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THE KING’S BUSINESS
“ Upon a life I did not live;
which has since been called ascension” ( S. &■ H„ p. 339, 1893, 1899; p. 34, 1916). This is clear language and at least shows us where Christian Science stands on these matters. The resurrection and ascension of Christ are to the Christian Scientist noth ing more than a risen and ascended idea; heaven does not today contain the risen, glorified, and ascended Lord Jesus Christ, who is Priest and Intercessor for His peo ple ; there is no need to turn our eyes upward for the help o f such an Intercessor; then Stephen was mistaken when he saw the Son o f God; then Paul was mistaken when he spoke o f looking for the Lord from heaven; then John was mistaken when in the Apoc alypse, he prays for the Lord to come speedily from heaven; then the whole o f Christendom is sadly mistaken in ardently looking for the' coming again o f our Sav iour from heaven." Indeed, Christian Sci ence denies the resurrection o f the body altogether. How could it do otherwise and be consistent? In speaking o f Laz arus, whom Christ raised from the dead after he had been dead four days, Chris tian Science says: “Jesus (he) restored Lazarus by the understanding that (he) Lazarus had never died, not by an admis sion that his body had died and lived again” (S. & IT., p. 241, 1899; p. 7f, 1908- 1909, 1916). But Jesus said very plainly, according to the Scriptures, “Lazarus is dead,” 3. Christian Science Denies the Christian Doctrine of Sin. “ To get rid o f sin through Science, is to divest sin o f any supposed (mind or) reality” (S. & H., p. 234, 1894, 1899- p 339, 1916) / Matter and evil are unreal” ( Misc. Writings, p. 27). “I f God made all that was'made, and it was good, where did evil originate? It never originated or existed as an entity. It (sin, evil) is but a false belief” (Misc. Writings, p. 45). Man is incapable o f sin, sickness, and death” (S. & H., p. 471, 1899; p. 475, 1909 1916).
Upon a death I did not die ; Upon another’s life, another’s death, I risk my soul eternally. “Bearing shame and scoffings rude; In my place, condemned He stood; Sealed my pardon with His blood; Hallelujah, what a Saviour!” Startling as it may seem, it is neverthe less true that Christian Science denies that Jesus Christ died at all. In Miscellaneous Writings, p. 212, we find these w ords: “ Pitying friendg took down from the cross the fainting form o f Jesus, and buried it out o f their sight.” “ His disciples believed Jesus to be dead while He was hidden in the sepulchre, whereas He was alive” (S. <5-, II., p. 349, 1889; p. 44, 1909, 1916). “Jesus’ students . . . did not perform many wonderful works, until they saw him after his (the) crucifixion and learned that he had not died” (S. & H., pp. 350, 351, 1899; p. 46, 1909; pp. 45, 46, 1916), Indeed, how could Jesus die if He had no material body? Then the tragedy on Cal vary never took place! (e) Christian Science Denies the Resur rection and Ascension of Jesus Christ. According to the teachings o f Christian Science, the resurrection o f Jesus was merely a risen thought in the minds of His disciples, and not as the Bible clearly teaches it to be, a real resurrection o f the physical body o f Jesus from the tomb. The resurrection o f Christ was mental belief yielding to spiritual understanding; i t ,was only the incorporeal idea o f Christ that ascended. ' “ Our Master reappeared to his students —to their apprehension he rose from the grave—on the third day o f his ascending thought” (S. & H., p. 502, 1899; p. 509,. 1910, 1916). “ His reappearance in idea” (S. & H., p. 348, 1894, 1899). “Resurrec tion (is) spiritualization o f thought; material belief yielding to spiritual under standing” (S. & H., p. 572, 1893; p. 584, 1899; p. 593, 1910, 1916). “ He would dis appear to material sense in that change
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