FOR a long time after Christ Jesus began to teach the Christian religion, the early Christians had to confront a persistent opposition based on fictitious reasons. Now, their experience has been and is being repeated in the experience of Christian Scientists. There were censures of Christian Science in its early history that are no longer heard or seen. This encouraging fact deserves to be better known. Furthermore, other canards or criticisms are completely discredited, and continue to be repeated only because ignorance is obdurate and hatred refuses to yield. Encouragement for Christian Scientists can be found even in instances of this sort. Then, too, the facts to be stated should be of interest to all fair-minded observers. Mary Baker Eddy discovered Christian Science in 1867, began to teach it in 1867, and issued her first book in 1875. Yet, this subject will be clearly and correctly known in the future immeasurably more than it has been in the past.
One of the first contentions against Christian Science denied its character as a religion. For this censure there was an excuse though not an actual reason. The Christianity then in vogue did not heal "all that were oppressed of the devil" (Acts 10:38). In particular, it did not "heal the sick" (Matthew 10:8; Luke 10:9). Hence, a new teaching that stressed healing the sick could be easily regarded as only another drugless cure until its actual character was communicated to the public. Furthermore, some of Mrs. Eddy's early names for her teaching did not necessarily denote that it was purely religious or spiritual. This comment applies to "Metaphysical Science" and "Moral Science," which terms she used at first more often than Christian Science. So the censure just stated began at an early date; and it continued until after Christian Science was represented by a Church and until after the Church of Christ, Scientist, became extensively known as a Christian denomination.
Among the next criticisms of Christian Science were that Christian Scientists did not accept the Bible and did not believe in God. Although these criticisms were not the same, they were closely related and had similar pretexts. Mrs. Eddy interpreted many passages in the Bible so as to give them new meanings. She also taught new concepts of God; and in doing this she used names for God that were partly new. On the other hand, few persons in all history, if anybody, have had more faith in the Bible and in God than she had, and her devout attitude toward the Bible and toward God was evident from the first of her teaching. It left no plausible reason for the canards or misstatements in question. Yet, they persisted for a surprising length of time. They continued until after Mrs. Eddy had refuted them explicitly in the Christian Science Tenets.
