Editorial October 29, 1938 Issue

Christian Science Mind-Healing

Duncan Sinclair

The Founder of Christianity, Christ Jesus, healed the sick and the sinning entirely through spiritual means. Evidence of this is plentiful in the Gospels of the New Testament. To quote but a single reference to his healing work from the fourth chapter of Matthew's Gospel (verse 23): "Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people." It is generally admitted that the Master taught the truth of God's kingdom and demonstrated what he taught, and that Christians should follow his example, but it is not so generally admitted that Christian discipleship should include the healing of disease after his manner. Not, indeed, until Mary Baker Eddy discovered Christian Science, thus giving to the world the Science of being, did it become possible to do this by rule.

Paul, the great Apostle to the Gentiles, followed the example of the Master and healed the sick as he did. In the Acts of the Apostles it is written of Paul that while at Melita, after he had been saved from shipwreck, he healed the father of Publius, who "lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux." The narrative proceeds (Acts 28:9), "So when this was done, others also, which had diseases in the island, came, and were healed." To have done this; to have healed the sick as Jesus did, showed that Paul had an understanding of spiritual truth such as the Way-shower himself possessed.

Christian Science makes known the method of spiritual healing practiced by Christ Jesus and his early followers. This method is not faith-healing, as the term is commonly used. It is based on spiritual understanding; that is, on the understanding of God and His creation, as distinguished from an erroneous, material sense of being. Faith certainly enters into the method, but it is faith which is established on knowledge of spiritual truth. Mrs. Eddy puts it plainly when she writes on page 460 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," "Our system of Mind-healing rests on the apprehension of the nature and essence of all being,—on the divine Mind and Love's essential qualities." She continues, "Its pharmacy is moral, and its medicine is intellectual and spiritual, though used for physical healing."

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