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A Last Word About Christian Science. 



tion inclines. A fettered or prejudiced attention is altogether 

 liable to produce a wrong interpretation of a thing when it is seen, 

 that is, a vivid preconception of a thing too often determines the per- 

 ception of it. The thing seen by the mind's eye is imposed on the 

 thing really seen, and so imagination takes the place of sense and 

 blinds the eye to what is actually before it. 



The unchristian and unscientific qualities of Christian Science are 

 so apparent as to need no word from me. With it money is the prin- 

 cipal tiling, healing being an altogether secondary consideratiuu, 

 which facts alone discredit its claims. It is remarkable that persons 

 unable to explain some of the elementary vital processes, still profess 

 to have a theory of life, and, unable to explain the cardinal facts and 

 laws of light, heat, etc., are confident in their assertions respecting 

 the universe, its origin and purpose. No wonder then that instead 

 of laboriously ascertaining what is known of matter and its properties, 

 they imagine that by an easy divination they can detect the nature of 

 matter. Instead of classifying the observed phenomena they classify 

 their conceptions without verifying them. Start with a theory not 

 based on facts, to explain certain phenomena which have not been 

 established as facts, the conclusions can have no value whatever. 



This crusade against the human senses and reason becomes most inju- 

 rious when it is taken as a heavenly guarantee for the truth of particular 

 opinions or particular events. Of all moral engines, faith which is 

 inspired by a religious creed is perhaps the most powerful. All that 

 the mind-healers really accomplish can be paralleled without assum- 

 ing any supernatural cause. According to Dr. Buckley, the lowest 

 formula is concentrated attention; if to this be added reverence, 

 whether for God, spirits, or simple mystery, the effect is greatly in- 

 creased; if to this there again be added confident expectancy of par- 

 ticular result, the effect in causing sickness or relieving it, or in caus- 

 ing actual death is appalling. 



Of course it is most absurd for a pretended teacher of Christianity 

 to put such interpretations on the Scriptures as will place them 

 in daily and hourly contradiction with facts, for the truth of which 

 we have all the evidence that our nature is capable of receiving. The 

 culture of science is incompatible with the special support of any 

 dogma, for if the dogma were true, making it an object of special 

 care or reverence takes it out of democratic relations with other truths, 

 and so injures it and us by influencing us to unduly neglect or favor 

 other truths. The dogmatist has nowhere such a favorite field as the 

 spiritual or theological, where he may convert his own imaginings 

 into objective verities, and draw endless conclusions without fear of 



