Editorial October 9, 1909 Issue

"INCREASE OUR FAITH."

Annie M. Knott

The teachings of Christ Jesus are remarkable for their applicability to all human conditions, and this because they express divine Principle. His words, spoken to his own apostles, apply to all sincere followers of Truth today as surely as they did when uttered by the Master; and what is more, they are applicable in all the varied experiences of life. Mrs. Eddy tells us that "the same power which heals sin heals also sickness" (Science and Health, p. 135). On one occasion Jesus prepared his students to meet the tenacity of error by persistency in the truth; that,in the case of trespasses against themselves, they were to forgive the offender "seven times in a day." To this the apostles responded. "Increase our faith." They doubtless saw that in such cases they would have to overcome their own belief that evil can outlast good, which, if admitted, would be a virtual denial of the omnipotence of God. If we take in this connection another statement of the great Teacher, to the effect that in some cases they might have to forgive up to "seventy times seven." we can see that he here pointed to the utter extinction of error, and to reach this spiritual achievement we, too, may well pray, "Increase our faith."

The Christian Science sense of forgiveness means the destruction of error, and where another is concerned we are called upon to prove to ourselves that evil has no power to rob us of our peace or of aught that God give's us, and this must be' done by "laying aside all malice, and all guile," to quote St. Peter. It is good to know that in working out our problems along spiritually scientific lines we are laying sure foundations for progress, and that the same faith or understanding is needed, whether we are dealing with the belief of sin or sickness.

Our dear Leader says that we should "forsake the mortal sense of things, turn from the lie of false belief to Truth, and gather the facts of being from the divine Mind;" and she adds, "The body improves under the same regimen which spiritualizes the thought" (ibid., p. 370). What if erroneous belief in the form of sickness were to present itself seven times in a day, or "seventy times seven!" Would not this give us opportunity to gain the kind of faith which can cast mountains into the sea? It would certainly call upon us to "forsake the mortal sense of things," and find refuge and healing in spiritual reality. We surely need a more vigorous type of Christian than the world has seen for many centuries, and Christian Science is producing this type — the product of

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