Chapter IV - Christian Science Versus Spiritualism
Unnatural deflections
78:1
The decaying flower, the blighted bud, the gnarled oak,
The decaying flower, the blighted bud, the gnarled oak,
the ferocious beast, – like the discords of disease, sin,
and death, – are unnatural. They are the fal-
sities of sense, the changing deflections of mor-
tal mind; they are not the eternal realities of Mind.
Absurd oracles
78:6
How unreasonable is the belief that we are wearing
How unreasonable is the belief that we are wearing
out life and hastening to death, and that at the same
time we are communing with immortality!
If the departed are in rapport with mor-
tality, or matter, they are not spiritual, but must still
be mortal, sinning, suffering, and dying. Then why
look to them – even were communication possible – for
proofs of immortality, and accept them as oracles? Com-
munications gathered from ignorance are pernicious in
tendency.
78:16
Spiritualism with its material accompaniments would
Spiritualism with its material accompaniments would
destroy the supremacy of Spirit. If Spirit pervades all
space, it needs no material method for the transmission
of messages. Spirit needs no wires nor electricity in order
to be omnipresent.
Spirit intangible
78:21
Spirit is not materially tangible. How then can it
Spirit is not materially tangible. How then can it
communicate with man through electric, material effects?
How can the majesty and omnipotence of
Spirit be lost? God is not in the medley
where matter cares for matter, where spiritism makes
many gods, and hypnotism and electricity are claimed
to be the agents of God's government.
78:28
Spirit blesses man, but man cannot "tell whence
Spirit blesses man, but man cannot "tell whence
it cometh." By it the sick are healed, the sorrowing are
comforted, and the sinning are reformed. These are the
effects of one universal God, the invisible good dwelling
in eternal Science.
Thought regarding death
79:1
The act of describing disease – its symptoms, locality,
The act of describing disease – its symptoms, locality,
and fatality – is not scientific. Warning people against
death is an error that tends to frighten into
death those who are ignorant of Life as God.
Thousands of instances could be cited of health restored
by changing the patient's thoughts regarding death.
Fallacious hypotheses
79:7
A scientific mental method is more sanitary than the
A scientific mental method is more sanitary than the
use of drugs, and such a mental method produces perma-
nent health. Science must go over the whole
ground, and dig up every seed of error's sow-
ing. Spiritualism relies upon human beliefs and hy-
potheses. Christian Science removes these beliefs and
hypotheses through the higher understanding of God, for
Christian Science, resting on divine Principle, not on ma-
terial personalities, in its revelation of immortality, intro-
duces the harmony of being.
79:17
Jesus cast out evil spirits, or false beliefs. The Apostle
Jesus cast out evil spirits, or false beliefs. The Apostle
Paul bade men have the Mind that was in the Christ.
Jesus did his own work by the one Spirit. He said: "My
Father worketh hitherto, and I work." He never de-
scribed disease, so far as can be learned from the Gospels,
but he healed disease.
Mistaken methods
79:23
The unscientific practitioner says: "You are ill. Your
The unscientific practitioner says: "You are ill. Your
brain is overtaxed, and you must rest. Your body is
weak, and it must be strengthened. You have
nervous prostration, and must be treated for it."
Science objects to all this, contending for the rights of in-
telligence and asserting that Mind controls body and brain.
Divine strength
79:29
Mind-science teaches that mortals need "not be weary
Mind-science teaches that mortals need "not be weary
in well doing." It dissipates fatigue in doing
good. Giving does not impoverish us in the
service of our Maker, neither does withholding enrich us.