Christian Science is revealing to men that spiritual truth destroys mortal error and brings harmony, health, and peace into their lives. But what is spiritual truth, and what mortal error? Spiritual truth is the truth about reality, about God and His creation or universe, including man. And mortal error is a term which includes all the erroneous concepts entertained by the human so-called mind, all the false material beliefs held by mortals. Never before has the distinction between Truth and error been so clearly drawn as Christian Science draws it today; never before has it been so plainly stated how the understanding of Truth can be applied to destroy error in all its forms.
Mankind is prone to believe in error—that which is false. The unenlightened human mind believes in truth and error, good and evil, life and death, believes in them as equally real, with the result that mankind is liable to be either harmonious or inharmonious, sick or healthy, disturbed or at peace, happy or unhappy. And not until Christian Science comes with its clear teaching on the nature of God, Truth, as All-in-all, and its equally plain teaching on the nature of evil as unreal, are men provided with the means, the knowledge, adequate to enable them to reject the evil beliefs which hold them in bondage.
What, then, is the method whereby the errors of mortal mind may be uncovered and overcome? It is based on the understanding of God, Truth, and on the knowledge of the unreality of evil. Suppose the student is tempted by the argument of envy or hate. The argument oppresses him; and if he allows himself to be taken in by it, he may find himself beset by sickness. As a Christian Scientist, what should he do? Immediately turn his thought to God, knowing that He is Love, in this manner confirming to his consciousness the fact of the unreality of evil, and thereby overcoming the argument of envy or hate with its apparent effect of sickness. Mrs. Eddy writes on page 418 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures": "Truth is affirmative, and confers harmony. All metaphysical logic is inspired by this simple rule of Truth, which governs all reality." She continues, "By the truthful arguments you employ, and especially by the spirit of Truth and Love which you entertain, you will heal the sick."
Spiritual truth, then, destroys mortal error; and Christian Scientists are proving this constantly. In numerous instances Christian Science practitioners have demonstrated that spiritual truth heals disease and cleanses from sin—heals all manner of disease and cleanses from all manner of sin. And in each and every case the method is the same: the truth about reality—God and His creation—is affirmed, while the error is denied. God and His creation, including man, are perfect. Disease and evil are unreal, being no part of God's creation. The truth about reality, affirmed with conviction, will not fail to overthrow the false belief that disease and evil are real.
In the foregoing quotation from Science and Health emphasis is laid on the fact that "the spirit of Truth and Love" should accompany affirmation of the truth in healing. How wise, how understanding, is our Leader's admonition! Without "the spirit of Truth and Love;" without the Christ-spirit, one's affirmations of Truth will be feeble indeed in their effects. Christliness, with its compassion, its humility, its love, should inspire and sustain all one's affirmations of Truth; for without the Christ-spirit the truths of divine Science cannot adequately be utilized. With the Christ-spirit their potency is made available in the overcoming of all that is erroneous, all that is, in belief, opposed to them.
It is important that students of Christian Science should hold firmly to the absolute truth about God; that they should constantly affirm His allness; that they should declare the fact that He governs His entire creation perfectly, and that the real man, the image of God, is subject to God's government alone. This will protect them against the false material beliefs of mortal mind and enable them to overcome these beliefs, should they be tempted to accept them. In the overcoming of error for the purpose of destroying its claim to presence and power, it should be remembered that the ability to do this and to realize error's nothingness is sustained by the positive understanding of spiritual truth. God governs all that is real—all reality, His creation; and there is naught outside of His creation! The understanding of this great spiritual truth enables the student to see the unreality of all error, all evil, and to deny the lie, even should it appear to be rampant about him.
There is a statement by our Leader on page 293 of "Miscellaneous Writings" which should be pondered. She writes, "To affirm mentally and audibly that God is All and there is no sickness and no sin, makes mortals either saints or sinners." And she proceeds, "Truth talked and not lived, rolls on the human heart a stone; consigns sensibility to the charnel-house of sensuality, ease, self-love, self-justification, there to moulder and rot." Strong words! What a warning they convey to those who may have grasped something of the letter of divine Science but have failed to cultivate its spirit of Christliness! Mere talk, the mere letter of Christian Science, will not suffice. The spiritual truths of Christian Science must be known and lived; and then they can be given utterance to with conviction and healing power.
Paul, who had a large measure of the Christ-spirit, appeals in his epistles for steadfastness. Had not the Master, whom he so faithfully followed, stood firm as a rock for the truth he so clearly taught and so wondrously demonstrated? Then, should not his followers do likewise? The apostle's words make as strong an appeal to every student of Christian Science today as they did to the Ephesians to whom they were addressed nineteen centuries ago: "Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might;" "Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness."
