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To any observant
person it must be very evident that humanity, with all its misery,
sin, sickness, disappointment, and failure, is in sore need
of help, -and that this need is for something that will not
merely promise a solution of life's problems, but that will
actually lift humanity out of these abnormal conditions, set
them free mentally and physically, and restore to them their
God-given health, happiness, wisdom, and strength.
If any one
does not perceive this need let him note the faulty moral, mental,
and physical conditions, the unprincipled motives and aims,
the increasing agnosticism and infidelity, the disappointed
hopes and ambitions of those about him, and the results accruing
from their effort or lack of effort. He will find these conditions
to obtain in a degree among all classes, -the educated, the
uneducated; the worker, the idler; the physician, the patient;
the clergy-man, the parishioner; the religionist, the infidel,
-all are more or less dissatisfied and unhappy, even in their
apparent success; all have inexplicable failures and uncertain
hopes, and -all bow down to the domination of matter, evil,
disease, and death as inevitable.
Even Christians,
to whom has come the strongest evidence of a universal saving
power, to whom the most wonderful teachings and rules of life
have been delivered, to whom the most blessed promises have
been given, even they meet with failure in their efforts at
well doing. And why? Largely because they believe in the naturalness
and necessity of the world's sicknesses and disasters, submit
to the present decrees of evil destiny, and thus limit the application
of Christian teachings and promises to an an uncertain future
life; and also because they do not see the possibility of the
present application and fulfillment of these teachings, believing
that they are only intended to encourage men to look for a future-world
blessedness.
It will
be my purpose to endeavor to show you how this need is met through
Christian Science, and why it has not been met before; to make
an appeal for the reasonableness and simplicity of Christian
Science teachings, and also to correct some of the current misconceptions
regarding them.
It is impossible,
in the brief space of time at our command, to deal with so great
a theme in its fulness, but enough can be said concerning some
of the essential truths of Christian Science to encourage the
hope that if there be those present who are in distress and
have not found comfort and healing elsewhere, or who are looking
for a higher and more satisfactory explanation of life than
they have had, they may receive this cup of cold water in Christ's
name and perchance feel that healing touch of God's truth which
alone brings hope and health.
PERSONAL
EXPERIENCE.
At
the outset it may be well to state that I speak from quite a
wide experience in Christian Science work and from a very deep
conviction of the truth of its teachings. I gave Christian Science
a most careful investigation before I accepted it, and l demonstrated
it sufficiently to become entirely convinced of its truth. Yet
I do not ask or expect any one present to accept what I say
simply because I say it. I would like you to bear in mind that
you may prove for yourselves the truth of every statement of
Christian Science
When I first
heard of it, its doctrines seemed very wonderful to me; and
for the reason that as a philosophy it presents a theory and
analysis of the problem of mortal existence that not only is
logical, consistent, and satisfying in every detail, but that
can be at once applied to the solution of that problem; a philosophy
which, founded exclusively upon divine Principle, makes God
its very center and circumference. As a science it furnishes
a complete, definite, and demonstrable statement of truth, free
from speculative hypotheses and without any missing links in
its system. It is based upon a fixed Principle and rules with
no exceptions or variations. As a religion it reveals an interpretation
of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation which is wholly consistent
and demonstrable; it explains satisfactorily the miracles, and
expounds the teachings and methods of Jesus and the apostles
in a way which makes them entirely practical to-day; it reinstates
healing as an essential element of Christianity and a necessary
outcome of spiritual understanding.
This remarkable
presentation of a satisfying philosophy, a perfect science,
and a demonstrable religion impressed me greatly, and I questioned,
Is it true? If true it is the most wonderful and most valuable
discovery ever made, for when fully apprehended it must settle
every question that confronts mankind in religious and social
life, in business and in morals.
After three
years of very careful investigation and demonstration, I came
to the conclusion that it was indeed true and that at last there
had come to the world a salvation which would bring "the
glorious liberty of the children of God," the Comforter
whom the Father was to send in Christ's name to lead us into
all truth
DEMONSTRATION
NEEDED.
The
world's interpretation of the Scriptures has obviously been
unsatisfactory, for it has given rise to hundreds of religious
sects, and there are in addition numbers of intelligent people
who do not accept any of these interpretations as true or satisfactory,
many of them having formulated religious beliefs of their own,
while many more are agnostics or even infidels. Too often an
appeal is made to blind faith in a mysterious God and a future
world, and too little evidence is given of the present efficacy
of the teachings of the Master.
What difficulty
Moses had in leading the children of Israel away from their
beliefs in material things to faith in the one invisible God!
Had he not repeatedly given them evidence through signs and
miracles of the existence of such a God, they could never have
been led into the land of promise. Many of the prophets and
apostles had demonstrations of the presence of a divine saving
power, and the life of our blessed Master, Christ Jesus, was
full of good works which he did to prove what he taught. The
apostle James said. "Faith without works [results] is dead."
In every department of life we look for results. Jesus said,
"By their fruits ye shall know them."
Why is it
that so many of the Scriptural teachings and promises are not
believed to be applicable to-day? Why are the various interpretations
so contradictory? Why cannot better results or works be obtained?
Why should so much be left to blind faith? And why is there
such an increase of infidelity among Christian peoples? Would
not misunderstanding or a lack of understanding account for
all this?
The discovery
of Christian Science revealed the fact that there is a Science
underlying not only the entire Scriptures, but also the entire
universe; that this Science is accurate, intelligible, demonstrable,
and complete, and that it furnishes an interpretation of existence
which is uniform, consistent, logical, and hence capable of
proof. This Science is Christian because it is based upon the
teachings and works of Christ Jesus and is a fulfillment of
his mission. It is scientific because it has a fixed and unvarying
Principle and rule. Christian Science is the outcome of orthodox
Christianity, not its perversion. It includes healing, - the
lost element of primitive Christianity, -and thus seeks the
undivided garment and enjoins obedience to all the commandments.
CHRISTIAN
SCIENCE A DISCOVERY.
It
should be clearly understood that Christian Science is a discovery
and not an invention. Its truth, its power, its law, have always
existed and are contained in the Holy Scriptures, but they have
never before been fully perceived or set forth as a demonstrable
Science, attesting the truth of the sayings of the great Teacher,
Christ Jesus, delivered centuries ago and handed down to us
in fragmentary form. Thus Christian Science proves the truth
of the Bible and saves it from atheistic and destructive higher
criticism. Jesus demonstrated his teachings by healing the sick,
casting out evils, raising the dead, and performing what the
world called miracles, and taught his disciples to do the same,
yet the Scriptures contain no fixed rule or statement of the
scientific process by which this power can be acquired and applied
by students. Jesus practised the tender, God-inspired art of
healing, which through the providence of God has been restored
to the world to-day as a Science of healing with Principle and
practice that cannot be lost.
The human
mind, in philosophic reasoning and poetic vision, has seen dimly
the insignificance, the nothingness of material and mortal things.
But these occasional glimpses have been put to no practical
use; have never been applied in the working out of the problem
of the salvation of man. These glimpses of truth have never
revealed God alone as the great reality; only through the discovery
of Christian Science has the unreality of matter and evil been
seen as an imperative corollary of the teaching of the allness
and goodness of God.
Philosophers
and religionists have never been able to determine what evil
and matter are, what to do with them, or how to account for
them. The theory of the unreality of matter held by some of
the old philosophers was erroneous because they did not know
what real existence is, nor what is back of .the material manifestation,
therefore a denial of matter seemed to them, as it does to many
of us, a denial of all that is real, hence a denial of existence.
The admission of the existence of an infinite, almighty God
compels us in the face of the awful manifestations of evil in
the world, either to credit them to Him or to deny them any
place in His universe. Which shall it be?
Never has
so sharp and definite a line been drawn between truth and error,
never has so accurate a differentiation been made between the
real and the unreal as now. And what has brought this to pass?
The discovery of what reality is, the true nature and character
of God as Spirit, and of His creation as wholly spiritual, which
discovery revealed the fact that evil and matter are not real,
are not manifestations of God, because they have nothing in
common with Him. From this standpoint we obtain a satisfactory
interpretation of the Bible and of the universe, and perceive
that the cause of the sick, sinning, and discordant conditions
of humanity can eventually be eliminated.
This great
discovery was made by Mrs. Mary Baker G. Eddy in 1866. It has
proved to be the solution of every problem of life, and has
culminated in the revelation of the Science of being, of which
Christian Science is the human application.
This discovery
has made it possible to get a correct view of things, to see
them in their proper relation to each other and to give them
their right values. For example: Prior to the sixteenth century
it was believed that the earth was stationary and that the sun
moved around it in some mysterious way. Copernicus discovered
that the sun was stationary, or nearly so, and that the earth
moved, --rotating on its axis and also circling around the sun
as a center. This astronomical discovery completely reversed
the former theory; yet it did not alter the sun nor the earth
nor bring about any change in the actual relation of things.
It merely revealed the truth about the solar system, removed
the previous false concept, showed the true relation between
the earth and the sun, and made correct computations possible.
In a similar
way Christian Science reverses the testimony of the material
senses, ---the conception that matter is supreme and Spirit
subordinate; that matter is the surely real, and Spirit the
doubtful; that matter is the knowable and Spirit the unknowable.
It takes the ground that Spirit, Mind, is all and is supreme;
that Spirit is the real and matter the counterfeit or unreal;
that Spirit, God, the infinite intelligence, is the knowable,
while matter, the non-intelligent, is unknowable. Jesus said,
"And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the
only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."
Therefore God, Spirit, is not unknowable but knowable, which
knowledge is essential to our harmonious existence now and forever.
But God cannot be known aright when approached through matter.
God is Spirit and can be known only spiritually or mentally.
CORRECTING
SENSE TESTIMONY.
The
doctrine of the unreality of matter and evil, so often misunderstood,
does not imply, involve, or require the annihilation of existence
or consciousness. To illustrate: Suppose you were to wake up
some morning and find that all sickness and sin had been destroyed.
What kind of a world would it be? All business and pursuits
connected with sin and sickness would have vanished, but those
associated with the legitimate and sinless needs of man would
still continue, under the government of good; and truth, honesty,
justice, and love would be manifested, unhampered by any discordant
elements. Such a condition would be a present possibility if
all men had a true understanding of the teachings of Christian
Science and were demonstrating them. This but faintly pictures
the heavenly condition described by St. John in Revelation,
where he says concerning the new heaven and new earth: "And
I heard a great voice out of heaven, saying, Behold, the tabernacle
of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall
be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their
God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and
there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither
shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed
away . . . . He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and
I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
Mrs. Eddy
writes in her book "Science and Health with Key to the
Scriptures," "In Revelation, 21:1 we read: 'And I
saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the
first earth were passed away; and there was 'no more sea.'
"The
Revelator had not yet passed the transitional stage in human
experience called death, but he already saw a new heaven and
a new earth. Through what sense came this vision to St. John?
Not through the material visual organs for seeing; for optics
are inadequate to take in so wonderful a scene. Were this new
heaven and new earth terrestrial or celestial, material or spiritual?
They could not be the former, for the human sense of space is
unable to grasp such a view. The Revelator was on our plane
of existence, while yet beholding what the eye cannot see, --
that which is invisible to the uninspired thought. . . . This
shows unmistakably that what we term matter, and spirit, indicate
states and stages of consciousness.... This is Scriptural authority
for concluding that such a recognition of being is, and has
been, possible to men in this present state of existence; that
we can become conscious, here and now, of a cessation of death,
sorrow, and pain. This is indeed a foretaste of absolute Christian
Science. Take heart, dear sufferer, for this reality of being
will surely appear sometime and in some way. There will be no
more pain, and all tears will be wiped away. When you read this,
remember Jesus' words, 'The kingdom of God is within you.' This
spiritual consciousness is therefore a present possibility"
(pp. 572, 573).
Thus the
denial of matter does not mean the destruction of human existence,
but its transformation, reformation, and regeneration on a spiritual
basis. Jesus said, "I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill."
This doctrine gives us a true interpretation of all things,
enables us to become aware of the truth of any situation and
to forestall the deception of appearances. For instance: Suppose
yourself looking through blue glass at a white horse. You would
not believe it to be a blue horse, although it looks blue through
the glass. You know that the blue glass gives an incorrect impression
and therefore you are not deceived. Again, suppose you look
into a curved mirror and see your much distorted reflection.
Do you believe that it is the true reflection? No, you know
better, you know that the mirror distorts, and therefore you
are not deceived. Suppose, however, that you had always looked
through blue glass or into a mirror which distorts and had been
educated to believe what you saw to be correct. You would be
in a position analogous to that of all mortals who are believing
in sense testimony. You would have a conception of the universe
very different from the normal. Yet you might go through life
like any other person, gaining an education, doing your part
of the world's work, joining in all the activities of daily
living, yet not knowing any vision but that which these misleading
things gave you.
MATTER A
THEORY.
The only evidence we have of material existence is through what
are called the five physical senses, and from infancy we have
been educated to believe them, no matter what they say. But
are these senses reliable and do they always tell the truth?
How about the illusion produced by perspective? Do the eyes
see the truth? Is the street really narrower at the farther
end or does it only seem so? Is it a fact or an appearance?
How about the mirage or any of the numerous optical illusions?
Are they true or false? Do they not all need some correction,
and have not theories had to be devised to account for them?
So also with hearing. Do we not often mistake the source or
location of sound? Are we not likewise at times deceived by
the senses of taste, touch, and smell? Indeed, every one of
the senses can be proven to be unreliable, and why should we
give them credence?
Have you
ever thought of this point, that the physical senses give no
direct evidence whatever of anything that is indestructible,
permanent, immortal, and that they do not perceive truth? All
asserted material substance, structure and extension, change,
all can be destroyed. Any material object can be disintegrated
and destroyed by means of mechanical and chemical processes
until nothing remains but what are called elementary substances.
These are said to be composed of molecules, which have been
assumed, but which have never been seen. These molecules are
theoretically subdivided into what was formerly considered to
be the fundamental infinitesimal unit, the atom, but which is
now believed to be what is called the "ion," many
thousand times smaller than the atom. And what is this "ion"?
A supposed center of energy or force, in other words, a mere
theory. Therefore, even according to physical science, any material
object can be reduced to a mere theory. Can there be permanence
or immortality in anything material? Not a particle. Yet the
physical senses are cognizant only of that which is material.
Now take
the case of a truth like two times two are four. That mathematical
idea is an actual fact, it can never be changed or destroyed,
can never decay, never lose its power, truth, or life, always
has been true and always will be. Neither is its existence or
truth dependent upon the figures with which it is expressed,
or upon the schoolboy who sincerely believes two times two are
five instead of four. This mathematical idea illustrates the
indestructible and eternal nature of an idea of truth. Now,
can this idea be perceived by any of the physical senses? No.
They see but the symbols which represent it, not the idea itself.
If the idea were in the figures, everybody could see it who
sees the figures, but to the ignorant these do not reveal the
idea. Thus truth is not seen with the physical eyes, but with
the understanding, which is a faculty of being entirely apart
from the five senses. For the same reason, the fact that two
times two are four cannot be felt, heard, tasted, nor smelled.
The material senses do not perceive it, nor can they perceive
truth in any form. They are conscious only of their own material
beliefs, and nothing else. If these senses are so unreliable
and are incapable of perceiving truth, why should we place such
confidence in them? The sooner we stop believing them and base
our understanding of things upon absolute truth, the better.
Even physicists
and chemists do not know what matter is, or what force is. They
are acquainted only with phenomena, from which they build up
their theories. These theories are constantly being changed,
so that they may agree with newly discovered phenomena, and
this shows that the theories are not true, for Truth never changes.
The phenomena of the X-rays and radium, and the discoveries
in electro-chemistry have produced a revolution in physics and
chemistry, necessitating radical changes in theory; and this
revolution has not yet subsided, for no satisfactory explanation
of the action of radium has yet been found, and current theories
as to the nature of matter are completely upset thereby. Again
I ask, Why place such implicit confidence in these changing
uncertainties? The epitome of all this argument is given in
the familiar "scientific statement of being" found
on p. 468 of our textbook.
DEMAND FOR
RIGHT THINKING.
It
is inevitable that a teaching which is so fundamental to thought,
and so revolutionary with respect to many prevailing opinions,
should raise many questions in the minds of those who have not
yet given the subject careful consideration, and it may be well
for us to consider some of them at this point.
Some people
object to Christian Science on account of its positive teachings,
its fixed rules and rigid requirements. They say they want freedom
to think as they please, believe what they please, and do as
they please. How would this idea work in the exact science of
mathematics? Would they object to being limited and confined
to the statements of the multiplication table? Would they say,
"The idea of being obliged always to think two times two
make four! We want to be free to think what we please about
it; that two times two make five, seven, or anything else. How
narrow always to think two times two make four! This admits
of no individuality of thought, makes one a mere slave, and
prevents all originality, development, and growth!" Many
of you will recognize these arguments. What chaos would result
from such thoughts in business life, for instance. Instead of
liberty, success, and order, there would be nothing but slavery,
failure, and confusion, resulting from misguided judgment and
the domination of human will. The chaotic condition of much
of the religious and secular teaching, the misery and wretchedness,
the sin and sickness of the world, the fear, the slavery of
false beliefs, all result from thinking what we please instead
of thinking what is true. True knowledge, liberty, happiness,
health, success, the attainment of the largest dominion, all
result only and always from strict obedience to Truth, adherence
to Principle. The resources of infinite intelligence are then
at our disposal, and not until then. No man ever had such power
as Christ Jesus our Master, and no one was ever so obedient
to divine law or the will of his Father, divine Love, as was
he.
A distinction
must be made between Mind and willpower. Being capable of evil,
will-power cannot be Mind, for Mind is God, good. Will-power
cannot work out problems in Mind any more than in mathematics.
Only through the operation of Principle, Truth, and strict adherence
thereto, can right results of any kind be obtained in the Science
of Mind. Mere thinking or willing or suggesting cannot do it,
any more than it can in mathematics. Christian Science teaches
that there is only one Mind because there is but one God, one
intelligence. Thinking is the activity of intelligence, hence
the only real think-ing is the activity of the divine Mind,
or Soul, infinite Love; and the only real thoughts are ideas
of God, God's thoughts.
Hypnotism,
the mental endeavor to control and influence one human mind
by the effort of another, is a growing evil and a most dangerous
one. It is not of God, being capable of evil, hence is not the
manifestation of Mind, and is not good, but is essentially and
entirely evil. It is the exact opposite of Christian Science,
depending as it does upon the assumption of the reality of matter,
while Christian Science takes the contrary view, being an emanation
of divine Mind, God. The human mind must be instructed out of
itself by the divine Mind, or Truth, and Christian Science makes
this possible.
MODEST ACHIEVEMENTS.
It
is claimed by some opponents that because Christian Scientists
do not walk on the water, turn water into wine, multiply loaves
and fishes, as did Jesus, and because they still have to do
with matter at every turn, the doctrines of Christian Science,
especially that of the unreality of matter, must be fallacious.
Such an argument is like that which declares that because a
schoolboy who is just learning to add and subtract, cannot work
out a problem in cube root, therefore the claims of greater
possibilities in the science of mathematics are fallacious,
and the schoolboy is badly deceived by the promise of being
able eventually to solve such higher problems.
Christian
Scientists are grateful if they can but touch the hem of Christ's
robe, in their demonstrations of to-day, for they well know
the great material sacrifice and spiritual growth necessary
to obtain the understanding of Truth that Jesus and the disciples
had. While thankful for even small beginnings, they are striving
earnestly to grow toward that measure of faith and understanding
which Jesus referred to when he said, "He that believeth
on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works
than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father." That
Jesus believed it possible for his followers to do these things,
is evident from this saying, but he also knew the requirement
better than any one else, and likewise the sufferings resulting
from the world's hatred of his teachings. The simpler demonstrations
must be made before the higher ones are possible, and the immediate
need of the world to-day is to be healed of sin, disease, and
misery. Is there any justice in the effort made at times to
compel the followers of Christ Jesus who are endeavoring to
be obedient to his commandments, to pass a medical examination
in order to determine their qualifications to reflect enough
of the divine Love to heal the sick and sinning through spiritual
understanding? The knowledge of all the material anatomy, physiology,
and drugs on earth would not aid this Christlike consciousness
one iota, for it is its exact opposite, and Jesus said, "Ye
cannot serve two masters."
SICKNESS
OF MENTAL ORIGIN.
The
teaching of Christian Science that sickness is a false belief,
that it is due to a mental cause and therefore that it can be
healed through Mind, has been much misunderstood. Those who
believe the Biblical teaching that man is the image and likeness
of God, must admit that as an image or likeness reflects the
original, it can include nothing that is not in the original.
Therefore if man, God's reflection, is sick, then it must be
because God, the original, is sick. It will not be admitted
that God can be sick, and some may therefore say that man is
sick because he has broken one of God's laws. The violation
of any law of Truth is always a mistake, and results in ill;
therefore, if one is sick as a result of a broken law, he is
still suffering from a mistake and not from that which is right
and real. This error, from its very nature, can be only a false
belief, and not an entity; hence it is to be corrected through
the perception of the truth, and the corrected sense will prevail
in proportion to our belief in Truth and disbelief in error.
Christian
Science does not say that sickness does not seem real to the
sufferer, even as real as the rest of his body, but Jesus said,
"Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous
judgment," and Christian Science teaches that if sickness
be recognized as a mistake or error it can be healed by applying
the truth. No mistake can be corrected unless it is recognized.
The recognition of an error is the first step towards its correction.
But this recognition alone is not sufficient; the truth must
be applied. The knowing of the truth and its application to
the error destroys the error and establishes a truer and more
harmonious sense of things. It is only by knowing the truth
that we can recognize error as error. If we do not know a genuine
dollar we cannot recognize the counterfeit as a counterfeit.
To illustrate
the relation of belief to sickness: Suppose that two persons
were to listen to a harrowing story, calculated to induce fear.
One of them, believing in the truth of the story, will manifest
various physical disturbances. The other listens to what is
told, but is not impressed at all and only smiles incredulously
and feels as well as before the story began. Both of these persons
heard exactly the same story at the same time. Why did it affect
them differently, and why was one of them made ill? Simply because
one of them believed it true or possible, and the other did
not. In the one case the believing induced the fear which caused
the symptoms. The other had no bad symptoms because he had no
fear, and there was no fear because there was no belief in the
truth of the story. We suffer solely on account of erroneous
belief. When the belief is destroyed, the ill effects vanish.
Belief in error brings discord, the understanding of Truth produces
harmony. What we positively refuse to believe, knowing the reason
why according to Science, cannot make us suffer.
The frightened
invalid and despairing sinner can be saved and healed if they
but listen to the voice of Truth and Love which brings them
the comforting assurance that the cause of their sufferings
is not true and they need not believe it - that God is really
the Life of man, His child, and hence that man is not material
but spiritual. If they believe and understand the truth, they
will manifest peace and harmony, be healed.
Some day
it will be seen that man and the universe are wholly mental
and not material, that the limited discordant appearance is
not the real and that the only reality is infinite Mind and
its infinite reflection as ideas; then Truth will reign, will
transform the body by the renewing of the mind, as Paul says,
and man will realize his rightful consciousness and dominion
as a son of God. A sick, sinning, discordant, unhappy, dissatisfied
mortal is not God's man, but only a counterfeit of him. He is
simply the distorted image produced by the erring material senses,
which can be corrected by Truth. This mortal sense of man has
no more connection with the real man than had the blue horse,
seen by one wearing blue glasses, with the white horse at which
he was looking. There was but one horse, not two; and there
is in fact, but one man, God's man; who is "spiritual and
not material" (Science and Health, p. 468),
EVIL ANALYZED.
The
problem of evil and sin, its origin and nature, has puzzled
the ages, and the great stumbling-block that prevents its solution
is that in believing the evidence of the senses, human reasoning
starts out with the premise that evil is real and then tries
to explain it or account for it. This is like the effort of
the old astronomers who tried to explain the solar system on
the basis that the earth was stationary and flat. They never
could do it because the earth was neither stationary nor flat
and no correct result could be obtained from a faulty basis
of reasoning. The fact is that evil is not real, is not an entity,
and hence any reasoning based on its supposed reality is fallacious
and consequently fruitless.
Christian
Science teaches that evil is the seeming absence of good - even
as darkness is the absence of light, and discord in music is
the absence of harmony. There can be no actual absence of good,
since God is infinite, ever-present good, any more than there
can be a place or condition where two times two do not make
four. Is there such a place? The schoolboy's sincere belief
that two times two make five seems to be the absence of the
fact that two times two make four, as ignorance is the absence
of understanding. But two times two do not make five, hence
it is nonexistent; so evil is non-existent, for it has no truth;
it exists nowhere except as a false belief. Truth is by its
very nature infinite and ever-present; evil is by its own nature
finite and destructible, having no principle and no life of
its own; hence it has nothing in common with God and is not
of Him. It is utterly unlike God; hence it is untrue and powerless,
being God's opposite.
It has been
said that Christian Scientists make sin unreal in order that
they may indulge in it without evil consequences. This charge
is self-contradictory, because any one who indulges in sinful
habits gives evidence that he believes in the reality of sin
and its ability to bring him satisfaction, therefore he is not
making it unreal or even believing it to be so. When sin becomes
unreal to any one, it ceases to appeal to him and hence is not
indulged in. He who claims that sin is unreal and then indulges
in it on that account, is piling up "wrath against the
day of wrath." Mrs. Eddy's teaching is very emphatic on
this point - that sin brings inevitable suffering and that the
suffering must continue until the sin ceases.
As light
destroys darkness, so will Truth destroy error when it is permitted
to enter human consciousness. There are thousands on earth to-day
who can testify to this fact from their own experience, and
he who with a sincere desire to conquer sin will read the Bible
as spiritually interpreted in the writings of Mrs. Eddy can
experience similar results.
It is often
asked whether God can know evil; and if not, how He can heal
it or destroy it. In answer to this question we may suggest
that if God, the one infinite intelligence, is good, then evil,
which to human sense is the opposite of good, must be the opposite
of intelligence; namely, non-intelligence, ignorance, or mindlessness.
Can infinite intelligence ever be in a state of non-intelligence?
Can infinite knowledge ever coalesce or affiliate with ignorance?
Can truth ever embrace error?
St. John
says, "God is light and in him is no darkness at all."
Similarly may we say that God is Truth and in Him is no error
at all, God is good and in Him is no evil at all. If no evil
is included in the infinite nature of God, then evil is unknown
to that infinite God, who is certainly conscious of His own
nature and finds no evil in omnipresent good. The prophet Habakkuk
says of God, "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil,
and canst not look on iniquity."
Yet God
does heal us of evil and sin, and how? By His very presence,
- even as the presence of light banishes darkness, as the presence
of understanding dispels ignorance, as the presence of truth
destroys error. Light does not have to be conscious of or to
become darkness in order to destroy the darkness, - light destroys
darkness by remaining light; and so, in the presence of God,
evil would be destroyed by the infinite goodness and immaculate
brightness of His imperishable glory.
Humanity's
burden of sin, sorrow, and suffering impels us to seek this
divine presence and become conscious only of the "beauty
of holiness." Christian Science makes this possible.
GROWTH INDISPENSABLE.
Whenever
in our investigations of Christian Science we are confronted
by problems which we cannot understand, we should not condemn
Christian Science or give it up on that account. We would not
think it sensible for a schoolboy who is just learning the multiplication
table to become discouraged and give up arithmetic simply because
he cannot at once understand problems in astronomy or calculus.
No explanation the teacher could make would enable him to solve
these problems until he understands the steps that lead up to
them. Likewise, in order to understand the deeper questions
in Christian Science, one must gain an understanding of fundamentals,
and thought must grow to the point where the higher problems
can be grasped. Through persistent, prayerful, and patient reading
of the Christian Science text-book, an understanding of the
subject may gradually be gained that will answer all questions,
dispel all doubts and fears, and give more and more power and
ability to demonstrate its teachings.
In Christian
Science all questions are answered and all problems are solved
on the basis, first, that there is one infinite and good God,
who is divine Principle, Truth, Life, and Love, and who is expressed
in perfect spiritual ideas governed by His immutable law; second,
that man is His spiritual reflection; and third, that everything
which does not partake of God's unchanging nature and character,
which is not the expression of absolute Truth, subject to His
perfect law, is not true, not real. As consciousness becomes
purer, more spiritual, and more Christlike, we will be better
able to discern between Truth and error, and to lay hold on
Truth.
THE HEALING
CHRIST.
When
those who are believing in sin and sickness turn to God for
help, believing, declaring, and realizing that He is our helper,
our Father-Mother God, the only Life, Mind, and substance, the
one infinite good; and when they understand that evil has neither
place, law, nor power, and that they do not have to believe
it nor be governed by it, then they begin to reflect Truth;
the light of good dawns in consciousness and the darkness of
evil proportionately vanishes. Peace, harmony, and health, the
fruits of right consciousness, are then present, for this knowing
of the true God is the Christ in us, the healing Christ that
Jesus revealed and manifested, the same yesterday, to-day, and
forever. It is only through Christ that we can know God aright,
even as we can only know the sun through the rays of light.
The rays are not the sun, but reveal the sun, and Christ is
not God, but reveals God. Jesus demonstrated the power of Christ;
he came to show us of the Father, to teach us the way of salvation
and to inspire us with faith, hope, and love.
St. John
says, "God is love." This is our God, infinite, eternal,
unchanging, ever-present Love, the very essence of tenderness,
compassion, and mercy, with His outstretched arms underneath,
around, above, ready to save and help as soon as we turn to
Him in sincerity. Knowing that our illness is unreal, He bids
us, "Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory
of the Lord is risen upon thee."
Divine Love
is really the only healer. This word Love includes all the qualities
and characteristics of Deity and expresses most fully the divine
nature. Love was manifested most wonderfully by Christ Jesus,
and it is most important for us all to demonstrate love in our
lives, and express it in our ministry to the sick and sinning.
Jesus and his beloved disciple John laid very great stress upon
this. As we reflect Love we reflect God, for God is Love. As
we reflect Love we reflect Life, for Love is Life; hence loving
is living.
THE TEXT-BOOK
AND ITS AUTHOR.
The
entire subject of Christian Science, together with its application
to human needs, is fully set forth in the Christian Science
text-book, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,"
written by the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science,
Mary Baker G. Eddy. This book might well be termed the Christian
Scientist's commentary on the Bible, containing as it does the
Christian Science interpretation of the Holy Scriptures. It
is used in connection with the Bible in all Christian Science
services and meetings. Those of you who have not read it will
do well to do so. Copies are available at all Christian Science
free Reading Rooms and at nearly all public libraries. The reading
of this book has brought health and happiness to thousands,
and will bring it to you. People suffering from the most malignant
and complicated diseases, organic, structural, and functional,
as well as those afflicted with the most distressing habits,
have been healed by its prayerful and persistent reading, and
this unquestionable fact evidences that the healing is not the
result of any material or mental effort of any personality,
or through what might be called human agency. It results because
the statements in the book express the truth which destroys
the false concept or error called disease. No other book except
the Bible has ever had this effect. For all the marvelous healing
that has resulted from this book we are indebted to its author,
Mrs. Eddy. She clearly understood the Science it contains and
knew that the truth would heal the sick.
What the
world owes Mrs. Eddy for this great discovery and for the explicit
statement of Christian Science which her book contains, it will
never be able to repay. Nor can we estimate the value of her
wise leadership in establishing and conducting this movement;
nor recompense her for her self-sacrifice, consecration, and
faithfulness, and for her untiring labors for the salvation
of humanity. Earth can never repay her; the "well done"
of Spirit alone can crown her with true recompense and joy.
It is gratifying
to observe that Mrs. Eddy is recognized as one of the world's
most eminent religious workers, the Founder and Leader of a
great religious movement. In the press, in encyclopedias, histories,
and many important books, she is being grouped with famous men
and women and in some degree her worth is being appreciated.
Her hosts of beneficiaries all over the world recognize in a
measure their debt to her, and deem it their greatest privilege
to follow her leadership, having had abundant and continued
evidence of its wisdom and safety.
I have had
opportunity to know much of her wonderful ability and Christian
character. She is a most devoted follower of Christ, is looking
continually to Jesus' life and teachings as well as to the entire
Scriptures for light and guidance, and places the utmost reliance
upon God. It is with her always a question of what God wants
her to do, never consulting her own will or pleasure. Her sole
aim is to serve God and to do His will in establishing upon
earth the wonderful truth revealed to her, and her heart's desire
is to proclaim to the world this glorious gospel that the kingdom
of heaven is now at hand. She is the most self-sacrificing,
unselfish, and devoted of women; and her loving nature, her
kindness and consideration, and above all, her charitableness
and forgiveness towards her enemies are marvelous, and are a
most inspiring example to us all.
HARMONY
ATTAINED.
The
comfort which Christian Science brings by telling the truth
about things is almost beyond expression, especially those statements
which are based upon the Scriptural declaration that man is
made in the image and likeness of God. If man is the image,
the reflection of God, he is that reflection now, irrespective
of what human testimony may declare him to have been yesterday
or to be to-day. Verily God is the Life of man and man is His
present, perfect, spiritual reflection. Therefore and most emphatically,
he cannot be the victim of heredity, environment, experience,
and education, nor be subject to ignorance and fear. These last
are the errors of sinful mortal sense from which we must be
freed and of which our Master said, "Ye are of your father
the devil, . . . there is no truth in him . . . for he is a
liar, and the father of it."
Mrs. Eddy
writes in her book Science and Health, - "When
speaking of God's children, not the children of men, Jesus said,
'The kingdom of God is within you';" that is, Truth and
Love reign in the real man, showing that man in His image is
unfallen and eternal. Jesus beheld in Science the perfect man,
who appeared to him, where sinning mortal man appears to mortals.
In this perfect man the Saviour saw God's own likeness, and
this correct view of man healed the sick. Thus Jesus taught
that the kingdom of God is intact, universal, and man is pure,
and holy" (p. 476).
In his first
epistle, the "beloved disciple," John, says: - "Beloved,
now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what
we shall be; but we know that, when he shall appear [in our
consciousness], we shall be like him [reflect him]; for we shall
see him, as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him
[in God], purifieth himself, even as he [God] is pure."
The words
which Paul quoted to the Ephesians are heard again: "Awake
thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall
give thee light." We can know the truth about God, man,
and the universe now, and we do not have to continue in sickness
and sin. Sickness is an imposition, a mistake, and we do not
have to submit to it. It results from ignorance of Truth and
we can know Truth and be free.
If sickness
is due to sin we can cease sinning. God has endowed us with
power to do this, for as we reflect Mind we know that there
is no pleasure in sin, that the suggestion or belief of such
pleasure is but a lie, a temptation, an illusion, with no principle,
truth, or law in it. If our family, social, professional, or
business affairs are inharmonious, we can ameliorate these conditions
and bring about harmony, for whatever causes them or causes
us to believe in them is untrue, because it is not of God, and
this error can be corrected through Christian Science.
We all need
to be awakened from this mesmeric dream that the sin, suffering,
and death of this world are necessarily real. We are educated
to recognize mistakes in spelling and arithmetic and to detect
deception in various counterfeits and imitations; why cannot
we be educated to recognize that evil and disease are not real
in spite of the fact that they seem real, and that the material
universe is not necessarily what it appears to be to the physical
senses?
As with
the dawning of truth our grasp on the testimony of these senses
is loosened, our faith in the reality of material things given
up, our fear of sickness and belief in its truth and necessity
lessened, and as we earnestly endeavor to destroy the love of
sin and the belief in it, we find ourselves awakening to a new
life. Christian Science can and does effect this change by turning
our thoughts to the spiritual evidence of man's perfection as
a child of God.
Have we
not glorious opportunities before us, and should we not awaken
to them? Should we not work, watch, and pray, as we have been
commanded? We can all learn to think rightly. We are thinking
something all the time, either truth or error, harmony or discord,
and as Christian Science teaches us to know God, we can think
of Him, and when we think rightly of Him we reflect Him in consciousness,
the Christ-truth is present with us, and harmony is established
and will be externalized in health and happiness.
Paul wrote
to the Philippians concerning this: "Finally, brethren,
whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever
things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things
are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be
any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things
. . . . and the God of peace shall be with you." Let us
endeavor to know continually that God is good and is supreme.
Let us know that we do not have to be subject to evil and disease,
for they are not of God and hence have no Principle nor power;
thus realizing that they have no existence, we will gain a glorious
dominion over them, and the peace of God will be ours.
