Chapter XII - Christian Science Practice
436:1
The principal witness (the officer of the Health-laws)
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
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
One of the principal witnesses, Nerve, testified that he
437:1
was a ruler of Body, in which province Mortal Man resides.
was a ruler of Body, in which province Mortal Man resides.
He also testified that he was on intimate terms with the
plaintiff, and knew Personal Sense to be truthful; that he
knew Man, and that Man was made in the image of God,
but was a criminal. This is a foul aspersion on man's
Maker. It blots the fair escutcheon of omnipotence. It in-
dicates malice aforethought, a determination to condemn
Man in the interest of Personal Sense. At the bar of Truth,
in the presence of divine Justice, before the Judge of our
higher tribunal, the Supreme Court of Spirit, and before
its jurors, the Spiritual Senses, I proclaim this witness,
Nerve, to be destitute of intelligence and truth and to be
a false witness.
437:14
Man self-destroyed; the testimony of matter respected;
Man self-destroyed; the testimony of matter respected;
Spirit not allowed a hearing; Soul a criminal though
recommended to mercy; the helpless innocent body tor-
tured, – these are the terrible records of your Court of
Error, and I ask that the Supreme Court of Spirit reverse
this decision.
437:20
Here the opposing counsel, False Belief, called Chris-
Here the opposing counsel, False Belief, called Chris-
tian Science to order for contempt of court. Various
notables – Materia Medica, Anatomy, Physiology, Scho-
lastic Theology, and Jurisprudence – rose to the ques-
tion of expelling Christian Science from the bar, for such
high-handed illegality. They declared that Christian Sci-
ence was overthrowing the judicial proceedings of a regu-
larly constituted court.
437:28
But Judge Justice of the Supreme Court of Spirit over-
But Judge Justice of the Supreme Court of Spirit over-
ruled their motions on the ground that unjust usages
were not allowed at the bar of Truth, which ranks above
the lower Court of Error.
437:32
The attorney, Christian Science, then read from the
The attorney, Christian Science, then read from the
supreme statute-book, the Bible, certain extracts on the