Article December 30, 1922 Issue

Mrs. Eddy's discovery, as stated in Christian Science, was...

Charles W. J. Tennant, Committee on Publication for London, England,—Lerwick, Scotland

Shetland News

Mrs. Eddy's discovery, as stated in Christian Science, was that in proportion as one gained the Mind of Christ, and thought as Christ Jesus thought, one was enabled to reform the sinner and heal the sick. She discovered the divine Principle by which the prophets, Jesus, his disciples, and the early Christians performed their works of healing and regeneration. In the twelfth chapter of Matthew, our Master explained the difference between his method and the method of the so-called carnal mind. In referring to his own method he said, "If I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you." Then, referring to the method of the human mind (acting through autosuggestion, mesmerism, hypnotism, and so on) he said: "When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return unto my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first." From this it will be seen that when Jesus cast out an evil belief he replaced it with the truth of being, and gave the patient the consciousness of the allness of God. When the human mind claims to remove a false belief from human consciousness it leaves that consciousness empty and open to the entrance of still worse beliefs.

Our critic seems to believe that Jesus and his disciples did not receive recompense for their healing work; but there is no doubt whatever from the gospel records that both Jesus and his disciples did receive recompense for their work. When Jesus appointed seventy other disciples, and sent them out to heal, he said, "Go your ways. ... Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes." He also told them that in whatever house they were received they were to remain, "eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire." Later, when talking with his disciples, he said, "When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing." Could anything be clearer than that they received recompense for their labor? Does our critic object to clergymen and doctors being paid for their services? I hope not. Christian Scientists do not ignore any of the commands of our Master: they are endeavoring to perform them all.

Our critic should understand that the command to "cleanse the lepers" is much more than to heal what is termed physical disease. There are moral lepers as well as physical whom Christian Science is healing. There are those dead in "trespasses and sins" who have to be raised as well as others. The casting out of devils (evil beliefs) is a daily occurrence in the practice of Christian Science.

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Mrs. Eddy's discovery, as stated in Christian Science, was...

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