Article February 5, 1910 Issue

NEITHER LAPSE NOR RELAPSE.

VIOLET KER SEYMER.

A cure in Christian Science is based upon the scientific fact that since true health is spiritual and eternal, there has never been a lapse from this genuine health, never any cessation of harmony nor any interference with God's government; so that man is amply justified in looking upon God as the health of his countenance. From this it logically follows that disease and discord have never been created, that they have no law to support them and that they have never come into real being for an instant. It further follows, that since there has never been any lapse from harmony, so there can be no relapse, for a lapse necessarily precedes a relapse. Mrs. Eddy tells us that "Science knows no lapse from nor return to harmony" (Science and Health, p. 471)

"But," says the average reader, "what about all the sick people one sees, do you ignore them?" Christian Scientists are very far from ignoring suffering, and the lives of practitioners are devoted to the relief of the sick. Their plea that God did not create disease nor ordain suffering, has the authority of Truth, and consequently the patient's fears and symptoms commence to abate as he takes in right ideas and gains quietness of mind and reassurance. When spirituality, transcending the evidence of the five physical senses, gives us a glimpse of creation as it really is, spiritual and perfect, we are faced with the fact that it is not so much a disease that has to be healed as a false belief to be obliterated and a dark fear to be dispelled.

Truth and Love are the only healing agents the world can ever need or ever have. Some may argue that the fact of suffering remains, whether the invalid is made sick from a physical or a mental cause. True, and to say that a person is merely suffering from the effects of fear and to leave the matter there would not go far toward healing him; but truth drives the lie from its hiding-place in declaring that neither fear nor false belief was ever created by God for the torment of His creation, and that if He is in no way discordant, neither can His creation or reflection be so. In the words of our Leader, "Science saith to fear, '... You do not exist, and have no right to exist, for "perfect Love casteth out fear" ' " (Retrospection and Introspection, p. 61). Thus, speaking from the spiritual standpoint, which is the only absolutely true one, sickness has no true cause, whether moral or physical. That disease will continue in human experience so long as sin remains, is indicated by the utterances of Jesus, but sin has no origin in God, since He is of too pure eyes to behold evil; and His omniscience includes no consciousness of this human invention.

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