CHAPTER X.

THE CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY ASSOCIATION.

THIS association represents, in Christian work in Kentucky, a number of churches, without name, without creed, and without any ecclesiastical system. Each church is entirely independent. The churches claim to be unsectarian. The first was organized in Berea by Mr. John G. Fee. The doctrines preached are those common to evangelical Christianity. Immersion is held to be the proper form of baptism, but is not insisted upon. a seating capacity of 100, is occupied.

One hall, with

CHAPTER XI.

THE CHRISTIAN SCIENTISTS.

CHRISTIAN SCIENTISTS are those who believe that all ills of body and all evils of whatever nature are subject to the healing power of mind or spirit.

Mrs. Mary Baker G. Eddy, of Boston, Mass., claims to have discovered in 1866 and introduced in 1867 the "first purely metaphysical system of healing since the apostolic days." She began in that year to impart information as to the principles of the system. Out of this beginning was developed the Massachusetts Metaphysical College, which was chartered in 1881. Mrs. Eddy, with six of her students, constituted the first Christian Scientist association in 1876. Three years later a Christian Scientist Church was organized in Boston with 26 members. Mrs. Eddy was called to be its pastor the same year, and accepted the position. In 1881 she was ordained. Other churches and associations sprang up in different parts of the country, and in 1886 a National Christian Scientist Association was formed, the first meeting being held in New York City. There are regular churches, with pastors, in thirty-three States, and Sunday services are held in numerous places where churches have not been organized. There are also thirty or more Christian Science dispensaries. The organ of the denomination, The Christian Science Journal (monthly), publishes many columns of cards of practitioners of the science of mind healing.

The principles of Christian Science have been set forth authoritatively by Mrs. Eddy. According to her statements, all consciousness is mind, and mind is God. There is but one mind, and that is the divine mind. This is infinite good, which supplies all mind by reflection instead of subdivision. God is reflected, not divided. Soul is spirit, and spirit is God. There is but one soul, and that is God. The flesh is evil, not the soul. Soul is "substance in truth"; matter is "substance in error." Soul, spirit, or mind is not evil, nor is it mortal. Life is eternal. It implies God. Whatever errs is mortal, and is a departure from God. Evil is simply the absence of good. Evil is unreal; good only is real. The divine mind is one and indivisible, and therefore never out of harmony. Man is immortal, being coeternal with God. The divine power is able to bring all into harmony with itself. Hence Christian Science says to all manner of disease: "Know that God is all-power and all-presence, and there is nothing beside him, and the sick are healed." "Sickness is a belief, a latent fear, made manifest in the body in different forms of fear or disease. This fear is formed unconsciously in the silent thought." It is to be dissipated by actual consciousness of the "truth of science" that man's harmony is no more to be invaded than the rhythm of the universe. Suffering exists only in the "mortal mind"; "matter has no sensation, and cannot suffer." "If you rule out every sense of disease and suffering from mortal mind, it cannot be found in the body." All drugs are to be avoided. The only means of cure proposed by Christian Science is spiritual. Sin, like sickness and death, is unreal. In order to cure it the sinner's belief in its reality must be overthrown.

The denomination has only 7 church edifices. Meetings are held in 213 halls, which have a seating capacity of 19,690.

CHAPTER XII.

THE CHRISTIAN UNION CHRUCHES.

THIS body, which is now called the Independent Churches of Christ in Christian Union, was organized in Ohio during the first years of the Civil War. Elder J. V. B. Flack was one of the most prominent leaders of the movement, which was outspoken in opposition to the war. They believed that it had been "produced by an unwarrantable meddling both North and South, and great injustice and insane haste on the part of extreme leaders in both sections." They were opposed to the introduction of politics into the pulpit, and withdrew from existing denominations because they could not tolerate what they regarded as political preaching. Elder Flack declared that he was persecuted by the ministers and members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he was a pastor. Writing of the matter some years later, he said:

"We refused to vote in the conference for resolutions of war. We refused to pray for the success of war. We refused to bring politics into our pulpit. We refused to join in the ranks that marched on the streets at war meetings. We refused to make certain war speeches. We refused to prefer charges against members of the church whom the fanatics accuse of being disloyal. We refused to preside at forced trials of good men who were tried for political opinions."