THE HOLY SPIRIT
and other spirits 

PART II.—EVIL SPIRITS.

Christian Science

  Christian science is the given to one of the most unChristian and unscientific sects in existence, of which the devil is the father and Mrs. Mary Baker Eddy is the mother. Almost every sect in existence has interspersed with its numerous errors a few fragments of truth; but Christian science has less truth and more error than any crooked creed of which I know. In fact it would be putting it very little, if any, too strong to say that every principle taken separately or collectively is purely of devilish origin.

  The origin of many of the principles which go to make up Christian science is buried in the heart of ancient mythology, heathen philosophy, and pagan superstition; but the conglomeration of heathenism, superstition, pantheism, atheism, hypnotism, and devil power known to the world today as Christian science, owes its origin as we have before intimated, to Mrs. Eddy and the devil. The statements we have here made are clear and plain, but not exaggerated in the least, as we shall now proceed to prove. The first point we wish to notice is that Christian science is false and deceptive in its name, and is not what it is claimed to be. It is neither Christian nor scientific, but directly the opposite.

  CHRISTIAN SCIENCE ANTICHRISTIAN. 1. It is antichristian, or antichrist, because it denies the incarnation of Christ, which is the first principle of Christianity. Here are the words of Mrs. Eddy: "God cannot become finite and so be limited WITHIN MATERIAL BOUNDS." Even if Christian scientists were to acknowledge that Christ was as we are—sin excepted, or that He was "made like unto His brethren," they would still deny His literal incarnation, as they do not believe that any" thing is material. "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God; and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world." 1 John 4:1 3.

  By Mrs. Eddy's own statement and the testimony of eternal truth she denies and scoffs at the fundamental principle of Christianity, and a p p I i e s the name of Christian to the very theory that denies Christianity. The very doctrine that to the mind of Mrs. Eddy appears Christian or Christlike, is what the apostle John calls antichrist. Having learned this much of Mrs. Eddy's judgment the reader will not be surprised at what is to come.

  2. They deny the personality of God. "God is the principle of the universe." This means—if it means anything—that God is not a person, but a principle and has no existence apart from His work. And that the student of Christian science may not be mistaken in her meaning Mrs. Eddy further says: "We think of God no longer as a distinct personality, but as ever" present and impersonal Life, Truth, Love, Divine Mind." This is a pure and unadulterated principle of Oriental pantheism, and a positive denial of a personal God. Pantheism teaches that the universe taken or conceived of as a whole, is God; that there is no God but the combined forces and laws which are manifested in the existing universe. Who can fail to see the undoubted identity in this teaching and the atheistic statements of Christian scientists? "God is not a person, but a principle." This means that when God said, "Thou canst not see my face" (Ex. 33:20), He was mistaken or deceived in Himself, as a principle could not have a face. It also means that John was using superfluous language when he said, "No man has seen God at any time" (John 1:18); for if God is Life, Love, etc., it would be wholly unnecessary to say that no man has seen Him, as all are aware that such elements as life and love cannot be seen.

  It further means that all the inspired writers from Moses to St. John were badly in error in always applying persona! pronouns to God, as they should be applied to persons only. It also means that God Himself was mistaken when He said, "I AM THAT I AM." According to Christian science He should have said, "It is that it is," as "I" is applied to persons only; and in speaking of such elements as love, life, and truth we should always say "it." Christian science makes God an absolute, impersonal, ever changing, and boundless "it," while we have always supposed that God is a person, because the Bible says so. Wonderful revelation of science and health!

  If anyone doubts what I have said about Mrs. Eddy's teaching concerning the personality of God, I refer him to pages 377. 378, 393, and many other places in "Science and Health." [163]

(As there have been several revisions of this book the pages may sometimes vary a little.)

  Mrs. Eddy also denies the personality of Satan in the same strong terms in which she denies the personality of God. Moreover, she denies the existence of sin, and thus overthrows the atonement and makes a fool of the Son of God, in that He came to die for the eradication of a thing or a something which never existed. She further believes that Christ was God only as every other man is God, and even claims that His death was caused by animal magnetism. (See "Science and Health," page 516.)

  Mrs. Eddy and her followers are antichristian in their doctrine of healing, which is a main spoke in their wheel. They deny sickness, pain, and death, and make the healing power of God of no effect and the gift of the Spirit an illusion. Mrs. Eddy says, "There is no sickness." James says, "Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church (not Christian science healers); and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the SICK and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him." James 5:14, 15.

  Christian scientists also charge for their healing while Jesus says, "Freely ye have received, freely give." In this again it proves itself antichristian and antichrist. Mrs. Eddy also sells a souvenir spoon, in the bowl of which is an etching of her home, and on the handle is the likeness of "Mother Eddy." These spoons are made in gold and silver and sell for five dollars and three dollars, respectively. "Mother Eddy" asks her followers to buy these as a means of grace and healing.

  Christian scientists are also unchristian in their practice of making merchandise of the gospel, or preaching for money. Mrs. Mary Mason Baker Glover Patterson Eddy, the mother of Christian science, has accumulated already a small fortune. At one time she charged three dollars for twelve lectures, or lessons, that she gave each class that attended her metaphysical college. This looks to me like being "greedy for filthy lucre." One Christian scientist of Peoria, Ill., claims that his religion cost him $1,000. Yet he has always been a poor man, and possibly always will remain so if he clings to Christian science; and what is worse, he will be a pauper at the judgment without eternity's gold and the wedding garments of righteousness.

  The following is a short comparison of the doctrines of Christian science and the Bible, by A. J. Gordon. [164]

  SCIENCE AND HEALTH. "Jesus never ransomed man by paying the debt that sin incurs; whosoever sins must suffer." —Vol. II, p. 189. BIBLE. "In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins." Col. 1:14.

  SCIENCE AND HEALTH. "Sin is not forgiven; we cannot escape its penalty."—Vol. II, p. 165. BIBLE. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9.

  SCIENCE AND HEALTH. "Petitioning a personal Deity is a misapprehension of the source and means of all good and blessedness; therefore it cannot be beneficial."—Vol. II, p. 170. BIBLE. "In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." Phil. 4:6.

  Christian science denies the personality of both God and the devil; does not believe the incarnation of Christ; scoffs at the idea of prayer and the heavenly birth; considers sickness, sin, pain, and death illusion; divines for money; and yet its blind devotees lean upon the Lord and say, "Is not the Lord among us? no evil can come upon us." Micah 3:11. No one but a person

  with a seared conscience and a reprobate mind could christen such a mass of antichristian tenets as Mrs. Eddy has Christian science. How can a thing be Christian which denies every principle of Christianity?

  Here are a few more of Dr. Gordon's comparisons of the Bible and Christian science, that are very interesting and instructive. These comparisons clearly prove that Christian science contradicts the Bible; and anything that contradicts the Bible cannot be Christian.

  SCIENCE AND HEALTH. "Science decides matter or mortal body to be nothing but a belief and an illusion."—Vol. 11, p. 193. BIBLE. "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body." Rom. 6:12. "He shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." Rom. 8:11.

  SCIENCE AND HEALTH. "Man is coeternal and coexistent with God, and they are inseparable in Divine Science."—Vol. I, p. 17 . BIBLE. "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him." Gen. 1:27.

  SCIENCE AND HEALTH. "Mortal body and material man are delusions that spiritual understanding destroys."—Vol. I, p. 27. BIBLE. "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life." Gen. 2:7. [165]

  SCIENCE AND HEALTH. "The term souls, or spirits, is as improper as Gods."—Vol. I, p. 404. BIBLE. "But ye are come unto Mount Sion,... and to the spirits of just men made perfect." Heb. 12:22, 23.

  SCIENCE AND HEALTH. "Man is incapable of sin.... Man cannot depart from holiness." Vol. I, p. 541. BIBLE.— "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23.

  SCIENCE AND HEALTH. "God is too pure to behold (i.e., cannot behold) iniquity."—Vol. I, p. 125. BIBLE. "The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good." Proverbs 15:3.

  SCIENCE AND HEALTH. "Principle (i.e., God) never pardons either sins or mistakes."—Vol.I, p.420. BIBLE. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins." 1 John 1:9.

  SCIENCE AND HEALTH. "There is no death."—Vol. I, p. 531. BIBLE. "It is appointed unto man once to die." Heb. 9:27.

  CHRISTIAN SCIENCE UNSCIENTIFIC.—Science is knowledge—knowledge of principles and causes. Real science is truth, and truth never contradicts itself. Anything that is scientific can be demonstrated, and thus it follows that whatever can not be demonstrated is unscientific.

  1. Christian science, so called, is unscientific because it is not knowledge and cannot be demonstrated. How does Mrs. Eddy know that God is impersonal; that there is no devil, no sin, no sickness, no death? Men who have known more of God in one hour than Mrs. Eddy will ever know—such men as Jesus of Nazareth, Peter, Paul, James, and John, for examples; yes, and thousands of others — have told us that God is a person; that the devil, sin, sickness, and death are real, and then shall we believe the deceptive vision of a woman who is inferior to any of them, and can not demonstrate what she teaches? Verily, nay! Inspiration from God, the highest source of knowledge says that "Christ was made like unto his brethren;" that "he took upon himself the form of man"—sin excepted. It further tells us that God is a person, and, notwithstanding the affirmation of Mrs. Eddy to the contrary, we must believe it. Compare, if you will, the following clear, concise, and scientific statements of Joseph Cook in the following five propositions with the senseless statements of Christian science. [166]

  1. "There cannot be thought without a thinker.
  2. "There is thought in the universe.
  3. "There is therefore a thinker in the universe.
  4. "But a thinker is a person.
  5. "Therefore, there is a personal thinker in the universe."

  Placed beside such comprehensive statements as these, Christian science looks about as clear as an ocean fog, and we should almost forget that it is a science but for its name. Christian science has not demonstrated, and cannot demonstrate, what it teaches; hence it is not and cannot be a science.

  2. It is unscientific because it contradicts itself, which science does not and cannot do. Christian science denies the existence of sin, and then gives expression to the following contradictory words: "Evil in its manifold forms presents a problem to the world, not lending itself to easy solution."

  Christian scientists deny the existence of sickness, and then flood the world with publications on healing and charge exorbitant prices for healing diseases. If there is no such a thing as sickness they should be arrested for obtaining money under false pretense. It is certainly the height of foolishness for people to pay Christian science healers enormous prices for healing them of chronic or inflammatory nothingness. We once heard of a man who called for a Christian science healer and was told that he was not sick, but only had a "belief," and was instructed to believe that he was in good health and all would be well. After the treatment was ended the healer presented a bill for $1.00, and the patient replied; "You do not want $l.00; you have only a 'belief,' so you just believe that you have the dollar, and you will have it."

  A gentleman of the Christian science faith one time received serious injury in his foot, and after being helped to the house he was seated on a chair with his foot supported by a pillow on another chair, when a friend entered and asked what was the matter, and the crippled man replied: "The devil is trying to make me believe that I have my foot crushed, but I will not believe him."

  Christian scientists constantly affirm that material existence is all illusion and vapor, and at the same time they use terms referring to material things and speak of them as if they were real. They say there is no devil, and then talk of the devil and his works. They say there is no sin, sickness, nor torment, and yet speak of them constantly. They say there is no death, [167] yet they all talk of death and all die. Consistency with them is not a jewel.

  Christian science denies all science, and says there is no earth, no sun, no stars, no satellites, no anything; all is void and empty. Thus they give the lie to God and men, and stepping out into space they defy nothing or nobody to dislocate them from nowhere. Nonsense! you say; and so it is, and we could fill many pages with just such nonsensical statements from Christian science doctrines. "When reading the authorities on this subject," says Dr. Bell, "I have often been reminded of the talks I have had with the insane."

  Christian science, as we have before stated, is a mixture of mythology, hypnotism, and Oriental philosophy; and as we have now proved it to be antichristian and unscientific, we shall make a few comparisons of Oriental philosophy and Christian science.

  1. "Brahma is the universal spirit, the ground and cause of all existence; but it is not an individual, personal Deity."— Brahmanism. "God is not a personal Deity, but a principle." —Christian Science.

  2. "The human soul is a portion of this universal spirit." —Brahmanism. "Man is co eternal and co existent with God, and they are inseparable in Divine Science."—Christian Science.

  As we have before clearly proved, Christian science bears a strong resemblance to pantheism. It has also stolen a few principles from hypnotism, as will be seen from the following statements. After the operator has been instructed to run a pin through the skin of the wrist of his subject, hypnotism prescribes the following treatment: "There is no pain here. There never has been any pain there." Before hypnosis you are instructed to say you are dead to all sense of pain, you feel no pain whatever. No pain, no pain! How very much this sounds like Christian science treatment: "No sin, no sickness, no pain."

  Christian science is not, as it is claimed to be, a new discovery. It is only a new collection of diabolical lies that have been used by the devil and his servants for years. Christian science, hypnotism, Weltmerism, Dowieism, and hundreds of other "isms" are only old servants of the devil redressed to gain attention and excite curiosity. And we warn every child of God in the name of Jesus to beware of all such soul destroying institutions.

  In conclusion let me say that according to Mrs. Eddy's doctrine God is anything and everything. For if, as she affirms, "God is all, and all is God," then everything we see, hear, feel, [168] taste, or smell is God; and we may worship stones, trees, mountains, woods, fire, water, animals, and anything in existence, either animate or inanimate. If this is true then the heathen are right, and we poor blinded Christians wander in darkness and superstition and worship that which does not exist—a personal God.

  Christian science is of the devil and the purest type of superstition and ignorance. May God help every honest soul to flee from it and find refuge in the God of the Bible. Amen. [169]

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