LITMIR.BIZ

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muscles cannot move without mind. Matter takes no cognizance of matter. In dreams, things are only what mortal mind makes them; and the phenomena of mortal life are as dreams; and this so-called life is a dream soon told. In proportion as mortals turn from this mortal and material dream, to the true sense of reality, everlasting Life will be found to be the only Life. That death does not destroy the beliefs of the flesh, our Master proved to his doubting disciple, Thomas. Also, he demonstrated that divine Science alone can overbear materiality and mortality; and this great truth was shown by his ascension after death, whereby he arose above the illusion of matter.

      The First Commandment, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me,” suggests the inquiry, What meaneth this Me—Spirit, or matter? It certainly does not signify a graven idol, and must mean Spirit. Then the commandment means, Thou shalt recognize no intelligence nor life in matter; and find neither pleasure 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 declaration, “These signs shall follow them that believe; … if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; ​they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”

      Do you believe his words? I do, and that his promise is perpetual. Had it been applicable only to his immediate disciples, the pronoun would be you, not them. The purpose of his life-work touches universal humanity. 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 Christian era; “the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” There is, however, no analogy between Christian Science and spiritualism, or between it and any speculative theory.

      In 1867, I taught the first student in Christian Science. 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 Scriptures”) shows that longevity has increased. Daily letters inform me that a perusal of my volume is healing the writers of chronic and acute diseases that had defied medical skill.

      Surely the people of the Occident know that esoteric magic and Oriental barbarisms will neither flavor Christianity nor advance health and length of days.

      Miracles are no infraction of God's laws; on the contrary, they fulfil His laws; for they are the signs following Christianity, whereby matter is proven powerless and subordinate to Mind, Christians, like students in mathematics, should be working up to those higher rules of Life which Jesus taught and proved. Do we ​really understand the divine Principle of Christianity before we prove it, in at least some feeble demonstration thereof, according to Jesus' example in healing the sick? Should we adopt the “simple addition” in Christian Science and doubt its higher rules, or despair of 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 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 understanding of man's real existence, to be recognized here and now.

      The great Way-shower illustrated Life unconfined, uncontaminated, 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 the law of sin and death.”

      The stale saying that Christian Science “is neither Christian nor science!" is to-day the fossil of wisdomless wit, weakness, and superstition. “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.”

      Take courage, dear reader, for any seeming mysticism 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 spirituality, the realm of reality; cleanse our lives in Christ's righteousness; bathe in the baptism of Spirit, and awake in His likeness.

      1 ↑ The order of this sentence has been conformed to the text of the 1908 edition of Science and Health.

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      CHAPTER III

       Table of Contents

      CHAPTER III

      QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

       What do you consider to be mental malpractice?

      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 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 treatment, and is mental malpractice. It is needless to say that such a subversion of right is not scientific. Its 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 God, good, has all power.

      This leaves the individual no alternative but to relinquish 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 of God, good. He parts with his understanding of good, in order to retain his faith in evil and so succeed with his ​wrong argument—if indeed he desires success in this 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”?

      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; 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 sympathies extend to the above-named class 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 unfortunate seekers after Truth whose teacher is straying from the straight and narrow path. But I have not moments 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 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.

      To the query in regard to some clergyman's ​comments on my illustrated poem, I will say: It is the righteous prayer that avails with God. 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 ministries of Christ, Truth.

      All clergymen may not understand the illustrations 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 of God, 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

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