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

God, good.

 

Theories helpless

490:12 The Science of Mind needs to be understood. Until

it is understood, mortals are more or less deprived of

Truth. Human theories are helpless to make 490:15 man harmonious or immortal, since he is so

already, according to Christian Science. Our only need

is to know this and reduce to practice the real man’s di-490:18 vine Principle, Love

 

True nature and origin

 

“Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings.”

Human belief - or knowledge gained from the so-called 490:21 material senses - would, by fair logic, annihilate man along with the dissolving elements

of clay. The scientifically Christian explanations of the 490:24 nature and origin of man destroy all material sense with

immortal testimony. This immortal testimony ushers

in the spiritual sense of being, which can be obtained 490:27 in no other way.

 

Sleep an illusion

 

Sleep and mesmerism explain the mythical nature of

material sense. Sleep shows material sense as either 490:30 oblivion, nothingness, or an illusion or dream.

Under the mesmeric illusion of belief, a man

will think that he is freezing when he is warm, and that he 491:1 is swimming when he is on dry land. Needle-thrusts will

not hurt him. A delicious perfume will seem intolerable. 491:3 Animal magnetism thus uncovers material sense, and

shows it to be a belief without actual foundation or validity. Change the belief, and the sensation changes. 491:6 Destroy the belief, and the sensation disappears.

 

Man linked with Spirit

 

Material man is made up of involuntary and voluntary

error, of a negative right and a positive wrong, the latter 491:9 calling itself right. Man’s spiritual individuality is never wrong. It is the likeness of man’s

Maker. Matter cannot connect mortals with the true 491:12 origin and facts of being, in which all must end. It is only

by acknowledging the supremacy of Spirit, which annuls

the claims of matter, that mortals can lay off mortality and 491:15 find the indissoluble spiritual link which establishes man

forever in the divine likeness, inseparable from his creator.

 

Material man as a dream

 

The belief that matter and mind are one, - that mat-491:18 ter is awake at one time and asleep at another, sometimes presenting no appearance of mind, -

this belief culminates in another belief, that 491:21 man dies. Science reveals material man as never the real

being. The dream or belief goes on, whether our eyes are

closed or open. In sleep, memory and consciousness are 491:24 lost from the body, and they wander whither they will

apparently with their own separate embodiment. Personality is not the individuality of man. A wicked man 491:27 may have an attractive personality.

 

Spiritual existence the one fact

 

When we are awake, we dream of the pains and pleasures of matter. Who will say, even though he 491:30 does not understand Christian Science, that

this dream - rather than the dreamer - may

not be mortal man? Who can rationally say otherwise, 492:1 when the dream leaves mortal man intact in body and

thought, although the so-called dreamer is unconscious? 492:3 For right reasoning there should be but one fact before

the thought, namely, spiritual existence. In reality there

is no other existence, since Life cannot be united to its 492:6 unlikeness, mortality.

 

Mind one and all

 

Being is holiness, harmony, immortality. It is already

proved that a knowledge of this, even in small degree, 492:9 will uplift the physical and moral standard

of mortals, will increase longevity, will purify

and elevate character. Thus progress will finally destroy 492:12 all error, and bring immortality to light. We know that

a statement proved to be good must be correct. New

thoughts are constantly obtaining the floor. These two 492:15 contradictory theories - that matter is something, or

that all is Mind - will dispute the ground, until one is

acknowledged to be the victor. Discussing his cam-492:18 paign, General Grant said: “I propose to fight it out on

this line, if it takes all summer.” Science says: All is

Mind and Mind’s idea. You must fight it out on this 492:21 line. Matter can afford you no aid.

 

Scientific ultimatum

 

The notion that mind and matter commingle in the

human illusion as to sin, sickness, and death must even-492:24 tually submit to the Science of Mind, which

denies this notion. /God is Mind, and God is

infinite; hence all is Mind/. On this statement rests the 492:27 Science of being, and the Principle of this Science is divine, demonstrating harmony and immortality.

 

Victory for Truth

 

The conservative theory, long believed, is that there 492:30 are two factors, matter and mind, uniting on some impossible basis. This theory would keep truth and error

always at war. Victory would perch on neither banner. 493:1 On the other hand, Christian Science speedily shows

Truth to be triumphant. To corporeal sense, the sun 493:3 appears to rise and set, and the earth to stand

still; but astronomical science contradicts this,

and explains the solar system as working on a differ-493:6 ent plan. All the evidence of physical sense and all the

knowledge obtained from physical sense must yield to

Science, to the immortal truth of all things.

 

Mental preparation

493:9 Question, - Will you explain sickness and show how it

is to be healed?

Answer. - The method of Christian Science Mind-heal- 493:12 ing is touched upon in a previous chapter entitled Christian

Science Practice. A full answer to the above

question involves teaching, which enables the 493:15 healer to demonstrate and prove for himself the Principle

and rule of Christian Science or metaphysical healing.

 

Mind destroys all ills

 

Mind must be found superior to all the beliefs of the 493:18 five corporeal senses, and able to destroy all ills. Sickness is a belief, which must be annihilated by

the divine Mind. Disease is an experience of 493:21 so-called mortal mind. It is fear made manifest on the

body. Christian Science takes away this physical sense

of discord, just as it removes any other sense of moral or 493:24 mental inharmony. That man is material, and that matter suffers, - these propositions can only seem real and

natural in illusion. Any sense of soul in matter is not the 493:27 reality of being.

 

If Jesus awakened Lazarus from the dream, illusion, of

death, this proved that the Christ could improve on a false 493:30 sense. Who dares to doubt this consummate test of the

power and willingness of divine Mind to hold man forever 494:1 intact in his perfect state, and to govern man’s entire

action? Jesus said: “Destroy this temple [body], and 494:3 in three days I [Mind] will raise it up;” and he did this

for tired humanity’s reassurance.

 

Inexhaustible divine Love

 

Is it not a species of infidelity to believe that so great 494:6 a work as the Messiah’s was done for himself or for God,

who needed no help from Jesus’ example to

preserve the eternal harmony? But mortals 494:9 did need this help, and Jesus pointed the way for them.

Divine Love always has met and always will meet every

human need. It is not well to imagine that Jesus demon-494:12 strated the divine power to heal only for a select number

or for a limited period of time, since to all mankind and

in every hour, divine Love supplies all good.

 

Reason and Science

494:15 The miracle of grace is no miracle to Love. Jesus

demonstrated the inability of corporeality, as well as the

infinite ability of Spirit, thus helping erring 494:18 human sense to flee from its own convictions

and seek safety in divine Science. Reason, rightly directed, serves to correct the errors of corporeal sense; but 494:21 sin, sickness, and death will seem real (even as the experiences of the sleeping dream seem real) until the Science of man’s eternal harmony breaks their illusion with 494:24 the unbroken reality of scientific being.

 

Which of these two theories concerning man are you

ready to accept? One is the mortal testimony, changing, 494:27 dying, unreal. The other is the eternal and real evidence,

bearing Truth’s signet, its lap piled high with immortal

fruits.

 

Followers of Jesus

494:30 Our Master cast out devils (evils) and healed the sick.

It should be said of his followers also, that they cast fear

and all evil out of themselves and others and heal the sick. 495:1 God will heal the sick through man, whenever man is

governed by God. Truth casts out error now 495:3 as surely as it did nineteen centuries ago. All

of Truth is not understood; hence its healing power is not

fully demonstrated.

 

Destruction of all evil

495:6 If sickness is true or the idea of Truth, you cannot

destroy sickness, and it would be absurd to try. Then

classify sickness and error as our Master did, 495:9 when he spoke of the sick, “whom Satan hath

bound,” and find a sovereign antidote for error in the life-giving power of Truth acting on human belief, a power 495:12 which opens the prison doors to such as are bound, and

sets the captive free physically and morally.

 

Steadfast and calm trust

 

When the illusion of sickness or sin tempts you, cling 495:15 steadfastly to God and His idea. Allow nothing but His

likeness to abide in your thought. Let neither

fear nor doubt overshadow your clear sense and 495:18 calm trust, that the recognition of life harmonious - as

Life eternally is - can destroy any painful sense of, or

belief in, that which Life is not. Let Christian Science, 495:21 instead of corporeal sense, support your understanding of

being, and this understanding will supplant error with

Truth, replace mortality with immortality, and silence dis-495:24 cord with harmony.

 

Rudiments and growth

 

Question. - How can I progress most rapidly in the

understanding of Christian Science? 495:27 Answer. - Study thoroughly the letter and imbibe

the spirit. Adhere to the divine Principle of Christian Science and follow the behests of God, 495:30 abiding steadfastly in wisdom, Truth, and

Love. In the Science of Mind, you will soon ascertain 496:1 that error cannot destroy error. You will also learn

that in Science there is no transfer of evil suggestions 496:3 from one mortal to another, for there is but one Mind,

and this ever-present omnipotent Mind is reflected by

man and governs the entire universe. You will learn 496:6 that in Christian Science the first duty is to obey

God, to have one Mind, and to love another as

yourself.

 

Condition of progress

496:9 We all must learn that Life is God. Ask yourself:

Am I living the life that approaches the supreme good?

Am I demonstrating the healing power of 496:12 Truth and Love? If so then the way will

grow brighter “unto the perfect day.” Your fruits

will prove what the understanding of God brings to man. 496:15 Hold perpetually this thought, - that it is the spiritual

idea, the Holy Ghost and Christ, which enables you to

demonstrate, with scientific certainty, the rule of healing, 496:18 based upon its divine Principle, Love, underlying, over—

lying, and encompassing all true being.

 

Triumph over death

 

“The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is 496:21 the law,” - the law of mortal belief, at war with the

facts of immortal Life, even with the spiritual

law which says to the grave, “Where is thy 496:24 victory?” But “when this corruptible shall have put

on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that 496:27 is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.”

 

Question. - Have Christian Scientists any religious

creed? 496:30 Answer. - They have not, if by that term is meant

doctrinal beliefs. The following is a