THAT history repeats itself was never more conclusively proved than in the attitude of many professing Christians toward the healing of disease and sin by Christian Scientists, who look upon it as an essential and perfectly natural part of their religion. One of these unfriendly critics recently said, "I suppose that there are cases of healing accomplished through Christian Science, but no one can make me believe that it is through any good agency," implying in his remark that it must needs be then through some evil power that the good (for healing is certainly good) is wrought. It is the same old slur that was thrust at the Master when people congregated to talk over his healing works one with another, and then said, doubtless with lowered voices and woeful looks, "This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils." Effective and far reaching was the ready reply of the one who gave blessing for cursing: "If I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out?"
May not the same question be put to other religionists by Christian Scientists today,—If we cast out evil by evil, by whom do you cast it out? If this question be answered fairly and honestly, the answer needs must be that they cast it out not at all, at least in the form of sickness. Neither do they seemingly desire to, but instead even regard it as apparently a sinful thing to do; yet the command was to cast out all manner of evil. There is nothing good about sickness; then it is an evil, and as such should certainly be cast out by the followers of him whose commands along other lines all religious bodies have heeded and tried to follow. Why this distinction? Jesus was the Wayshower, the perfect witness to the omnipotence, omnipresence, and omniscience of God,—the well beloved Son, who faithfully performed the works which the Father sent him to do, bidding his followers do all the works that he did, since everything that he did, he said, could also be done by "them that believe."
Then if through the teachings of Christian Science, which is but a modern presentation of primitive Christianity, people come to believe sufficiently in the present power of spiritual truth to apply it with understanding enough to heal the sick, why is it not a fulfilment of the promises made by the Nazarene, and in the name of suffering humanity why should it not be welcomed? Some complain that Scientists occasionally fail to heal those who turn to them for help, and this is regrettably true; but it is well to recall that Jesus himself in some places did "no mighty works" because of "their unbelief." There is something for a patient to do, and that is to "believe" with solid conviction. Considering, too, the comparatively few years since Christian Science came to lighten and bring its message of good cheer to a heavily burdened world, together with the doubt, skepticism, and ridicule it has had to face, it is surely to be wondered at, from a human standpoint, that it. heals at all.
