Editorials

The efforts to secure legislation in protection of the practice of medicine and surgery in nearly all the states wherein the legislatures held sessions during the winter just closed, resulted in a wider discussion of the question of religious liberty than this country, or possibly any country, has ever witnessed. So far as we have been advised these efforts have failed to procure any legislation which can be said to be an interference with or abridgment of religious liberty in so far as the question affects Christian Scientists, excepting in the State of Indiana.

Recent events have brought into discussion, in newspapers and elsewhere, the questions suggested by the above caption. There is perhaps no question in human affairs which offers a wider field for speculation or play of the imagination than that which relates to the peculiarities of the human, mortal mind.

The demise of Great Britain's best and greatest Sovereign, Queen Victoria, suggests some interesting reminiscences in connection with the Empire since her accession. The duration of her reign was sixty-three and one half years.

The Evangelist, of New York, in a recent editorial relating to a Christian Science lecture, thus animadverts:— "It is very certain that the life of that movement or church which calls itself by this name is that its members do practise and live by certain truths which have been the property of the Christian Church since our Lord revealed them, and that his Church has greatly suffered by not living up to her privilege and duty in this respect. It is safe to say that the philosophy on which Christian Science is based is a tissue of ignorance and misapprehension, but the lives of the great majority of Christian Scientists are a beautiful illustration of what certain teachings of Christ ought to have wrought in his Church long before this, and might have wrought, had the Church been more full of faith and less concerned with speculation.

It has recently been truly said that as to the healing works of Christian Science the burden of proof does not belong to Christian Science, but to its opponents. It has come to pass that most of the opponents of Christian Science no longer care to assume that burden.

The statement recently made by an eminent Episcopalian clergyman, that "if the Church of Christ, Catholic, had done its duty, the Church of Christ, Scientist, had not been," would appear to be a severe arraignment of the Church of Christ, Catholic. It might even be construed to imply a serious, if not inexcusable, dereliction on the part of the Church Catholic.

Theodore F. Seward, in his admirable address before the Episcopalian Congress of Providence, reached a climax when he uttered these words: "One effect of Christian Science is of immeasurable importance.

About one year ago we had supposed, for reasons quite satisfactory to ourselves, that we had entered upon the Twentieth Century. We were entirely satisfied, as a matter of mere personal choice, with this arrangement.

All who are interested in Christian Science and the great work it is accomplishing for sinful and suffering humanity, should be subscribers to the Christian Science Journal and the Christian Science Sentinel, which are the official organs of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Mass. The value of these periodicals can be fully realized only by those who are regular subscribers thereto.

We have perused with interest a paper entitled, "The New Revival," read by the Rev. Quincy L.