Article September 3, 1938 Issue

The Simplicity of Divine Metaphysical Healing

PEARL G. ANDREWS

How clearly Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science and the Leader of its movement, has set forth the methods of divine metaphysical healing! She has told us in her textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (pp. 366, 367): "If we would open their prison doors for the sick, we must first learn to bind up the broken-hearted. If we would heal by the Spirit, we must not hide the talent of spiritual healing under the napkin of its form, nor bury the morale of Christian Science in the grave-clothes of its letter." She further states in the same paragraph, "The tender word and Christian encouragement of an invalid, pitiful patience with his fears and the removal of them, are better than hecatombs of gushing theories, stereotyped borrowed speeches, and the doling of arguments, which are but so many parodies on legitimate Christian Science, aflame with divine Love."

There are times when, in our effort to destroy some particular form of error, it may be necessary to argue against erroneous suggestions of medical or theological belief, denying their claim to law, intelligence, or power, and affirming the presence of God's law with its spiritual force or divine energy. This process of argument is not, however, what our Leader disapproves in her expression doling of arguments"; rather is it a righteous rectification by a scientific reversal of error. Jesus himself spent forty days in the wilderness experience. Patiently and vigorously he rejected the suggestions of evil. He had an answer, a scripturally authoritative one, for every suggestion or temptation of the so-called carnal mind. His authority was, "It is written." Thus he succeeded in withstanding all of error's attacks. However, it was when Jesus with God-given power vehemently commanded, "Get thee hence, Satan," that, as the record reads, "the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him." Thus we may readily perceive that moral courage, vigorous denunciation of error, and a radical stand for Truth are needed; and it is then that the angels, pure guiding thoughts and intuitions, assure us of the power of Truth and the allness of divine Love.

There are other times when the simplest statements of divine Science, quietly, earnestly uttered and realized, dispel the error. How sweet and simple are our Leader's healing words found in "Retrospection and Introspection" (p. 60), "Science saith to all manner of disease, 'Know that God is all-power and all-presence, and there is nothing beside Him;' and the sick are healed"! This truly is the childlike attitude which was commended by our Master, Christ Jesus, and to which we all must finally attain.

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