No Other God

Archibald McLellan

WHEN Naaman, "captain of the host of the king of Syria," who had come with a letter from his royal master to the king of Israel to be healed of his leprosy, and was sent by him to the house of "Elisha the man of God," received the prophet's command, "Go and wash in Jordan seven times," evidently his dignity was offended, and his contempt for the prophet and his instructions was expressed in emphatic terms. This manifestation of anger, however, was only because he entirely misconceived the purpose of the prophet, and supposed that the purely physical operation of washing in this particular river was the extent of the treatment he was to receive. He did not know that when he came to the house of Elisha "with his horses and with his chariot," the prophet had speedily discovered the need for humility and faith to supplant pride and unbelief in the breast of this "great man," this "mighty man in valor," before he would be ready to receive the blessing for which he asked.

Naaman had expected some great thing to be done for him, something befitting one of his exalted rank and station, and when his pride and vanity were wounded by the simplicity of Elisha's directions to him, and by his failure to show him that deference which he had expected, he became enraged. He would readily have set himself to do some difficult task, but that a trouble so serious as his could be cured by dipping himself seven times in water certainly of no more healing efficacy than the rivers of his own country, was absurd beyond belief. He did not understand that obedience was the prime requisite. How similar to this is the mental attitude of some who come today to be healed through Christian Science! They either expect something to be done for them which is in line with their preconceived beliefs about disease and its cure, notwithstanding the past failures of everything of this kind to heal them; or else they expect, as a consequence of one in their position accepting treatment at the hands of an exponent of this strange religion, to be instantaneously healed by some mysterious process, some spectacular and ostentatious calling "on the name of the Lord."

As a matter of fact all who come to Christian Science have to learn as did Naaman that "God is no respecter of persons;" that what is done for any patient by the practitioner is simplicity itself, and yet it is the most profound operation in all the universe. Mrs. Eddy has called this operation by the name of demonstration, and of this demonstration she says (Rudimental Divine Science, p. 11) that it "by no means rests on the strength of human belief;" and also, "This demonstration is based on a true understanding of God and divine Science, which takes away every human belief, and, through the illumination of spiritual understanding, reveals the all-power and ever-presence of good, whence emanate health, harmony, and Life eternal."

Of those who practise this Science in the healing of persons other than themselves Mrs. Eddy says: "These people should not be expected, more than others, to give all their time to Christian Science work, receiving no wages in return, but left to be fed, clothed, and sheltered by charity. Neither can they serve two masters, giving only a portion of their time to God, and still be Christian Scientists. They must give Him all their services, and "owe no man.' To do this, they must at present ask a suitable price for their services, and then conscientiously earn their wages, strictly practising Divine Science, and healing the sick" (Rudimental Divine Science, p. 13). The words printed in italics are an indication of the importance and seriousness attaching to this work; that it is not to be entered upon lightly, nor to be done perfunctorily, and that charges for it shall not be in excess of what a good conscience will approve.

These italics would also seem to indicate that success is expected to follow the work of the practitioner, and to the credit of these practitioners it can be said that this expectation is largely realized. The corresponding duty of those who are healed is that they shall recognize this healing work as the power of God made manifest, as did Naaman when he said, "Now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel." He knew and gladly acknowledged that none other than the God of Israel could have made his leprous body "like unto the flesh of a little child,"—could have made him "clean."

Archibald McLellan.

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The Sabbath Understood

September 23, 1916

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