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christian science-第8章

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vain; the wise; the silly; the soldier; the civilian; the hero; the
coward; the idler; the worker; the godly; the godless; the freeman; the
slave; the adult; the child; they who are ailing in body or mind; they
who have friends that are ailing in body or mind。  To mass it in a
phrase; its clientage is the Human Race。  Will it march?  I think so。

Remember its principal great offer: to rid the Race of pain and disease。
Can it do so?  In large measure; yes。  How much of the pain and disease
in the world is created by the imaginations of the sufferers; and then
kept alive by those same imaginations?  Four…fifths?  Not anything short
of that; I should think。  Can Christian Science banish that four…fifths ?
I think so。  Can any other (organized) force do it?  None that I know of。
Would this be a new world when that was accomplished?  And a pleasanter
onefor us well people; as well as for those fussy and fretting sick
ones?  Would it seem as if there was not as much gloomy weather as there
used to be?  I think so。

In the mean time; would the Scientist kill off a good many patients?  I
think so。  More than get killed off now by the legalized methods ?  I
will take up that question presently。

At present; I wish to ask you to examine some of the Scientist's
performances; as registered in his magazine; The Christian Science
Journal October number; 1898。  First; a Baptist clergyman gives us this
true picture of 〃the average orthodox Christian〃and he could have added
that it is a true picture of the average (civilized) human being:

〃He is a worried and fretted and fearful man; afraid of himself and his
propensities; afraid of colds and fevers; afraid of treading on serpents
or drinking deadly things。〃

Then he gives us this contrast:

〃The average Christian Scientist has put all anxiety and fretting under
his feet。  He does have a victory over fear and care that is not achieved
by the average orthodox Christian。〃

He has put all anxiety and fretting under his feet。  What proportion of
your earnings or income would you be willing to pay for that frame of
mind; year in; year out?  It really outvalues any price that can be put
upon it。  Where can you purchase it; at any outlay of any sort; in any
Church or out of it; except the Scientist's?

Well; it is the anxiety and fretting about colds; and fevers; and
draughts; and getting our feet wet; and about forbidden food eaten in
terror of indigestion; that brings on the cold and the fever and the
indigestion and the most of our other ailments; and so; if the Science
can banish that anxiety from the world I think it can reduce the world's
disease and pain about four…fifths。

In this October number many of the redeemed testify and give thanks; and
not coldly; but with passionate gratitude。  As a rule they seem drunk
with health; and with the surprise of it; the wonder of it; the
unspeakable glory and splendor of it; after a long; sober spell spent in
inventing imaginary diseases and concreting them with doctor…stuff。  The
first witness testifies that when 〃this most beautiful Truth first dawned
on him〃 he had 〃nearly all the ills that flesh is heir to〃; that those he
did not have he thought he had and this made the tale about complete。
What was the natural result?  Why; he was a dump…pit 〃for all the
doctors; druggists; and patent medicines of the country。〃  Christian
Science came to his help; and 〃the old sick conditions passed away;〃 and
along with them the 〃dismal forebodings〃 which he had been accustomed to
employ in conjuring up ailments。  And so he was a healthy and cheerful
man; now; and astonished。

But I am not astonished; for from other sources I know what must have
been his method of applying Christian Science。  If I am in the right; he
watchfully and diligently diverted his mind from unhealthy channels and
compelled it to travel in healthy ones。  Nothing contrivable by human
invention could be more formidably effective than that; in banishing
imaginary ailments and in closing the entrances against sub…sequent
applicants of their breed。  I think his method was to keep saying; 〃I am
well!  I am sound!sound and well!  well and sound!  Perfectly sound;
perfectly well!  I have no pain; there's no such thing as pain!  I have
no disease; there's no such thing as disease!  Nothing is real but Mind;
all is Mind; All…Good Good…Good; Life; Soul; Liver; Bones; one of a
series; ante and pass the buck!〃

I do not mean that that was exactly the formula used; but that it
doubtless contains the spirit of it。  The Scientist would attach value to
the exact formula; no doubt; and to the religious spirit in which it was
used。  I should think that any formula that would divert the mind from
unwholesome channels and force it into healthy ones would answer every
purpose with some people; though not with all。  I think it most likely
that a very religious man would find the addition of the religious spirit
a powerful reinforcement in his case。

The second witness testifies that the Science banished 〃an old organic
trouble;〃 which the doctor and the surgeon had been nursing with drugs
and the knife for seven years。

He calls it his 〃claim。〃  A surface…miner would think it was not his
claim at all; but the property of the doctor and his pal the surgeonfor
he would be misled by that word; which is Christian…Science slang for
〃ailment。〃  The Christian Scientist has no ailment; to him there is no
such thing; and he will not use the hateful word。  All that happens to
him is that upon his attention an imaginary disturbance sometimes
obtrudes itself which claims to be an ailment but isn't。

This witness offers testimony for a clergyman seventy years old who had
preached forty years in a Christian church; and has now gone over to the
new sect。  He was 〃almost blind and deaf。〃  He was treated by the C。  S。
method; and 〃when he heard the voice of Truth he saw spiritually。〃  Saw
spiritually?  It is a little indefinite; they had better treat him again。
Indefinite testimonies might properly be waste…basketed; since there is
evidently no lack of definite ones procurable; but this C。  S。  magazine
is poorly edited; and so mistakes of this kind must be expected。

The next witness is a soldier of the Civil War。  When Christian Science
found him; he had in stock the following claims :

Indigestion;
Rheumatism;
Catarrh;
Chalky deposits in
Shoulder…joints;
Arm…joints;
Hand…joints;
Insomnia;
Atrophy of the muscles of
Arms。
Shoulders;
Stiffness of all those joints;
Excruciating pains most of the time。

These claims have a very substantial sound。  They came of exposure in the
campaigns。  The doctors did all they could; but it was little。  Prayers
were tried; but 〃I never realized any physical relief from that source。〃
After thirty years of torture; he went to a Christian Scientist and took
an hour's treatment and went home painless。  Two days later; he 〃began to
eat like a well man。〃  Then 〃the claims vanishedsome at once; others
more gradually〃; finally; 〃they have almost entirely disappeared。〃  And
a thing which is of still greater valuehe is now 〃contented and happy。〃
That is a detail which; as earlier
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