The beginner in Christian Science occasionally finds his past-honored beliefs rising up to rebuke him for having departed from scholastic theology's well-beaten tracks. He should remember, however, that in Christian Science he is being healed by that holy, uplifting faith which is the fulfilment of all that the great theological teachers have hoped and prayed for. The Bible promise that "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much," in no way disagrees with either the teachings of true theology or with Christian Science, and this is the basis upon which the power is invoked that heals the sick.
One of the reasons why we do not at once attain that freedom to which we as children of God are entitled, is the habit we have formed—and which has come down to us from countless generations—of regarding ourselves as part of the material creation. Every thought we bestow upon ourselves exerts an influence over us. Taking the Bible statement, "As he [a man] thinketh in his heart, so is he," as a basis for analysis, we find that we are constantly building up and adding to the very conditions which we should be trying to get rid of. A better plan would be to declare the truth at all times, no matter if a mortal sense of things cries out that our declarations are ridiculous and false. We should remember that mortal sense is the liar, and with every assertion it seems to make, it is trying to place the lie upon truth. We are "joint-heirs with Christ," and we are entitled to, and should insist on entering upon, our rightful heritage, which is an abundance of peace and joy and strength. If an attempt were made to impose upon us any penalty which was found to be at variance with the protective provisions of our Constitution, we would dispute it with all our might, and would insist that such law had no place or authority whatever; yet we quietly submit to the penalties which error imposes upon us every hour of the clay instead of rising up and claiming the protection of divine law,—the law of Love which our Father has said shall govern the universe in which we live.
In Christian Science we are not getting away from anything that is worth retaining. In it we find the fulfilment of all the good things we have been taught to love and revere in the old church, and Christian Science makes no demands of us that we cannot conscientiously fulfil. It is at-one with all Christian teaching regarding the essentials of faith, and it is plainly evident that Christian Science advocates no more in precept than do other Christian systems of doctrine.
Christian Science rejects the idea that matter can be substance, or that its existence can be properly termed real, and it insists that we should regard as real only that which reflects God. Creation must of necessity be good, like the creator,—which definition cannot be applied to sin and disease It is not the true consciousness which claims reality for matter, but the physical senses, the evidence of which is now very generally recognized as untrustworthy. Jesus rebuked material sense repeatedly, and had this to say of the mortal: "Ye are of your father the devil. . . . When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it." The only existence which a lie can lay claim to is a hypothetical one, hence we are certainly justified in disputing the claim of evil to be considered a reality.
From the foregoing it is seen that we must go entirely outside the physical senses to learn anything about God, and this is surely in line with Jesus' admonition, "When thou prayest, enter into thy closet." We must be more diligent if we find ourselves unable to keep this thought constantly before us. Students of large experience are grateful for the glimpses they have, and know that progress gives repeated opportunities to gain more. A moment's reflection is often sufficient to cast out the evil manifestation.
Jesus said, "Overcome evil with good." The understanding of Christian Science enables us to fulfil this injunction. The human mind is capable of entertaining but one thought at a time. It is for us to choose whether this thought is to be good or evil, since either must displace the other. If faithful, our constant endeavor is to displace evil with good, and when success attends our efforts we have made a demonstration of Christian Science, just as in mathematics we demonstrate the basic rule thereof by eliminating our mistakes, by substituting right numbers for the wrong. Thus mortal mind identifies us with that which is incomplete and imperfect, but this is the same mortal mind which Jesus rebuked as having been a liar from the beginning. We cannot believe its testimony, for it can tell us nothing of Truth. To learn this it is necessary for us to shut out mortal sense.
Infinite Mind cannot and does not manifest itself in that which is less than perfect, and we find this true in our experience as we awaken in His likeness. Furthermore, we do not have to die to have this awakening. The promise is, "Now are we the sons of God." The temptations are very great, and we may sometimes forget that God is omnipresent and omnipotent, but unless we resist evil, it will not flee from us, and unless we avail ourselves of the divine promises we cannot expect to reap the reward of health and holiness. Unless we declare and maintain the truth in consciousness -we should not expect to bring it into demonstration.
