Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-26
DIVINE MIND IS
DlSCORD HEALER
CHRISTIAN SCIENTIST POINTS
OUT COMMON MISTAKE
SUCCESS OF NAZARENE USED AS
AN EXAMPLE
Claim Made That Sometimes Persons
Are Healed in Conversation with
One Understanding Word
of God

Some who are not entirely familiar
with the teaching of Christian Science
believe that it's practice consists in the
effort of one person TO benefit another
person by exercising the influence
which one human or mortal mentality
is supposed to have over another.
Starting with such a premise 1t would
be quite natural to conclude that Chris
tian Science practice might be capable
Of resulting in evil if the practitioner
should for any reason decide to use his
mental influence to the detriment OF
his patient However, such premise
as the one stated is mistaken ana
therefore the conclusion drawn from
it must be and is incorrect.
The fact is that Christian Science re
CARDS the so-called human or mortal
mind as the cause or procurer OF all
discord, including disease, and re-
CARDS the immortal or divine Mind as
the only effectuai healer of mortal dls-
cord. This fact must have been known
10 the psalmist who sang of God as
the one "who forgiveth all thine IN
iquities:. who healeth all they dls-
eases Certainly the all-transform-
ing and redeeming power of God was
understood by Christ Jesus, for ne
healed every kind of sickness ana SIN
among the people of his time ana Wheh
questioned as to how the healing was
accomplished, he said, "the Father that
dweIIeth in me. He doeth the works" }"
(John xiv:10). Never in any utterance
OF Jesus was there anything to indicate
that he believed that his power TO neal
the sick and reform the sinner de-
pended upon the exercise OF human
will The record of his lifework as
found in the gospels does not contain
anything that could reasonably De con-
strued to imply that he worked by
means of what is known as the IN
huence OF one human mind over an
other.
Relied on Divine Mind
On the contrary, everything recorded
of his works by the authors of the four
gospels tends to confirm the fact that
Jesus brought about the destruction OF
evil In all of its forms by a faithful
reliance on and Intelligent exercise OF
the power of the divine Mind. He
prayed and taught his followers to
pray, mot my will, but Thine, be
done"
So Christian Science which is re-
instatement of primitive Christianity,
emphasizes again and again the TACT
that there Is no other permanent de-
liverance from human Ills save through
the Transforming power of divine Love.
The reflection of divine Love Is not
however, dependent upon human con-
ditions and beliefs, though II improves
both. The action of divine Mind does
not depend upon the exercise Of human
will. but subjugates and controls 1t.
The truth which Jesus said shall make
free often does and always should
touch and transform consciousness of
the sufferer as gently as light comes
into a darkened room and dlspels the
darkness. Mrs. Eddy describes this
process on page 445 Of Science and
Health as "the unlabored motion Of the
divine energy In healing the sick" This
does not mean that the Christian Sci
ence practitioner has nothing to do
with the healing work in which he is
engaged, any more than II means that
Jesus and his disciples had nothing to
do with the miracles of healing which
were performed by them two thousand
years ago. It simply shows that the
nature and modus operandi of Chris
tian Science practice are often misun-
derstood today just as the method by
which Jesus performed his works OF
healing and regeneration was misun-
derstood by those who said HE doth
not cast out devils but by Beelzebub
the price of the DEVILS"
Light Destroys Darkness
Let us again make use Of the illustra-
tion of light coming into a darkened
room, finding its way into the room
through the transparency of a window.
1t is evident that it is the light that
destroys the darkness and not the win
dow through which the light passes.
Thus In Christian Science practice it is
divine Spirit and not the human men
tality which heals sickness. and sin.
The sin-filled, siclly and fearful con-
sciousness of the patient is comparable
10 the darkened room, and the invigo-
rating, regenerating, healing Truth is
comparable to the light. The translu-
cent, partly spiritualzed mentality of
the practitioner is comparable to the
window.
1t should not be supposed that all
Christian Science Mind healing is the
result of what is known as present or
absent treatment. Frequently persons
have been perfectly and permanently
healed Of chronic cases Of so-called in
durable disease by studying the Chris
tian Science textbook "Science and
Health, with Key to the Scriptures, "
by Mary Baker G. Eddy. Sometimes
people are healed in conversation with
one who speaks the word OF God with
conviction and Understanding. SINH
larly cases of healing have resulted
from the work of authorized lecturers
on Christian Science and from the pub
lie reading of the lesson sermons at
Christian Science church services
"He sent His word and healed them, -
psalm 107). Jesus said Seek and ye
shall find knock, and it shall be opened
unto you" 1t will be seen that since
it is divine truth that brings freedom
from human error, it matters not
whether the truth comes to the indi-
viduaI through silent treatment,
through conversation, or through read
ing and study. The essential thing is
that it comes to the one who is recep-
tive. When it does come, it is as GER
tain to displace in the consciousness
of the individual to whom 1t comes
everything unlike itself as that light
viii destroy darkness.-Christian Sci
ence Monitor.