Article June 29, 1918 Issue

Declaring the Truth

W. STUART BOOTH

Although the teachings of the Bible make it abundantly clear that as a man "thinketh in his heart, so is he," the materialism of both medicine and scholastic theology so darkened and perverted the view of mankind that the metaphysical and true sense of all things was practically lost for centuries. The discovery, practice, and inevitable spread of Christian Science have, however, revolutionized the world's sense so far that even the doctor of medicine now agrees that the mental state of a patient is important and must be considered in many cases. Mrs. Eddy, with a radicalism born of Truth, based her teachings on the spiritual and demonstrable fact that all is Mind and its ideas, that thought conditions are the only conditions. On page 108 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" she writes, "My discovery, that erring, mortal, misnamed mind produces all the organism and action of the mortal body, set my thoughts to work in new channels, and led up to my demonstration of the proposition that Mind is All and matter is naught as the leading factor in Mind-science."

Jesus of Nazareth had substantially said the same thing in the words: "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing." His miracles, or signs, attested the verity of his words so that the people "were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power." Hundreds of years before this time the power of God's word was recognized and acclaimed by the psalmist, who wrote, "He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions." It was the psalmist also who spoke of the value of declaring the truth about God and man when he said, "I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee."

Many Christian Scientists have found it helpful to commit to memory strong and appealing passages from the Bible and Mrs. Eddy's writings. This quite naturally causes them to turn to and use these references in clearing their thought in times of temptation and trouble. This is often referred to as "declaring the truth." But here let the student of Christian Science beware of the temptation to believe that the mere repetition of certain statements regarding God and man constitutes the declaring of the truth, or, in other words, is a Christian Science treatment. Mrs. Eddy says on page 454 of Science and Health, "Remember that the letter and mental argument are only human auxiliaries to aid in bringing thought into accord with the spirit of Truth and Love, which heals the sick and the sinner." By remembering that the primary meaning of the word declare is to make clear, the student will see, not only the true signification, but the full import, of declaring the truth. He will then be immune to the subtle suggestion of discouragement, which would come to one who has unavailingly repeated scientific statements of truth, believing himself to be thereby declaring the truth.

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