Article February 26, 1916 Issue

The All-important Quest

CHARLES I. OHRENSTEIN

Christian Science heals. It does so invariably, and it does so quickly; but this does not mean that its practitioners are invariably able to give this proof of Truth's power. It sometimes occurs, therefore, that those who are not quickly healed wonder why this is so, and the question, "Why am I not healed?" is not infrequently asked. Moreover, too frequently, when asked of the practitioner, reasons are given which seem to place the blame on the patient, and when asked of others, on the practitioner. This should not be, since in most cases both patient and practitioner do the very best they can. Neither should be condemned, and in all cases the good results desired would be more quickly and more surely gained if adverse criticisms were refrained from by all concerned.

Those seeking help in Christian Science should early learn that God, good, is the only cause, and that this cause produces only good results. They should also learn that "sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof;" that is, to the present enlightenment of the individual the mistakes which disclose themselves in a natural way are quite sufficient. The practitioner, on the other hand, knowing that all things are possible with God, should remember that "Love never faileth" (Rev. Ver.). The belief that error of any kind can be a cause of anything, or a hindrance to the demonstration of God's omnipotence, will thus be corrected.

Mrs. Eddy indeed teaches that "a knowledge of error and of its operations must precede that understanding of Truth which destroys error" (Science and Health, p. 252). Nevertheless throughout her teachings she points out with great clearness that error is nothing, and this teaching is Scriptural. "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day [enlightenment] shall not come, except . . . that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;" and the son of perdition was defined by Jesus as that which "abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him." Thus Paul taught that evil, or error, must be recognized, and Jesus taught that it must be recognized as falsity, nonentity. Were this better understood, the sin, or error, "which doth so easily beset us" would not so easily disquiet us, and a right, harmonious state would be more easily attained. "Seek, and ye shall find," said Jesus. But he did not say that evil or the cause of evil should be sought after that good might be found. On the contrary, he always led thought up to Truth, to the effectiveness of Truth spiritually discerned.

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