Christian Science: Preventive and Curative

EDWARD T. FOSTER

In Christian Science one learns that sin, disease, sorrow, discord, and death are the outcome of the carnal or mortal mind claiming to manifest itself through the material senses; and further that, because this mental cause is neither of God nor sanctioned by Him, but is "enmity against God," as Paul said, it and its claims are illusive or unreal. Reality is revealed by Christian Science as in God, all-inclusive divine Love; in infinite Mind and its spiritual ideas. Christian Science also teaches that this truth is demonstrable, and furthermore proves that the one effective remedy for the seeming errors and evils of mortal mind lies in the practice of right thinking, or reflection of divine Love.

Thus every Christian Science healing indicates some change or correction in the mentality of the individual who receives the healing; and inasmuch as this change is, in effect, the elimination in some degree of that "enmity against God" already referred to, it may also be said to be a healing of sin. It is certain that the divine healing of Christian Science is necessary for the benefit of all mankind. Thus we find our Leader's statement on page 2 of "Rudimental Divine Science": "Healing physical sickness is the smallest part of Christian Science. It is only the bugle-call to thought and action, in the higher range of infinite goodness. The emphatic purpose of Christian Science is the healing of sin."

After one has been rescued from sin or sickness he needs to be alert to recognize and obey the "bugle-call" as a summons urgently bidding him to strive for "the higher range of infinite goodness." It may be recalled that of the ten lepers healed by Christ Jesus nine apparently did not listen to the "bugle-call," but were content with the mere physical healing, while only one "returned to give glory to God." Our revered Leader, after being healed by spiritual power, sought for three whole years, with persistent and solitary labors, that spiritual understanding with which, by its constant exercise and further unfolding, she afterwards so greatly blessed the whole human race.

A far-reaching and beneficent quality of scientific healing is its preventive power. Mrs. Eddy declares on page 369 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," "The prophylactic and therapeutic (that is, the preventive and curative) arts belong emphatically to Christian Science, as would be readily seen, if psychology, or the Science of Spirit, God, was understood." That the preventing of disease and other evils by Christian Science practice has not been so generally acknowledged as the healing of disease effected by that practice, is perhaps because it is quite natural that men should be more readily conscious of gratitude for relief from physical suffering than for the prevention of ills, the occurrence of which may seem to be rather problematical. And so expressions and testimonies of gratitude are frequently heard for the physical healing, while there is perhaps less recognition of the prevention of disease in Christian Science. Nevertheless, there is great cause for students of this Science to be filled with heartfelt gratitude for the immeasurable protection and freedom that have undoubtedly already been, and increasingly will be, experienced as the direct result of this preventive quality in Christian Science practice. Inasmuch as cause must always precede effect, it can easily be seen that this preventive art of Christian Science has an almost unlimited scope for its operation, and that there is a demand for alert work by the student of Christian Science in the destruction of evil in the human consciousness before that evil can become manifest as crime, disease, poverty, and other troubles.

In dealing with wrong mental habits such as condemnation of others, ridicule, injustice, disparagement, revenge, how often and how beautifully has Christian Science not only turned thought into opposite channels of truth and kindliness, but in so doing prevented the evil results of hate—including disease—from becoming manifest in experience! The so-called laws of heredity and prenatal disposition to evil can and should be denied and serious troubles thus be prevented by the application of Christian Science in human thinking. Lastly, with regard to the belief in contagion, our Leader writes in "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 229), "A calm, Christian state of mind is a better preventive of contagion than a drug, or than any other possible sanative method; and the 'perfect Love' that 'casteth out fear' is a sure defense."

Let us be increasingly grateful for Christian Science; for in the words of Jesus, "Verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them."

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