MANY more people will be led to accept the teaching and practise of Christian Science when they find that it has a Scriptural basis on which the leaders and founders of other churches also laid claim to works of healing. When this fact becomes more generally known, a greater desire will be manifested to learn the reason why Mrs. Eddy met with so much success where others only partially succeeded or most egregiously failed.
In the church to which the writer belonged it was customary to pay homage to the theological writings of John Wesley. Every candidate for the ministry was expected to be familiar with these works. During the course of my study of them I became well acquainted with the rule of interpretation which finds ample illustration in "Wesley's Journal." It may be stated in these words, "that God gives holiness and health to His people in answer to the prayer of faith." Two things are necessary to a clear apprehension of that statement, namely, a proper understanding of the term "God," and of what is meant by "the prayer of faith." It was just on these two points where the old theological training failed men. It was easy to furnish Scripture proofs and to find adequate personal testimony to the fact of healing, but the explanation was lacking.
There was the difficulty which arose from the attempt to combine the use of material remedies with the prayer of faith. There was the still greater difficulty of taking up the work alone, and making God responsible for one's efforts in trying to heal the sick. These difficulties were overcome through the study of Christian Science, and herein lies our debt of gratitude to its revered and noble Leader, Mrs. Eddy. Meantime it was good to know that one's previous study of Wesley's writings formed a fitting preparation for this greater discovery in the realm of applied Christianity. To have become familiar with them, and others of a similar character, was, after all, an excellent introduction to a study of the Christian Science text book, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures."
