christian science-第32节

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It　was　not　an　individual　or　mortal　mind　acting　upon　another　so…called
mind　that　healed　us。　　It　was　the　glorious　truths　of　Christian　Science
that　we　discovered　as　we　neared　that　verge　of　so…called　material　life
named　death；　yea；　it　was　the　great　Shekinah；　the　spirit　of　Life；　Truth；
and　Love　illuminating　our　understanding　of　the　action　and　might　of
Omnipotence！　　The　old　gentleman　to　whom　we　have　referred　had　some　very
advanced　views　on　healing；　but　he　was　not　avowedly　religious　neither
scholarly。　　We　interchanged　thoughts　on　the　subject　of　healing　the　sick。
I　restored　some　patients　of　his　that　he　failed　to　heal；　and　left　in　his
possession　some　manuscripts　of　mine　containing　corrections　of　his
desultory　pennings；　which　I　am　informed　at　his　decease　passed　into　the
hands　of　a　patient　of　his；　now　residing　in　Scotland。　　He　died　in　1865　and
left　no　published　works。　　The　only　manuscript　that　we　ever　held　of　his；
longer　than　to　correct　it；　was　one　of　perhaps　a　dozen　pages；　most　of
which　we　had　composed。　　He　manipulated　the　sick；　hence　his　ostensible
method　of　healing　was　physical　instead　of　mental。

We　helped　him　in　the　esteem　of　the　public　by　our　writings；　but　never　knew
of　his　stating　orally　or　in　writing　that　he　treated　his　patients
mentally；　never　heard　him　give　any　directions　to　that　effect；　and　have　it
from　one　of　his　patients；　who　now　asserts　that　he　was　the　founder　of
mental　healing；　that　he　never　revealed　to　anyone　his　method。　　We　refer　to
these　facts　simply　to　refute　the　calumnies　and　false　claims　of　our
enemies；　that　we　are　preferring　dishonest　claims　to　the　discovery　and
founding　at　this　period　of　Metaphysical　Healing　or　Christian　Science。

The　Science　and　laws　of　a　purely　mental　healing　and　their　method　of
application　through　spiritual　power　alone；　else　a　mental　argument　against
disease；　are　our　own　discovery　at　this　date。　　True；　the　Principle　is
divine　and　eternal；　but　the　application　of　it　to　heal　the　sick　had　been
lost　sight　of；　and　required　to　be　again　spiritually　discerned　and　its
science　discovered；　that　man　might　retain　it　through　the　understanding。
Since　our　discovery　in　1866　of　the　divine　science　of　Christian　Healing；
we　have　labored　with　tongue　and　pen　to　found　this　system。　　In　this
endeavor　every　obstacle　has　been　thrown　in　our　path　that　the　envy　and
revenge　of　a　few　disaffected　students　could　devise。　　The　superstition　and
ignorance　of　even　this　period　have　not　failed　to　contribute　their　mite
towards　misjudging　us；　while　its　Christian　advancement　and　scientific
research　have　helped　sustain　our　feeble　efforts。

Since　our　first　Edition　of　Science　and　Health；　published　in　1875；　two　of
the　aforesaid　students　have　plagiarized　and　pirated　our　works。　　In　the
issues　of　E。　　J。　　A。；　almost　exclusively　ours；　were　thirteen　paragraphs；
without　credit；　taken　verbatim　from　our　books。

Not　one　of　our　printed　works　was　ever　copied　or　abstracted　from　the
published　or　from　the　unpublished　writings　of　anyone。　　Throughout　our
publications　of　Metaphysical　Healing　or　Christian　Science；　when　writing
or　dictating　them；　we　have　given　ourselves　to　contemplation　wholly　apart
from　the　observation　of　the　material　senses：　to　look　upon　a　copy　would
have　distracted　our　thoughts　from　the　subject　before　us。　　We　were　seldom
able　to　copy　our　own　compositions；　and　have　employed　an　amanuensis　for
the　last　six　years。　　Every　work　that　we　have　had　published　has　been
extemporaneously　written；　and　out　of　fifty　lectures　and　sermons　that　we
have　delivered　the　last　year；　forty…four　have　been　extemporaneous。　　We
have　distributed　many　of　our　unpublished　manuscripts；　loaned　to　one　of
our　youngest　students；　R。　　K　c　。　　。　　。　　。　　。　　y；　between　three　and　four
hundred　pages；　of　which　we　were　sole　authorgiving　him　liberty　to　copy
but　not　to　publish　them。

Leaning　on　the　sustaining　Infinite　with　loving　trust；　the　trials　of　to…
day　grow　brief；　and　to…morrow　is　big　with　blessings。

The　wakeful　shepherd；　tending　his　flocks；　beholds　from　the　mountain's　top
the　first　faint　morning　beam　ere　cometh　the　risen　day。　　So　from　Soul's
loftier　summits　shines　the　pale　star　to　prophet…shepherd；　and　it
traverses　night；　over　to　where　the　young　child　lies；　in　cradled
obscurity；　that　shall　waken　a　world。　　Over　the　night　of　error　dawn　the
morning　beams　and　guiding　star　of　Truth；　and　〃the　wise　men〃　are　led　by　it
to　Science；　which　repeats　the　eternal　harmony　that　it　reproduced；　in
proof　of　immortality。　　The　time　for　thinkers　has　come；　and　the　time　for
revolutions；　ecclesiastical　and　civil；　must　come。　　Truth；　independent　of
doctrines　or　time…honored　systems；　stands　at　the　threshold　of　history。
Contentment　with　the　past；　or　the　cold　conventionality　of　custom；　may　no
longer　shut　the　door　on　science；　though　empires　fall；　〃He　whose　right　it
is　shall　reign。〃　　Ignorance　of　God　should　no　longer　be　the　stepping…stone
to　faith；　understanding　Him；　〃whom　to　know　aright　is　Life　eternal；〃　is
the　only　guaranty　of　obedience。

This　volume　may　not　open　a　new　thought；　and　make　it　at　once　familiar。　　It
has　the　sturdy　task　of　a　pioneer；　to　hack　away　at　the　tall　oaks　and　cut
the　rough　granite；　leaving　future　ages　to　declare　what　it　has　done。　　We
made　our　first　discovery　of　the　adaptation　of　metaphysics　to　the
treatment　of　disease　in　the　winter　of　1866；　since　then　we　have　tested　the
Principle　on　ourselves　and　others；　and　never　found　it　to　fail　to　prove
the　statements　herein　made　of　it。　　We　must　learn　the　science　of　Life；　to
reach　the　perfection　of　man。　　To　understand　God　as　the　Principle　of　all
being；　and　to　live　in　accordance　with　this　Principle；　is　the　Science　of
Life。　　But　to　reproduce　this　harmony　of　being；　the　error　of　personal
sense　must　yield　to　science；　even　as　the　science　of　music　corrects　tones
caught　from　the　ear；　and　gives　the　sweet　concord　of　sound。　　There　are
many　theories　of　physic　and　theology；　and　many　calls　in　each　of　their
directions　for　the　right　way；　but　we　propose　to　settle　the　question　of
〃What　is　Truth？〃　on　the　ground　of　proof；　and　let　that　method　of　healing
the　sick　and　establishing　Christianity　be　adopted　that　is　found　to　give
the　most　health　and　to　make　the　best　Christians；　science　will　then　have　a
fair　field；　in　which　case　we　are　assured　of　its　triumph　over　all　opinions
and　beliefs。　　Sickness　and　sin　have　ever　had　their　doctors；　but　the
question　is；　Have　they　become　less　because　of　them？　　The　longevity　of　our
antediluvians　would　say；　No！　　and　the　criminal　records　of　today　utter
their　voices　little　in　favor　of　such　a　conclusion。　　Not　that　we　would
deny　to　Caesar　the　things　that　are　his；　but　that　we　ask　for　the　things
that　belong　to　Truth；　and　safely　affirm；　from　the　demonstrations　we　have
been　able　to　make；　that　the　science　of　man　understood　would　have
eradicated　sin；　sickness；　and　death；　in　a　less　period　than　six　thousand
years。　　We　find　great　difficulties　in　starting　this　work　right。　　Some
shockingly　false　claims　are　already　made　to　a　metaphysical　practice；
mesmerism；　its　very　antipodes；　is　one　of　them。　　Hitherto　we　have　never；
in　a　single　instance　of　our　discovery；　found　the　slightest　resemblance
between　mesmerism　and　metaphysics。　　No　especial　idiosyncrasy　is　requisite
to　acquire　a　knowledge　of　metaphysical　healing；　spiritual　sense　is　more
important　to　its　discernment　than　the　intellect；　and　those　who　would
learn　this　science　without　a　high　moral　standard　of　thought　and　action；
will　fail　to　understand　it　until　they　go　up　higher。　　Owing　to　our
explanations　constantly　vibrating　between　the　same　points；　an　irksome
repetition　of　words　must　occur；　also　the　use　of　capital　letters；　genders；
and　technicalities　peculiar　to　the　science。　　Variety　of　language；　or
beauty　of　diction；　must　give　place　to　close　analysis　and　unembellished
thought。　　〃Hoping　all　things；　enduring　all　things；〃　to　do　good　to　our
enemies；　to　bless　them　that　curse　us；　and　to　bear　to　the　sorrowing　and
the　sick　consolation　and　healing；　we　commit　these　pages　to　posterity。

MARY　BAKER　G。　　EDDY。




APPENDIX　B

The　Gospel　narratives　bear　brief　testimony　even　to　the　life　of　our　great
Master。　　His　spiritual　noumenon　and　phenomenon；　silenced　portraiture。
Writers；　less　wise　than　the　Apostles；　essayed　in　the　Apocryphal　New
Testament；　a　legendary　and　traditional　history　of　the　early　life　of
Jesus。　　But　Saint　Paul　summarized　the　character　of　Jesus　as　the　model　of
Christianity；　in　these　words：　〃Consider　Him　who　endured　such
contradictions　of　sinners　against　Himself。　　Who　for　the　joy　that　was　set
before　Him；　endured　the　cross；　despising　the　shame；　and　is　set　down　at
the　right　hand　of　the　throne　of　God。〃

It　may　be　that　the　mortal　life　battle　still　wages；　and　must　continue　till
its　involved　errors　are　vanquished　by　victory…bringing　Science；　but　this
triumph　will　come！　　God　is　over　all。　　He　alone　is　our　origin；　aim；　and
Being。　　The　real　man　is　not　of　the　dust；　nor　is　he　ever　created　through
the　flesh；　for　his　father　and　mother　are　the　one　Spirit；　and　his　brethren
are　all　the　children　of　one　parent；　the　eternal　Good。

Any　kind　of　literary　composition　was　excessively　difficult　for　Mrs。　Eddy。
She　found　it　grinding　hard　work　to　dig　out　anything　to　say。　　She
realized；　at　the　above　stage　in　her　life；　that　with　al