It is sometimes asked why all cases of disease are not quickly healed in Christian Science, assuming, of course, the sincere efforts of the practitioner to accomplish this result. Why it should ever be otherwise is a matter of much questioning and speculation. Demonstration has abundantly proved that the character of the disease, whether slight or serious, organic or functional, incurable, so called, or not, has but little to do with the healing in Christian Science. It is not, therefore, the character of the disease that ever prevents the cure, for all kinds and classes of diseases have been overcome and completely healed by the application of the divine Principle of healing, and the most simple ailments are sometimes the most difficult to reach. This being admitted, it is well for all sincere workers in Christian Science to consider what causes the delays or failures. Is it the fault of the practitioner or of the patient, and if the fault of either, what is the fault? It may be that there are some engaged in the practice of this Science who are not fitted for the work through lack of understanding, but even those who are looked upon as best fitted for the work sometimes meet with failures for which it is difficult to account.
In the Christian Science text-book, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy, our Leader fixes a high standard for the successful practitioner. In the chapters on the practice and teaching of Christian Science (pp. 362, 443) are many impressive admonitions to the teacher and practitioner to be honest, sincere, and Christianly loving in purpose and motive, accompanied by the oft-repeated statement that without these there can be no success in healing the sick. These two chapters, and our whole text-book, indeed, are full of instructions to labor for the bringing out of like purposes and motives in the minds of those seeking help. It is needless to say that the power of divine healing cannot be successfully invoked by the insincere, dishonest, or unchristian; neither can good results be attained without the understanding, in some measure at least, of the Principle of such healing. Nor can the doubter of himself, as the instrument of healing, or of God's power and willingness to heal, be successful as a practitioner. Without faith and trust in God, faith that He will heal, and that He has made man a fit instrument through which to bring the healing about, failures are inevitable. It must be realized that divine power will heal, and further that such healing comes from the knowledge and understanding of the allness of God, the nothingness of evil, the perfection of man as a spiritual being, the omnipotence of Love, and the falsity of the belief that man is imperfect, that he is material, and that mortal mind has power over him.
Mrs. Eddy has said, "Jesus beheld in Science the perfect man, who appeared to him where sinning mortal man appears to mortals. In this perfect man the Saviour saw God's own likeness, and this correct view of man healed the sick" (Science and Health, p. 476). It is, then, the power to see man as perfect and immortal that insures successful healing in all cases. But it is still necessary to inquire what the attitude and conduct of the patient has to do with the success of the effort to afford him relief. Jesus' spiritual vision was so clear, his reliance upon God so absolute and implicit, and his own motives, fraught with Love divine, so pure, that the thought or attitude of the sufferer, if only he sought help, was easily overcome and the healing made certain. Nevertheless it is obvious from Jesus' own sayings that he looked upon the faith of the seeker after health as of consequence. He said of the centurion, "Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel." And to the centurion he said, "Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour." When they brought him the man sick of the palsy, "Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee. ... Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house." To the woman who touched the hem of his garment, expecting thereby to be healed, he said, "Be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour." He touched the eyes of the blind men, saying, "According to your faith be it unto you. And their eyes were opened." To the woman who in her humility and faith asked only the crumbs from the table, he said, "O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour."
When his disciples failed to heal the lunatic and asked the Master why, he said, "Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you." To the blind man who, in answer to his inquiry, "What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?" replied, "Lord, that I might receive my sight," he said, "Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight." So when Peter asked concerning the barren fig-tree which was withered away, the Master said, "Have faith in God. ... Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith." To the woman who had sinned, but who anointed his feet at the Pharisee's table, he said: "Thy sins are forgiven. ... Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace." When his apostles cried out to him, "Increase our faith," he replied, "If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you." In the case of the ten lepers who were healed, he said to the one who returned, "Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole."
If we turn from these sayings of Jesus to those of some of his apostles and followers, we find reiterated this demand for faith as a means of obtaining the healing. Peter, in explaining to the people the healing of the impotent man at the temple gate called Beautiful, accused them of having "killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead;" and said, "And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all." So Paul, seeing a certain "man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked," and "perceiving that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked."
The power and necessity of faith to accomplish beneficent results other than healing is dwelt upon continually throughout the Bible. It may be questioned, in the case of Jesus, whether he regarded the faith of the supplicant as a condition of the exercise of the power of healing in his behalf, or as a necessary condition of mind to secure the healing. We cannot doubt the power of Jesus to heal even in the absence of faith on the part of the one seeking the healing; his own faith was sufficient for such purpose; but that he regarded the faith of the sufferer as of importance, both as entitling him to divine healing and as aiding its accomplishment, cannot be doubted. We cannot know that the want of faith in those seeking help in Christian Science has caused or contributed to the failures to heal in some cases, while in others of the same kind, as far as can be perceived, the healing has been complete; but the sayings of Jesus on this subject, showing the importance placed by him on faith, should make us cautious in attempting to afford relief where it is apparent that faith is lacking. There are too many cases where people without faith or serious purpose other than to be healed of their physical diseases are ready to take chances on the theory that if Christian Science cannot heal them it can at least do them no harm.
There is, however, another point of view from which to consider the question of the importance of faith as an element in the healing process. It is thoroughly understood that fear is one of the great causes of disease and of its continuance. Faith is the opposite of fear in the sense that it destroys fear and creates or restores confidence and trust. Therefore, in so far as the patient has faith in God and His power and willingness to heal, to that extent will he overcome or be relieved of fear, and just so far as he has faith in Christian Science will the work of the practitioner be aided in its accomplishment. There are, however, other mental conditions or attitudes of those seeking help, towards Christian Science as a means of relief, worthy to be considered. Christian Science is more popular than it once was. It is not now looked upon as a disgrace to apply to it for help, as in earlier times, when the fear of ridicule kept many from resorting to it for relief. This objection being largely removed, many are coming to it now who would have shunned it before.
Many of these come only out of a selfish desire to be healed of their physical diseases, and with no purpose or intent to pursue it for any other purpose or even to investigate it for the religious truth that is the foundation of its beneficent work. They do not come crying, "Oh that I knew where I might find him!" but "Oh that I may be healed!" However, this feeling in the beginning should not be a reason for denying them help. It is the healing, oftentimes, that convinces them of the truth of Christian Science as a religion, and that it may be more—much more—to them than the healing of their diseases. Nevertheless the selfish desire to be healed, without any intention to repay the obligation by living the lives that render healing possible, is not a help in the effort to heal but a hindrance; and where the purpose is known to be purely selfish, and that the intention is to deal with Christian Science as a means of mental healing only, and without faith in God as the healing power or in Christian Science as a religion, this alone should be reason enough for saying to the applicant for help, "Wait for a season, until you can come in a different spirit."
There are others who come clinging still to their old religious opinions, which are sometimes largely responsible for the disease of both mind and body, and while relief is not and should not be denied to those of other views, nevertheless this attitude of mind shows that the real object of the applicant is not to seek after the truth that makes free, but to be healed and still hold to the material belief which is opposed to the Christian Science religion, through whose ministrations he asks and expects to be made whole. If he were to come in good faith, and after sincere and honest investigation not be convinced of the truth of Christian Science, that would be another matter. In such case he should be free to seek the truth elsewhere, but he cannot consistently ask and receive help from it with the intent not to investigate or accept its teachings. To minister to such is to cast pearls before swine. Christian Scientists understand that the healing of physical diseases is the smallest part of the objects of their Church, and that such healing is but the evidence of the truth of their religion. They should not, therefore, allow it to be used merely as a healing agency, and should turn away those who come to it for physical help, only to scoff at it as a religion and a means of regeneration from sin, and for the establishment of God's kingdom on earth.
The thought environment is not to be overlooked. The mental attitude of those near the patient or connected with him in thought, who may be maliciously inclined towards Christian Science or ignorantly thoughtless of the importance of right thoughts as an aid to the healing, has much to do with the work to be done. Often the malicious or thoughtless attitude or speech of those near and dear to the sufferer aggravates and feeds his terrifying fears, weakens his faith, shuts out the perception and reception of the truth that heals, and obstructs and hinders the work that is being done for his good. Oh that all might know how wrong it is to sow the seeds of sorrow, doubt, discontent, and disease, thus keeping alive the very thoughts and fears that continue the evils which must be overcome to insure the healing. The many mental errors and sins which stand in the way of healing, and which are being overcome in thousands of cases, need not be noticed in this connection. They are, unfortunately, the evils to be overcome in some form or other in every one's life, however sincere he may be, and which have to be met and overcome to restore and continue him in health, happiness, and contentment.
The one who seeks help from Christian Science, whether it be for relief from the bondage of sin or from the pains of disease, must come in sincerity, or the results will be disappointing, at least until the work done changes the thought. If that is not accomplished, but little need be expected. The work of Christian Science is devoted to the overcoming of every phase of mortal thought that tends to create discord of any and every kind, and to restore the harmony that comes only from the understanding that divine Mind governs man, and that mortal mind or the material senses have no power over him. To bring forth good fruit the soil in which the seed is sown must be good soil. If it is not, the soil must be cultivated and kept pure and wholesome, or the seed will not grow. Hence the condition of the patient's thought, as well as that of the practitioner, is of supreme moment in the effort to heal the body and uplift the mind.
