The daily tribune., 1908-12-02
A LECTURE
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE
ITS HEALING MINISTRY


enlist. Boston, Mass.
II Christian Science were simply al
intellectual pastime. touching only
the emotions and sentiments OF men,
1t could never emulate the mercy OF
primitive Christian healing. It Ii
generally admitted that it heals the
sick bringing peace and comfort from
the nature Of its curative power. In.
deed 1t has challenged our attention,
not because Of any failure, but be.
cause Of Its success in good works.
Far from being an ethical philosophy.
this is life to be lived--a truth to
be proved.
Recognizing how essential it is,
at some time. for all to claim their
God-given right to be free, 1t may be
interesting to observe the method
which Jesus adopted in teaohipg this
healing power to his disciples. Not
gifted in learning, these disciples
manifested an average intelligence.
and a certain familiarity with the
Mosaic law. Doubtless they were az
familiar with the Old Testament writ.
ings as the average individual Of to.
day However, we may read in
Luke's Gospel how that Jesus re-
proved them for their unbelief.
''Then opened he their understanding
that they might understand the scrip
lures. Then enc might be thorough
ly familiar with the Scripture lessons
and IN his belief fail to understand
them. For example: When Jesus
healed the man with a withered hand
all that he said was "Stretch forth
thine hand. And it was restored
whole like as the other.' We all are
familiar with those words, but sup.
pose any one today repeated those
same words to one suffering from
withered hand, could the mere Iepeti.
tion of those words heal him? 1t
words but the spiritua! understanding
of the Master healed the sick. Why
one might comm to memory the
whole Bible. from Genesis to Revela-
tion. and be unable to heal single
disease. for 1t is the spiritual under
standing that need to be opened.
''The letter killeth," says the Script
ure, 'but the spirit giveth life. ="
When one turns to God for comfort or
consolation it is commonly through
prayer. Christians are taught to pray
for deliverance from sickness and
from sin. They continue their
preaching against sin, but the Chris,
tian healing of sickness is apparently
apathetic from unbslief. The reason
may lie in the physical appearance of
sickness. for II sickness we're known
to be as mental as sin. then il could
be seen how mental prayer could
control both. II disease were purely
physical and could be reached only by
drugs or material means. there could
be no such thing AZ Christian heal.
ing One Of the leading points in the
theology of Christian Science, and
one which physicians are now admit
ting to be true, is the mental nature
of disease.
The observation that disease is
mental has aroused the frequent re.
mark well. II pain is all in the
th ,ing just think you are we'll and
you will be so. Now the same
tnnnront hA1tnS Ia. IA
never cure it; for, II thinking you
are we'll is all that is necessary, and
1t could be so arranged at l2 O'Clock
tonight to have everybody think they
are we'll, then all the pain and suffer
ing Of the world would be wiped out
in a single night. But the most mas
terful logic of material philosophy
can never convince suffering man
that his pain is not real. for the same
mind that produces disease can never
destroy 1t. Only the spiritual Mind
rs taught by Christ Jesus can uncover
sin and disease and destroy it and that
Mind that WAS in Christ Jesus has
stood forth in bold relief Throughout
the Christian era as the panacea for
the worlds ills. Therefore "le. this
mind be in you which was also in
Christ Jesus "
Before Mrs. Eddy discovered Chris.
tian Science. she had been searching
for years along this line of mental
causstion. She had been studying
homeopathy aud learned the mental
nature Of disease, and that the higher
attenuations Of medicine which con.
tained the least Of the drug and the
most mind were the most powerful.
She continued her investig attops be.
yound homeopathy to n mental stand.
point. with the question ever before
her, whether matter or Mind heals
the sick.
In her subsequent investigations Of
mental influences she learned that the
cnrnal will or magnetic healing was