Article January 26, 1918 Issue

In Confidence

W. K. PRIMROSE

A certain gentleman once described another to the writer as the shrewdest lawyer the speaker had ever met. The reason given for this characterization was that one could go to him for advice on any subject, and he would never afterward refer to the matter, not even to ask if his advice had been taken. The family lawyer, with the exception perhaps of the doctor, is the person who receives more confidences than any other, and the capacity to retain and hold them as sacred frequently does more to earn the respect of his clients than even professional skill. The Christian Science practitioner will, however, probably receive more confidences than even the family lawyer, and too careful attention cannot be given to the first paragraph of Section 22 of Article VIII of our Church Manual, either by members of The Mother Church or by any Christian Scientist.

To the lawyer and the doctor evil is a reality, and the secret of the client or patient, whatever has been revealed in confidence, though hidden is not forgotten. On the other hand, the Christian Scientist is learning that evil is unreal, and he regards the troubles told to him in confidence as untrue and as never having had any real existence. Immediately or ultimately, therefore, they vanish into their native nothingness—because being understood as unreal they have no abiding quality.

The genuine Christian Science practitioner would not allow himself to be tempted into discussing or even mentioning any of his cases unless he was compelled to do so by an inquiry of a relative or friend of the patient. Experience has shown that too often even these "friends" question from curiosity, and sometimes to expose the faults and failings of another or a desire to steady the ark. The admonition from the Manual already referred to, namely, "Members of this Church shall hold in sacred confidence all private communications made to them by their patients; also such information as may come to them by reason of their relation of practitioner to patient," may perhaps at first sight seem to apply only to the practitioner, but surely it can be applied also to our everyday dealings with friends and neighbors, and more especially to what takes place at our church meetings.

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