Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy (universal ebook reader .TXT) 📖

correctly than it does to heal 449:18 the most difficult case.

 

Inoculation of thought

 

The baneful effect of evil associates is less seen than

felt. The inoculation of evil human thoughts ought to 449:21 be understood and guarded against. The

first impression, made on a mind which is

attracted or repelled according to personal merit or de-449:24 merit, is a good detective of individual character. Certain minds meet only to separate through simultaneous

repulsion. They are enemies without the preliminary 449:27 offence. The impure are at peace with the impure.

Only virtue is a rebuke to vice. A proper teacher of Christian Science improves the health and the morals of his 449:30 student if the student practises what he is taught, and

unless this result follows, the teacher is a Scientist only

in name.

 

Three classes of neophytes

450:1 There is a large class of thinkers whose bigotry and

conceit twist every fact to suit themselves. Their creed 450:3 teaches belief in a mysterious, supernatural

God, and in a natural, all-powerful devil. Another class, still more unfortunate, are so depraved that 450:6 they appear to be innocent. They utter a falsehood,

while looking you blandly in the face, and they never

fail to stab their benefactor in the back. A third class 450:9 of thinkers build with solid masonry. They are sincere,

generous, noble, and are therefore open to the approach

and recognition of Truth. To teach Christian Science 450:12 to such as these is no task. They do not incline longingly to error, whine over the demands of Truth, nor

play the traitor for place and power.

 

Touchstone of Science

450:15 Some people yield slowly to the touch of Truth. Few

yield without a struggle, and many are reluctant to acknowledge that they have yielded; but un-450:18 less this admission is made, evil will boast

itself above good. The Christian Scientist has enlisted

to lessen evil, disease, and death; and he will overcome 450:21 them by understanding their nothingness and the allness

of God, or good. Sickness to him is no less a temptation

than is sin, and he heals them both by understanding 450:24 God’s power over them. The Christian Scientist knows

that they are errors of belief, which Truth can and will

destroy.

 

False claims annihilated

450:27 Who, that has felt the perilous beliefs in life, substance,

and intelligence separated from God, can say that there

is no error of belief? Knowing the claim of 450:30 animal magnetism, that all evil combines in

the belief of life, substance, and intelligence in matter,

electricity, animal nature, and organic life, who will deny 451:1 that these are the errors which Truth must and will annihilate? Christian Scientists must live under the con-451:3 stant pressure of the apostolic command to come out from

the material world and be separate. They must re—

nounce aggression, oppression and the pride of power. 451:6 Christianity, with the crown of Love upon her brow,

must be their queen of life.

 

Treasure in heaven

 

Students of Christian Science, who start with its letter 451:9 and think to succeed without the spirit, will either make

shipwreck of their faith or be turned sadly

awry. They must not only seek, but strive, 451:12 to enter the narrow path of Life, for “wide is the gate,

and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and

many there be which go in thereat.” Man walks in the 451:15 direction towards which he looks, and where his treasure

is, there will his heart be also. If our hopes and affections are spiritual, they come from above, not from be-451:18 neath, and they bear as of old the fruits of the Spirit.

 

Obligations of teachers

 

Every Christian Scientist, every conscientious teacher

of the Science of Mind-healing, knows that human will 451:21 is not Christian Science, and he must recognize this in order to defend himself from the

influence of human will. He feels morally obligated to 451:24 open the eyes of his students that they may perceive the

nature and methods of error of every sort, especially any

subtle degree of evil, deceived and deceiving. All mental 451:27 malpractice arises from ignorance or malice aforethought.

It is the injurious action of one mortal mind controlling

another from wrong motives, and it is practised either 451:30 with a mistaken or a wicked purpose.

 

Indispensable defence

 

Show your student that mental malpractice tends to

blast moral sense, health, and the human life. Instruct 452:1 him how to bar the door of his thought against this

seeming power, - a task not difficult, when one under-452:3 stands that evil has in reality no power.

Incorrect reasoning leads to practical error.

The wrong thought should be arrested before it has a 452:6 chance to manifest itself.

 

Egotistic darkness

 

Walking in the light, we are accustomed to the light

and require it; we cannot see in darkness. But eyes ac-452:9 customed to darkness are pained by the light.

When outgrowing the old, you should not fear

to put on the new. Your advancing course may pro-452:12 voke envy, but it will also attract respect. When error

confronts you, withhold not the rebuke or the explanation which destroys error. Never breathe an immoral 452:15 atmosphere, unless in the attempt to purify it. Better is

the frugal intellectual repast with contentment and virtue,

than the luxury of learning with egotism and vice.

 

Unwarranted expectations

452:18 Right is radical. The teacher must know the truth

himself. He must live it and love it, or he cannot impart

it to others. We soil our garments with con-452:21 servatism, and afterwards we must wash them

clean. When the spiritual sense of Truth unfolds its

harmonies, you take no risks in the policy of error. Ex-452:24 pect to heal simply by repeating the author’s words, by

right talking and wrong acting, and you will be disappointed. Such a practice does not demonstrate the 452:27 Science by which divine Mind heals the sick.

 

Reliable authority

 

Acting from sinful motives destroys your power of

healing from the right motive. On the other hand, if 452:30 you had the inclination or power to practise

wrongly and then should adopt Christian

Science, the wrong power would be destroyed. You do 453:1 not deny the mathematician’s right to distinguish the correct from the incorrect among the examples on the black-453:3 board, nor disbelieve the musician when he distinguishes

concord from discord. In like manner it should be granted

that the author understands what she is saying.

 

Winning the field

453:6 Right and wrong, truth and error, will be at strife in

the minds of students, until victory rests on the side of

invincible truth. Mental chemicalization fol-453:9 lows the explanation of Truth, and a higher

basis is thus won; but with some individuals the morbid

moral or physical symptoms constantly reappear. I 453:12 have never witnessed so decided effects from the use of

material remedies as from the use of spiritual.

 

Knowledge and honesty

 

Teach your student that he must know himself be-453:15 fore he can know others and minister to human needs.

Honesty is spiritual power. Dishonesty is

human weakness, which forfeits divine help. 453:18 You uncover sin, not in order to injure, but in order

to bless the corporeal man; and a right motive has

its reward. Hidden sin is spiritual wickedness in high 453:21 places. The masquerader in this Science thanks God

that there is no evil, yet serves evil in the name of

good.

 

Metaphysical treatment

453:24 You should treat sickness mentally just as you would

sin, except that you must not tell the patient that he is

sick nor give names to diseases, for such a 453:27 course increases fear, the foundation of disease, and impresses more deeply the wrong mind-picture.

A Christian Scientist’s medicine is Mind, the divine Truth 453:30 that makes man free. A Christian Scientist never recommends material hygiene, never manipulates. He does

not trespass on the rights of mind nor can he practise 454:1 animal magnetism or hypnotism. It need not be added

that the use of tobacco or intoxicating drinks is not in 454:3 harmony with Christian Science.

 

Impotence of hate

 

Teach your students the omnipotence of Truth, which

illustrates the impotence of error. The understanding, 454:6 even in a degree, of the divine All-power destroys fear, and plants the feet in the true path,

- the path which leads to the house built without hands 454:9 “eternal in the heavens.” Human hate has no legitimate mandate and no kingdom. Love is enthroned.

That evil or matter has neither intelligence nor power, 454:12 is the doctrine of absolute Christian Science, and this is

the great truth which strips all disguise from error.

 

Love the incentive

 

He, who understands in sufficient degree the Princi-454:15 ple of Mind-healing, points out to his student error as

well as truth, the wrong as well as the right

practice. Love for God and man is the true 454:18 incentive in both healing and teaching. Love inspires,

illumines, designates, and leads the way. Right motives

give pinions to thought, and strength and freedom to 454:21 speech and action. Love is priestess at the altar of

Truth. Wait patiently for divine Love to move upon the

waters of mortal mind, and form the perfect concept. 454:24 Patience must “have her perfect work.”

 

Continuity of interest

 

Do not dismiss students at the close of a class term,

feeling that you have no more to do for them. Let your 454:27 loving care and counsel support all their feeble

footsteps, until your students tread firmly in

the straight and narrow way. The superiority of spir-454:30 itual power over sensuous is the central point of Christian Science. Remember that the letter and mental

argument are only human auxiliaries to aid in bringing 455:1 thought into accord with the spirit of Truth and Love,

which heals the sick and the sinner.

 

Weakness and guilt

455:3 A mental state of self-condemnation and guilt or a

faltering and doubting trust in Truth are unsuitable

conditions for healing the sick. Such mental 455:6 states indicate weakness instead of strength.

Hence the necessity of being right yourself in order to

teach this Science of healing. You must utilize the moral 455:9 might of Mind in order to walk over the waves of error

and support your claims by demonstration. If you are

yourself lost in the belief and fear of disease or sin, and 455:12 if, knowing the remedy, you fail to use the energies of

Mind in your own behalf, you can exercise little or no

power for others’ help. “First cast out the beam out 455:15 of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast

out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.”

 

The trust of the All-wise

 

The student, who receives his knowledge of Christian 455:18 Science, or metaphysical healing, from a human teacher,

may be mistaken in judgment and demonstration, but God cannot mistake. God selects 455:21 for the highest service one who has grown into such a

fitness for it as renders any abuse of the mission an impossibility. The All-wise does not bestow His highest 455:24 trusts upon the unworthy. When He commissions a messenger, it is one who is spiritually near Himself. No person can misuse this mental power, if he is taught of God 455:27 to discern it.

 

Integrity assured

 

This strong point in Christian Science is not to be

overlooked, - that the same fountain cannot send forth 455:30 both sweet waters and bitter. The higher

your attainment in the Science of mental

healing and teaching, the more impossible it will be-456:1 come for you intentionally to influence mankind adverse

to its highest hope and achievement.

 

Chicanery impossible

456:3 Teaching or practising in the name of Truth, but contrary to its spirit or rules, is most dangerous