Norwich bulletin., 1922-09-22
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
A Reply to MT. Conee.

MT. Editor: Kindly permit me to answer the letter which appeared re- gently in The Bulletin in which Mir. Cof- fee attempts to explain '.the terrors of Christian Science''
 1t is not always that criticism of this religion contains an acknowledgment of the fact that thought Christian Sci erce: Cures beyond the resources of Materia Medica have been accomplished" Allow me to express my thanks to MT. Coffee for this admission
 Our critics letter contains several quo- tations from the Christian Science text
 book, Science and Health with Key to
 the Scriptures. by Mary Baker Eddy. Of
 course, there is no objection to quota tions. However, when a sentence or a
 part of a sentence, is separated from It's context and is said to mean something entirely different from what the author intended, we have reason to believe that the critic is not entirely free from preiu- dice. In the letter we read: But 1 Christian Scientists deny that there is any efficiency In the sacrifice of Christ Jesus. quote: The material blood of Jesus was no more ef2ieacious to clerse from sin when 1t was shed upon the accursed tree than when 1t was flow ing in His veins" The complete sen- tence follows with the two sentences preceding it from the Christian Science text book, page g.: "The spiritual es-
 sence of blood is sacrifice. The efficacy of Jesus Spiritual offering is infinitely
 greater than he expressed by our sense Jesus was no more efficacious to clense from sin when 1t was shed upon the ! accursed tree,' than when it was flowing i in His veins as He went daily about His Fathers business The letter contains 1 this quotation also: "One sacrifice, how ever great, Is insufficient to pay the
 debt of sln." This quotation is taken 1 by our critic as a proof that Christian 1 Science denies ''the atonement accom- plisf1ed by Christ Jesus" It seems quite l clear from the context that the author l in the sentence just quoted was referring 1 to the sacrifices to be made by the sin 1 ner. l quote from page 25 of the Chris I tian Science textbook Wisdom and 1 Love may require many sacrifices of 1 self to save us from sin. One sacrifice however great, is insufficient to pay the debt of sin. The atonement requires Il constant self f-immeiation on the sin i ner's part"
 ,i Theolegians have found the atonemeni I a difficult problem Webster says: 'Prioi to Anselm, Christ was thought to have paid a ransom to the devil by His suf ferings and thus wrought the deIiveranc' | of those who believed in him. Webstel gives three ether theories. The first O these is the Ansefmian, or the vfcarious
 According to this theory. God accepted the suffering and death of Zesus. "as tn q equivalent Of the punishment justly in } cured by mankind" The theory re 1ufrea of mankind. Their acceptanc through faith of christ's sacrifice Ac |, cgording to the second tnory. originatei l. by Grotius. Jesus death served as warning to nortals, 'tllat violated 1av
 must be followed by punishment" Tn principal fdea in favor of this theof. et seems to be It's deterrent effect on tn tl community" The third theory. as SC
 forth by Maurice, Robertson and Bush
 nell is as folows: Christ, 1t is held
 reveals by His holy life and loye-inspire
 suffering the nature of God, and so win a man to repentance and the pursuit . : holiness, which is the only satisfactfo I God reduffest
 Should your readers desire to knol
 what Christian Science actually teache
 regarding Jesus atenement, may sue ' gegt that they read the second chapte ' of the Christian Science textbook, entitled - 1 "Atonement and Eucharist" win quot
 however, one of the Christian Scienc
 tenets as found on page 4S7 of thi 4 books: 'FWe acknowledge Jesus atone :. ment as the evidence of divine, efficaeiou ' Love, unfolding mans unity with Go through Christ Jesus and Way-showeI
 and we acknowledge that man Is save
 through Christ, through Truth, Life. an e Love as demonstrated by the Galilea