A mental healer by
the name of Dr. Quimby appeared early in the nineteenth century in
Portland, Maine. He made experiments in healing by hypnotism and
mesmerism. One of his students was a Mrs. Mary Baker Glover
Patterson Eddy, who from 1862 to 1865 had attracted some notoriety
as a mesmeric subject.
One year after Dr.
Quimby died (1865), Mrs. Eddy claimed to have received a revelation
in which she received a discovery of the doctrines of Christian
Science. She wrote these philosophies down in a book entitled
Science and Health, strikingly similar to a book authored by Dr.
Quimby, Science of Man. Mrs. Eddy copyrighted her book and sold it
in several editions at handsome revenues. The first edition appeared
in 1875, followed by many editions containing many changes . . .
Science and Health With, Key To The Scriptures.
The first Science and Health Association
was organized in 1876 with six pupils. The first Science Church was
established by her in Boston in 1879 with twenty?six members. She
was the pastor of this, the "Mother Church." All other churches of
this connection are branch churches of the mother church. Membership
has always run about three women to every man. "Church of Christ,
Scientist" is the official church name. Mrs. Eddy's career was a
checkered one, having thrice married and once divorced. She reaped a
financial fortune; despite her insistence that nothing material is
real, she amassed a worth of over three million dollars by the time
of her death in 1910. She had said, "There is no death."
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE TRADITION.THE WORD OF
GOD.
1. Mary Baker Eddy is the head of the church,
and was its first pastor in Boston. (See Historical Sketch).
1. Jesus is the
"only potentate." 1 Timothy 6:1415.
2. Jesus is the
only head of the church. Ephesians 1: 20?23.
3.Pastors
(elders) in the scripture were required to be 'the husband of one
wife.' 1 Timothy 3; Titus 1. How could she be a husband at all?
4. Women are
limited in their participation in public church assemblies to a
place of subjection and silence. 1 Corinthians 14:34; 1 Timothy
2:12.
2. The Bible is
not pure, defiled by material and moral senses. (Eddy, Science and
Health, 139:20?22). 1. Proverbs 30:5. 2. Romans 3:4.
3. 2 Timothy
3:16.
4. 2 Peter 1:21;
Matthew 24:35.
5. The word of
God is perfect. James 1:25.
3. The church
originated in Boston in 1876. 1. Scriptures teach that Jerusalem
is where the church was established. Isaiah 2:3; Luke 24:47; Acts
2:1?47.
2. Scriptures
teach that the time was when power came and when the Spirit came the
first Pentecost after the resurrection of Christ. Joel 2; Acts 2;
Mark 9:1; Acts 1: 8.
3. Every plant
which the Father did not plant shall be rooted up. Matthew
15:13.
4. "A Christian Scientist is one who accepts
and practices Christian Science as a religion."
George Channing,
"What Is A Christian Scientist?"
Leo Rosten,
Religions of America, p. 21. 1. Paul once referred to
"science falsely so?called." 1 Timothy 6:20?21. These have erred
from the faith of Christ.
2. Mary Baker Eddy's religion was
neither Christian nor truly scientific.
5. The name, "Church
of Christ, Scientists" ?on all buildings and literature. 1.
Jesus referred to the church as "My church." Matthew 16:18.
2. It was
purchased with His blood. Acts 20:28.
3. Paul,
referring to various congregations, said: "The churches of Christ."
Romans 16:16.
6. Mrs. Eddy
"reinstated primitive Christianity and its lost element of healing."
Religious Bodies,
Statistics, History and Doctrines, Vol. 11, p. 397ff.
"I must know the
science of this healing, and I won my way to absolute conclusions
through divine revelations, reason, and demonstration."
Science and Health,
p. 109.
1. Those who are
physically sick have need of a physician. Matthew 9:12.
2. Jesus healed
miraculously and even raised from the dead, but told His disciples
they would do "greater works." John 14:12. What is greater than
healing the
Sick or restoring
sight to the blind? It is saving the souls of men through the
preaching of the good news of the death burial and resurrection of
Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:1?4. This greater work could later be
done because Jesus said, "I go to my Father."
3. Physical
miraculous healing, drinking deadly poison, etc., w a s performed by
Christ and His apostles for the specific purpose of confirming the
word. Hebrews 2:14; Mark 16:20.
4. All revelation
of truth was complete in the first century. Jude 3 ("The faith was
once for all delivered to the saints.")
5. Once fully
revealed, confirmed by signs, and recorded by competent witnesses,
the truth was completely delivered and there was no longer a need
for confirming that truth again and again.
7. God is
"harmonious mind?action," divine, infinite mind, principle, truth.
Science and Health, 109: 16?17; 465:8?10.
1. God is a person. Genesis 1:1?31; Hebrews 1:3.
8. Jesus Christ is
not God, except in same sense that 'God and man, Father and Son, are
one in being."
Science and Health,
36: 2?18. 1. Jesus is God. Isaiah 9:6; John
20:28;Philippians2:56; Hebrews 1:8.
He was not
incarnated in the flesh: "The Virgin Mary conceived this idea of
God, Christ is not God,
and gave to her ideal the name of Jesus."
Science and Health, 29: 14?18.
2. Jesus
became flesh. Luke 1:30, 31, 34, 35; John 1: 14; Luke 24:39.
Christ and Jesus
are two: "Christ is the ideal truth; Jesus is the name of the man
who more than all other men has presented Christ, the true idea of
God ... Jesus is the human man and Christ is the divine idea; hence
the duality of Jesus the Christ." Science and Health, 475:, 10?17.
3. Jesus is the Christ. Matthew 16:16?18.
4. The same
person, in fleshly body. John 20:31; Romans 5:8; 1 Corinthians 15:
3; 1 Peter 1:19; Ephesians 2:13?16.
5. A man is a
liar (so is a woman!) who does not confess Jesus is the Christ, one
and the same. 2 John 7.
6. Jesus Christ
is come in the flesh. 2 John 7.
Jesus did not die. Science and Health, 46:
2, 3; 44:28?20; 45:11?12. 7. He did die. John 19:33Romans
5:8; 14:9; 153; ; Corinthians 15:i?4; and many others.
Jesus did not
rise from the dead physically. Science and Health, 313: 26?30.
8. He did arise physically. Luke 24:39?43; John 20:2629.
The "material blood
of Jesus" will not save from sin. Science and Health, 25: 6?9.
[Note: This is an
admission that Jesus is the Christ and that He came in the flesh and
that physical blood ran through His veins.]
9. We are saved
from sin by the blood of Christ. Romans 5:9; Colossians 1:20;
Hebrews 10:4?12; 1 John 1:7.
9. The Holy
Spirit is "divine science." I Corinthians 3:16; 6:19;Science and
Health, 55:27?29. 1. The Spirit dwells in us 1 Corinthians
3:16; 6:19; 2 Timothy 1:14.
Cannot dwell in a body. Science
and Health, 309: 24?25.
10. There are not
three persons in the one God, or Godhead. Science and Health, 515:
17?19. 1. "Let us make man." Genesis 1:26. 2. Three persons: Matthew 28:19.
11. Sin, sickness and death are illusions.
Science and Health, 283': 8?11.
"Man is incapable of sin, sickness and
death."
Science and Health, 475: 28: "Lazarus never
died."
Science and Health, 575: 413. "Man is never
sick."
Science and Health, 393: 29. "There is no
disease."
Science and Health,
421: 18. "Death an illusion."Science and Health, 584:9. 1.
All men sin. 1 Kings 8:46; Romans 3:23; Luke 7:47.
2. If we say we
have no sin we lie. 1 John 1:8?9.
3. See Matthew
4:24; Mark 6:5.; John 4:46.
4. Man has died
since Adam Genesis 5:1?5.
5. "Lazarus is
dead." John 11:14.
6. Men must die
by God's decree. Hebrews 9:27.
12. Divorce is
acceptable by mutual consent or by legal dissolution. Miscellaneous
Writings, 297:18?25.
1. Divorce
allowable only on one condition. Matthew 5: 31?32; Matthew
19:8?9.
13. Christian Science abolishes
Baptism and the Lord's Supper from their practice. 1. Christ
commands baptismand promises salvation from sin to all who by faith
obeyit. Matthew 28:18?19; Mark16:15?16; Acts 2:38; Galatians
3:26?27.
2. The Lord's
Supper wasobserved weekly by Christians from the
apostolictimes. Acts 2:42; 20:7; 1
Corinthians 11:23?29; John6:53 (No life
except we eatChrist's flesh and drink hisblood in remembrance).
14. "If prayer
nourishes the belief that sin is can celled, and that man is
made better merely by praying,
prayer is an
evil."Science and Health, p. 5.
1. Men should
pray everywhere. 1 Timothy 2:8. 2. Men should pray in everything
Philippians 4:6. 3. Men should pray always. 1 Thessalonians
5:17.
Recommended
reading: The Christian Science Myth by Martin & Klann