Article October 18, 1919 Issue

The Beginner in Christian Science

DUNCAN SINCLAIR

THE beginner in Christian Science is one who has just begun to understand something about divine Principle, about the truth revealed by Mrs. Eddy in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures." He has heard, perhaps, of the healing of some one he knows from sickness or from evil habits through Christian Science, and this has induced him to take up the study of this subject "to see if there be any truth in it," as he may put it to himself. One has only to reflect where the majority of people stand with regard to spiritual issues when Christian Science is first presented to them, to form some slight notion of the variety of problems brought before a Christian Science practitioner by such as come for treatment. Up to this point matter has been very real to them; sickness they have believed to be the inevitable effect of material law; the passions which surge, at times like a tempest, through the human mind, they have considered to be real states of consciousness; while truth has been to them almost altogether, if not wholly, an enigma.

On page 275 of Science and Health Mrs. Eddy has stated the mental attitude required of the beginner: "To grasp the reality and order of being in its Science, you must begin by reckoning God as the divine Principle of all that really is. Spirit, Life, Truth, Love, combine as one,—and are the Scriptural names for God."

Now in endeavoring to help the beginner the Christian Science practitioner can never forget the words of the Master, "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets." The Christian Scientist remembers his own early efforts as a seeker after God, and how he used to be so greatly helped by the kindly encouragement of those who knew more about the subject than he did. And always he is patient as doubts arise. Then, too, his thoughts turn to and dwell on the great truths of being, even while the beginner disburdens himself of his fears, or sorrows, or sins, or physical distresses. Far more than aught else does the practitioner's understanding of divine Truth help. Words are empty without this understanding. To know the truth that man is God's image and likeness, that man is never separate from God, his divine Principle, and therefore that man is absolutely protected and cared for, is to love one's fellow man. In so doing one is helping to destroy the false material sense of man, which is at all times synonymous with human suffering. In other words, healing is being done through spiritual understanding. The Christian Scientist who possesses spiritual understanding sufficient to detect the error in the thought of the one who has approached him for help, and perceives the spiritual truth which the error is counterfeiting, actually heals the case while it is yet declaring itself.

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