St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1914-10-14

that does not break the desire. Chris
tian Science does not break the bot
tie, the man himself is to do that,
but it breaks the desire for the bot
tie, and this is true reformation.
What 1t Is That Heals.
When the man who is healed in
Christian Science realizes that he has
restored to him the blessings OF
health and happiness, usefulness and
ability, those valued things that
were so sorely threatened, he is al
most overwhelmed by surge of emo
lions. Amusement, curiosity, and
desire to understand are upper
most. what has done this wonder
full thing, and how can 1 get hold of
it?" are the insistent questions he
propounds: 81 want this marvellous
power to help others; l know so many
people that need it badly and | want
to carry it to them at once" he ear
nestly declares.
This zeal is natural and commend
able, but, unless it is tempered with
wisdom, it may be harmful rather
than helpful. To talk Christian
Science enthusiastically and indis-
criminately without having lived it
persistently, is to invite opposition
where we had hoped for acceptance.
1t produces prejudice instead of sup
port, incredulity instead of belief.
Much needless antagonism to
Christian Science has arisen from
the indiscreet and Incorporate as
sertions by those exuberant ones
whose healing had seemed to them
such a wonderful thing that they
could not comprehend how any one
could regard it differently, and hence
they have talked Christian Science
to almost any one willing to stand
still. We must learn to choose our
hearers as we'll as our words.
Answering, then, the eager ques-
ton that is uppermost in the mind
of the man who is turning to Chris
tian Science, what is it that does
the healing?" let us say to him that
it is the power of divine Mind prac-
tically applied to beliefs about the
human body and to the affairs of
men. Let us assure him, too, that
it is the influence of divine Love OPP
Grating in human consciousness.
Does this satisfy him? Does he
quickly grasp the deep significance
of the words "divine .Mind?" Does
he comprehend, even in a degree,
the nature of Gods love? Not very
often.
Let us see what can be done to-
wards aiding the beginner to better
understanding of the healing power
of divine Mind. Let us begin by say
ing little to him about the human
mind, an entirely different thing.
Minds Control of Body.
All intelligent persons agree that
mans mind influences his body to
greater or less degree, they only diff
fer about how far this mental infiu
ence extends. All agree that excessive
worry, fear, anger, and other mental
extremes, are familiar causes of phys
ical disorders. All will admit, for
example, that man may worry him
self sick, that excessive fear may pro-
duce weakness, and that violent out
burst of anger may cause physical
collapse. But how far other forms
of bodily arrangements are to beat
tr1buted to mental causes, authOri-
ties do not agree. Just where the
vague line should be drawn which
the doctors say exists between men
tai and material causation is a mat
ter OF dispute among the doctors
themselves. One school of medicine
maintains that only so-called func-
tional diseases are mentally produc-
ed, while another more progressive
admits that certain forms of element
airy organic disorders may have a
mental origin.
Here Christian Science enters the
arena and boldly declares that the
human mind is to be held account
/ able for every discordant condition
OF the body; not only in cases where
its action is direct and apparent, as
In those Just named, but where it's
operations are remote and obscure
and are only observable by those
trained in the study of mental caus-
alton.
Then arises a throng of questions
by the beginner, typical ones being:
How about the sickness of an in
rant, whose mind is undeveloped;
or, How can mans mind be the
cause of his pain when he has swal-
lowed something in his food that he
did not know was harmful" 1t is
not the mind of any one individual
that causes the mischief, but the
minds of all mortals-mortal mind,
In other words. 1t is this mortal
mind which has deereed that certain
physical effects will follow certain
causes. 1t is this mortal mind that
has laid down many of these trouble
making laws about the physical body
and the material world where it
claims to have complete control. 1t
holds its subjects in grip of iron,