Miscellaneous Writings, 1883-1896 Part 56
Admiral Coligny, in the time of the French Huguenots, was converted to Protestantism through a stray copy of the Scriptures that fell into his hands. He replied to his wife, who urged him to come out and confess his faith, [15]
"It is wise to count the cost of becoming a true Chris- tian." She answered him, "It is wiser to count the cost of _not_ becoming a true Christian." So, whatever we meet that is hard in the Christian warfare we must count as nothing, and must think instead, of our poverty and help- [20]
lessness without this understanding, and count ourselves always as debtors to Christ, Truth.
Among the gifts of my students, this of yours is one of the most beautiful and the most costly, because you have signed your names. I felt the weight of this yes- [25]
terday, but it came to me more clearly this morning when I realized what a responsibility you a.s.sume when sub- scribing to Christian Science. But, whatever may come to you, remember the words of Solomon, "Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not go unpunished: but [30]
the seed of the righteous shall be delivered."
You will need, in future, _practice_ more than theory.
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You are going out to demonstrate a living faith, a true [1]
sense of the infinite good, a sense that does not limit G.o.d, but brings to human view an enlarged sense of Deity.
Remember, it is personality, and the sense of personality in G.o.d or in man, that limits man. [5]
Obtrusive Mental Healing
The question will present itself: Shall people be treated mentally without their knowledge or consent? The direct rule for practice of Christian Science is the Golden Rule, "As ye would that men should do to you, do ye," [10]
Who of us would have our houses broken open or our locks picked? and much less would we have our minds tampered with.
Our Master said, "When ye enter a house, salute it."
Prolonging the metaphysical tone of his command, I say, [15]
When you enter mentally the personal precincts of human thought, you should know that the person with whom you hold communion desires it. There are solitary ex- ceptions to most given rules: the following is an exception to the above rule of mental practice. [20]
If the friends of a patient desire you to treat him with- out his knowing it, and they believe in the efficacy of Mind-healing, it is sometimes wise to do so, and the end justifies the means; for he is restored through Christian Science when other means have failed. One other oc- [25]
casion which may call for aid unsought, is a case from accident, when there is no time for ceremony and no other aid is near.
The abuse which I call attention to, is promiscuous
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and unannounced mental practice where there is no neces- [1]
sity for it, or the motive is mercenary, or one can to ad- vantage speak the truth audibly; then the case is not exceptional. As a rule, one has no more right to enter the mind of a person, stir, upset, and adjust his thoughts [5]
without his knowledge or consent, than one has to enter a house, unlock the desk, displace the furniture, and suit one's self in the arrangement and management of another man's property.
It would be right to break into a burning building and [10]
rouse the slumbering inmates, but wrong to burst open doors and break through windows if no emergency de- manded this. Any exception to the old wholesome rule, "Mind your own business," is rare. For a student of mine to treat another student without his knowledge, is [15]
a breach of good manners and morals; it is nothing less than a mistaken kindness, a culpable ignorance, or a conscious trespa.s.s on the rights of mortals.
I insist on the etiquette of Christian Science, as well as its morals and Christianity. The Scriptural rule of [20]
this Science may momentarily be forgotten; but this is seldom the case with loyal students, or done without incriminating the person who did it.
Each student should, must, work out his own problem of being; conscious, meanwhile, that G.o.d worketh with [25]
him, and that he needs no personal aid. It is the genius of Christian Science to demonstrate good, not evil,- harmony, not discord; for Science is the mandate of Truth which destroys all error.
Whoever is honestly laboring to learn the principle of [30]
music and practise it, seldom calls on his teacher or mu- sician to practise for him. The only personal help re-
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quired in this Science is for each one to do his own work [1]
well, and never try to hinder others from doing theirs thus.
Christian Science, more than any other system of religion, morals, or medicine, is subject to abuses. Its [5]
infinite nature and uses occasion this. Even the human- itarian at work in this field of limitless power and good may possess a zeal without knowledge, and thus mistake the sphere of his present usefulness.
Students who strictly adhere to the right, and make the [10]
Bible and Science and Health a study, are in no danger of mistaking their way.
This question is often proposed, How shall I treat malicious animal magnetism? The hour has pa.s.sed for this evil to be treated personally, but it should have been [15]
so dealt with at the outset. Christian Scientists should have gone personally to the malpract.i.tioner and told him his fault, and vindicated divine Truth and Love against human error and hate. This growing sin must now be dealt with as evil, and not as an evil-doer or per- [20]
sonality It must also be remembered that neither an evil claim nor an evil person is _real_, hence is neither to be _feared_ nor honored.
Evil is not something to fear and flee before, or that becomes more real when it is grappled with. Evil let [25]
alone grows more real, aggressive, and enlarges its claims; but, met with Science, it can and will be mastered by Science.
I deprecate personal animosities and quarrels. But if one is intrusted with the rules of church government, to [30]
fulfil that trust those rules must be carried out; thus it is with all moral obligations. I am opposed to all personal
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attacks, and in favor of combating evil only, rather than [1]
person.
An edition of one thousand pamphlets I ordered to be laid away and not one of them circulated, because I had been personal in condemnation. Afterwards, by a [5]
blunder of the gentleman who fills orders for my books, some of these pamphlets were mistaken for the corrected edition, and sold.
Love is the fulfilling of the law. Human life is too short for foibles or failures. _The Christian Science Jour-_ [10]
_nal_ will hold high the banner of Truth and Love, and be impartial and impersonal in its tenor and tenets.
Wedlock
It was about the year 1875 that Science and Health first crossed swords with free-love, and the latter fell _hors_ [15]
_de combat_; but the whole warfare of sensuality was not then ended. Science and Health, the book that cast the first stone, is still at work, deep down in human conscious- ness, laying the axe at the root of error.
We have taken the precaution to write briefly on mar- [20]
riage, showing its relation to Christian Science. In the present or future, some extra throe of error may conjure up a new-style conjugality, which, _ad libitum_, severs the marriage covenant, puts virtue in the shambles, and coolly notifies the public of broken vows. Springing [25]
up from the ashes of free-love, this nondescript phoenix, in the face and eyes of common law, common sense, and common honesty, may appear in the _role_ of a superfine conjugality; but, having no Truth, it will have no past, present, or future. [30]
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