Testimony of Healing July 31, 1920 Issue

It was the beautiful character, so full of love and good...

Joseph H. Faraday

It was the beautiful character, so full of love and good deeds, of one of its adherents that first attracted my attention to Christian Science. I remember remarking about the mental sunshine in which she consciously and constantly lived, and perhaps my voice expressed a hope that the same joyous and happy experience might be mine; be that as it may, she very graciously lent me a copy of the textbook and from the study of its pages, so replete with the highest idealism extant, I found at last the fruition of hopes long cherished for a deeper and more expansive knowledge of the truth which Jesus says will make us free. When this revelation of the truth, as given in the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, was presented to me I was a communicant of the Episcopal church of England, fully in sympathy with its teachings. Now Christian Science means everthing to me; it has been my guide through all the varied vicissitudes of my life since my acceptance of its teachings about twelve years ago; it has entirely changed my outlook upon men (whom I now see as my brothers, children of the one Father), things, circumstances, and conditions. Now I realize that life, with all its seeming complexities, is not an unsolvable problem, an enigma too intricate to admit of solution. Christian Science proved itself to be a chart which any tired, storm tossed mariner on life's uncertain sea can safely rely upon. This chart founded on Truth never fails—there is always light in the darkness.

Christian Science has met my every need time and time again. Space would not allow me to enumerate the many proofs of its redemptive, healing, sustaining, and protective power, but there is one demonstration which stands out preeminently in my memory. It was the first proof I had of what Truth can do. Probably fifteen years before coming into a knowledge of Christian Science I seemingly had two very firmly intrenched habits, drinking and smoking, which under the old thought were quite permissible and occasioned me no misgivings, but after embracing the truth as revealed in Christian Science and being attracted by the beauty of its teachings, the statement on page 454 of Science and Health, "It need not be added that the use of tobacco and intoxicating drinks is not in harmony with Christian Science," gave me no little mental uneasiness. A practitioner happened to be passing through the South American town I was then living in, and I thought to ask her aid, but later decided to let Truth be my practitioner and remove in its own time and manner the landmarks of the Egypt I was leaving and assist me in my journey to the Canaan of new hopes and aspirations. So not giving any further thought to the matter I continued attending the simple services held in a private drawing-room (in marked contrast to the gorgeous ceremonial services to which I had so long been accustomed) and steadily reading Science and Health. In about six months' time, without any effort of suppression or denial on my part, both these long-standing habits most easily and gracefully left me. I might add that some years previously when requested by an oculist to give up or seriously reduce my daily allowance of alcohol and tobacco I experienced great difficulty in partially acceding to his wish, notwithstanding the fact that nicotine was supposedly very injurious to my sight.

Truth works graciously and without effort, and its power to heal, bless, and sustain was my one support when I was called upon to pass "through the valley of the shadow," my Gethsemane. How comforting then to my sorrowing sense was our Leader's interpretation, "Patient woe; the human yielding to the divine; love meeting no response, but still remaining love" (Science and Health, p. 586). When I had to pass through the most trying ordeal of my life, the passing away of my companion for long years, it was then I realized "there is no death—'tis but a seeming."

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