Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 17.djvu/215

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OHBISTIAK 199 0HBI8TIAK

All-in-all. Spirit is immortal Truth; matter is Lord's Prayer, with its "interpretation/* is as fol-

mortal error. Spirit is the real and eternal; matter lows:

  • is the unreal and temporal. Spirit is God, and Our Father which art in Heaven,

man His image and likeneas. Therefore man is Otar Father^M other God, all harmonious,

not material; ne is spiritual. Hallowed be Thy name,

Christian Science claims to be essentially a Adorable one,

method of healing; of curing both body and soul; Thy Kingdom come,

it seeks "the mental, moral, and physical regenera- ^^V Kingdom is tnihin us, Thou art ever

tion of mankind." Power to heal sickness and Sff*^^^'

sin is the sign of true discipleship of Jesus, and Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Mrs. Eddy asserted that He gave a command, bind- Enable us to know— as in Heaven, so on earth

ing on all His followers, to preach and heal. Sick- ^ ^ ^^.^ f» omnipotent, supreme.

ness, sin, matter, pain, pleasure, death, evil in Give us this day our daily bread; general, are declared to be nothing, to be "mortal Give us grace for today; feed the famished

mind," while only Mind (immortal, infinite Mind) ^ . ^ affectums;

is real, and God is Mind. Disease being mental And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors;

error, the cure consists in convincing the patient . And Love w reflected in love;

of the error. There are no sacraments in Christii^n And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us Science; there is no prayer, properly so-called, for ^^?^ V^^h j . .

"man cannot influence God; God influences man." And God Uadeth us not into temptation, but

The organization is highly centralized, the "First delwereth us from sin, disease, and death. Church of Christ, Scientist" in Boston, the "Mother For thme is the Kingdom, and the power, and the Church," being the center. This center is governed „ 9\ory for ever. „ , ., «  by the "Manual of the Mother Church" (by Mrs. ^or God %s tnfimte, all-Power, alULtfe, Truth, Eddy), which contains "the Church Tenets, Rules, „ -^^ve, over all and All. and By-Laws, as prepared by Mrs. Eddy." Until -^o' ^'^^ convemence of its members and the her death Mrs, Eddy was at first Pastor and later Rjopajfation of its teachings among visitors, eveiy Pastor Emeritus with practically unlimited power. ' Christian Scientist Church conducts a free reading There are besides a Board of (5) Directors, who room, in which are to be found books and publica- elect also a President, a Clerk, a Treasurer, and ^^9^ weued by the Publication Society, two Readers. In addition there is a Board of . Hbaunq.— Actual treatment of cases to be healed Trustees who conduct the business of the Christian ^ generally earned on (or supposed to be) in con- Science Publishing Society, the Board of Directors nection with the Church, and a regular fee is having power to declare vacancies in this Board, charged. Individual practitioners also treat cases. The branch churches are forbidden to use the having offices and office hours after the manner of "Manual," and while they are declared to have physicians. According to "Science and Health" the each its own form of government, subordination *iuman mind (since it is unreal) is not a healing to the Mother Church is obtained through the g^ent, is not a factor in the principle of Christian regulation requiring at least 16 members, four of Science which denies that it cures by mental sug- whom must be members of the Mother Church, gestion .or humaa will-power or by any form of before a branch can be organized, while in addition ja^tj^ cure. Healing is attributed to Mind (that is, every Reader in a branch church must be a mem- Ood), through the mere knowledge of or belief in ber of the Mother Church. Since Mrs. Eddy's this Mind on the part of the patient. "Human will- death the question of the possession of supreme Pg?^®'» according to Mrs. Eddy, is not science, authority has been disputed by the two boards, Human will belongs to the so-called material and is not yet definitely settled. flenses, and its use is to be condemned. Willing

There are no pastors in the usual sense of the ^3^ rh^ilV^'^^rJ^ ^k I^^ me^apl^y8i<»l P'-actice

term in Christian Science, the Bible and "Science ^L,•S^'^?^^^T»,!^iffi!f'«♦*'"^^^^ *^"^*^ ""r?"

and Health" taking their places according to the ^^tism. The efficient remedy is to destroy the

decree issued by Sirs. Ecfiy in 1895: "kmbly, l^^'Z^\^^^,^^^^ ^^ll'^^f^r *i?^ *"^^^*^ and as I believe, divinely directed, I hereby ordain vL^J^J^Ll^U^^^ harmonious

the Bible and 'Science and Health, with Key to fe^'^Pr^^iS^iL^^ii. ^ -f^— ^ ^^t^^ .°^ the Scriptures' to be hereafter the only pastor of ?^f!f,' t'jl.^fn'^i ^* '* u"* /^^PT'^- ^f "^ the Church of Christ, Scientist, throughout our !S**^t n?f ^:, f . ^^^^^^^ ""^ ^ land, and in other lands." Services are conducted 7J'^K Bpf k^ ^^^' *^i ^?^ «^^J«ver-!l ^""1 in accordance with the "Order of Service" con- l^Pi»"«^J ha? ^o affimty with matter, and

tained in the "Manual," and consist of fourteen &,r^^Jj"/lil.!iy!.i^^Ji^.„? *i!l.°LJ^?

exercises ;


prayer,

another Kymn^ a'^'TOlo" the lesson^ "S?^^ J? ?°1 painful, ^he boil simply manLfeste,-

tion of Scriptural texts and excerpts from "Science !^St^^'??f.'°i^H°^ *"}? j^^i*'?,^' 5 ^^¥ -'"' and Health " indicated in advance by the central P^' and this behef is called a boil. Now a^min-

authorities and read alternately by the Readers, the ^!^ 5r^?!??^ ^/^^^ R^*'®"* ^ ^'^^ attenuation

first Reader, as being the most important reading the &w !S^^Jt«L\^ 1??

-Science ani Health" passages), then after the col- tt^Tn ^ ?f 'S°^^^♦w ^fv^^'® " S^^'^'^i

lectionanotherhymnisfoUowedbythereadingofthe Tavl^- ^** ^fw — ♦* *^ f^?^ ^^^

"scientific statement of being" (see above), iid the S,^S ',*l?S Pt'^i^^pja **!i """^^ '"^ P*'"'-,

meeting closes with a benediction, which consists &i^„5ir!'J!f^5i"- ^"^^ decreed after several

i^ JI^;^^ « ,,.«—« t^^^ fi^«;»^...^ TT.;- -^•-^•-^ :- unfortunate experiences, are not to be treated by

""Tl^^^ q"!i ®"^ !J This service is christian Scientists: "Until the advancing age

conducted on Sunday morning and evemng. There admits the efficacy and supremacy of MindT it is

18 also a Wednesday evenmg service of a similar better for Christian Scientists to leave surgeiV and

nature, charactenzed by the givmg of "testimony" the adjustment of broken bones and dislocations to

in regard to cures performed or experienced. The the fingers of a surgeon, while the mental healer