Chapter VI - Science, Theology, Medicine
Ancient healers
145:1
whether they caught its sweet tones, as the natural
whether they caught its sweet tones, as the natural
musician catches the tones of harmony, without being
able to explain them. So divinely imbued
were they with the spirit of Science, that the
lack of the letter could not hinder their work; and that
letter, without the spirit, would have made void their
practice.
The struggle and victory
145:8
The struggle for the recovery of invalids goes on, not
The struggle for the recovery of invalids goes on, not
between material methods, but between mortal minds
and immortal Mind. The victory will be on
the patient's side only as immortal Mind
through Christ, Truth, subdues the human belief in
disease. It matters not what material method one may
adopt, whether faith in drugs, trust in hygiene, or reliance
on some other minor curative.
Mystery of godliness
145:16
Scientific healing has this advantage over other meth-
Scientific healing has this advantage over other meth-
ods, – that in it Truth controls error. From this fact
arise its ethical as well as its physical ef-
fects. Indeed, its ethical and physical effects
are indissolubly connected. If there is any mystery
in Christian healing, it is the mystery which godliness
always presents to the ungodly, – the mystery always
arising from ignorance of the laws of eternal and unerr-
ing Mind.
Matter versus matter
145:25
Other methods undertake to oppose error with error,
Other methods undertake to oppose error with error,
and thus they increase the antagonism of one form of
matter towards other forms of matter or error,
and the warfare between Spirit and the flesh
goes on. By this antagonism mortal mind must con-
tinually weaken its own assumed power.
How healing was lost
145:31
The theology of Christian Science includes healing
The theology of Christian Science includes healing
the sick. Our Master's first article of faith propounded
146:1
to his students was healing, and he proved his faith by
to his students was healing, and he proved his faith by
his works. The ancient Christians were healers. Why
has this element of Christianity been lost?
Because our systems of religion are governed
more or less by our systems of medicine. The first idol-
atry was faith in matter. The schools have rendered
faith in drugs the fashion, rather than faith in Deity. By
trusting matter to destroy its own discord, health and
harmony have been sacrificed. Such systems are barren
of the vitality of spiritual power, by which material sense
is made the servant of Science and religion becomes
Christlike.
Drugs and divinity
146:13
Material medicine substitutes drugs for the power of
Material medicine substitutes drugs for the power of
God – even the might of Mind – to heal the body.
Scholasticism clings for salvation to the per-
son, instead of to the divine Principle, of the
man Jesus; and his Science, the curative agent of God,
is silenced. Why? Because truth divests material drugs
of their imaginary power, and clothes Spirit with suprem-
acy. Science is the "stranger that is within thy gates,"
remembered not, even when its elevating effects prac-
tically prove its divine origin and efficacy.
Christian Science as old as God
146:23
Divine Science derives its sanction from the Bible,
Divine Science derives its sanction from the Bible,
and the divine origin of Science is demonstrated through
the holy influence of Truth in healing sick-
ness and sin. This healing power of Truth
must have been far anterior to the period in
which Jesus lived. It is as ancient as "the Ancient of
days." It lives through all Life, and extends throughout
all space.
Reduction to system
146:31
Divine metaphysics is now reduced to a system, to a
Divine metaphysics is now reduced to a system, to a
form comprehensible by and adapted to the thought of