Show MAth MARl TWAINS TWAIN'S BOOti ON I CHRISTIAN SCIENCE E IS t V I i BY Fi BY EDWARD EDWAED A. A KIMBALL 0 O. S. S D D. y I i f In May Cosmopolitan J r's rs Note Note Nearly Nearly ei eight ht years i the Cosmopolitan printed Mark terrains terrain's first writing on the tho subject of Cl Science The great re t humorist and a philosopher has since followed the of the tho science with the 1 k ee iest interest but in most res respects his r jv r published volume Christian Christiani i Science dence is merely an extension and h jr k elaboration of the views and n criticisms If expressed in the Cosmopolitan for Oct Oc Oc- t pet t 1890 1899 Like many others Mark Markt t in finds genuine difficulty in understanding under p s standing l din Mrs Eddys Eddy's famous book 1 and Health With Key to the Scriptures tures Ho lie is no not sparing in his bis criticism on tho the subject matter and j tA I f literary cir style Mark Twains Twain's s 's serious and extended s 5 f criticism may may be said to to represent the y t uninformed view of Christian Science f r Tho The Cosmopolitan is is anxious however to give Rive both bOUl sides of the controversy iani vana anu has invited a a. prominent Christian Science S l. l nce author to review and analyze the famous American humorists humorist's atti atti- y y rode fude d and this article is subjoined By pv of justification in in part part of the tho Christian Science propaganda anda the r reader read read- ad tr er of this article is asked to consider for A ya a. a moment th the startling statement of fe fact afforded us by medical authority t. t to tc f th they ther t effect that of the fifty million pi Pi people who die every year one-half one die prematurely ly Before they died many of I the them were tau taught ht that sickness is ordained ordained or or- darned by God hod od as a concomitant of his i I divine purpose e. e Many ny others were were U tau taught ht that tat disease is is natural and enforcement enforcement en en- of natural laws AU of them i I were tau taught ht that sickness per se cannot be exterminated and that tat humanity I must reconcile itself to an irresistible doom I It may be presumed that before dying r K r nearly all aU these p people ople tried to get et well wel and 1 d that in in this effort they had recourse to some form of material means the chief chief instance of which is ls the dru drugging in system Finally it may bo be concluded concluded conclude t that at at least twenty five million p people ople I die annually because of the insufficiency y of material means to cope with disease Foremost in the long contention I i R against sickness ha have ve stood for centuries cen cen- Curies many grand men and women who I as os medical practitioners have havo struggled led on on through h all the fluctuations of success suc- suc cess eess and failure failures ever deploring the instability in I stability of medical theories and the inadequacy inadequacy inadequacy in- in adequacy of material r remedies With 1 r uncovered heads the Christian Scientists reverently declare their hi high h re regard ard for the compassionate devotion of these examples examples ex ex- ex- ex amples of a splendid humanity Christian Chris Chris- Christian tian Uan Science which includes no no enmity toward any man surely includes none toward those who strive a against pain and und the disease disease the common fo foes foes' S' S of our race race Nevertheless it lifts its voice inquiringly in- in gly to those who are dying and andr r flasks if they are doin doing the best that can bedone be be done to live and to live liva in peace t 1 Nearly forty years ago go Mrs Eddy pro pro- claimed to the world certain postulates t v l D pa pf a cli io c nature and de- de claret clarea that tho verity thereof can b ba a demonstrated with scientific accuracy M Mr It t is not my purpose herein to attempt attempt- n a 1 complete presentation of the tho messa message f f. that she has given iven through Christian A Science but there are certain statements V which t navo an immediate bearing on F i th the 3 subject of disease and kindred kildred forms 4 Df of human wretched wretchedness less which are entitled en- en titled to the thee respectful attention of i ft i m mankind i. i She Sho insisted insist d that God the tho sole hole CreaL Crea- Crea L j. j or of all that has actual le legitimate exi existence ex ex- ex- ex has not created red dist dis dis- i 4 or proc procured tr t w i I tase e and does not make use of f it or oroa o-a o ll rate erato with it for any purpose Sho declared that sickness is an abi ab ab- i lIo mity wh wholly Ily illegitimate unlawful and unnecessary that it is not a ana naTi na- na Ti J. indispensable ble or irresistible inci- inci 1 rd nf j of df mans man's normal existence and anda a i- i I I filially that sickness bein being at most but butH H ii a disorder of f human procurement can cani will be 3 i bo lio and will wUl bo be exterminated exterminated In this w- w i p particular she was absolutely in accord ft f with the prophecy of Be Benjamin jamin Frank Frank- v h Un tin n in 1788 to the effect that the science b t pf halin would be discovered and andt practiced and would t when practiced 56 tsure by sure means either prevent or cure I It- It r all all- mann manner r of diseases through h the power powe of Mind r j l. l i She declared that the demonstrations S of f Jesus instead of bein being works of r J mystery Y were in attestation of the tha dir divinely di di- r scientific c verity that the the nature nature and law of God are adequately f J- J l k-l power available to a sick man and are tire spon- spon l 1 4 responsive to his need j To scientists philosophers p hers and and ana meta- meta 1 J. physicians she declared th that t the chief mischief maker of the world and the primary primary mary nary cause cause or essence of disease is what i 1 Paul Pan designated the the carnal mind represented by the sum eum or a aggregation re of human fear Ignorance superstition t l l sin sin and erroneous and perverted belie beliefs s sI I It j i and illusions i She declared that the one su supreme pa- pa v of the universe is the the divine Mind or Spirit which correctly has been bean iv termed termed Omniscience and nd furthermore v that J-that that this Mind which was also in inY f t Christ Y Christis Christ is equal to tOj and is all that will willever W ev ever r effect ct the redemption of mortals f p f ff from sin and sickness B 1 If these thin things s be true then it folA fol fol- A fol lows Jows that the verity thereof sanctions 7 t the unlimited hope and favorable and favorable ext ex- ex x- x t t n of everyone whose earthly sot so- so fc t 7 Joam is beset by disaster A million T It 7 people who have tested the truth of this t fi s science e insistently bear witness that by v its means tp they y have been een delivered from f l 4 every form form of disease sin vice fear far and ana misery f y Like ike every o other her scientific discovery these thelo declarations have come to the i world as a surprise and ask ask for the r l most mOil exhaustive analytical ana I. I t en When we consider the universal I o f t tendency dency of the race to cling to old be be- beliefs liets and to resist the footsteps of its Own q n pro progress ress W we need not i. i Science aroused a tumult of S i I do ion remonstrance a and d' d fe tion tron indeed wo we ne need d hardly wonder fc that that this interpretation of Christianity b which comes with new promise to stem F t. t t the he tide of an anguish ish and ana tra tragedy edy basl has bas l' l f x even been the object of bitter assault r of defamation and of ridicule TA 4 The many systems of reh religion lOn which h E aa differ greatly amOD among themselves com com- jj V u plain because Christian Science also isI is la I different The schools of philosophy f t which hold to the naturalness of evil p present resent nt the teaching of Christi l Science i IT which exposes The ores sin sm and ald disease lse as s ne nega nega- a. a I bons The materialists reject its plea for forthe the supremacy of Mind or Spirit and most of those who are accustomed to pain and tears are arc too hopeless to heed heed its farr achin reaching far promise t. t ki Christian Science nee itself is s not a suppliant sup sup- f pliant for fol fair play l y nor does it complain because the hostility hostility is ruthl ruthless Ss and in Sin Sin- temperate It lt simply declares itself its V f i r i I principle its rule its modus and its promise promis and awaits perception and proof on the part of humanity The Tho Christian Scientists protest a against ai st the disposition of most moat critics to to be uns unspeakably unspeakably un un- s unfair to misrepresent to distort distort and to disfigure all th that t it is I and does but on the other hand band they have havo no desire to cross crOS swords in in disagreeable disagreeable disa Usa conflict with everyone who appoints appoints ap ap- ap points himself without re regard ard to ways I and means to brin discredit one bring upon Christian Science and its people Christian SC Science ence as a reli religious ious activity activity ac- ac to together ther with tIle the incidental organization organization or or- is surrounded by t e ry conceivable conceivable conceivable con con- form of anta antagonism and will continue to abide if need be in in the storm until exhausted t the o ingenuity of hostility shall have exhausted itself until the pers persecution cution shall have done its utmost and md until mortals learn earn learn of the consummate mate benefic beneficence nee of Christian Science and of its limitless value to all aU men It almost seemed as thou though h everyone who cared to cast a stone steno at Christian Science of ot was willin willing to wound th the lead eader r had already alread put his hand to such ende endeavor vor when lol there app appeared ared a anew anew anew new and unexpected participant to ic- ic enforce the efforts of those who are intent intent in in- in tent upon detraction and ruin A man whose wit has been the object of a nations nation's admiration a man who actually won his way to the generous affection of his countrymen by reason o of his genial nial and humor and good cheer this cheer this man whose mission airs mis sion in life was to tin tinge tingo o with gentle glow the ru rugged ed peaks of human existence existence exist exist- ence enco and perchance even to dry the tho tears of some who were bein being stun stung by the bitterness of mans inhumanity to toman toman man man 1 comes omes with deliberate offensiveness offensive offensive- ness to denominate Mrs Mis Eddy a liar and anda andI a fraud It matters matte rs not that hundreds s of thousands thousands thou thou- sands of grateful hearts hold her in in high h esteem for what she has has' done for them and for the world It matters not that her townspeople respect and honor her that distinguished meri men of other faiths admit that she is an illustrious rious religious ious leader or that those who know her lo love lode and revere her these lon long long- continued evidences of esteem and good goodwill goodwill will do not serve to dissuade nor withhold withhold with with- hold the man man who not knowing knowin her is is is' full of the business of discrediting her herin her herin herin in the estimation of the time world In entering the lists with those who are th thus s inclined Mark Twain seeks justification for an un ungracious course so in inthe in the tho plea that ho he is using Mrs Eddys Eddy's own utterances wherewith to support his contention Thereupon he avails avails' himself of the bad habit usually shunned d by minded fair-minded men of separating sepa- sepa epa sepa separating ratin rating text from context of disintegrating disintegrating grating the time utterances of his his' subject of using certain isolated d sections instead instead instead in in- stead or of presenting the wholeness of theauthor's tho the authors author's statement nd ind finally of importing im int- porting into the text his own conception thereof and alid of the authors author's purpose in order that his concept may be projected upon the th thought u ht of of his hIs' Iea readers e s a and d control their judgment Jud m nt Mark Tw Twains Twain in s entrance upon this scene of industry was rather belated and in consequence he found that the possibilities of attack had been somewhat somewhat somewhat some some- what exhausted Much that he says was said caid lon long years a ago o by the pioneers in inthis inthis this crusade There is an air of venerable vener venerable venerable vener vener- able staleness about the time fixed platitudes platitudes platitudes plat plat- and the sinuous innuendos There Tharo is n no q- q novelty in his statements that Christian Christian Scientists do not think that they have no discriminating faculty which enables them to be other than the dupes of folly or duplicity that they have no m mental inte integrity rity whereby to torise torise torise rise above the plane of rank partisanship partisanship partisan partIsan- ship that Ch Christian istian Science literature ia is sold sold sola at a profit ti that its followers are in unholy pursuit of moneys money All these and many other of his statements have b been en found in the trade stock of the tho system for years They are are hoary with a age e and worn word with much use and moreover they arm arte cheap Men strive in vain who hope by such puerile means to repress an earnest respectable respectable re reo re- re people and and to thrust back into the the tomb the thousands who have just escaped its desperate embrace This This critic nevertheless with the incidental seated enterprise of the raw recruit has presented pre pre- one novelty which has been advertised ad extensively as his proof that Mrs Eddy is not the author of her textbook textbook textbook text text- book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures Most important if true If true true it would impel the conclusion conclusion sion that Mrs Irs Eddy is and has been the greatest fraud of all history Mr Clemens Clemens Clem Clem- ens en takes upon himself the profound re reo or the profound impropriety ty of f erecting such a conclusion and ana asking people to believe it f Let us see what there is by way of offset that confronts this amazing pre pre- y In the year 1875 Mrs Eddy published the he first edition of Science and Health She declared that she was theauthor theauthor the theauthor author of the tho book The United States court decided that she was its author fa No person who vho ever lived livel proclaimed the ho sli slightest intimation that he or she site was the author of it Even those who think hink that Mrs Eddy gained through h another nother some of her i ilea idea e s about mental menal- healing admit that she wrote tho the book and ind th the ma magazine azine which is now surpassing surpass surpass- in ing ng all other efforts to disparage her admits that she wrote it No anta antagonist has las been beer so urgent ur no enemy so virulent viru- viru viru- viru lent erit no critic so reckless as to deny that i Mrs Eddy is s the author of her ber own hook book Time 1 declaration ration which implies that she is itu is fraudulently fi masquerading I as its is original with Mark Twain His alone will be DO the tho fame his hid alone the infamy of this business according according ac ac- cordin cording as his allegation is true or faise Upon what evidence does docs this insinuation insinuation tion ion pretend to rest resU Through h what sin sin- does dols the ar argument thread its way until it asserts itself as a sion the tho dire purpose whereof manifestly mani is to bri bring reproach upon thi this venerable woman and to do it at A time when so many other valiant pe people are are heaping upon her head the full fuU measure of |