Arizona republican., 1917-04-02
(The Christian Science Monitor

When Jesus said to the man sick OF
the palsy: Thy sins be forgiven thee"
the cynical scribes questioned his right
TO forgive. Who can forgive sins, but
God only" they reasoned Well they
knew that the sin-filled mortal pos
sesSed no power TO forgive sin; neither
could they perceive the-pure, spiritual
consciousness, the Christ ship. en-
dowed by the Father with infinite
power both to uncover. and destroy
sin. Jesus. discerning their thoughts.
demanded: Whether is easier to say
Thy sins be forgiven thee; or
to say, Arise, and take up thy bed and
walk? But that ye may know that the
Son of Man hath power on earth to
forgive sins Che saith TO the sick OF the
palsy. | say unto thee. Arise, and
take up thy bed. and go thy way into
thine house" The man was healed in
stantly. Jesus thus made healing the
proof of operative forgiveness The
necessity for 50 practicing forgiveness
rests upon every man today. God has
given man power to forgive sin by de-
stroying it. and man must prove this
power by healing: conversely, he can
heal only by uncovering and destroy
ing the sin which is the root of dis
ease.
The discoverer and founder of
Christian Science, Mrs Eddy, was
forced to learn the blessed lesson of
forgiveness. Her discovery of this
science, her unwaverlng allegiance to
the truth which she saw, and her per-
sistent effort to give ii to a doubling
world. subjected her to such misun-
Outstanding. injustice and persecution.
that her human experience might
I largely be written in the one word
forgiveness. Nothing less than =
Christlike capacity for forgiving en-
abled her to meet and overcome oppo-
sition and 10 go on steadfasfly in the
accomplishment of her mission, heal
ing and saving mankind.
We are not seeking forgiveness hon
estly unless we are desiring the whole
uncovering and utter destruction of
| evil in consciousness. Indeed, for
giveness is not worth striving for un-
less it accomplishes this result. What
is it to forgive, but to give up hate
for love, self-opinion for divine wis
dom. self righteousness for scientific
| rightness, seif-will for the will of
| God? ITO whom little is forgiven. the
So me loveth little" and if we are not
| forgiving and winning our own for
giveness, it is because we are not low
| ing others and ourselves enough
| the forgiveness of evil whether for
ourselves or another. we must draw so
near to that love which is the source
| of all true forgiveness that in place of
| the fault. the fear, the condemnation,
| or any other phase Of sin or dIScord
| which has sought to separate either
| our brother or ourselves from the har-
mony of being. we shall find only the
| love which blesses and heals. To gain
! the spirit of forgiveness is to let love
! expand to include not only ourselves
! ard our Brother. but all mankind.
| Peters inquiry as to how many
times he should forgive voiced limita-
ton. Should it be as many as seven
| times? Jesus answer. Il say not un-
| to thee until seven times. but until
seventy times SEVEN" implied that for
| giyeness is to be exercised as infinite
| " as love is infinite. We are to for
give so long as we are conscious of
ANYTHING to forgive. until the wrong
ceases to appear real--until 1t is not.
If one has Wronged a mortal and is
condemned by that mortal it is fool
| 'chness to sock q mortal sense of for
! giveness until one has made his peace
/ with God The mortal mind which
| Judges. condemns and convicts has
nothing to offer of forgiveness, and it
| is of little consequence whether it for
| gives or not If another believes that
| he has something to forgive, it is not
| unlikely that he needs to be forgiven
| himself. Take the whole question
then. to the impersonal and impartial
Christ, and find a forgiveness which
is big enough to include both, and
which will so obliterate the wrong
that nothing will remain to be per-
| sorallv forgiven. When one has gone
to God through the forgiving Christ
he can go with confidence to his
brother, or patiently wait until hi.
brother comes to him, or he may res