Chapter XII - Christian Science Practice
Naming maladies
398:1
Sometimes Jesus called a disease by name, as when he
Sometimes Jesus called a disease by name, as when he
said to the epileptic boy, "Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I
charge thee, come out of him, and enter no
more into him." It is added that "the spirit
[error] cried, and rent him sore and came out of him, and
he was as one dead," – clear evidence that the malady
was not material. These instances show the concessions
which Jesus was willing to make to the popular ignorance
of spiritual Life-laws. Often he gave no name to the
distemper he cured. To the synagogue ruler's daughter,
whom they called dead but of whom he said, "she is not
dead, but sleepeth," he simply said, "Damsel, I say unto
thee, arise!" To the sufferer with the withered hand
he said, "Stretch forth thine hand," and it "was restored
whole, like as the other."
The action of faith
398:16
Homoeopathic remedies, sometimes not containing a
Homoeopathic remedies, sometimes not containing a
particle of medicine, are known to relieve the symptoms
of disease. What produces the change? It is
the faith of the doctor and the patient, which
reduces self-inflicted sufferings and produces a new effect
upon the body. In like manner destroy the illusion of
pleasure in intoxication, and the desire for strong drink
is gone. Appetite and disease reside in mortal mind, not
in matter.
398:25
So also faith, cooperating with a belief in the healing
So also faith, cooperating with a belief in the healing
effects of time and medication, will soothe fear and change
the belief of disease to a belief of health. Even a blind
faith removes bodily ailments for a season, but hypnotism
changes such ills into new and more difficult forms of dis-
ease. The Science of Mind must come to the rescue,
to work a radical cure. Then we understand the process.
The great fact remains that evil is not mind. Evil has
399:1
no power, no intelligence, for God is good, and therefore
no power, no intelligence, for God is good, and therefore
good is infinite, is All.
Corporeal combinations
399:3
You say that certain material combinations produce
You say that certain material combinations produce
disease; but if the material body causes disease, can
matter cure what matter has caused? Mortal
mind prescribes the drug, and administers it.
Mortal mind plans the exercise, and puts the body through
certain motions. No gastric gas accumulates, not a se-
cretion nor combination can operate, apart from the
action of mortal thought, alias mortal mind.
Automatic mechanism
399:11
So-called mortal mind sends its despatches over its
So-called mortal mind sends its despatches over its
body, but this so-called mind is both the service and
message of this telegraphy. Nerves are un-
able to talk, and matter can return no an-
swer to immortal Mind. If Mind is the only actor, how
can mechanism be automatic? Mortal mind perpetuates
its own thought. It constructs a machine, manages it,
and then calls it material. A mill at work or the action
of a water-wheel is but a derivative from, and continua-
tion of, the primitive mortal mind. Without this force
the body is devoid of action, and this deadness shows
that so-called mortal life is mortal mind, not matter.
Mental strength
399:23
Scientifically speaking, there is no mortal mind out of
Scientifically speaking, there is no mortal mind out of
which to make material beliefs, springing from illusion.
This misnamed mind is not an entity. It is
only a false sense of matter, since matter is not
sensible. The one Mind, God, contains no mortal opin-
ions. All that is real is included in this immortal Mind.
Confirmation in a parable
399:29
Our Master asked: "How can one enter into a strong
Our Master asked: "How can one enter into a strong
man's house and spoil his goods, except he first
bind the strong man?" In other words: How
can I heal the body, without beginning with so-called