Science and Health With Key to The Scriptures

M >> Mary Baker Eddy >> Science and Health With Key to The Scriptures

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In the result of some unqualified condemnations of
342:6 scientific Mind-healing, one may see with sorrow the sad
effects on the sick of denying Truth. He that
decries this Science does it presumptuously,
342:9 in the face of Bible history and in defiance of the direct
command of Jesus, "Go ye into all the world, and preach
the gospel," to which command was added the promise
342:12 that his students should cast out evils and heal the sick.
He bade the seventy disciples, as well as the twelve,
heal the sick in any town where they should be hospitably
342:15 received.

Christianity scientific

If Christianity is not scientific, and Science is not of
God, then there is no invariable law, and truth becomes
342:18 an accident. Shall it be denied that a system
which works according to the Scriptures has
Scriptural authority?

Argument of good works

342:21 Christian Science awakens the sinner, reclaims the
infidel, and raises from the couch of pain the helpless
invalid. It speaks to the dumb the words of
342:24 Truth, and they answer with rejoicing. It
causes the deaf to hear, the lame to walk, and the blind
to see. Who would be the first to disown the Christli-
342:27 ness of good works, when our Master says, "By their
fruits ye shall know them"?

If Christian Scientists were teaching or practising
342:30 pharmacy or obstetrics according to the common theo-
ries, no denunciations would follow them, even if their
treatment resulted in the death of a patient. The people
343:1 are taught in such cases to say, Amen. Shall I then be
smitten for healing and for teaching Truth as the Prin-
343:3 ciple of healing, and for proving my word by my deed?
James said: "Show me thy faith without thy works, and
I will show thee my faith by my works."

Personal experience

343:6 Is not finite mind ignorant of God's method? This
makes it doubly unfair to impugn and misrepresent the
facts, although, without this cross-bearing,
343:9 one might not be able to say with the apostle,
"None of these things move me." The sick, the halt,
and the blind look up to Christian Science with blessings,
343:12 and Truth will not be forever hidden by unjust parody
from the quickened sense of the people.

Proof from miracles

Jesus strips all disguise from error, when his teachings
343:15 are fully understood. By parable and argument he ex-
plains the impossibility of good producing evil;
and he also scientifically demonstrates this great
343:18 fact, proving by what are wrongly called miracles, that
sin, sickness, and death are beliefs - illusive errors -
which he could and did destroy.
343:21 It would sometimes seem as if truth were rejected be-
cause meekness and spirituality are the conditions of its
acceptance, while Christendom generally demands so
343:24 much less.

Example of the disciples

Anciently those apostles who were Jesus' students,
as well as Paul who was not one of his students, healed
343:27 the sick and reformed the sinner by their
religion. Hence the mistake which allows
words, rather than works, to follow such examples!
343:30 Whoever is the first meekly and conscientiously to press
along the line of gospel-healing, is often accounted a
heretic.

Strong position

344:1 It is objected to Christian Science that it claims God
as the only absolute Life and Soul, and man to be His
344:3 idea, - that is, His image. It should be
added that this is claimed to represent the
normal, healthful, and sinless condition of man in divine
344:6 Science, and that this claim is made because the Scrip-
tures say that God has created man in His own image
and after His likeness. Is it sacrilegious to assume that
344:9 God's likeness is not found in matter, sin, sickness, and
death?

Efficacy may be attested

Were it more fully understood that Truth heals and
344:12 that error causes disease, the opponents of a demonstrable
Science would perhaps mercifully withhold
their misrepresentations, which harm the sick;
344:15 and until the enemies of Christian Science test its efficacy
according to the rules which disclose its merits or de-
merits, it would be just to observe the Scriptural precept,
344:18 "Judge not."

The one divine method

There are various methods of treating disease, which
are not included in the commonly accepted systems; but
344:21 there is only one which should be presented
to the whole world, and that is the Christian
Science which Jesus preached and practised and left to us
344:24 as his rich legacy.

Why should one refuse to investigate this method
of treating disease? Why support the popular systems
344:27 of medicine, when the physician may perchance be an
infidel and may lose ninety-and-nine patients, while
Christian Science cures its hundred? Is it because
344:30 allopathy and homoeopathy are more fashionable and
less spiritual?

Omnipotence set forth

In the Bible the word /Spirit /is so commonly applied
345:1 to Deity, that Spirit and God are often regarded as syn-
onymous terms; and it is thus they are uniformly used
345:3 and understood in Christian Science. As it
is evident that the likeness of Spirit cannot be
material, does it not follow that God cannot be in His
345:6 unlikeness and work through drugs to heal the sick?
When the omnipotence of God is preached and His ab-
soluteness is set forth, Christian sermons will heal the
345:9 sick.

Contradictions not found

It is sometimes said, in criticising Christian Science,
that the mind which contradicts itself neither knows
345:12 itself nor what it is saying. It is indeed no
small matter to know one's self; but in this
volume of mine there are no contradictory
345:15 statements, - at least none which are apparent to those
who understand its propositions well enough to pass
judgment upon them. One who understands Christian
345:18 Science can heal the sick on the divine Principle of Chris-
tian Science, and this practical proof is the only feasible
evidence that one does understand this Science.

345:21 Anybody, who is able to perceive the incongruity be-
tween God's idea and poor humanity, ought to be able
to discern the distinction (made by Christian Science)
345:24 between God's man, made in His image, and the sinning
race of Adam.

The apostle says: "For if a man think himself to be
345:27 something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself."
This thought of human, material nothingness, which
Science inculcates, enrages the carnal mind and is the
345:30 main cause of the carnal mind's antagonism.

God's idea the ideal man

It is not the purpose of Christian Science to "educate
the idea of God, or treat it for disease," as is alleged
346:1 by one critic. I regret that such criticism confounds /man/
with Adam. When man is spoken of as made in God's
346:3 image, it is not sinful and sickly mortal man
who is referred to, but the ideal man, reflecting
God's likeness.

Nothingness of error

346:6 It is sometimes said that Christian Science teaches the
nothingness of sin, sickness, and death, and then teaches
how this nothingness is to be saved and healed.
346:9 The nothingness of nothing is plain; but we
need to understand that error is nothing, and that its
nothingness is not saved, but must be demonstrated in
346:12 order to prove the somethingness - yea, the allness -
of Truth. It is self-evident that we are harmonious only
as we cease to manifest evil or the belief that we suffer
346:15 from the sins of others. Disbelief in error destroys error,
and leads to the discernment of Truth. There are no
vacuums. How then can this demonstration be "fraught
346:18 with falsities painful to behold"?

Truth antidotes error

We treat error through the understanding of Truth,
because Truth is error's antidote. If a dream ceases, it
346:21 is self-destroyed, and the terror is over. When
a sufferer is convinced that there is no reality
in his belief of pain, - because matter has no sensation,
346:24 hence pain in matter is a false belief, - how can he suffer
longer? Do you feel the pain of tooth-pulling, when you
believe that nitrous-oxide gas has made you unconscious?
346:27 Yet, in your concept, the tooth, the operation, and the
forceps are unchanged.

Serving two masters

Material beliefs must be expelled to make room for
346:30 spiritual understanding. We cannot serve both
God and mammon at the same time; but is
not this what frail mortals are trying to do? Paul says:
347:1 "The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against
the flesh." Who is ready to admit this?

347:3 It is said by one critic, that to verify this wonderful
philosophy Christian Science declares that whatever is
mortal or discordant has no origin, existence, nor real-
347:6 ness. Nothing really has Life but God, who is infinite
Life; hence all is Life, and death has no dominion. This
writer infers that if anything needs to be doctored, it
347:9 must be the one God, or Mind. Had he stated his syllo-
gism correctly, the conclusion would be that there is noth-
ing left to be doctored.

Essential element of Christianity

347:12 Critics should consider that the so-called mortal man
is not the reality of man. Then they would behold the
signs of Christ's coming. Christ, as the spir-
347:15 itual or true idea of God, comes now as of
old, preaching the gospel to the poor, heal-
ing the sick, and casting out evils. Is it error which
347:18 is restoring an essential element of Christianity, -
namely, apostolic, divine healing? No; it is the Science
of Christianity which is restoring it, and is the light
347:21 shining in darkness, which the darkness comprehends
not.

If Christian Science takes away the popular gods, -
347:24 sin, sickness, and death, - it is Christ, Truth, who de-
stroys these evils, and so proves their nothingness.

The dream that matter and error are something
347:27 must yield to reason and revelation. Then mortals
will behold the nothingness of sickness and sin, and
sin and sickness will disappear from consciousness.
347:30 The harmonious will appear real, and the inharmo-
nious unreal. These critics will then see that error
is indeed the nothingness, which they chide us for
348:1 naming nothing and which we desire neither to honor
nor to fear.

348:3 Medical theories virtually admit the nothingness of
hallucinations, even while treating them as disease; and
who objects to this? Ought we not, then, to approve
348:6 any cure, which is effected by making the disease appear
to be - what it really is - an illusion?

All disease a delusion

Here is the difficulty: it is not generally understood how
348:9 one disease can be just as much a delusion as another. It
is a pity that the medical faculty and clergy
have not learned this, for Jesus established
348:12 this foundational fact, when devils, delusions, were cast
out and the dumb spake.

Elimination of sickness

Are we irreverent towards sin, or imputing too much
348:15 power to God, when we ascribe to Him almighty Life
and Love? I deny His cooperation with evil,
because I desire to have no faith in evil or in
348:18 any power but God, good. Is it not well to eliminate from
so-called mortal mind that which, so long as it remains in
mortal mind, will show itself in forms of sin, sickness, and
348:21 death? Instead of tenaciously defending the supposed
rights of disease, while complaining of the suffering, dis-
ease brings, would it not be well to abandon the defence,
348:24 especially when by so doing our own condition can be im-
proved and that of other persons as well?

Full fruitage yet to come

I have never supposed the world would immediately
348:27 witness the full fruitage of Christian Science, or that sin,
disease, and death would not be believed for
an indefinite time; but this I do aver, that,
348:30 as a result of teaching Christian Science, ethics and
temperance have received all impulse, health has been
restored, and longevity increased. If such are the pres-
349:1 ent fruits, what will the harvest be, when this Science is
more generally understood?

Law and gospel

349:3 As Paul asked of the unfaithful in ancient days, so
the rabbis of the present day ask concerning our heal-
ing and teaching, "Through breaking the law,
349:6 dishonorest thou God?" We have the gospel,
however, and our Master annulled material law by heal-
ing contrary to it. We propose to follow the Master's
349:9 example. We should subordinate material law to spirit-
ual law. Two essential points of Christian Science are,
that neither Life nor man dies, and that God is not the
349:12 author of sickness.

Language inadequate

The chief difficulty in conveying the teachings of divine
Science accurately to human thought lies in this, that like
349:15 all other languages, English is inadequate to
the expression of spiritual conceptions and
propositions, because one is obliged to use material terms
349:18 in dealing with spiritual ideas. The elucidation of Chris-
tian Science lies in its spiritual sense, and this sense must
be gained by its disciples in order to grasp the meaning of
349:21 this Science. Out of this condition grew the prophecy
concerning the Christian apostles, "They shall speak with
new tongues."

349:24 Speaking of the things of Spirit while dwelling on
a material plane, material terms must be generally em-
ployed. Mortal thought does not at once catch the
349:27 higher meaning, and can do so only as thought is edu-
cated up to spiritual apprehension. To a certain extent
this is equally true of all learning, even that which is
349:30 wholly material.

Substance spiritual

In Christian Science, substance is understood to be
Spirit, while the opponents of Christian Science believe
350:1 substance to be matter. They think of matter as some-
thing and almost the only thing, and of the things which
350:3 pertain to Spirit as next to nothing, or as very
far removed from daily experience. Christian
Science takes exactly the opposite view.

Both words and works

350:6 To understand all our Master's sayings as recorded
in the New Testament, sayings infinitely important,
his followers must grow into that stature of
350:9 manhood in Christ Jesus which enables them
to interpret his spiritual meaning. Then they know
how Truth casts out error and heals the sick. His
350:12 words were the offspring of his deeds, both of which
must be understood. Unless the works are com-
prehended which his words explained, the words are
350:15 blind.

The Master often refused to explain his words, because
it was difficult in a material age to apprehend spiritual
350:18 Truth. He said: "This people's heart is waxed gross,
and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they
have closed; lest at any time they should see with their
350:21 eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand
with their heart, and should be converted, and I should
heal them."

The divine life-link

350:24 "The Word was made flesh." Divine Truth must be
known by its effects on the body as well as on the mind,
before the Science of being can be demon-
350:27 strated. Hence its embodiment in the incar-
nate Jesus, - that life-link forming the connection through
which the real reaches the unreal, Soul rebukes sense, and
350:30 Truth destroys error.

Truth a present help

In Jewish worship the Word was materially explained,
and the spiritual sense was scarcely perceived. The
351:1 religion which sprang from half-hidden Israelitish history
was pedantic and void of healing power. When we lose
351:3 faith in God's power to heal, we distrust the
divine Principle which demonstrates Christian
Science, and then we cannot heal the sick. Neither can
351:6 we heal through the help of Spirit, if we plant ourselves
on a material basis.

The author became a member of the orthodox Con-
351:9 gregational Church in early years. Later she learned
that her own prayers failed to heal her as did the prayers
of her devout parents and the church; but when the
351:12 spiritual sense of the creed was discerned in the Science
of Christianity, this spiritual sense was a/ present help/. It
was the living, palpitating presence of Christ, Truth, which
351:15 healed the sick.

Fatal premises

We cannot bring out the practical proof of Christianity,
which Jesus required, while error seems as potent and
351:18 real to us as Truth, and while we make a per-
sonal devil and an anthropomorphic God our
starting-points, - especially if we consider Satan as a
351:21 being coequal in power with Deity, if not superior to Him.
Because such starting-points are neither spiritual nor
scientific, they cannot work out the Spirit-rule of Christian
351:24 healing, which proves the nothingness of error, discord,
by demonstrating the all-inclusiveness of harmonious
Truth.

Fruitless worship

351:27 The Israelites centred their thoughts on the material
in their attempted worship of the spiritual. To them
matter was substance, and Spirit was shadow.
351:30 They thought to worship Spirit from a ma-
terial standpoint, but this was impossible. They might
appeal to Jehovah, but their prayer brought down no
352:1 proof that it was heard, because they did not sufficiently
understand God to be able to demonstrate His power
352:3 to heal, - to make harmony the reality and discord the
unreality.

Spirit the tangible

Our Master declared that his material body was not
352:6 spirit, evidently considering it a mortal and material be-
lief of flesh and bones, whereas the Jews took
a diametrically opposite view. To Jesus, not
352:9 materiality, but spirituality, was the reality of man's ex-
istence, while to the rabbis the spiritual was the intangi-
ble and uncertain, if not the unreal.

Ghosts not realities

352:12 Would a mother say to her child, who is frightened at
imaginary ghosts and sick in consequence of the fear:
"I know that ghosts are real. They exist,
352:15 and are to be feared; but you must not be
afraid of them"?

Children, like adults, /ought/ to fear a reality which
352:18 can harm them and which they do not understand, for
at any moment they may become its helpless victims;
but instead of increasing children's fears by declaring
352:21 ghosts to be real, merciless, and powerful, thus water-
ing the very roots of childish timidity, children should
be assured that their fears are groundless, that ghosts
352:24 are not realities, but traditional beliefs, erroneous and
man-made.

In short, children should be told not to believe in ghosts,
352:27 because there are no such things. If belief in their reality
is destroyed, terror of ghosts will depart and health be re-
stored. The objects of alarm will then vanish into noth-
352:30 ingness, no longer seeming worthy of fear or honor. To
accomplish a good result, it is certainly not irrational to
tell the truth about ghosts.

The real and the unreal

353:1 The Christianly scientific real is the sensuous unreal.
Sin, disease, whatever seems real to material sense, is un-
353:3 real in divine Science. The physical senses
and Science have ever been antagonistic, and
they will so continue, till the testimony of the physical
353:6 senses yields entirely to Christian Science.

How can a Christian, having the stronger evidence of
Truth which contradicts the evidence of error, think of
353:9 the latter as real or true, either in the form of sickness or
of sin? All must admit that Christ is "the way, the
truth, and the life," and that omnipotent Truth certainly
353:12 does destroy error.

Superstition obsolete

The age has not wholly outlived the sense of ghostly
beliefs. It still holds them more or less. Time has not
353:15 yet reached eternity, immortality, complete
reality. All the real is eternal. Perfection
underlies reality. Without perfection, nothing is wholly
353:18 real. All things will continue to disappear, until per-
fection appears and reality is reached. We must give up
the spectral at all points. We must not continue to admit
353:21 the somethingness of superstition, but we must yield up
all belief in it and be wise. When we learn that error
is not real, we shall be ready for progress, "forgetting
353:24 those things which are behind."

The grave does not banish the ghost of materiality.
So long as there are supposed limits to Mind, and those
353:27 limits are human, so long will ghosts seem to continue.
Mind is limitless. It never was material. The true idea
of being is spiritual and immortal, and from this it follows
353:30 that whatever is laid off is the ghost, some unreal belief.
Mortal beliefs can neither demonstrate Christianity nor
apprehend the reality of Life.

Christian warfare

354:1 Are the protests of Christian Science against the notion
that there can be material life, substance, or mind "utter
354:3 falsities and absurdities," as some aver? Why
then do Christians try to obey the Scriptures
and war against "the world, the flesh, and the devil"?
354:6 Why do they invoke the divine aid to enable them to leave
all for Christ, Truth? Why do they use this phraseology,
and yet deny Christian Science, when it teaches precisely
354:9 this thought? The words of divine Science find their
immortality in deeds, for their Principle heals the sick
and spiritualizes humanity.

Healing omitted

354:12 On the other hand, the Christian opponents of Chris-
tian Science neither give nor offer any proofs that their
Master's religion can heal the sick. Surely
354:15 it is not enough to cleave to barren and desul-
tory dogmas, derived from the traditions of the elders who
thereunto have set their seals.

Scientific consistency

354:18 Consistency is seen in example more than in precept.
Inconsistency is shown by words without deeds, which
are like clouds without rain. If our words
354:21 fail to express our deeds, God will redeem that
weakness, and out of the mouth of babes He will perfect
praise. The night of materiality is far spent, and with
354:24 the dawn Truth will waken men spiritually to hear and
to speak the new tongue.

Sin should become unreal to every one. It is in itself
354:27 inconsistent, a divided kingdom. Its supposed realism
has no divine authority, and I rejoice in the apprehension
of this grand verity.

Spiritual meaning