Miscellaneous Writings, 1883-1896 Part 17

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nize his Saviour. He must know that G.o.d is omnipo- [1]

tent; hence, that sin is impotent. He must know that the power of sin is the pleasure in sin. Take away this pleasure, and you remove all reality from its power. Jesus demonstrated sin and death to be powerless. This [5]

practical Truth saves from sin, and will save all who understand it.

_Is it wrong for a wife to have a husband treated for_ _sin, when she knows he is sinning, or for drinking and_ _smoking?_ [10]

It is always right to act rightly; but sometimes, under circ.u.mstances exceptional, it is inexpedient to attack evil. This rule is forever golden: "As ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them." Do you desire to be freed from sin? Then help others to be free; [15]

but in your measures, obey the Scriptures, "Be ye wise as serpents." Break the yoke of bondage in every wise way. First, be sure that your means for doing good are equal to your motives; then judge them by their fruits. [20]

_If not ordained, shall the pastor of the Church of_ _Christ, Scientist, administer the communion,-and_ _shall members of a church not organized receive the_ _communion?_

Our great Master administered to his disciples the [25]

Pa.s.sover, or last supper, without this prerogative being conferred by a visible organization and ordained priest- hood. His spiritually prepared breakfast, after his resurrection, and after his disciples had left their nets to follow him, is the spiritual communion which Chris- [30]

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tian Scientists celebrate in commemoration of the Christ. [1]

This ordinance is significant as a type of the true wors.h.i.+p, and it should be observed at present in our churches.

It is not indispensable to organize materially Christ's church. It is not absolutely necessary to ordain pas- [5]

tors and to dedicate churches; but if this be done, let it be in concession to the period, and not as a per- petual or indispensable ceremonial of the church. If our church is organized, it is to meet the demand, "Suffer it to be so now." The real Christian compact [10]

is love for one another. This bond is wholly spiritual and inviolate.

It is imperative, at all times and under every cir- c.u.mstance, to perpetuate no ceremonials except as types of these mental conditions,-remembrance and [15]

love; a real affection for Jesus' character and example.

Be it remembered, that all types employed in the ser- vice of Christian Science should represent the most spir- itual forms of thought and wors.h.i.+p that can be made visible. [20]

_Should not the teacher of Christian Science have our_ _textbook, __"__Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,__"_ _in his schoolroom and teach from it?_

I never dreamed, until informed thereof, that a loyal student did not take his textbook with him into the cla.s.s- [25]

room, ask questions from it, answer them according to it, and, as occasion required, read from the book as au- thority for what he taught. I supposed that students had followed my example, and that of other teachers, sufficiently to do this, and also to require their pupils to [30]

study the lessons before recitations.

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To omit these important points is anomalous, con- [1]

sidering the necessity for understanding Science, and the present liability of deviating from Christian Science.

Centuries will intervene before the statement of the inex- haustible topics of that book become sufficiently under- [5]

stood to be absolutely demonstrated. The teacher of Christian Science needs continually to study this textbook.

His work is to replenish thought, and to spiritualize human life, from this open fount of Truth and Love.

He who sees most clearly and enlightens other minds [10]

most readily, keeps his own lamp trimmed and burning.

He will take the textbook of Christian Science into his cla.s.s, repeat the questions in the chapter on Recapitula- tion, and his students will answer them from the same source. Throughout his entire explanations, the teacher [15]

should strictly adhere to the questions and answers con- tained in that chapter of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures." It is important to point out the lesson to the cla.s.s, and to require the students thor- oughly to study it before the recitations; for this spirit- [20]

ualizes their thoughts. When closing his cla.s.s, the teacher should require each member to own a copy of the above-named book and to continue the study of this textbook.

The opinions of men cannot be subst.i.tuted for G.o.d's [25]

revelation. It must not be forgotten that in times past, arrogant ignorance and pride, in attempting to steady the ark of Truth, have dimmed the power and glory of the Scriptures, to which this Christian Science textbook is the Key. [30]

That teacher does most for his students who most divests himself of pride and self, spiritualizes his own

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thought, and by reason thereof is able to empty his stu- [1]

dents' minds, that they may be filled with Truth.

Beloved students, _so_ teach that posterity shall call you blessed, and the heart of history shall be made glad! [5]

_Can fear or sin bring back old beliefs of disease that have_ _been healed by Christian Science?_

The Scriptures plainly declare the allness and oneness of G.o.d to be the premises of Truth, and that G.o.d is good: in Him dwelleth no evil. Christian Science au- [10]

thorizes the logical conclusion drawn from the Scriptures, that there is in reality none besides the eternal, infinite G.o.d, good. Evil is temporal: it is the illusion of time and mortality.

This being true, sin has no power; and fear, its coeval, [15]

is without divine authority. Science sanctions only what is supported by the unerring Principle of being. Sin can do nothing: all cause and effect are in G.o.d. Fear is a belief of sensation in matter: this belief is neither main- tained by Science nor supported by facts, and exists only [20]

as fable. Your answer is, that neither fear nor sin can bring on disease or bring back disease, since there is in reality no disease.

Bear in mind, however, that human consciousness does not test sin and the fact of its nothingness, by believing [25]

that sin is pardoned without repentance and reforma- tion. Sin punishes itself, because it cannot go unpun- ished either here or hereafter. Nothing is more fatal than to indulge a sinning sense or consciousness for even one moment. Knowing this, obey Christ's Sermon on the [30]

Mount, even if you suffer for it in the first instance,-

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are misjudged and maligned; in the second, you will [1]

reign with him.

I never knew a person who knowingly indulged evil, to be grateful; to understand me, or himself. He must first see himself and the hallucination of sin; then he [5]

must repent, and love good in order to understand G.o.d.

The sinner and the sin are the twain that are one flesh,- but which G.o.d hath not joined together.

CHAPTER IV. ADDRESSES.

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Christian Science In Tremont Temple.

From the platform of the Monday lectures.h.i.+p in [2]

Tremont Temple, on Monday, March 16, 1885, as will be seen by what follows. Reverend Mary Baker G.