Chapter 12: 'Science and Health with Key to The Scriptures' by Mary Baker Eddy

Chapter XII - Christian Science Practice

435:1
mended man's immortal Spirit to heavenly mercy, – Spirit

which is God Himself and Man's only lawgiver! Who or

what has sinned? Has the body or has Mortal Mind

committed a criminal deed? Counsellor False Belief has

argued that the body should die, while Reverend Theology

would console conscious Mortal Mind, which alone is capa-

ble of sin and suffering. The body committed no offence.

Mortal Man, in obedience to higher law, helped his fellow‑

man, an act which should result in good to himself as well

as to others.

435:11
The law of our Supreme Court decrees that whosoever

sinneth shall die; but good deeds are immortal, bringing

joy instead of grief, pleasure instead of pain, and life

instead of death. If liver-complaint was committed by

trampling on Laws of Health, this was a good deed, for the

agent of those laws is an outlaw, a destroyer of Mortal

Man's liberty and rights. Laws of Health should be sen-

tenced to die.

435:19
Watching beside the couch of pain in the exercise of a

love that "is the fulfilling of the law," – doing "unto

others as ye would that they should do unto you," – this

is no infringement of law, for no demand, human or divine,

renders it just to punish a man for acting justly. If mor-

tals sin, our Supreme Judge in equity decides what penalty

is due for the sin, and Mortal Man can suffer only for his

sin. For naught else can he be punished, according to the

law of Spirit, God.

435:28
Then what jurisdiction had his Honor, Judge Medicine,

in this case? To him I might say, in Bible language, "Sit-

test thou to judge . . . after the law, and commandest . . .

to be smitten contrary to the law?" The only jurisdiction

to which the prisoner can submit is that of Truth, Life, and

Love. If they condemn him not, neither shall Judge Medi-

cine condemn him; and I ask that the prisoner be restored

to the liberty of which he has been unjustly deprived.

436:1
The principal witness (the officer of the Health-laws)

deposed that he was an eye-witness to the good deeds for

which Mortal Man is under sentence of death. After be-

traying him into the hands of your law, the Health-agent

disappeared, to reappear however at the trial as a witness

against Mortal Man and in the interest of Personal Sense,

a murderer. Your Supreme Court must find the pris-

oner on the night of the alleged offence to have been acting

within the limits of the divine law, and in obedience

thereto. Upon this statute hangs all the law and testimony.

Giving a cup of cold water in Christ's name, is a Christian

service. Laying down his life for a good deed, Mortal Man

should find it again. Such acts bear their own justifica-

tion, and are under the protection of the Most High.

436:15
Prior to the night of his arrest, the prisoner summoned

two professed friends, Materia Medica and Physiology, to

prevent his committing liver-complaint, and thus save him

from arrest. But they brought with them Fear, the sheriff,

to precipitate the result which they were called to prevent.

It was Fear who handcuffed Mortal Man and would now

punish him. You have left Mortal Man no alternative.

He must obey your law, fear its consequences, and be pun-

ished for his fear. His friends struggled hard to rescue the

prisoner from the penalty they considered justly due, but

they were compelled to let him be taken into custody, tried,

and condemned. Thereupon Judge Medicine sat in judg-

ment on the case, and substantially charged the jury, twelve

Mortal Minds, to find the prisoner guilty. His Honor sen-

tenced Mortal Man to die for the very deeds which the di-

vine law compels man to commit. Thus the Court of Error

construed obedience to the law of divine Love as disobedi-

ence to the law of Life. Claiming to protect Mortal Man

in right-doing, that court pronounced a sentence of death

for doing right.

436:35
One of the principal witnesses, Nerve, testified that he