF Jesus u
r Christ which the Reformation NOV
rs mont did not recover. This work l
e, maincd to be accomplished by
or movement more spiritual in
to perception, more comprehensive
rs its Understanding of the gospel.
st. In the year 1866 Mary Baker Edc
ms whom medical skill failed to rene
n of a serious physical trouble, was :.
lie. simultaneously healed through readl
at the Scriptures. Christian Scientl'
e. know that with her healing beg
he the modern fulfillment of Jes'
,r- promise: "When he. the Spirit
of truth, is come, he will guide you If
;u- all truth" Instead of taking her pr
or steal healing and losing herself IN
sr; throng of the unthankful, her gra
in tude to God and compassion for 81
srs fering humanity led her to lnVes
re- rate and to mediate. On page
till Of "Science and Health with Key
he the Scriptures Mrs. Eddy writ
uld "For three years after NV dlscoVe
ult 7 sought the solution of this pre-
of lem of Mind healing, searched
md Scriptures and read little else, X
airs aloof from society. and devoted u
nus and energies to discovering post
m rule" This rule she discover
ere stated. elucidated, and demonstrat
in over and over again, in healing
md sick. thus renstatino the most pra'
is cal feature Of primitive CHRISTIAN
Hs- All of Mrs. Edd'-'s writings bear
,es- rectly or indirectly, on healing;