In Christian Science practice a condition is sometimes encountered which is not usual in the practice of medicine. This is the mental stir, caused when the Word of Truth is effectually and fervently affirmed in righteous prayer in order to destroy the evil in the human mind. Unruly though it may seem, this upheaval actually is harmless when its true nature is understood. If thought is prepared to deal with this mental upheaval properly, its appearance only presages the glorious triumph of the law of Spirit over the resistance of the spurious law of material belief.
In the redemptive and healing ministry of Christian Science, the seeming cause of sin, disease, and death is attacked, and the objective of Christian Science practice is to destroy this cause—and, therefore, its effects—conclusively. Medical practice deals primarily with the effects of sin and false belief on human minds and bodies and is only incidentally concerned with cause, as this term is understood in Christian Science. Therefore medical practice meets with no resistance or outcry from mortal mind, because the foundations of evil remain undisturbed as a result of medical ministrations. However, when Christian Science healing is employed, error foresees its own complete obliteration, and there is apparent commotion.
It is not uncommon for the healer in Christian Science to find himself beset with aggressive, vigorous pleas of mortal mind, which in one way or another sound familiar, such age-old distress signals as: "Let us alone" (Luke 4:34), and, "I beseech thee, torment me not" (Luke 8:28).
"Let us alone" was the cry of desperation directed at Christ Jesus when he encountered in the synagogue at Capernaum the man with the "spirit of an unclean devil" (Luke 4:33). This plea of error did not impress Jesus; he was not deterred in his healing mission by it. He knew that he must heal completely, that he must destroy both the effect and the cause of the error, permitting no vestige of it to remain. The record relates how the Master reacted to the outburst of the evil on this particular occasion (verse 35): "And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not."
Despite the protestations of mortal mind, despite its stubborn will to persist and its daring to provoke a scene in the presence of the Master, the evil was summarily and completely destroyed. Applying his comprehensive understanding of Truth, Jesus demanded that the evil of material belief yield to the harmony and perfection of God's law. He demanded that there be a change of mental and physical evidence so that evil would vanish and the reality of being appear.
The Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, was well aware of the consternation aroused in mortal mind when Truth is declared understandingly with a view to vanquishing error. She understood too the impotence of this enmity of the carnal mind as she courageously faced the foes that beset her and destroyed them. In her Message to The Mother Church for 1901, Mrs. Eddy writes (p. 9), "The Holy Spirit takes of the things of God and showeth them unto the creature; and these things being spiritual, they disturb the carnal and destroy it; they are revolutionary, reformatory, and—now, as aforetime—they cast out evils and heal the sick."
Evil sometimes tries to dissuade the present-day worker in Christian Science from disturbing the status quo of material belief, not always by saying precisely, "Let us alone," but perhaps by suggesting subtly that the worker is not sufficiently experienced in Christian Science to cope with the situation at hand. The effect can be the same. Occasionally the evil in mortal mind insists that one is not good enough humanly to employ Christianly scientific means for destroying error. At other times the deceiver will boast that sin or disease is too formidable, too deeply rooted, and that to struggle with it by spiritual means is too arduous and perhaps futile anyway.
Again, evil suggests at times that it is simpler, quicker, and safer to deal with the physical effects of sin and disease by using conventional material remedies rather than to try to eliminate error by strictly spiritual means. A much-used technique of evil in its endeavors to perpetuate itself is that of trying to distract the Christian Scientist from his healing mission by striving to cloud his vision and suppress his purpose through apathy, drowsiness, daydreaming, procrastination, and counterattractions. In many such insidious and devious ways evil tries to fend off the devastating attacks of the Christian soldier so that it may be left alone for a little while longer.
When Christian Science healing reaches the stage in individual cases where evil pleads in one way or another to be left alone, the healer must reject all such pleas and follow through with his treatment to the complete extinction of all claims of evil. He must realize that evil's outcry is an attempt to intimidate and discourage him in his holy work. He must rebuke the evil, as Jesus did, in the face of apparent threat and disturbance. The power to overcome evil completely through Truth is present and available to the healer in all cases and at all times. Jesus said (Luke 10:19), "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you."
Lest someone should think that this promise of the Master is not applicable to present-day Christian healers, but was intended for his immediate followers only, it is well to recall here that Jesus said of his disciples (John 17:20), "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word."
The power to tread on serpents and scorpions, the evils of mortal mind, is unquestionably available to each one of us. If we realize that the power back of demonstration does not come from personal effort or human ingenuity, but accompanies the spiritual idea, the victory of good over evil will be proved conclusively, and error will be destroyed through Christ.
The critical, challenging point of progress in our demonstration in Christian Science healing comes when the evils in mortal mind cry out in desperate efforts to stay the power of the Word. Then the worker in Christian Science really has an opportunity to strike the finishing blow. This is no time to be frightened. It is no time to retreat. This is the time when the follow-through brings gratifying results. If, like David, we go forward to meet the Goliath of error and persist in the attack, God will always support the advance and supply the wisdom and strength needed to achieve a victory.
We are assuredly in His service at such moments, and on these occasions we shall do well to recall the inspiring words of our Leader in her Message to The Mother Church for 1901 (p. 1), "Beloved brethren, to-day I extend my heart-and-hand-fellowship to the faithful, to those whose hearts have been beating through the mental avenues of mankind for God and humanity; and rest assured you can never lack God's outstretched arm so long as you are in His service." Our response to error's "Let us alone" is continued and unwavering effort in the strength of Spirit until error is no more and an added victory rests on the side of invincible Truth.
