Probably no subject of reform has received so much able thought in both the old and new world, as the relation of science to religion; but hitherto the sanative and reformatory qualities of divine truth and love have been practically excluded as intelligent remedial agents, by the doctors of both mind and body.
Briefly, the history of Christian Science is as follows: The science of Christian healing was discovered by Mrs. Mary B. Glover, now Mrs. Eddy, in the year 1866. There is evidence that she had no human aid in her scientific researches, and her only text-book was the Bible, when the conviction of this mighty truth dawned upon her. Before publishing her works, she had written notes on the Scriptures which plainly indicate her infantile footsteps and her gradual systemization of Christian science. To use Mrs. Eddy's own words, she "gained a proof of the authenticity of the miracles recorded in the Scriptures, when she learned that the life of man not only depends on God but is God; that divine truth and love understood, rather than believed, impart their own power and demonstrate the grand verities of man in unity with his Maker. "
We regard Mrs. Eddy as the only thoroughly correct teacher of Christian science or metaphysical healing, and quote the following from our text-book by this author: " Materia medica substitutes drugs for the power of God—the might of omnipotence to heal. Theology acknowledges no creed as sufficient to heal the sick, while the Master's first article of faith was healing, and he proved his faith by his works. Our systems of religion are influenced by our systems of medicine, and both idolatry and priestcraft uproot man's faith in spirit, and institute a blind faith in Matter. The schools have rendered it fashionable in sickness to appeal to drugs rather than Deity; they would empower matter to destroy its own ills. Materia medica originated in idolatry, with pagan priests, who inquired of their gods how to heal, and claimed to follow their prescriptions. Apollo, the god of medicine, was also the sender of disease. Hippocrates turned from gods of wood and stone to vegetable and mineral gods for healing; this was deemed progress, but it ought to be understood to be mythology and pagan worship still. The fate of medicine and its history should correspond with that of its god, Apollo, who was banished heaven and endured great sufferings on earth."
