Part 8 (1/2)
”Now, over and against these statements of Christian Science, let us place the immutable Word of G.o.d.
”1. Man is not matter; he is not brains, blood, or bones.
”The very first word in inspiration contradicts this principle in Christian Science. 'In the beginning G.o.d created the heaven and the earth' (Gen. 1:1). The creation of man contradicts Christian Science.
Listen--'And the Lord G.o.d formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.' (Gen. 2:7).
”So there is such a thing as man composed of matter such as body, and blood, and bones.
”2. Man is incapable of sin.
”Let us see what the Bible says of this proposition,” continued Robert.
”'For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of G.o.d' (Rom. 3:23).
”'Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures' (1 Cor. 15:3).
”'He shall save his people from their sins' (Matt. 1:21).
”3. Man is incapable of sickness.
”'Is any sick among you' what shall he do?” asked Robert, quoting Jas. 5:14, 15. ”Let him deny that he is sick, and claim that he is incapable of being sick? No. 'Let him call for the elders ... and the prayer of faith shall save the sick.'
”David said of the Lord, 'Who healeth all thy diseases' (Psa. 103:3).
”4. Man is incapable of death.
”It seems that no scripture is needed to refute this falsehood. Men of past ages are dead. Mrs. Eddy herself will die, all Christian Scientists die, for 'it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.'”
”My, the Bible is hard on Christian Science doctrine, isn't it,”
said Kate Newby. ”I did not think to read and compare Mrs. Eddy's statements with the Bible.”
”Indeed it is,” said Robert Davis. ”The Bible states facts as they are. Man did sin, and all men have sinned. The plan of salvation, in all its vast provisions for men, came about because of man's need, because of man's fall. Man has sinned. Oh, it is all too plain to deny. The bruised and wounded hearts of mothers and wives, the bowed heads of grief-stricken fathers over the sins of their loved ones, prove all too painfully that sin is real.”
”I know it is, too,” said Jake Newby. ”My heart yearns for deliverance from sin right now. Kate, turn from this deception. You see it is not right. It denies facts.”
”Now, as a matter of fact,” said Robert Davis, ”mind has considerable influence over matter, but, after saying that, it is not necessary to go to the absurd extent as to deny that there is matter.”
”I see it now,” said Kate, ”there is a subtle connection between mind and our bodies, but I see that if, because of that, I should deny facts, my state would be no better and probably worse. I give up the whole system as being contrary to reason, sense, and the Scriptures.”
A few days after this Robert was called to Kansas City on business, where he remained a week. Now, it so happened that while he was away from home on this business trip, a colporteur of the Seventh-Day Adventists denomination came through the country and sold Mary Davis the book ent.i.tled Daniel and the Revelation, also several tracts, one of which was ent.i.tled ”Who Changed the Sabbath?” Mary Davis had never before heard of anything on the Sabbath question, and when the colporteur told her about how the Sabbath had been changed from Sat.u.r.day to Sunday (according to Adventist theories), and how they, the Adventists, were in a great reformation to restore the Sabbath-day, she was considerably interested. Open-hearted for truth, she was peculiarly susceptible at that time to the claims of Adventism.
Mary spent the next few days in reading her newly bought literature.
It seemed plausible to her that if G.o.d gave the Ten Commandments as a perpetual covenant, the seventh day should still be kept. The more she read the more she was convinced. By the time Robert returned she had begun to count herself a seventh-day keeper. Robert Davis was surprised beyond measure when he returned and found his house full of Advent literature.
”Well, Mary dear, what does all this mean?” asked Robert kindly.
”Why, Robert,” she said, ”while you were gone a colporteur came here with these books. He seemed so earnest and he talked for hours about a reformation and how the Catholics had changed the Sabbath and about how G.o.d had set himself to restore the day to Christendom. I have been reading the books and they make it very plain that we ought to keep Sat.u.r.day.”
”Now, come here, dear,” said Robert, ”let me point out to you the false and unscriptural position which these zealots hold.”