The Christian Science movement has attained to the dignity of a large and rapidly growing denomination. It has enlisted the interest of individuals who possess average discriminating intelligence and who have been convinced by undeniable facts,—the good results of this faith. If, therefore, it were ever courteous, it is certainly too late in the day to raise the cry that it is "charlatanry," "unscientific," and "un-Christian."
Nevertheless, in the April number of the Atlantic Monthly, Dr. John W. Churchman ventures to take a tardy turn at reiterating the stale misconceptions of Christian Science which have been employed by a long succession of ill-advised critics before him, and which have been publicly refuted time and again. In this he has disappointed the natural expectation that a physician would be exceedingly hesitant about criticising what he can but look upon as a competitive healing system, lest he lay himself open to the suspicion of being professionally prejudiced.
While Christian Scientists wish for their fellow-men all the benefits which have come into their own lives, they have no desire to proselyte, nor are they troubled because others differ from them in their opinions. What they deplore is the painful misrepresentation of their faith, which tends to prejudice suffering humanity and thereby rob many of much-needed comfort. Jesus said, "By their fruits ye shall know them;" nevertheless, here we have a man of letters, one who poses as defender of the Bible, and yet who vehemently applies the term "blasphemy" to a Scriptural knowledge whose good fruits are known, in a degree at least, to the entire English-speaking world. Christian Science is improving the moral condition of multitudes. It is healing the sick and binding up the broken-hearted everywhere. "For which of those works" does he "stone" it?
