Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1916-05-09
PRAYER and Atnnement


Christian Science teaches its adher-
ents to pray without ceasing," and
constantly to seek higher and better
understanding of the. true nature of
God, and of man as His likeness. Fur
thermore, it requires the demonstra-
ton of this understanding in right
thinking and right living. Such think
ing results in the lessening of sin and
disease. This is the practical atone
ment to which Mrs. Eddy refers as
"the eXemplificatiOn of mans unity
with God (Science and Health, p. 49,
Christian Scientists believe that in no
other way can they realize the full
import of what has been mistakenly
regarded as the vicarious atonement
of Christ Jesus, but which was in fact
the perfect demonstration of man s
at-one-ment with God.
Those who are familiar with the
true nature of Christian Science know
that it is quite unlike every form of
mesmerism. 1t even differs from what
is ordinarily referred to as faith
cure" While Jesus in his ministry
often required faith of those who were
seeking to be healed, and Christian
Science teaches that faith is in itself
a desirable quality, yet something more
than the exercise of what may be
termed blind faith" is involved in
the practice of true Christian Scien-
lists. The prayer of faith as under
stood in Christian Science is in fact
the prayer of spiritual understand
ing. This prayer is the exact oppo-
site of that form of mental treatment
which consists in the exercise of hui
man will-pOwer or the effort of one
person to control or influence the
thoughts of another by means of mes
merism or mental suggestion.
The prayer or treatment of the
Christian Scientist is based upon his
spiritual discernment of the fact that
there is but one Mind. The mesmer-
lists endeavorS are based. upon the
belief that there are minds many and
that one of these many minds can in
fluence another for good or evil. Here
in lies the danger of mesmerism or
mental suggestion; whereas the safety
of Christian Science practice consists
in its entire dependence upon the
power of one infinite Mind, the effect
of which can be only good.
1t will be seen that in depending
upon the divine Mind, or God, to cast
out and destroy the evils Of sin and
disease, the Christian Scientist is not
endeavoring to hold his patient under
any sort of so-Called mental control.
Nor is the Christian Science prac-
titiOner trying by means of thought
tranSference or mental suggestion to
change his patients belief about sick
ness or disease. He is seeking through
his spiritual understanding of the all
power of good to prove the unreality
and powerlessness of evil-sin, fear,
disease and DEATH thereby demon
strating mans freedom from such evil
suggestions. There can be no reac-
ton or other harmful effect from such
treatment. To illustrate: Suppose one
raises a window shade and lets the
light of day into a darkened room, he
does not feel that by so doing he has
changed the darkness into light.
Neither does he witness any conflict
or strife between the light and dark
ness, for there is none. He merely has
let the light come into the room that
seemed dark and displace the sense
of darkness, which is never anything
more than the seeming absence of
light. The activity of divine Mind in
human consciousness destroying err
rOneOus conditions of belief is as
peaceful and harmless as the action
of light coming into a darkened room
and diSpelling the darkness.
Mind Alone Heals
1t would be entirely inconsistent
with the Principle of Christian Science
to attempt to combine its practice
with the practice of medicine. To the
extent that material means were en-
ployed by the metaphysician and to
the extent that he compromised with
matter and placed his dependence
thereon, to that extent would he stulti-
fly his faith in the power of Mind as
the healer of disease. BY such meth
DDS the practitioner would become like
the Kingdom divided against itself"
which, Christ Jesus said, "is brought
to desolatiOn" Matt. xii, 25).
God said through Isaiah, Come, now,
and let us reason together" and
Christian Scientists are beginning to
understand that in extending this in
vitatiOn to mankind God was not ask
ing an impossible thing. Communion
with the divine Mind which is called
God is indeed possible to one who is
on this plane of existence. This has
been proved by successive revelations
of truth to human kind through in
dividuals whose spiritual perception
was sufficiently clear to make it pos
sible for them to become revelators.
This succession of revelation has Gull
minated in this age with the discovery