Editorial March 3, 1917 Issue

"Omnipotence and omnipresence of God"

Archibald McLellan

A recent editorial in the Sentinel called attention to the by-law of The Mother Church in which Mrs. Eddy impresses upon Christian Scientists the necessity for practitioners to be humanitarians. Since that editorial was published there has come to us a letter written to one in need of healing, by one the validity of whose claim to be a Christian Science practitioner may be judged from the quotation which follows:—

"The word sin means intentional mental mistake, and in this light, it is a sin to be miserly, or stingy, and while I do not say that these are present in your case, yet they have been present in nearly all the cases of palsy that I have handled, sometimes in a slight degree, but usually in a great degree. If you cannot find any one that can handle your case successfully, you may write me again, and I will take it up, but my price for a case that takes as much time as palsy is one hundred dollars per month, and the time it takes is from three to six months, to teach the patient enough of Science so that he can get rid of the trouble."

Christian Science practice is a demonstration of the omnipotence and ever-presence of infinite Life and Love. It is needless to say, therefore, that Christian Science treatment is not a matter of bargain and sale, and that the above letter does not express either the method of Christian Science practitioners or the humanitarian spirit in which they meet those who apply to them for help. In the first place it is not according to the teachings of Christian Science to posit any particular sin as the foundation of any particular disease. Furthermore, it is not customary, nor is it consistent with the teachings of Christian Science, for a practitioner to enter upon the treatment of a case with the belief that it is going to be one of a certain duration, which will entail weeks or months or years of treatment. Pertinent to such a belief is the statement made by Mrs. Eddy on page 376 of Science and Health, where she writes: "Some people, mistaught as to Mind-science, inquire when it will be safe to check a fever. Know that in Science you cannot check a fever after admitting that it must have its course. To fear and admit the power of disease, is to paralyze mental and scientific demonstration." She also writes onpage 365 of the same book, "If the Scientist reaches his patient through divine Love, the healing work will be accomplished at one visit, and the disease will vanish into its native nothingness like dew before the morning sunshine."

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Editorial

Spiritual Equipment