The true consciousness is the true health. One says, "I find relief from pain in unconscious sleep." I say you mistake. Through unconsciousness one gains no more freedom from pain, than he obtains immunity from evil through unconsciousness. When unconscious of a mistake one thinks he is not mistaken, but his false consciousness does not change the fact or its results. Suffering and mistakes recur until one is awake to their cause and character. To know the what and when of error, destroys error. The error that is seen has received its death-blow; but never until then. Let us look through the lens of Christian Science, at the following mistake, which demands our present attention. I have no time for detailed report of this examination, and simply answer the following question sent to me, glad indeed, that this query has finally come, with the courage of conviction, to the minds of many students.
Question: "Is it right to copy your works and read them for our public services?" The good which human sense sees not is the only absolute Good. The evil which these senses see not is the only absolute evil. Would it be right for me to enter Mr. Smith's store and take from it his garments, that are on sale, array myself in them, and put myself and them on exhibition, by saying, these garments are Mr. Smith's; he manufactured them and owns them. The spectators may ask, did he give you permission to do this; did he sell them, or loan them to you? But have you asked yourself, what right have I to do this? True, it saves you purchasing these garments, and gives the public patterns which are useful to them; but does this silence your conscience? Or, because you have confessed they were the property of a noted firm, did it justify you in appropriating them, and so avoiding the cost of hiring?
Copying my works verbatim, compiling them in connection with the Scriptures, taking your copy into the pulpit, announcing the author's name, then reading it publicly as your compilation— is what? We answer, it is a mistake, in common parlance it is an ignorant theft.
