In the year of 1840, and when I was about seventeen years old. I was one of about one hundred and twenty who were frightened into an orthodox church by the cry of hellfire and damnation, by the revivalists. Those same revivalists groaned with horror at the mention of a person kneeling in front of a cross.
Were a Roman Catholic or Episcopalian, asked whether he worshipped the cross, he would answer: "No! we are reminded by that of the death of Christ; if we bear our crosses we shall wear the crown." Now, as we know that Christ did not die, what is the cut on our text-book, Science and Health and the Christian Science Journals to represent? One figure is a representation of a piece of timber with a shorter piece crossing it at right angles. If this at all resembles the crosses we must bear, I am too dull to comprehend it. The other figure represents a crown material, which if anything like a representation of the crown that we expect to realize, I am very much in the dark and would be very thankful if some brother or sister would enlighten me. Is it scientific to say that looking at or thinking of anything material will develop spirituality?
Have we not advanced too far in the Truth to need such reminders any more than we do organization, ordination, installation, dedication, or whatever else tends to distract attention from the universal brotherhood and equality of man? Do these weapons to fight evil with fit us any better than Saul's armor fitted David? Could David ever have brought his Goliath down if he had kept that armor on? and can we ever conquer our Goliaths with any weapon but the spiritual? Cannot we read the signs of the times spiritually? Are we sleeping, that we cannot perceive that the last days that Jesus spoke of are upon us? Are we fleeing to the mountains? Are we staying on the house-top, out of reach of materiality, magnetism,—or is there something loved by mortal mind that we want to take with us? How many companions are there and "One is taken and the other left"? Are we going to try to fight our way with the world's weapons? No! we are "putting on the whole armor of God." We are going to battle with only the armor of love for Good and our fellow-men.
