WHAT would be thought of a lawyer who, upon taking the case of one fraudulently accused of a crime he did not commit, sat through the trial without offering one bit of defense against the false evidence presented against his client? Such a situation would seem to be inexcusable, and yet many people the world over are experiencing similar injustice every day.
Christian Science heals sickness and other human problems through the spiritual method used by Christ Jesus. His healings were for the most part instantaneous. That is because his thought was so imbued with the unopposable might of Truth and the unspeakable tenderness of divine Love that his defense of humanity was a formidable and total refutation of the false allegations of mortal mind, the false accuser.
He who defined the one enemy of all mankind—Satan, or the devil—as "a liar, and the father of it" (John 8:44) was so certain of his application of divine law to any problem that error's false testimony was ruled out of consciousness with the authority of divine justice.
In a brief but eloquent plea the Master once asked, "Ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?" (Luke 13:16.) This was an impersonal denunciation of disease and a rebuke to self-righteousness, showing that trumped-up, legalistic tradition cannot overrule divine justice.
"Whom Satan hath bound." Satan is evil suggestion, the false testimony of life in matter, which not only attempts to interfere with the health and well-being of people, but arrogantly defies the majesty and infinitude of divine Love.
The divine remedy is the understanding that God is the only power, and this power is good. The power of divine Mind, maintained in thought, eliminates the fear, wrong thinking, and false beliefs which seem so much a part of human existence. When the thought of the patient is freed from the sense of mental disturbance—be it sinfulness, anxiety, apathy, willfulness, or general belief in the power of evil—and his consciousness rests in the assurance of God's goodness and love, healing takes place.
But the healing is more than bodily relief; it includes the healing of the disturbed mentality. The evidence on the body is merely the symptom, or sign, of sickness, which always disappears when the mental state of the patient is lifted out of its error through Truth, clearly seen and wholeheartedly accepted.
On page 10 of her sermon "Christian Healing," Mrs. Eddy writes: "Let us remember that God—good—is omnipotent; therefore evil is impotent. There is but one side to good,—it has no evil side; there is but one side to reality, and that is the good side." And farther down the page she adds, "If you wish to be happy, argue with yourself on the side of happiness; take the side you wish to carry, and be careful not to talk on both sides, or to argue stronger for sorrow than for joy. You are the attorney for the case, and will win or lose according to your plea."
Here, then, is a concise summary of the healing method of Christian Science. It is simple enough, clear enough for any thoughtful person to understand. Moreover, it is readily provable, and the results in human experience will be harmonious directly in proportion to the individual's conformity to the scientific method of right thinking.
How we need to maintain man's oneness with God and plead a strong case always for the power of good and the utter fictitiousness of evil's brazen allegations against the perfection and purity of true being! But, alas, mortals do not always realize the necessity of pleading their case against evil and error with the scientific assurance that Mrs. Eddy recommends and which has already been quoted, "Let us remember that God—good—is omnipotent; therefore evil is impotent." In Science and Health she says (pp. 394, 395): "The sick unconsciously argue for suffering, instead of against it. They admit its reality, whereas they should deny it. They should plead in opposition to the testimony of the deceitful senses, and maintain man's immortality and eternal likeness to God."
"Maintain man's immortality and eternal likeness to God." How bravely and persistently we should hold to this grand pronouncement of man's present perfection and well-being! The reason we should do this is, of course, because that statement is true and true of us right now.
More often than not, the Christian Scientist finds that he is the attorney for his own case in working out his salvation from the error of materialism. It is therefore an absolute necessity that his entire thinking be directed intelligently and conscientiously always on the side of Truth, the perfection of being. In obedience to the clearly explained rules of Christian healing as laid down in Science and Health, the "attorney for the case" should deny every claim of evil or error relating to a problem, using as his defense these facts: evil never was created; it does not exist now; it has no characteristics, no identity, no presence, no reality whatever. And all this because God is good and produces only good and His creation reflects only good.
In a court of law objections are often raised because the evidence given is incompetent, irrelevant, and immaterial. Well, one needs to know that symptoms of disease, pain, and all appearances of deterioration and degeneration are lies of mortal mind and not actual material conditions. Mortal mind is always a conspirator, trying to make valid its claim that because disease appears on the body, the body is responsible for it and experiences it. But the fact is that disease is an illusion of mortal mind, and mortal mind is a false witness because man is spiritual, the likeness of God.
We also hear it said in court that certain evidence is inadmissible because it represents only the opinion and conclusion of the witness. We can always categorically deny the false claims of mortal mind because it is a fact that the origin of matter has never been satisfactorily accounted for. All that can be claimed for matter is that the human mind believes that matter is the origin and the substance of life. But that is only the opinion and conclusion of this mind. No evidence of the origin of matter or the origin of life in matter has ever been conclusively established. Our plea in our healing work is based on the allness of God, Spirit, whose tender love meets the human need.
Do we need to understand more of divine Truth, which we must employ in pleading our case for health, happiness, and purity? A thorough study of the chapter "Christian Science Practice" in Science and Health is most helpful. It provides us with clear-cut, understandable rules to apply in working out all kinds of problems. One of the most important rules for us to observe in pleading our case before the bar of divine justice is this one, which has already been quoted: "Take the side you wish to carry, and be careful not to talk on both sides, or to argue stronger for sorrow than for joy."
A paragraph found on page 418 of Science and Health seems especially appropriate to the subject of this article. It reads: "Stick to the truth of being in contradistinction to the error that life, substance, or intelligence can be in matter. Plead with an honest conviction of truth and a clear perception of the unchanging, unerring, and certain effect of divine Science. Then, if your fidelity is half equal to the truth of your plea, you will heal the sick."
