Chapter VI - Science, Theology, Medicine
The true and living rock
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world, or the grave] shall not prevail against it." In
world, or the grave] shall not prevail against it." In
other words, Jesus purposed founding his society, not
on the personal Peter as a mortal, but on the God‑
power which lay behind Peter's confession of the true
Messiah.
Sublime summary
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It was now evident to Peter that divine Life, Truth, and
It was now evident to Peter that divine Life, Truth, and
Love, and not a human personality, was the healer of the
sick and a rock, a firm foundation in the realm
of harmony. On this spiritually scientific basis
Jesus explained his cures, which appeared miraculous to
outsiders. He showed that diseases were cast out neither
by corporeality, by materia medica, nor by hygiene, but by
the divine Spirit, casting out the errors of mortal mind.
The supremacy of Spirit was the foundation on which
Jesus built. His sublime summary points to the religion
of Love.
New era in Jesus
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Jesus established in the Christian era the precedent for
Jesus established in the Christian era the precedent for
all Christianity, theology, and healing. Christians are
under as direct orders now, as they were then,
to be Christlike, to possess the Christ-spirit, to
follow the Christ-example, and to heal the sick as well as
the sinning. It is easier for Christianity to cast out sick-
ness than sin, for the sick are more willing to part with
pain than are sinners to give up the sinful, so-called pleas-
ure of the senses. The Christian can prove this to-day as
readily is it was proved centuries ago.
Healthful theology
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Our Master said to every follower: "Go ye into all the
Our Master said to every follower: "Go ye into all the
world, and preach the gospel to every creature! . . .
Heal the sick! . . . Love thy neighbor as
thyself!" It was this theology of Jesus which
healed the sick and the sinning. It is his theology in this
book and the spiritual meaning of this theology, which
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heals the sick and causes the wicked to "forsake his way,
heals the sick and causes the wicked to "forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts." It was our Mas-
ter's theology which the impious sought to destroy.
Marvels and reformations
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From beginning to end, the Scriptures are full of
From beginning to end, the Scriptures are full of
accounts of the triumph of Spirit, Mind, over matter.
Moses proved the power of Mind by what men
called miracles; so did Joshua, Elijah, and
Elisha. The Christian era was ushered in with signs and
wonders. Reforms have commonly been attended with
bloodshed and persecution, even when the end has been
brightness and peace; but the present new, yet old, re-
form in religious faith will teach men patiently and wisely
to stem the tide of sectarian bitterness, whenever it flows
inward.
Science obscured
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The decisions by vote of Church Councils as to what
The decisions by vote of Church Councils as to what
should and should not be considered Holy Writ; the man-
ifest mistakes in the ancient versions; the
thirty thousand different readings in the Old
Testament, and the three hundred thousand in the New,
– these facts show how a mortal and material sense stole
into the divine record, with its own hue darkening to some
extent the inspired pages. But mistakes could neither
wholly obscure the divine Science of the Scriptures seen
from Genesis to Revelation, mar the demonstration of
Jesus, nor annul the healing by the prophets, who foresaw
that "the stone which the builders rejected" would be-
come "the head of the corner."
Opponents benefited
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Atheism, pantheism, theosophy, and agnosticism are
Atheism, pantheism, theosophy, and agnosticism are
opposed to Christian Science, as they are to ordinary re-
ligion; but it does not follow that the profane
or atheistic invalid cannot be healed by Chris-
tian Science. The moral condition of such a man de-