nor pain therein. The Master"s practical knowledge of this grand verity, together with his divine Love, healed the sick and raised the dead. He literally annulled the claims of physique and of physical law, by the superiority of the higher law; hence his decla- [30]
ration, "These signs shall follow them that believe;...
if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them;
[Page 29.]
they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." [1]
Do you believe his words? I do, and that his prom- ise is perpetual. Had it been applicable only to his immediate disciples, the p.r.o.noun would be _you_, not _them_. [5]
The purpose of his life-work touches universal human- ity. At another time he prayed, not for the twelve only, but "for them also which shall believe on me through their word."
The Christ-healing was practised even before the Christ- [10]
ian era; "the Word was with G.o.d, and the Word was G.o.d." There is, however, no a.n.a.logy between Christian Science and spiritualism, or between it and any specu- lative theory.
In 1867, I taught the first student in Christian Science. [15]
Since that date I have known of but fourteen deaths in the ranks of my about five thousand students. The census since 1875 (the date of the first publication of my work, "Science and Health with Key to the Scrip- tures") shows that longevity has _increased_. Daily letters [20]
inform me that a perusal of my volume is healing the writers of chronic and acute diseases that had defied medi- cal skill.
Surely the people of the Occident know that esoteric magic and Oriental barbarisms will neither flavor Chris- [25]
tianity nor advance health and length of days.
Miracles are no infraction of G.o.d"s laws; on the contrary, they fulfil His laws; for they are the signs fol- lowing Christianity, whereby matter is proven power- less and subordinate to Mind. Christians, like students [30]
in mathematics, should be working up to those higher rules of Life which Jesus taught and proved. Do we
[Page 30.]
really understand the divine Principle of Christianity [1]
before we prove it, in at least some feeble demonstra- tion thereof, according to Jesus" example in healing the sick? Should we adopt the "simple addition" in Chris- tian Science and doubt its higher rules, or despair of [5]
ultimately reaching them, even though failing at first to demonstrate all the possibilities of Christianity?
St. John spiritually discerned and revealed the sum total of transcendentalism. He saw the real earth and heaven. They were spiritual, not material; and they [10]
were without pain, sin, or death. Death was not the door to this heaven. The gates thereof he declared were inlaid with pearl,-likening them to the priceless under- standing of man"s real existence, to be recognized here and now. [15]
The great Way-shower ill.u.s.trated Life unconfined, un- contaminated, untrammelled, by matter. He proved the superiority of Mind over the flesh, opened the door to the captive, and enabled man to demonstrate the law of Life, which St. Paul declares "hath made me free from [20]
the law of sin and death."
The stale saying that Christian Science "is neither Christian nor science!" is to-day the fossil of wisdom- less wit, weakness, and superst.i.tion. "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no G.o.d." [25]
Take courage, dear reader, for any seeming mysti- cism surrounding realism is explained in the Scripture, "There went up a mist from the earth [matter];" and the mist of materialism will vanish as we approach spirit- uality, the realm of reality; cleanse our lives in Christ"s [30]
righteousness; bathe in the baptism of Spirit, and awake in His likeness.
CHAPTER III. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
[Page 31.]
_What do you consider to be mental malpractice? [1]_
Mental malpractice is a bland denial of Truth, and is the antipode of Christian Science. To mentally argue in a manner that can disastrously affect the happiness of a fellow-being-harm him [5]
morally, physically, or spiritually-breaks the Golden Rule and subverts the scientific laws of being. This, therefore, is not the use but the abuse of mental treat- ment, and is mental malpractice. It is needless to say that such a subversion of right is not scientific. Its [10]
claim to power is in proportion to the faith in evil, and consequently to the lack of faith in good. Such false faith finds no place in, and receives no aid from, the Principle or the rules of Christian Science; for it denies the grand verity of this Science, namely, that G.o.d, good, [15]
has _all_ power.
This leaves the individual no alternative but to re- linquish his faith in evil, or to argue against his own convictions of good and so destroy his power to be or to do good, because he has no faith in the _omnipotence_ [20]
of G.o.d, good. He parts with his understanding of good, in order to retain his faith in evil and so succeed with his
[Page 32.]
wrong argument,-if indeed he desires success in this [1]
broad road to destruction.
_How shall we demean ourselves towards the students_ _of disloyal students? And what about that clergyman"s_ _remarks on __"__Christ and Christmas__"__?_ [5]
From this question, I infer that some of my students seem not to know in what manner they should act towards the students of false teachers, or such as have strayed from the rules and divine Principle of Christian Science.
The query is abnormal, when "precept upon precept; [10]
line upon line" are to be found in the Scriptures, and in my books, on this very subject.
In Mark, ninth chapter, commencing at the thirty- third verse, you will find my views on this subject; love alone is admissible towards friend and foe. My sym- [15]
pathies extend to the above-named cla.s.s of students more than to many others. If I had the time to talk with all students of Christian Science, and correspond with them, I would gladly do my best towards helping those un- fortunate seekers after Truth whose teacher is straying [20]
from the straight and narrow path. But I have not mo- ments enough in which to give to my own flock all the time and attention that they need,-and charity must begin at home.
Distinct denominational and social organizations and [25]
societies are at present necessary for the individual, and for our Cause. But all people can and should be just, merciful; they should never envy, elbow, slander, hate, or try to injure, but always should try to bless their fellow-mortals. [30]
To the query in regard to some clergyman"s com-
[Page 33.]
ments on my ill.u.s.trated poem, I will say: It is the righteous [1]
prayer that avails with G.o.d. Whatever is wrong will receive its own reward. The high priests of old caused the crucifixion of even the great Master; and thereby they lost, and he won, heaven. I love all ministers and [5]
ministries of Christ, Truth.
All clergymen may not understand the ill.u.s.trations in "Christ and Christmas;" or that these refer not to personality, but present the type and shadow of Truth"s appearing in the womanhood as well as in the manhood [10]
of G.o.d, our divine Father and Mother.
_Must I have faith in Christian Science in order to be_ _healed by it?_
This is a question that is being asked every day. It has not proved impossible to heal those who, when they [15]
began treatment, had no faith whatever in the Science, -other than to place themselves under my care, and follow the directions given. Patients naturally gain con- fidence in Christian Science as they recognize the help they derive therefrom. [20]
_What are the advantages of your system of healing, over_ _the ordinary methods of healing disease?_
Healing by Christian Science has the following advantages:-
_First_: It does away with all material medicines, and [25]
recognizes the fact that, as mortal mind is the cause of all "the ills that flesh is heir to," the antidote for sickness, as well as for sin, may and must be found in mortal mind"s opposite,-the divine Mind.