Chapter VIII - Healing the Sick
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who has taken poison for half a century, assures you it
who has taken poison for half a century, assures you it
preserves his health; but does this assertion make it
so, or establish the fact that tobacco is a good thing, or
prevent the conclusion he would have been better with-
out it? Such instances only prove the power of belief
over the body, and fasten our conclusions in science,
"as a man thinketh, so is he." Mind decides the effect
of drugs, regimen, physiology, etc., on the body; for
man is governed by mind instead of matter. The only
condition of health and happiness, is ignorance of the
so-called laws of matter, and understanding God, hence
more confidence in Soul governing sense, and rising
above selfishness, or mere personal considerations, in
which pleasure or pain of the body is taken so largely
into account, into the atmosphere of Spirit instead of
matter.
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A highly opinionated man, booked in the old school
A highly opinionated man, booked in the old school
systems, has little room for enlarged reasoning; meta-
physical science being intangible to touch or taste, he
casts it overboard. His treasures laid up in sects, pride,
person, or popularity, are in earthen vessels, that yield
little space to God. The man of avoirdupois is shocked
at our small estimate of exquisite viands; the diminu-
tive intellect, alarmed at our exclusive appeals to mind
and the man of sense, sad at the prospect of Soul only!
thus, when the world is bidden come to the feast or
Truth of being, one has a farm, another a merchandise,
and another a wife, therefore they cannot come; but
ere long Truth compels us to come in ways we least
expect. When sickness overtakes man, he is weak with
all his imaginary strong-holds of matter, having nothing
but material law to lean upon, and this, he owns he has
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transgressed, where can he look for immortality? Is it
transgressed, where can he look for immortality? Is it
to person or Principle, to matter or Spirit, to body or
Soul, he finally flees?
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If matter is the identity of man, existence is but a
If matter is the identity of man, existence is but a
continuation of personal sense that proves itself the
source of pain. To contend for personal sense, and
against mind's control over the body, is like the defend-
ant arguing for the plaintiff, and in favor of a law that
sentences him to suffer. Sin, sickness, and death,
would destroy man; then why should we sustain these
by a supposition of their inherent power and control
over man, making him amenable to laws that destroy
him. Until metaphysical science becomes popular, the
weak or vain will never advocate it, however much they
are benefited by it. Those of a very different mould
are commissioned for its hours of depreciation and
struggles. The final proof that all is Spirit hastens.
Life will be demonstrated ere long according to our
statement of it, viz., Spirit and not matter; then shall
we marvel at the tenacity of opposite opinions, that with
the law and prophets and science, we must at length
learn Truth of the things we suffer. Because science
is in advance of the age we should not say, "adhere to
personal sense to-day, for our present life depends on
matter." If this is the case, man is mortal; but it is
not so, and we cannot advance in science until we lose
this belief. Error is not a necessity at present or in the
future, and to-day is the acceptable time of Truth; the
present, even as the future, demands the science of
being. To stop utterly eating and drinking until your
belief changes in regard to these things, were error;
get rid of your beliefs as fast as possible, and admit