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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Pastor's Son, by William W. Walter
+
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+**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts**
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+**eBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971**
+
+*****These eBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers!*****
+
+
+Title: The Pastor's Son
+
+Author: William W. Walter
+
+Release Date: August, 2004 [EBook #6310]
+[Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule]
+[This file was first posted on November 27, 2002]
+
+Edition: 10
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE PASTOR'S SON ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Mary Wampler, Juliet Sutherland, Charles Franks
+and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team.
+
+
+
+
+THE PASTOR'S SON
+
+BY WILLIAM W. WALTER
+
+
+
+
+DEDICATED TO
+
+F. S. B.
+IN GRATEFUL RECOGNITION
+OF WORK WELL DONE
+
+
+
+
+PREFACE
+
+My sole reason for writing this book and placing it before the public
+is to call the public's attention to _another book_, wherein is
+contained the Christ truth, the understanding of which will free you
+from all your troubles.
+
+If in sin, it shows the way out; if sick, it will heal you; if
+grief-stricken, it will mend your broken heart; if in poverty, it will
+give you plenty. I speak from experience, having been sick for more
+than seven years, at the edge of the grave, reduced to poverty, and
+all earthly hope gone. I was rescued from this inferno on earth, my
+health restored, my supply sufficient, my joy complete; surely I can
+say, my cup of happiness runneth over. Truly that book sayeth--"Come
+all ye that are heavy laden and I will give you rest."
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS
+
+CHAPTER
+
+I     THANKSGIVING MORNING
+
+II    THE TURKEY DINNER
+
+III   WHAT WALTER FOUND
+
+IV    PREPARING FOR THE LESSONS
+
+V     THE FIRST LESSON
+
+VI    CONFUSION
+
+VII   THE SECOND LESSON
+
+VIII  THE THIRD LESSON
+
+IX    THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE JOURNAL
+
+X     HUMANITY'S MISTAKE
+
+XI    FALSE INVESTIGATION
+
+XII   A FAIR INVESTIGATION
+
+XIII  THE UNREALITY OF EVIL
+
+XIV   THE DREAM
+
+XV    TRUTH BEING MANIFESTED
+
+XVI   THE FAREWELL SERMON
+
+      A PARTING WORD
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I
+
+THANKSGIVING MORNING
+
+
+"What a beautiful Thanksgiving morning this is," said the Rev. James
+A. Williams to his son Walter, as he looked out of the dining-room
+window. "There isn't a cloud in the sky, and this soft, balmy breeze
+from the south makes one almost believe that it is a June morning
+instead of the 30th of November. I know there will be a large attendance
+at church this morning, which will please me very much, as I have
+prepared an excellent sermon, and feel certain that the congregation
+will enjoy it."
+
+He glanced at his son as he finished speaking, and some of the joy and
+cheerfulness that had shown in his eyes faded away, for he saw no
+return of his joy and happiness on his child's face; all that was
+written there was sorrow, pain, and feebleness.
+
+His son, who was nearly seventeen, had always been sickly and feeble
+since birth; the best physicians had been employed, change of climate
+had been tried, and everything else that promised relief, but of no
+avail. The best specialists had been consulted, but they gave little
+hope that hereditary consumption could be cured, for the minister's
+wife had been similarly afflicted for many years.
+
+The Rev. Williams thought silently for a few moments, then tried to
+regain his cheerfulness by changing the subject to something that might
+interest his son; so he said, "Well, wife, I suppose that turkey Deacon
+Phillips gave us will be done to perfection by dinner time; I am
+beginning to feel hungry already, just from thinking of it and it is
+two hours to dinner time yet."
+
+Lillian his wife, looked up from her work with a careworn expression
+on her face, and said, "Yes, it is a fine large turkey." His wife
+always looked worn-out and tired, for not being strong and still
+compelled to do all the housework, it fatigued her very much.
+
+It had not always been this way, for the Rev. Williams was a man of
+ability, his congregation large, and his salary ample under ordinary
+circumstances, but the constant drain of physicians' bills, and the
+great expense of sending mother and son to a warm climate each fall,
+as the rigors of the northern winters were considered too hard for the
+two invalids to bear, had reduced them almost to poverty; consequently
+the expense of a maidservant had long since been dispensed with.
+
+Rev. Williams now turned to go to his study, and as he was turning,
+said, "I know that I will do justice to that turkey, after delivering
+my long sermon, and I am very thankful to Deacon Phillips, and to God,
+for having given it to us."
+
+There was silence for a few moments after the father left the room;
+then Mrs. Williams said: "Walter, dear, you had better get ready for
+church; I will soon have this turkey so I can leave it, then I will
+get ready and we will both go to church, there to give thanks to God."
+
+Walter turned to his mother saying, "What have we to be thankful for,
+mother?"
+
+His mother looked up, somewhat startled, and answered, "Why for
+everything that God gave us." "Everything, mother?" asked Walter.
+
+"Yes dear, everything."
+
+"Oh, mother, I don't see how I am going to do that, father told me
+that God gave me this sickness, and I don't see how I can feel thankful
+to Him for making me suffer."
+
+The mother anxiously looked at her son, then said, "Remember Walter,
+Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, also suffered."
+
+"Yes, I know, but it was not God that made Him suffer, it was the
+Pharisees; but father said it was God gave me this sickness and that
+I must bear it with love and patience, which I have tried to do, but
+I have never been able to understand why a good and loving God should
+care to see me suffer."
+
+"I am sure I cannot tell," said his mother, "but it must be for some
+good purpose; we will ask your father to explain some time. Now hurry
+and get ready."
+
+A few minutes later they both walked to the church, which was only a
+short distance away, and entered its wide-open doors.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II
+
+THE TURKEY DINNER
+
+
+
+"Well wife, what did you think of my sermon?" asked the pastor as he
+sat down to enjoy the turkey dinner.
+
+"I think it was the best sermon you ever delivered, James," answered
+his wife, quietly.
+
+"I think so, too," said James, "and what's more, it ought to make every
+person that heard it feel very thankful to God, for all He has given
+them," then looking around the room he asked, "Where is Walter?"
+
+"I don't know," said his wife, "he became so nervous and tired, that
+he left just before the last hymn was sung. I suppose he went up to
+his room, you had better call him to dinner."
+
+"I will," answered the pastor, and going to the hall door, he called
+aloud, "Walter, dinner is ready."
+
+"All right father, I will be down in a minute," came back the answer
+in a rather faint voice. The pastor turned to his wife and asked, "Do
+you think that last medicine is doing him any more good than the others
+we have tried?"
+
+His wife raised her sad face to his, and replied, "No, James, I don't
+think it is helping him, for he seems to get weaker and more nervous
+all the time. I feel that he is losing ground even more rapidly than
+I am."
+
+Here Walter entered the room, his face more flushed than usual, and
+his father's watchful eye took note of it, but he spoke up cheerfully,
+"Just look at that turkey, Walter, isn't it a fine one? See how nice
+and evenly it is browned, and the oyster dressing, I'll bet it's fit
+for a king."
+
+Walter merely glanced at the turkey, then seated himself beside his
+mother.
+
+After the pastor had said grace, he picked up the carving knife and
+said, "Now, son, just tell me what piece you like best and I will have
+it carved out for you before you can say, Jack Robinson."
+
+"You are very kind, father, but I don't believe I care for any turkey,
+I am not feeling very well," answered Walter.
+
+"Just try a little, Walter," said the mother coaxingly, "I know it
+must be very tender and nice, for Deacon Phillips said it was a young
+turkey."
+
+"Yes, Walter," said his father, "hand me your plate, and I will give
+you a little of the dark and a little of the light meat, with some of
+this delicious dressing."
+
+The boy listlessly handed over his plate without any more ado, his
+father put onto it a liberal piece of each kind of meat and some
+dressing, then handed it back, with the remark, "Eat all you can son,
+for it will make you strong." Then he added, "Now wife, it's your turn,
+I know you like the dark meat the best," and while he was talking he
+carved a nice piece of the turkey and laid it on her plate, and then
+said, "Now father, it is your turn, and I know your failing to be the
+leg," and suiting the action to the word, he carved for himself the
+leg.
+
+Then, addressing his son once more, he asked,
+"How did you like the sermon, Walter?"
+
+"I thought it was very fine, father, and as I looked over the
+congregation, I could see many heads nodding their approval of your
+words telling them they ought to be thankful, and I tried, oh, so hard,
+to be thankful, but I couldn't, for something seemed to say, you have
+nothing to be thankful for, God gave you this sickness as a punishment.
+I tried to think what I had done to merit this punishment, but found
+it could not have been anything I had done, as I remembered that you
+had said I always had been sick even when a little child, and then--"
+
+"Tut, tut, child, now don't get excited," said the pastor. "We all
+know that your punishment is not for anything you may have done, but
+you are probably suffering for the sins of others, the same as Jesus
+did; why, Walter, just think, Jesus Christ died for all our sins."
+
+"For my sins, father?" asked the boy.
+
+"Yes, Walter, all our sins."
+
+"But father, I don't see how that could be. We weren't any of us living
+at that time, and if we sinned, it must have been since then, and Jesus
+could not die for sins that had not been committed."
+
+The father was so surprised at what he heard, that for a moment he
+just stared at his son; the idea was entirely new to him, and yet it
+was only common sense. He tried to find some reply that would be
+reasonable, but before he found it, the boy continued.
+
+"I cannot believe that God punishes any one person for the sins of
+another. If He would do this, He would not be a just God. Why, father,
+even man is more just than that. Supposing Judge Baxter had pronounced
+sentence like this: 'Yes, I find Mose Webster guilty of stealing Mr.
+Johnson's chickens, and have decided to send the Rev. James Williams
+to the county jail for ten months, because Mose Webster stole those
+chickens,' would you think that justice? and could you feel thankful
+to the judge for sending you to jail to suffer in the place of Mose
+Webster, and--"
+
+"Silence, child," said the father, more sternly than he had ever spoken
+to his son before. He was so confused by what the boy had said that
+he could not find words to speak. After a time he said, "Walter, never
+let me hear you say anything like that again, to think that you, a
+minister's son, should say such things. Why, they are almost
+blasphemous."
+
+"Never mind, James," said the mother; "think how hard it must be to
+suffer year in and year out, without any relief, and remember, dear,
+that even some of the apostles doubted at times. Now, let us finish
+our dinner." Then, turning to her son, she added, "father will explain
+all this to you as soon as he finds time."
+
+The father looked at the flushed face of the boy and his anger softened,
+then in a kind voice said: "I think it would be a very nice idea for
+us to set aside one or two evenings each week for Bible reading and
+study; in this way we would all get a better understanding of God, and
+His great love for mankind. What do you think of that plan, Walter?"
+
+"I should enjoy it, as there is a great deal in the Bible that I should
+like to have explained."
+
+"All right, Walter, now what would you say to starting our Bible class
+to-morrow evening?"
+
+"That would please me," said Walter.
+
+"How about you, mother?" asked the pastor.
+
+"Oh, I certainly want to be a member of the class. I know it will be
+very entertaining and instructive, besides it will be such a pleasant
+way to spend the long winter evenings."
+
+"Why mother, I thought we were going south this winter."
+
+"No, child, it will be impossible for us to go this year. You know
+that this last medicine which you and I are taking costs father five
+dollars per bottle, and we each need a bottle a week, so it has been
+impossible for father to save the money necessary for our going."
+
+For a moment the boy's face looked sad and grave, and the pastor
+swallowed a lump that had risen in his throat, for it hurt the good
+man severely to think that he had not the necessary funds to gratify
+their every wish, but had already borrowed more than he could pay back
+in several years. Still he was willing to make more sacrifices, had
+his wife agreed, but she had said on one occasion when they were
+discussing this subject, "No, James, I will not leave you again. I
+think the separation does us as much harm as the warm climate does
+good, and I feel that we have not many more years to be together, so
+I cannot bear the thought of being separated from you for another five
+months. I think Walter and I will be better off to be at home with
+you. We need not go out in the cold very much, and you and I can arrange
+some way to entertain and amuse Walter."
+
+The pastor had answered: "Well, Lillian, it may be the better way, for
+I must confess that these long separations were very unpleasant to me,
+yet I was more than willing to endure them, if thereby you and Walter
+could be benefited, still it seems that the change of climate idea did
+not prove as beneficial as we had hoped for, but please don't speak
+in that hopeless strain again, for you certainly have heard that old
+saying, 'while there is life there is hope,' so never give up, and
+remember that there are many noted physicians and chemists, working
+day and night to get a sure cure for tuberculosis, and who knows but
+that the morrow will bring it forth. You know that I am constantly on
+the lookout for everything that looks promising."
+
+And so the thought of a southern trip had been dismissed.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III
+
+WHAT WALTER FOUND
+
+
+
+Dinner over, they all arose from their seats at the table, and the
+father asked, "Walter, what part of the Bible shall we start to study
+first?"
+
+"I hardly know, father," said Walter.
+
+"Well, you can take the old family Bible, look it over and then decide.
+As for myself I have very little choice; I have read and studied it
+so often that I feel very familiar with all it contains."
+
+"All right; father, may I go up to my room now?"
+
+"Yes, certainly, if you choose, but I should think you would rather
+be outside to-day, it is so warm, and there won't be many more days
+like this this year."
+
+"I believe I would rather go to my room," said the boy, starting in
+that direction.
+
+"Just as you please, son," said the father, as he stepped through the
+hall to enter the library. Walter went quickly up stairs to his room,
+and his mother wondered greatly at his hurry.
+
+Once in his room he closed the door and quietly locked it, then going
+to his trunk, he excitedly pulled forth a little book with a black
+leather cover which looked very much like a small Bible. He opened it
+and began reading in a low tone. "_Science and Health, with Key to
+the Scriptures, by Mary Baker G. Eddy_." "Yes, I am sure it is the
+same book that lovely lady down south told me about, and asked mother
+to get me one, but mother had said, 'no, we will never try Christian
+Science; we are real Christians and believe in God.' I could not hear
+everything they said, but I did hear the lady say, 'I don't see how
+you can say that you believe that God is all Good, and at the same
+time think He made your lovely boy sick.' I did not hear mother's
+reply, but I know she was angry. Now I wonder who lost this book? I
+saw no one in sight when I picked it up this morning; there is no name
+in it, so I can't return it to the owner. I wonder if I ought to read
+it? I don't need to believe it if I do read it. Anyway, that lady did
+not look like a person that was bad, and she said she read Science and
+Health every day, and that it had healed her of a severe sickness."
+
+As he talked he turned a few pages and then read, "Contents, Chapter
+I, Prayer. I wonder if that chapter is in favor of prayer or against
+it. I suppose though it must be against it by the way mother acted
+towards that lady." He laid his head upon his hands and thought silently
+for some time, then raised his head and said, "Well, I am going to
+read it. That lady said reading 'Science and Health' cured her, and
+I am going to see if it will cure me if I read it. I suppose the place
+to start is Chapter I."
+
+Walter began to read to himself: "Science and Health. Chapter I, Prayer.
+
+"_For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this
+mountain, be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea, and shall
+not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he
+saith shall come to pass, he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore
+I say unto you, what things whatsoever ye desire when ye pray, believe
+that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. Your Father knoweth what
+things ye have need of before ye ask him. Christ Jesus_."
+
+Then he stopped and said, "Why that is just the same as I read in our
+Bible; there certainly can be no bad in that. But maybe they only
+printed that so as to ridicule it farther on in the book; anyway, I
+wonder what Jesus Christ meant, when he said, '_therefore I say unto
+you, what things whatsoever ye desire when ye pray, believe ye shall
+receive them and ye shall have them_.' Oh, how often and how earnestly
+have I prayed for health, with tears running down my cheeks, but my
+prayers never seem to have been answered; now I wonder why, for I know
+that what Jesus Christ said must be true, for He was the Son of God, and
+would not deceive us; why, oh why, doesn't God answer my prayers?"
+
+He stopped to consider for a moment, then turned pale as death, pressed
+his thin hands to his breast, as a new thought came to his
+consciousness, then he gasped in a whisper, "I--believe--I--know."
+He paused a moment, then continued, "It must be that--I see it all
+now; I see my mistake. I prayed to God for health, and in the next
+instant doubted Him, doubted that He would heal me. In fact, I never
+really believed that He would heal me, and Jesus said, 'Believe that
+ye receive.' Oh, can this really be true. I am so excited I can hardly
+think. Here I am again, this time doubting the word of Christ." Then
+he jumped up with the exclamation, "I must tell father, for his prayers
+are not answered, and it must be for the same reason. No, I don't mean
+that. My father is a minister and he could not doubt God. But why
+aren't his prayers answered? I don't know what to do. If I tell father
+or mother, they may take the book away, and then my last hope would
+be gone. I think I will read it first." So saying, he sat down in an
+easy rocker, and was soon absorbed in what he was reading, nor did he
+notice how the time flew until he heard his mother's anxious voice and
+knock at the door.
+
+He answered at once, and hastily put the book back in his trunk, then
+went to the door and opened it.
+
+His mother greeted him with, "Why, Walter, what is the matter? Since
+when have you taken to locking your door in the daytime? You look so
+flushed and excited, and we haven't heard a sound from you all the
+afternoon. We were beginning to get alarmed about you, so I came up
+to see what was the matter, and to tell you that supper was ready.
+What have you been doing? Don't you feel as well as usual? Tell me,
+Walter, are you worse?"
+
+"No, mother, I am not worse, I only became so absorbed in reading that
+I forgot all about time, and also that I had locked the door."
+
+His mother did not think to ask him what he was reading, as she had
+always been very careful to see that no reading matter that was at all
+questionable was brought into the house, so she had no idea that he
+had been reading anything but what she had read and deemed proper.
+
+"We had better hurry down, Walter, as father is waiting for his supper."
+
+They both started down the stairs, his mother still talking to him;
+but he scarcely heard a word she said, for his thoughts were still
+centered on what he had read. And now that his excitement had abated,
+there seemed to be a hopeful gleam in his eyes. As soon as they entered
+the room, his father noticed that his eyes were brighter, but took it
+as a bad sign.
+
+All through the evening meal they had to address him several times
+before he would answer, and his father's heart grew heavy as he noticed
+the thoughtful mood of his son.
+
+When they had finished their meal, Walter asked to be excused, and
+immediately went to his room.
+
+As soon as he was gone the pastor said, "Lillian, did you notice how
+Walter acted to-night? It seemed to me that he was very much more
+thoughtful than usual."
+
+"Yes," answered the mother, "he seemed confused, and his eyes were so
+bright, but he ate a very hearty supper."
+
+"I also noticed that," said the pastor, then added, "It seems there
+is a change, but I hardly know whether to say the change is for better
+or worse. I hope it is for the best; it may be that the medicine has
+just taken effect."
+
+"God grant that this may be so," reverently said the mother. They were
+both silent for some time, then the pastor said, "I never heard Walter
+speak as he did this noon. I wonder how he thought of such an absurd
+thing, as sending me to jail because some one else stole some chickens."
+
+"I know, James, that it does seem absurd at first thought, yet it seems
+to me to be just as sensible to punish the wrong person for stealing,
+as it would be to punish the innocent with sickness because some one
+else had sinned. I have been thinking seriously of this all the
+afternoon, but have not arrived at a satisfactory conclusion," said
+Mrs. Williams.
+
+The pastor slowly turned toward his wife and said, "Lillian I am
+astonished beyond measure to hear this from you; it was bad enough to
+hear it from my own son, but to hear it from you is worse. Don't you
+think that Almighty God knows what is best for us, do you dare question
+anything He does? Do you think the allwise Creator would have made him
+sick if it were not for the best?"
+
+"James, do you really believe God made our boy sick?"
+
+"It must be so," answered James, "for we read in the Bible, that God
+made everything that was made."
+
+"If this be true James, it would be a sin to give him medicine, for
+we would be trying to undo the work of God."
+
+To say the pastor was astonished would be putting it mildly. Never in
+his whole life had he been so shocked as on this day, and each shock
+was greater than the preceding one.
+
+He now stood perfectly still for a full minute, then said, "It seems
+high time that we begin the study of the Bible in this house, for from
+what I have heard to-day it is very apparent to me that my wife and
+son are quite ignorant of what the Bible contains." Then turning, he
+strode from the room.
+
+The pastor was a good and kind man. He had always been a good husband
+and father, always patient and sympathetic with his invalid wife and
+son; but this day had been a very trying one to him, first in hearing
+his son say things that he considered little less than blasphemous,
+then to notice that the mother seemed to indorse what the son had said,
+and to make matters worse, to actually hear his wife questioning the
+doings of God, as he understood them. This was the last-straw. He was
+really angry and out of patience, and somewhat confused, so he decided
+to go to his library and think it all over. As soon as he arrived there
+he impatiently seated himself in an easy chair and began to soliloquize
+after this fashion: "I wonder where Walter got that idea about sending
+me to jail, what can that have to do with his sickness; then to think
+my wife agreed with him. Let me see, what did she say? I was so outraged
+I can scarcely recall what was said. I believe though she said something
+about some of the apostles doubting at times. What has that to do with
+sending me to jail? I don't seem able to think clearly to-day. Then
+this other matter, about giving medicine being a sin. Why everybody
+takes medicine; the most pious and devout Christians that ever lived
+have taken medicine, and this has been so for thousands of years. The
+Bible says that the leaves of the trees are for the healing of the
+nations. Then why may not the roots and the bark be used as well? Of
+course Jesus Christ did not heal with medicine. He was the Son of God
+and was endowed from on high with supernatural power. He didn't need
+the medicine. Well, all I can say is that I am glad we are going to
+have those Bible lessons, for I know that as soon as we get to studying
+them they will get the truth, and then I will hear no more of this
+nonsense. I don't think I will mention the matter again until we get
+to studying the lessons; then as we get to this medicine question, I
+will point it out to them."
+
+So the pastor, after having thought himself into a better frame of
+mind, dismissed the subject from his thoughts, arose, and walked over
+to the bookcase, selected the book he wanted, and was soon absorbed
+in reading.
+
+In the meantime Walter had hurried to his room and was soon busily
+engaged in reading "Science and Health."
+
+About nine o'clock he heard his father and mother coming upstairs to
+retire for the night. He hastily turned out his light and scrambled
+into bed, clothes and all.
+
+A few moments later when his mother looked in she found him in bed
+nicely covered up, and supposing him asleep, quietly left the room.
+As soon as Walter was sure they had retired, he arose, relit the gas,
+and continued reading. It was after midnight when he laid down the
+book and said, "I feel sure this book is true, and that God made only
+the good, and never made me or any one else sick. I believe I will get
+well when I understand how to pray aright." Then he undressed and got
+into bed, a happier and more hopeful boy than he had ever been.
+
+After saying his usual prayers, he added, "And now, God, I wish to
+thank you for all the good things you have given me. I could not thank
+you this morning, for then I thought you had made me sick. But now I
+know that you are all good and could not make evil; truly I now have
+something to be thankful for and shall always remember this Thanksgiving
+day."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV
+
+PREPARING FOR THE LESSONS
+
+
+The next morning, when Walter awoke it was broad daylight, and the
+hands on the clock pointed to the hour of ten, as his mother came into
+his room with an anxious look on her face and said, "I have just come
+up to wake you as your father was worried because of your sleeping so
+long; how do you feel this morning?"
+
+"Oh, mother, I feel better this morning, and I had the best night's
+rest I have had for years. I never woke up once all night, and I feel
+strong and hungry."
+
+"Thank God you are better, I will go down and get your breakfast ready."
+
+"All right, mother, I will be down as soon as I wash and dress." Before
+going down, he went over to his trunk, took out "Science and Health,"
+and said, "I believe that you contain the truth and will free me of
+this disease." He then placed it in his trunk again, being careful to
+hide it from the view of any one who should carelessly look into it.
+
+Hastily descending to the dining-room, he ate a hearty breakfast. As
+he was leaving the table his mother said, "I am sorry you did not take
+advantage of the beautiful sunshine yesterday, for the wind has changed
+and is now blowing severely from the north and it is very cold and
+dreary out."
+
+"I don't mind it at all to-day, mother, for I feel so much better that
+I hadn't noticed the weather."
+
+His mother was somewhat astonished to hear him speak so cheerfully,
+as it had been customary for Walter to complain of feeling worse on
+dreary days. Then she thought, "It must be that new medicine, for he
+certainly is better, and I pray God he will continue to improve."
+
+As for Walter, he was glad it was a dreary day, as this would give him
+an excuse for staying in his room and continue his reading. He wished
+he was there now, but did not want to awaken the suspicion of his
+mother by too hurried a departure. So he walked about the room, trying
+to think of some excuse. Finally a happy thought occured to him, and
+he said, "Mother, I believe I will take the Bible and go to my room
+and read, so as to be prepared for our lesson this evening."
+
+"Very well, Walter, you will find it on the library table."
+
+Walter walked into the library, secured the book, then went up to his
+room, took out "Science and Health" and was soon absorbed in its
+contents.
+
+The afternoon was a repetition of the morning.
+
+At the supper table the Rev. Williams said, "I am sorry we cannot start
+our Bible lessons for a few evenings, as I have received a notification
+to be present at some meetings to be held by the local clergy."
+
+"Any matter of importance, James?" asked his wife.
+
+"Not particularly so. The Rev. Mr. Johnson said that they wished to
+find a way to successfully combat this new heretical idea called
+Christian Science, and they want to arrange so that each clergyman
+will give a sermon denouncing it, each on a different Sunday, and Rev.
+Johnson asked me if I was willing to deliver a sermon on it, and I
+told him yes."
+
+"Why father," said Walter, "I did not know that you had ever read or
+looked into Christian Science."
+
+"No son, I never did look it up or study it, and what is more I never
+intend to. The Bible is good enough for me."
+
+"But, father, how can you preach a sermon on it if you do not know
+what it is?"
+
+"I did not say that I did not know what it is. I have heard enough to
+know that it _is not_ Christian and that they claim to heal in the same
+way that Jesus Christ did. This claim alone proves that it is false, for
+Jesus Christ was the Son of God, and that is why He could heal the sick,
+and for any man to consider himself equal to Jesus Christ is
+blasphemous."
+
+"Father did not Jesus bid His disciples heal the sick?"
+
+"Yes, certainly, He gave His disciples the power to heal the sick, but
+His disciples have been dead for a long time, and nobody else was given
+the power to heal as Christ did," said the pastor. "Was St. Paul one
+of Christ's disciples?"
+
+"No Walter, he was not in reality one of Christ's disciples, but he
+was a very good and holy man."
+
+"Did not St. Paul heal the sick?"
+
+"Yes, there are several accounts in the Bible of St. Paul's healing
+power."
+
+"Well father, where did St. Paul get his power to heal the sick if he
+was not one of the disciples that Jesus gave the power of healing to?"
+
+"Why you see it was like this--that is--I mean to say--" the pastor
+stopped rather confused, then finished with, "It is too long a story
+to tell to-night, as I must be getting ready for that meeting. I will
+explain this all when we start our lessons."
+
+The pastor left the room and entered the library, thinking deeply. "I
+wonder where that boy gets those queer ideas from. I am very much
+pleased that I suggested those Bible lessons, for if he was not
+enlightened, he would surely go astray."
+
+Shortly after, the pastor was wending his way to the meeting, still
+thinking of what Walter had said regarding St. Paul. Walter made an
+excuse to retire to his room and was soon reading in his precious
+"Science and Health;" and it was precious to him, for in it he saw the
+only hope he had ever had of getting well. He read far into the night,
+and every spare moment of the next few days, so that when Wednesday
+evening came he had finished the book. But Wednesday evening was prayer
+meeting, so there would be no Bible lessons until Thursday evening.
+
+He spent almost all day Thursday reading Genesis in the Bible and
+comparing it with the scientific interpretation as found in "Science
+and Health," by Mary Baker G. Eddy, under the subject of Genesis,
+beginning on page 501.
+
+About six o'clock his mother called him for supper, and as he laid
+down his books he said, "It must be true; I feel that it is the truth.
+I will have father start with Genesis to-night and will ask such
+questions as will be most apt to get father to see the Bible in its
+true light. How I wish I had found this book long ago, then I would
+be better prepared to convince father. Still I know that God is good
+and will help me, and with Him to help me I cannot fail."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V
+
+THE FIRST LESSON
+
+
+It was just 7:30 p.m. when the pastor, his wife, and Walter entered
+the library to have their first Bible lesson.
+
+"Well, Walter," said the father pleasantly, "have you decided where
+we shall commence our studies?"
+
+"Yes, father, I should like to start at the beginning, with Genesis."
+
+The pastor looked at his son and noticed that his face was flushed
+with excitement. Still he made no comment about it, but answered, "very
+well Walter, if agreeable to mother, we will start with Genesis."
+
+"Yes, James, I am satisfied to start anywhere that pleases Walter."
+
+"As we are all in accord, I will start with chapter 1 of Genesis, and
+continue reading until we come to something that you do not understand.
+Then you may stop me and I will explain. I think this will be an
+excellent way, don't you, Walter?"
+
+"Yes, father, I think that will be the best way." The pastor started
+to read Genesis, chapter 1, and there was no interruption until he
+arrived at Genesis 1, 26.
+
+Several times Walter was on the point of asking some question, but did
+not. Now he asked, "father, what is meant by that verse? I do not
+understand it clearly."
+
+"I'll read it again for you," said the pastor. "Genesis, chapter 1,
+26th verse. '_And God said, let us make man in our image after our
+likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and the
+fowl of the air and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over
+every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth_.' Do you understand
+it now?"
+
+"Not yet. God is Spirit, is He not?"
+
+"Certainly, why do you ask?"
+
+"That verse says that God made man in His image and likeness, does
+that mean that man is spiritual?"
+
+"Yes," answered the pastor. "Then my body must be spiritual."
+
+"Oh, no, our bodies are not spiritual, it is only the soul that is in
+the body that is here spoken of as the image and likeness of God."
+
+"Then God did not make our bodies, did He, father?"
+
+"Why, certainly He did. Have you never read that God made all that was
+made?"
+
+"It doesn't say anything in that verse about God's making a body does it
+father?"
+
+"No but it says 'in His image and likeness,' that means just like Him,"
+said the pastor.
+
+"Then if I am just like Him, He in turn must be just like me, and in
+that case God would have a material body, and would not be wholly
+spirit."
+
+"Why son, what queer ideas you have. As I said before this verse is
+only speaking of the soul; you will see farther on where He created
+the body. Now let us proceed."
+
+"Father, what is meant by that part of this same verse, where it reads:
+'_And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and the fowl
+of the air_,' etc.?"
+
+"There has been considerable differences of opinion in regard to that
+passage. Personally, I think it means that we will have this dominion
+after we die and enter the spirit world, for we certainly haven't
+dominion over the fish and fowl here."
+
+"James, do you think there will be fish and fowl in heaven?" meekly
+asked his wife.
+
+"That is a very absurd question. Everybody knows there will be no fish
+and fowl in heaven," said her husband.
+
+"Then how can we have dominion over them if there are none there?"
+asked his wife.
+
+"It seems to me that you are both very dense this evening. Let us
+continue and these things will clear up as we proceed," said the pastor,
+a little nettled at his inability to answer their questions clearly.
+
+Walter had several more questions he wanted to ask on this subject,
+but he thought best not to ask too many at one time.
+
+There was no more interruption until the pastor reached Genesis 1,
+31st verse--"_and God saw everything He had made, and behold it was
+very good, and the evening and the morning were the 6th day_." Here
+Walter interrupted with, "Then everything that God made was good."
+
+"Yes, everything that God made was good," answered the pastor.
+
+"If that be true, God could not have made me sick, for sickness is not
+good," said Walter.
+
+"Walter, I believe you are right," said his mother.
+
+The pastor looked from one to the other, then slowly laid the Bible
+down in his lap. He was surprised at the turn the conversation had
+taken, and he remembered that Walter had on a previous occasion said
+something similar. Just what would be the best answer to make he did
+not know, so thought he would ask Walter a few questions, and in this
+way find out what the boy had on his mind. So he asked, "What makes
+you so positive that God did not make you sick Walter?"
+
+"Because God is good and just, and I am His child, and the Bible says
+He made everything good and He made everything that was made, so
+everything must be good. Besides, I cannot conceive of a just God
+making me suffer for a sin some one else committed, any more than I
+could think of you, father, punishing me for something that our
+neighbor's boy had done."
+
+Like a flash the pastor saw now what the boy had meant when he spoke
+of sending him to jail because some one else had stolen some chickens.
+The boy was only trying to illustrate to him the injustice of punishing
+one person for the deeds of another. Then the thought came, "Shall man
+be more just than God?" There was something here he did not understand,
+and yet the Bible said God made everything that was made. If this be
+true, He was the author of all the sorrows and woes, as well as the
+joys, of the human race.
+
+Now that he had got to thinking on this subject, he did not like to
+admit even to himself that God was the creator of all the wickedness
+of the world. He decided he must have more time to think about this
+before he could answer the boy, so said, "We know that God is good and
+just, and some of the things that to us seem evil and unjust may still
+be for our good." He then picked up the Bible to proceed with his
+reading.
+
+Walter noticed that his father was ill at ease and decided not to ask
+any more questions at present. The pastor then read Genesis 2, 1st
+verse: _"Thus the heavens and earth were finished and all the hosts
+of them."_ He now cast an anxious look over at Walter, expecting
+him to ask some question that would be as hard to answer as the previous
+ones, but Walter was sitting perfectly still listening attentively.
+
+The pastor then read the next verse, Genesis 2, 2nd verse: _"And on
+the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested
+on the seventh day from all His work which He had made"_
+
+"Is that all of creation, father?" asked Walter.
+
+"Yes, God created everything in six days and on the seventh He rested;
+that is why we observe the Sabbath day as a day of rest."
+
+There was no interruption in the next three verses, although Walter
+heard several things he would like to have asked about. But when it
+came to Genesis 2, 6th verse, _"But there went up a mist from the
+earth and watered the whole face of the ground,"_ Walter asked, "What is
+meant by that _mist_, father?" The pastor tried to find some reasonable
+answer, but could not, so he replied, "I suppose it was something like
+the fogs we sometimes see rising from the ground." He had come to the
+conclusion that these Bible lessons were not going to be quite so easy
+and entertaining as he had anticipated, and had determined that on the
+morrow he would go over the lesson by himself, and in this way be
+prepared for any and all questions that might be asked.
+
+Walter knew what this _mist_ meant; he had read all about it, in
+"Science and Health," but still he did not think it policy to say
+anything more on the subject just then. The pastor continued his
+reading, Genesis 2, 7th verse. _"And the Lord God formed man of the
+dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life,
+and man became a living soul."_
+
+"Will you please explain that verse to me, father?"
+
+"With pleasure; this is the verse I spoke of a little while back, when
+I told you that in Genesis 1.26, God only made the soul or spirit of
+man, while here is a record of the creation of the body.
+
+"You see, son, we get a better understanding as we proceed. It is like
+this, the soul or spirit is in the image and likeness of God, but the
+body is not, it being material, having been created of dust. Do you
+understand it better now?"
+
+Walter did not answer at once, so his mother said, "That all seems
+very plain to me now, although I was somewhat confused before."
+
+The pastor turned a smiling face to her and nodded his head approvingly;
+he was now quite at his ease again, and did not look for any further
+trouble. Then turning to Walter, he was a little surprised to see him
+looking flushed and excited, so said, "Well, Walter, what are you
+thinking about?"
+
+The boy looked up and said, "I was trying to think, when God started
+His second creation, for He had finished His first one on the sixth
+day and rested from His work on the seventh day, and here seems to be
+a record of something He created after He had finished."
+
+Had a bomb shell exploded in the room, it would not have surprised and
+shocked the pastor and his wife so much as that which they had just
+heard; and coming just at the time when the pastor thought he was
+making everything clear and plain, it confused him terribly, and in
+his ears kept ringing what Walter had said: "I was trying to think,
+when God started His second creation, for He had finished His first
+one on the sixth day and rested from His work which He had made, on
+the seventh day." What could this mean; where did Walter get these
+queer thoughts from; were they in reality queer? The idea of a second
+creation was absurd, yet the Bible said, Genesis 2. 1, _"thus the
+heavens and earth were finished and all the hosts of them."_ There
+it was plain enough, it spoke both of heaven and earth, _"and on the
+seventh day God ended His work which He had made, and He rested on the
+seventh day from all His work which He had made."_ Did God make a
+mistake in the first creation and so start in again to rectify His
+mistake? Impossible. God was, is, and always will be all-knowing; this
+precluded all chance of Deity making a mistake. Was the Bible wrong
+in this particular instance, if so, might it not all be wrong? This
+thought made the good man's heart stand still. No, no, it could not
+be; it must be some slight error in the translation or something of
+that kind--yes, it must be; how was it that he had never seen it before?
+Then he became conscious that his wife was asking him some question.
+
+"James," he heard her say, "are there really two creations, one
+spiritual and the other material?"
+
+What should he answer? He never was so at a loss for a reply in his
+whole life; there was his son and his wife, both apparently depending
+on him for an explanation, and he absolutely incapable of making a
+rational one. And then he remembered that he had said it didn't make
+any difference to him what part of the Bible they started with, as he
+was very familiar with it all. At length he said: "I don't seem capable
+of clear thought to-night; I think we had better stop for this time,
+and we will begin at this same verse to-morrow night."
+
+Walter was sorry to see his father so confused and perplexed, and tried
+to think of some way to help him arrive at the truth. He was afraid
+to say much for fear of awakening his father's suspicion, for if his
+father had the least idea that he had secured his information from the
+Christian Science text-book, "Science and Health," with key to the
+scriptures, he would not have allowed him to ask any more questions,
+nor even voice any of his thoughts, on the subject.
+
+Walter decided to try to show his father a way out of his dilemma, so
+he said: "Father, don't you think your explanation about that
+_mist_ that is spoken of in Genesis, 2. 6, being a fog is wrong?"
+
+"What else could it be, Walter?"
+
+"Have you ever noticed, father, that this particular verse starts in
+with a '_but_'? It reads, 'But there went up a mist,' it does not say,
+'God made a mist to rise from the earth.'"
+
+"I don't see that the word 'but' changes it any."
+
+"I did not mean to say that it did, I only wished to point out the
+fact that here was something that God did not make, for nowhere in the
+preceding chapters of Genesis had God made a mist."
+
+"I cannot understand what you mean, Walter. The Bible says that God
+made everything that was made, and as I have seen a mist many times,
+God must have made it as there is only one Creator," said the pastor.
+
+"On the same line of reasoning, we would have to admit God created all
+the evils of this world, for we see these evils every day, and then
+I would have to admit that God made me sick, and I can never believe
+that, for Genesis 1, 31st verse reads, '_And God saw everything that
+He had made, and behold it was very good_.' If we believe this, we
+cannot possibly believe He made any evil thing."
+
+"Well Walter, we will not discuss that subject farther at the present
+time, for I know as we progress with our lessons you will see it in
+a different light; anyway I don't see what that mist has to do with
+the subject."
+
+"Father, might not that mist mean a mistake or a misapprehension? Then
+that verse would read, 'But there went up a misapprehension from the
+earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.'"
+
+"Why, Walter there would be no sense to such a speech; how could a
+misapprehension water the whole face of the ground?" "Is not the Bible
+supposed to be an inspired book, father?"
+
+"Yes, certainly."
+
+"And is there not supposed to be a spiritual meaning to all there is
+written there?"
+
+"Yes, Walter, why do you ask?"
+
+"Then might not the spiritual meaning of that verse be brought out by
+using the word 'arose' instead of 'went up,' and the word 'deceived,'
+instead of 'watered,' and the word 'intelligence,' in place of 'face,'
+and the word 'people,' instead of 'ground'; then the verse would read
+like this, 'But there arose a misapprehension from the earth and
+deceived the whole intelligence of the people.' If we add to this what
+is implied, that the following creation is what the people through
+this misapprehension believe, we get a clearer view of the real creation
+as narrated in the first chapter of Genesis."
+
+It was several moments after Walter finished speaking before the pastor
+or his wife made any reply. Many times that evening they had been
+surprised at what they had heard Walter say, now they were both
+surprised and bewildered. The mother was the first to speak and said:
+"What you say, Walter, seems reasonable, yet I do not think we have
+the right to change anything that is written in the Bible."
+
+"That is true, wife, it is from this pernicious habit of translating
+the Bible to suit the thought of each ignoramous that thinks he knows
+something of the Bible, simply because he has read it once or twice,
+that all the contradictory sayings about the Bible originate, and it
+ought to be stopped by law," said the pastor.
+
+"Why, father, that is not changing the Bible, it is simply bringing
+to light the hidden meaning, the same as you do when you interpret
+some of the sayings, or parables, of Jesus; anyway, I merely suggested
+that this might be the solution of the question of a second creation."
+
+"Walter do not speak of a second creation again; everybody knows there
+is only one creation for there is only one God and He is omniscient;
+that precludes the thought of a mistake and a re-creation. God made
+everything that was made in six days, and if He made everything in
+that time, there would not be anything more to make; for 'everything'
+includes, 'all.'" "Then which of the two narratives in the Bible is
+the true one, James?" asked his wife.
+
+"My dear, this second narrative is the same creation, told in a more
+simple way so that all may understand. It enters into the details and
+tells _how_ God created everything."
+
+The pastor had not intended giving such an explanation as this when
+he started to speak, but this thought occurred to him and it seemed
+reasonable, so he voiced it, and now that he said it, he felt satisfied
+that the first creation was the real creation, and that the second
+narrative was the explanation of how everything was created.
+
+Walter was somewhat confused by his father's explanation. He had never
+thought of it in this light, and now he was at a loss what to say. He
+felt sure that his father's explanation was not the correct solution,
+yet he could not find words to express his thoughts. Then he thought
+of his precious "Science and Health"; if I could only look into that
+for a few minutes, I know I could find the true explanation; then
+turning to his father he said: "Don't you think we have had enough
+Bible study for the first night? It is half past nine.
+
+"Why, how fast the evening has passed. I'm sure you must be tired,"
+anxiously exclaimed his mother.
+
+"Yes, Walter," said his father, "it is time that we retire, for there
+are many more evenings this winter, and we must not think we can learn
+all the Bible contains in one evening. I hope I made that second
+narrative plain to you."
+
+"I am not fully convinced that we have arrived at the truth of this
+second creation, father. I shall spend to-morrow thinking and studying
+on that subject, and maybe by to-morrow evening I will be able to see
+it as it really is."
+
+"That's right, Walter," said the pastor, highly pleased at the thought
+of his son taking such an interest in the scriptures, "it is only by
+study and research that we can gain knowledge." The pastor had no idea
+that Walter had any other source of information than the family Bible,
+but Walter was thinking of his key to the scriptures by Mrs. Eddy,
+with which he proposed to unlock the treasure vaults of the Bible.
+"Come, Walter, you had better go to bed, I fear you have already
+overexerted yourself, as you are not accustomed to being up so late."
+
+Walter turned a bright and cheery face to her and said, "I do not feel
+tired at all mother, for the lesson has been very interesting to me,
+so do not worry. I am sure it did me good." Then turning to his father,
+he said, "Good-night, father, shall we have another lesson to-morrow
+night?"
+
+"Yes, certainly; now good-night and pleasant dreams."
+
+Walter bade his mother an affectionate good-night and went to his room.
+As soon as he was gone, father and mother looked at each other and
+there was hope and delight written on both their faces.
+
+"He is surely getting better," said the mother.
+
+"I never saw him so interested and cheerful in his whole life," remarked
+the father.
+
+"I think we have secured the right medicine at last," said the mother.
+
+"I have prayed long and faithfully to God that He spare his life and
+guide his footsteps into the ministry, and I believe both prayers have
+been heard, for he is surely gaining rapidly in health, and has taken
+more than an ordinary interest in the Bible; some of his questions
+were very absurd, but this is simply because he does not understand.
+I shall put a little study on to-morrow's lesson, so as to be more
+able to explain any and all questions he may ask," said the father.
+
+Shortly after, they ascended the stairs to retire for the night. As
+they passed Walter's room the mother softly opened the door, looked
+at her sleeping boy, silently closed the door, and said, "Dear boy,
+he must have been tired to fall asleep so quickly."
+
+But Walter was not sleeping, he felt he could not sleep until he had
+cleared up the matter of a second creation. He also knew his mother
+would look into the room before she retired, so he pretended to be
+asleep. As soon as she had closed the door he arose and turned on the
+light, went to his trunk, and brought forth his "Science and Health."
+He then seated himself and said, "I'm sure I saw this all explained
+in the book; I wonder what part I will find it in; I should think it
+would be in the explanation of Genesis." Turning to Genesis, he read
+until he came to page 524, line 14, then exclaimed, "Here it is, plain
+as day; it wasn't God, Spirit, that created the _dust_ man, and all the
+rest of this material universe. It was the Lord God, that is, man's
+material conception of God, or false God. I wonder how I am going to
+make this plain to father without showing him my 'Science and Health.'"
+Then putting away his book he was soon in bed and asleep.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI
+
+CONFUSION
+
+
+The next morning as soon as breakfast was over, the pastor went to the
+library, secured his Bible, and began to read. After reading for some
+time, a look of perplexity came over his face; he leaned back in his
+chair, thinking deeply, and his thoughts were as follows: It's
+remarkable that I never noticed this second narrative is the reverse
+of the first; they are clearly and distinctly two narratives. In the
+first there is no mention made of anything material, and all is created
+by the word of God--or spiritually; there is no mention of evil,
+but--all is pronounced good by God. He made the earth, the trees, and
+the animals first, and man last, in an ascending scale; while in the
+2d chapter of Genesis, God is supposed to have made man first, then
+woman, then the animals, etc., in a descending scale. I am now quite
+sure my explanation to Walter about this second creation being a more
+detailed account of the first is not correct, yet what else could it
+be? It certainly cannot be a second creation. Let me see, what did
+Walter say about that _mist_ being a misapprehension that arose
+among the people as to creation? And that this second narrative was
+the misapprehension? It sounded reasonable and would be an easy solution
+to this second creation; but how about this material body of mine, and
+the rest of the material things? Are we laboring under a misapprehension
+regarding all these things? Impossible, we could not all make the same
+mistake; yet according to Walter's explanation this _mist_ watered
+the whole face of the earth; that means all the people. Where did this
+mist or misapprehension come from? There is no record of God having
+made it. What a position for a minister of the gospel to be in, unable
+to explain the simplest things regarding creation; preaching that man
+is the image and likeness of God, who is Spirit, and believing man was
+created out of _dust_ or materially, thereby contradicting the
+statement, that we are the image and likeness of God, Spirit; for
+matter is not spirit, but its opposite. I must admit I am very much
+confused, and I must be able to explain by to-night, for Walter will
+be disappointed if he cannot continue his lesson this evening. I think
+I had better read these first two chapters of Genesis over a few more
+times, and maybe I will be able to see through this confusion.
+
+The pastor read and studied until dinner was called, then the entire
+afternoon. When he laid his book down to come to supper he said, "I
+am fully convinced that these two narratives are not meant to be the
+same, nor is one the explanation of the other, for one is the direct
+opposite of the other. But I cannot decide which is the real, for the
+Bible speaks as though God was the author of both. Maybe Walter will
+have some idea that will shed light on the subject. I am astonished
+at his explanation of that mist; it is so reasonable. It is remarkable
+that it never occured to me, after the many times I have read it."
+
+At the supper table the pastor said, "Walter, what have you been doing
+all day? I haven't seen you except at dinner, and now at supper."
+
+"I have been reading and thinking preparatory to our lesson, as I
+suppose we will have another lesson this evening."
+
+"Yes, Walter, we will continue, although I must confess I am not as
+well prepared as I should like to be."
+
+"Why, James, I thought you were reading the Bible almost all day," said
+his wife.
+
+"So I was, dear, but could not fully satisfy myself as to that second
+narrative being an explanation of the first; in fact, I came to the
+conclusion that it was not, but that it is a separate, and distinct
+narrative."
+
+"Do you mean to say that there really were two creations?" asked his
+wife in a surprised tone.
+
+"No, dear, I do not mean that; the fact of the matter is, I cannot
+find any reasonable solution for there being two accounts of creation,
+and as this thought had never occured to me before, I have not been
+able to find a satisfactory explanation. Nevertheless, we will take
+this subject up in our lesson this evening, and see if we cannot explain
+it satisfactorily to all concerned. I am going to the library, and
+when you are ready you can both come there, and we will get an early
+start." The pastor then quitted the room.
+
+Mrs. Williams turned to her son and said, "Walter, I cannot understand
+how your father can be confused at anything he could find in the Bible,
+for he was credited with being one of the best Bible students in this
+part of the country."
+
+"I suppose, mother, that it had never occurred to father, that there
+were two accounts of creation in the Bible, and possibly it had never
+been pointed out to him. I think though, that before the evening lesson
+is over we will all understand just why that second account is given.
+Personally, I have come to a satisfactory conclusion concerning it,
+and maybe father will agree with me."
+
+"Now, Walter, you must not presume to teach your father anything
+concerning the Bible; he has put years of hard study on it."
+
+"I know that is true, mother, but it has often happened that a skilled
+mechanic has worked for years on some particular thing, and never
+attained what he was after, and some other person who knew nothing of
+mechanism discovered the solution without any trouble. It may be so
+in this case, you or I may say just the thing that will clear up this
+seeming mystery."
+
+"I know that such things have happened, but I would hardly presume to
+be able to say anything in regard to the Bible that your father has
+not thought of years ago."
+
+Walter did not wish to say anything more on this subject at present,
+but it had occured to him that if his father had been taught wrong in
+regard to creation, most likely he had also been mis-taught in regard
+to the rest of the Bible, for he reasoned that if he started to explain
+the Bible from the wrong standpoint, that is materially, instead of
+spiritually, he would necessarily be in error as to the truth of all
+the teachings of the Bible.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII
+
+THE SECOND LESSON
+
+
+It was not long before his mother had finished her work. She then said,
+"Come, Walter, I am ready now to go to the library."
+
+They both entered and found Mr. Williams waiting for them with the
+Bible open in his hand. He looked up at them as soon as they appeared
+and said, "I suppose the great question before the class to-night is
+to decide whether there are one or two creations chronicled in the
+Bible; and if there are two, which one is the real. Have you arrived
+at any conclusion in regard to this point, Walter?"
+
+"Yes, father, I have. It seems very plain to me now, and if you will
+allow me, I shall be pleased to give my views regarding these two
+creations."
+
+This was just what the pastor wanted. He wished Walter to speak first,
+to see what conclusions the boy had arrived at, before he expressed
+his own opinion, so he readily gave his consent and said, "Speak your
+mind freely, son, and if I cannot agree with you on all points, we
+will take up those points afterwards and discuss them."
+
+Walter now had the privilege he wanted, but he felt he must be careful
+not to say too much for fear of awakening his father's suspicion; so
+he quietly opened the Bible he had brought with him, and read aloud,
+Genesis 2, 7th verse, "_And the Lord God formed man of the dust of
+the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man
+became a living soul._" As he finished reading this verse, he looked
+at his father and said, "You will notice, father, that the Bible says,
+'the _Lord God_' formed this dust man, and this is not the same God that
+created man in his image and likeness. You will also notice that in the
+first narrative it simply speaks of God creating everything, and in the
+second narrative it always speaks of the _Lord God_ as having made
+everything and--"
+
+"Wait, Walter," said the pastor hurriedly. He had intended to let
+Walter say everything he had to say on the subject, but he could not
+think of allowing his son to bring out the theory that there were two
+Gods, as this would be worse than the thought of two creations. "You
+surely are not trying to bring forth the theory that there are two
+Gods, two supreme powers. I cannot possibly allow you to advance such
+a thought even in theory, for that would be pantheism."
+
+"Please, father, let me finish my explanation. I have no intention of
+bringing forth a theory upholding two supreme powers, but I desire to
+show that we are now believing in two supreme powers, and that only
+one is true and real. Will you please look at the verse I have just
+read? Notice that it uses the words, _Lord God_, and you will
+find that this form is used almost all of the way through this second
+narrative. Now look at the first chapter of Genesis; you will notice
+that it never speaks of the _Lord God_, but simply of God."
+
+The pastor had caught the meaning of what Walter had said, and was now
+diligently reading first a verse in chapter 1, Genesis, then a
+corresponding verse in chapter 2.
+
+Walter's mother had quietly risen, gone to the bookcase, secured a
+Bible and was also comparing one with the other. At length the pastor
+looked up at Walter with a surprised and confused look, and said, "What
+you say is true, Walter, and I must admit I never noticed this before,
+but I cannot see that it changes the narratives any. The author or
+writer simply changed the name he employed to designate Deity, that
+is all. Still I cannot understand what his reason could have been for
+making the change. It is also remarkable that the change should take
+place just at the time it does, at the beginning of the second
+narrative."
+
+"It does seem strange that such a change should be made, if it was not
+done for a purpose," said Mrs. Williams.
+
+"I believe I can explain why the change was made," said Walter.
+
+"Very well, Walter," said the pastor, "let us hear your explanation."
+
+"Well, father, as I understand it, the first creation is real, it being
+the work of God. Then the Bible speaks of that _mist_ or misapprehension
+that arose, and the story told in the second narrative is this
+misapprehension. Therefore, I should judge that _Lord God_ would mean a
+man-conceived God; and man, through misapprehending the real character
+and nature of Deity, believes the earth and man were created according
+to the second narrative, which would agree with all our present ideas. I
+mean by this that we all think and believe that God made man materially
+out of the dust of the earth, while the first account says man was made
+in the image and likeness of God; and as God is Spirit, man must be
+spiritual; as a dust or material man cannot be that likeness, because
+matter is the opposite of spirit. Then again, everything that God made
+was good--and this dust man is more evil than good; and as God, who is
+conceded as being all good, made all, and pronounced all He made good,
+this dust or material man, being evil, was never made, but, through a
+misapprehension, we think man to be material, and believe him to be the
+real man. To illustrate what I mean, say some one told you a falsehood
+and you believed it to be the truth; then the lie would seem true to
+you. Nevertheless, because you believe this lie to be the truth, it
+would not make a truth of it, as it would be a lie still, regardless of
+your belief. In the same way theologists have made a mistake by thinking
+that this second creation is the real, and have taught all mankind that
+they originated from dust and must return to dust, and every one
+believes this; and because every one believes this mistake, it seems
+like the truth to all of us, but no matter how many believe a lie, it
+does not make a truth of it; and it is because of this false
+interpretation that all evil has come upon us, for in the real and
+spiritual creation there is no mention of evil. It is only after that
+mist or misapprehension arose that evil is mentioned. Oh, father, if my
+explanation is the truth, then God did not make evil, did not make
+sickness; and if He didn't make sickness, it was never made, for the
+Bible says, God made all that was made, then sickness is also a part of
+the misapprehension that arose, and is not real, does not exist, only in
+our mistaken thoughts. In other words, we have all been taking a lie for
+the truth, and the whole world has been taught this error, and through
+this mistake we thought it possible for evil to exist when we ought to
+have known that God could not have made evil, for there is no mention of
+sin, disease, or death in the first narrative, or real creation."
+
+Walter stopped, his face all aglow with joy and happiness. He had risen
+to his feet while he was speaking and now he looked from father to
+mother, but he only saw perplexity written on their faces.
+
+"Can't you see it, father? mother, didn't I make it plain? It seems
+so easy for me to understand it now; don't you see what it means to
+me? It means that I never was sick in reality, that I never need be
+sick in reality, that I am sick only in belief, that all any one need
+do to get well is to find out this truth, that sickness is only an
+illusion, a lie, which the truth will correct. This must be the truth
+that Jesus Christ spoke of when He said, Ye shall know the truth, and
+the truth shall make you free. Yes, it has made me free, for it has
+lifted this cloud of sickness and feebleness from my mind, and I feel
+perfectly well and strong."
+
+Again he looked from one to the other of his parents, on his father's
+face he saw sorrow written, on his mother's fear.
+
+Walter then turned his face upward, and said, "Oh, thou, God, who is
+all good, who never made evil or sickness, I thank thee for this great
+truth which thou hast revealed to me. I also desire that thou show
+this same truth to my father and mother, and I believe that thou wilt,
+for thy Son, Jesus Christ, hath said that whatever we desire when we
+pray, we should believe that we receive and we would receive; and I
+do believe that my desire will be granted, for Jesus Christ would not
+have said it if it were not true."
+
+The Rev. Mr. Williams and his good wife were speechless. The words
+they had heard and the actions of Walter had caused the father to fear
+that his son's mind had given way; while the mother thought there was
+something supernatural about it all, and she felt half inclined to
+believe that what she had heard was the truth, and that this wisdom
+was given to her son from on high.
+
+Now the pastor advanced to where Walter stood, looked at him
+inquiringly, laid his hand on his arm, and said, "Sit down, Walter,
+don't get excited about this question; we will all understand it better
+after a while." Then looking at his wife, he said, "Mother, don't you
+think we have had enough Bible lesson for this evening?"
+
+His wife was surprised at the question, for she had not thought of
+Walter as being demented. She could not see why the pastor wished to
+discontinue the lesson, for they had only begun; but, ever ready to
+agree with her husband, she answered, "Just as you think, James."
+
+Walter looked at his father for a moment, wondering what could be the
+matter, and as he thought of all he had said, it occured to him that
+his father must think he had lost his reason; this struck him as so
+ridiculous that he burst out laughing, more heartily than he had ever
+done in his life, for he felt better and more free than ever before.
+But his laughter only made matters worse as it confirmed his father's
+opinion in regard to his having lost his reason; and now the good man
+sadly shook his head, saying, "It is worse than I thought."
+
+This only made Walter laugh the heartier.
+
+The mother looked from her laughing son to her sorrowing husband,
+wondering what it all meant. At last she said, "James, what is worse
+than you thought?"
+
+Before the pastor could answer, Walter said, "Mother, father thinks
+I have gone crazy, and this seemed so ridiculous to me that I could
+not control my laughter."
+
+"Crazy!" ejaculated the mother, "did you think that, James?"
+
+The pastor did not answer. He had supposed that no one but a demented
+person would say the things Walter had said, but it certainly was not
+the act of a demented person to guess what he had thought.
+
+"Mother," said Walter, and there was still a healthy smile on his face,
+"now that I come to think of it, I do not wonder that father thought
+I had lost my reason, as it would be impossible for him to grasp this
+great truth as readily as you or I. To do so, he would have to unlearn
+in these few minutes all that he had ever learned regarding this false
+creation; with you and I, mother, it would be easier; we only believed,
+and belief is never absolute conviction, and can more readily be
+changed. I read a parable to-day that I think will explain what I mean.
+Jesus said, '_you cannot add any more to a cask already full._'
+So it is with father; his mind is filled so full of the present idea
+of God and this material creation, that there cannot enter anything
+different from this teaching, until some of the old is emptied out.
+I believe this emptying out process is what is meant by Jesus when He
+said, '_unless ye become as little children, you can in no wise enter
+the kingdom of heaven._' I take this to mean that we must put human
+opinion and prejudice aside, and have a free, open, and inquiring mind
+before this great truth can be understood by us."
+
+"Walter," said his father rather sternly, "I think you have said enough
+on this question. Do you think it common sense for you to put yourself
+up as a greater authority as to what the Bible means than all the great
+men who have labored all their lives on the Bible? I do not wonder
+that I thought for a moment you had lost your reason, as I do not think
+any sane person would advance such a chimerical idea, and claim it to
+be the truth, as you have done. I see I have made a mistake in allowing
+you to question the Bible. Hereafter, I shall read from the Bible and
+explain it as we proceed, but I will not allow any more comments to
+be made. In regard to this question of creation, we will consider that
+closed for the present, and in the near future, probably next Sunday,
+I will preach a sermon on creation; and as you will undoubtedly both
+be there, you will see this question made plain. In the meantime I
+think we will discontinue the lesson, so as to give you a chance to
+study the Bible. I was not aware that you knew so little of what it
+contained, for you do not seem to grasp the simplest statements when
+I explain them to you."
+
+Walter was very much astonished at the way his father had taken his
+explanation, and for a moment was sorry that he had said so much at
+one time; then he smiled as a happy thought struck him. If his father
+intended to deliver a thorough sermon on creation, he would be compelled
+to carefully study Genesis, and Walter believed enough had been said
+to make his father doubt the second narrative. He felt like saying,
+"I don't believe you will ever preach that sermon," but instead, he
+said, "Alright, father, I shall put considerable study on the Bible,
+as you wish and I am sorry if my explanation has offended you, yet I
+explained it just as it seemed to me."
+
+"Never mind, Walter," said his mother, "we cannot all of us be as well
+versed on the Bible as your father, who has spent most of his life in
+the study of it."
+
+"Would you suggest, father, that I continue to study Genesis from the
+place we left off?"
+
+"Yes son," said the pastor more kindly, "start from where we left off
+this evening, and it might be well for you to review what we have
+passed over, so you will be able to fully understand my sermon when
+I deliver it."
+
+After a few more commonplace remarks, Walter bade his father and mother
+good night, and ascended to his chamber, carrying his Bible with him.
+
+As soon as Walter had left the room, the pastor turned to his wife and
+said, "I wonder what can have taken possession of that boy, he has
+changed wonderfully. Whereas he was always speaking of his sickness,
+and complaining of being weak, he now never refers to his trouble, nor
+does he complain of being tired any more. And what is more wonderful,
+he does not walk and act as if he was tired or weak; he also looks
+cheerful and his explanation was full of vim and courage, even though
+it was nonsense."
+
+"I think, James, it is the work of that last medicine. He has begun
+to notice that he is getting better, and in his great enthusiasm he
+ascribes his healing to the goodness of God, and is very desirous of
+giving thanks for his recovery."
+
+"That may be it," said the pastor, "yet I don't see any reason for his
+talking such nonsense. Some of his assertions are simply absurd; for
+instance, that assertion about his never having been sick in reality,
+and that there is no evil; haven't we had the best physicians in the
+country, and didn't they say he had hereditary consumption. That
+certainly ought to prove its reality. Besides, he has been gradually
+growing weaker and weaker under our very eyes."
+
+"That is all true, James, yet I do not think all he said was nonsense.
+It seemed to me that when he was speaking he seemed to glow with a
+heavenly radiance, and while you thought he had lost his mind, I
+supposed he was inspired from on high."
+
+The pastor sat bolt upright in his chair, and looked at his wife. If
+this thing kept up much longer he would be demented himself; what was
+the matter with his family? How could his wife take the nonsense of
+a boy for inspiration?
+
+"Now, James, don't look at me that way; it does not seem so very
+incredible to me that God should have made everything good, and that
+the good alone is real, and that evil is unreal, but that we make a
+reality of it simply by thinking it real. I think that is what Walter
+was trying to make clear to us. To illustrate, if you should receive
+word this evening that your brother was killed in a railroad disaster,
+you would certainly feel sorrowful, and you would say you felt that
+way because your brother was killed. Now if in the morning your brother
+should step in the house perfectly well, your sorrow would flee. This
+would prove that your sorrow was not caused by the death of your
+brother, but simply because you believed him dead; so it was the belief
+that caused the sorrow, and not the deed itself." "I can agree with
+you in regard to your illustration, for it was the belief of my
+brother's death, and not his real death, as he did not die, that made
+me sorrowful. But the two cases are not parallel; in the one, nothing
+had happened, but in the other there is in reality a sick boy, and not
+simply the report of a sick boy."
+
+"Can you not see, James, that if God never made sickness, and He made
+all there was made, that sickness could not be a reality? And we could
+not be sick in reality. Yet if we thought ourselves sick and believed
+what we thought, this would make it seem true to us, though in fact,
+it was not true. I believe it is just as Walter put it. If we believe
+a falsehood to be the truth, this falsehood, then, seems like the truth
+to us. But no matter how often, or how many, believe a lie to be the
+truth, it still in fact remains a lie."
+
+"What you say about the lie, wife, is plain, but sickness is not a lie
+or a falsehood, it is only too real."
+
+"James, if sin, sickness, and death are real, God must have made them,
+for the Bible says God made everything that was made and pronounced
+it all very good. It might be possible to stretch the imagination so
+as to say that sickness, or even death, might be good under certain
+conditions; but no Christian would agree with you that sin was good.
+And if we would agree that sickness and death were made by God and
+were good, then Jesus Christ destroyed the works of God, and at the
+same time destroyed something that was good."
+
+"Oh, James, the more I think of Walter's explanation, the more
+reasonable it seems, and I cannot get the idea out of my mind that our
+boy was inspired when he made that explanation."
+
+"Lillian, I will admit that never in my whole life have I been so
+confused on anything as I am in regard to these two narratives of
+creation. If we admit that the first is the real and was all that was
+made, whence came all this evil, sin, and sickness into the world, and
+how did I acquire this material body, and where did all these other
+material things come from? If we admit that the second creation is of
+God, then God, in a sense, would be responsible for all the trials and
+tribulations of man, for God is all-powerful and could have made us
+better, even to perfection. Now that I think of it, I don't believe
+the Bible mentions anywhere that God made evil. It speaks of the Lord
+God cursing the ground, but it does not accuse Him of making evil; and
+yet God should have made all. Can evil only be a lie, a dream, a
+delusion, a mistake or misapprehension, as Walter called it? What a
+state for a minister to be in; why, I believe I am questioning the
+truth of the Bible."
+
+"No, James, I don't think you could properly call that questioning the
+Bible, you are simply seeking the truth, and I know that when you get
+into a calmer frame of mind you will readily find it; don't you think
+we had better retire for to-night? To-morrow you will have time to
+look up this entire matter."
+
+"I suppose we had, as I see no way to satisfy myself except by carefully
+studying the whole book of Genesis, and I am very doubtful whether I
+will be able to find what I want even there, for I have often noticed
+that when a man once begins to doubt the truth of the Bible, he usually
+ends up as an unbeliever. God grant that this may not happen to me."
+
+"O, I have no fear of that," said his wife; "you are too firm a believer
+in God to ever doubt anything in the Bible."
+
+"I hope so, wife, yet I must admit that I am beginning to doubt the
+genuineness of the second narrative, and for the last fifteen years
+I have preached the gospel from the standpoint of this second or dust
+creation. In fact, I could not preach otherwise, as it would be
+impossible for me to make my congregation believe that they were wholly
+spiritual, and that they have no material body, had I desired."
+
+"Why, James, of course we have a material body, don't we have to feed,
+clothe, and take care of it?"
+
+"That is the way I always believed, but if Walter's idea is correct
+in regard to that mist, or misapprehension, then the first chapter of
+Genesis is correct, and in that case we could not possibly have a
+material body, but only think we have, and because we believe what we
+think, it would seem so to us. Wife, I am half inclined to think this
+is the solution, but how can I prove to others, or even myself, that
+my body is spiritual when it is so very material?"
+
+"It is quite surprising to me, James, that you cannot readily explain
+this part of the Bible, for you have done little else all your life
+but study the Bible. At any rate, let it rest for to-night; you will,
+no doubt, get the right thought more readily after a good night's
+sleep."
+
+The pastor rather reluctantly followed his wife out of the room and
+up stairs. He would have preferred to solve this knotty problem before
+retiring. He lay awake a long time thinking deeply, and the more he
+thought the more firmly he believed that Walter was right in his
+conclusions that the first narrative was the true one. Then the thought
+came; if this is correct, it will turn the whole world into confusion,
+for everybody believes in the dust man; in fact, every clergyman I
+know of is preaching the gospel from this standpoint.
+
+It was after midnight before he finally went to sleep.
+
+Walter, also, lay awake some time, but he was not trying to solve the
+question of which was the true narrative; he had fully satisfied himself
+in regard to this. What he was trying to do was to think of some way
+to convince his father and mother in regard to it.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII
+
+THE THIRD LESSON
+
+
+Nearly two months had passed since the evening of the last Bible lesson.
+Walter was so interested in studying the Bible and "Science and Health,"
+that he did not notice the dreary winter days. Besides, he was gaining
+very rapidly in strength and flesh to the great joy of his parents.
+His mother had some time ago noticed that he did not take his medicine,
+and spoke to him about it. He answered her in a very positive, but
+gentle tone, "No, mother, I am not taking any medicine and never intend
+to take any more, for I am now depending entirely on God, and He is
+making me well."
+
+His mother had asked him when he had stopped taking it, and he said,
+"I determined never again to take medicine the night I realized the
+unreality of sickness, as it would be very foolish to take medicine
+to cure me of something which in reality did not exist." Both his
+father and mother tried to persuade him to continue taking his medicine,
+as they believed his improvement was due to this last kind he had been
+taking.
+
+Walter knew better, so had said, "Please allow me to leave off taking
+it for a short time, and if I do not continue to improve, I will start
+taking it again to please you."
+
+It had been left that way, although his parents were averse to his
+stopping at the very time he seemed to be gaining. They watched him
+closely, but he continued to improve so steadily and rapidly, that
+taking medicine had not been mentioned to him again. His mother
+continued taking hers, but showed no improvement.
+
+Many times Walter asked his father when he would take up their Bible
+lessons again; but his father never seemed ready. He noticed that his
+father always seemed to be in a very thoughtful mood. The boy knew
+what was the cause of it, and several times had tried to engage his
+father in conversation regarding creation or some other part of the
+Bible, as he desired to point out the truth to him. But his father
+always dropped the subject as soon as possible, nor had he preached
+his sermon on creation as he had promised.
+
+The pastor daily studied his Bible and was taking copious notes as he
+read, but did not seem to arrive at a satisfactory conclusion. Many
+times he wondered at the little things Walter would say about the
+Bible, and on several occasions he had made up his mind to ask him
+some questions, but he disliked to let the boy know of his own inability
+to understand the Bible. He wondered if his wife was right in regard
+to the boy's being inspired. How else could he account for some of the
+things Walter said. On several occasions he had taken the trouble to
+prove his assertions, and found to his surprise that the Bible easily
+substantiated what the boy had said.
+
+This was the state of affairs on a January afternoon when the pastor
+said to himself, "come what will, I am going to continue those Bible
+lessons this evening. What Walter said brought me into this darkness
+and confusion and it is possible he may say something that will show
+me the light."
+
+That evening at supper the pastor surprised his wife and son by saying,
+"If it is agreeable to you both, we will continue our Bible lessons
+this evening."
+
+They readily assented, and as soon as Mrs. Williams had finished her
+work, they repaired to the library.
+
+As soon as they were seated the pastor said, "Well, Walter, have you
+changed your mind in regard to which of the two narratives regarding
+creation is the correct one?"
+
+"No, father, I have not. I have put considerable more study on that
+subject since our last lesson, and I am now fully satisfied and
+convinced that the view expressed in regard to the first narrative
+being the true one is correct."
+
+"Walter, I believe you are right. I have been studying and thinking
+all of these two months, and have come to the same conclusion regarding
+creation. Yet in no way have I been able to explain away all these
+material things and this material body."
+
+"James, have you come to the conclusion that everything is spiritual?"
+asked his wife.
+
+"Yes, Lillian, for there are only two conclusions to arrive at, either
+God is the creator spoken of in the first narrative where everything
+was made by the Word, or spiritually, and is pronounced very good, or
+else God is the creator spoken of in the second narrative and therefore
+He would be the creator of all this evil, sickness, sin, and death,
+with all the other dire calamities we are subjected to. And since I
+have thought and studied on this question, I cannot conceive of our
+Heavenly Father being the cause of all our troubles, who are His
+children, any more than I would bring such a visitation on my family.
+So of the two, I prefer believing that God made everything good as
+described in the first narrative, as it is impossible to believe both,
+for they are direct opposites. What bothers me is this material body
+and everything else that is material."
+
+"Father, I believe I can throw some light on that subject if you will
+allow me."
+
+His father looked at him for a moment, undecided whether to ask him
+to explain or not, for his last explanation had caused all his
+confusion, yet, as he thought of it, he now agreed with that
+explanation. Maybe the boy was inspired and he was doing wrong in not
+hearing what he had to say. Anyway, his getting well without the use
+of doctors or drugs was little short of a miracle to him, so he decided
+to have him explain, and said, "I will hear what you have to say on
+this subject, Walter, but be careful not to say anything ridiculous."
+
+Walter smiled; he had learned a lesson the time he made his explanation
+regarding creation, and he did not intend that his enthusiasm should
+cause him to say too much this time and thereby make the same mistake
+he had made before. So he simply asked his father a question. "Did not
+everybody think the earth was flat years ago?"
+
+"Yes, Walter, but what has that to do with our material bodies?"
+
+"Did everybody believe it, father?"
+
+"Certainly, for they did not know different"
+
+"Did their thinking so make it so?"
+
+"Most assuredly not, as you well know, Walter, the earth was always
+round."
+
+"And even though they believed this mistake regarding the earth, it
+did not change the earth any, did it, father?" "No, but why these
+questions?"
+
+"Only this, father, that this is just what we have been long doing
+regarding our bodies, thinking that they were material and believing
+it, but our mistaken thought regarding our bodies has not in reality
+changed them, any more than the thought that the earth was flat changed
+the earth. It seemed flat to those who believed it flat, though the
+truth was that the earth was round in reality. So with our bodies;
+they are material to us who believe them so, but in truth or reality,
+they are spiritual."
+
+"I can readily agree with you in regard to the earth, because we know
+that it always was round, but we cannot prove that the body is
+spiritual."
+
+"That is just the point, father. We can readily admit that the earth
+is round after it has been proven so; still before this proof was
+furnished the people would not admit it, any more than we will admit
+that our bodies are spiritual. Nevertheless the earth was round before
+it was proven so, and so with the body being spiritual. The proof of
+its spirituality does not change it any, as it will always remain as
+God made it, regardless of what man thinks or believes about it,
+nevertheless, Jesus Christ on several occasions proved the body to be
+spiritual and the proof that He done so is contained in the Bible, He
+also said 'Blessed are they who believe and do not see.'"
+
+"I know Jesus Christ said that, but that was about something entirely
+different. You could hardly want me to believe something I could not
+see or prove, for you know, Walter, the old saying is that seeing is
+believing."
+
+Walter immediately thought of what "Science and Health" said on this
+subject, so he said, "Can we always believe what we see?"
+
+"Yes, I think so, son."
+
+"Father, if you were to look out of this window to-morrow morning you
+would see in the distance where the heaven and earth seemed to meet;
+would you believe they did?"
+
+"Certainly not, for I know better."
+
+"Still you say, seeing is believing." His father leaned back in his
+chair and regarded his son critically; was the boy inspired? How else
+could he account for his intelligence? What was he to hear next, should
+he ask any more questions? Yes, he would ask him something more about
+this material body: "Walter is there anything in the Bible that you
+know of wherewith to substantiate your claim of a spiritual body?"
+
+"I think there is, father. Jesus Christ must have known that his body
+was spiritual, and not material, for if his body had been material he
+could not have walked on the water, and in several places it speaks
+of Jesus becoming invisible to those around him."
+
+"I know, son, but Jesus Christ was the Son of God."
+
+"That is true, father, so are we, I distinctly remember reading in St.
+John--'now are we the sons of God.' St. Paul also speaks of us as sons
+of God and joint heirs with Christ."
+
+The Rev. Williams slowly closed the Bible he had been holding open on
+his knee and looked at his son. Where would this thing end? He must
+try and confine the boy to one thing at a time, so he said, "I am still
+in the dark concerning your idea of how the material body came to be."
+
+"Father, I will quote you again from the Bible--'as a man thinketh
+in his heart, so is he' This means that if you think anything, no
+matter what, and believe what you think, then so it is with you, and
+it seems true to you. For instance, take a person that is demented,
+who imagines he is King George, and believes it; to himself he is king
+George and no one can make him believe otherwise."
+
+"That may be true of one who is demented, but how about a sane person?"
+
+"This person may be sane on every topic but that one. Still I will
+give you another illustration of what the wrong thought on any subject
+will do. I read a while ago about some college students who decided
+to play a joke on their professor. This professor had several blocks
+to walk to the college, and the students decided to place themselves
+at frequent intervals along his path, and each one was to comment on
+how badly he looked, and intimate to him that he was sick. So on a
+certain morning as the professor was walking to the college (and he
+was feeling as well as usual), the first person he met was one of the
+students who greeted him warmly with a hearty 'good morning' and then
+added, 'What is the matter, professor, are you sick?' The professor
+said, 'No, I am feeling as well as usual; why do you ask?' The student
+then told him he looked very pale, and that he thought he must surely
+be sick. The professor then assured the student that he was feeling
+well and started toward the college. The next student he met also told
+him he looked sick; this was repeated several times, and caused the
+professor to imagine there must be something wrong. After meeting
+several more of the jokers he began to think he must be sick. Then
+being told the same thing a few more times, he believed he was sick,
+or believed what he thought, and turned back home a very sick man. So
+it is with us, we think we have material bodies, and because we believe
+what we think, it makes it seem true to us, even though it is not the
+truth."
+
+"A very good illustration, Walter, I think I understand what you mean.
+If we all thought our bodies were spiritual and believed what we
+thought, then our bodies would be spiritual; in other words, whichever
+way we thought and believed, so it would really be."
+
+"No father, that is not quite right. Simply thinking you are sick or
+well and believing it does not make you sick, or well, in reality; it
+only seems to do it to our mistaken mortal sense of things; the truth
+of anything remains the truth, regardless of how many falsehoods are
+told about it."
+
+"Am I to understand Walter, that no matter what I or others may think
+or believe about this body, it does not change the facts regarding it,
+but only seems to do so to our senses?"
+
+"That is just what I mean. God made us in His image and likeness, and
+as He is Spirit we must be like Him or spiritual, for matter is not
+the likeness of Spirit, but its opposite."
+
+"That seems quite reasonable, Walter," said his mother, "but this
+material body is here, I can see it and feel it."
+
+"It only seems to be material, mother, because we take our information
+from our five material senses; and as these five senses can only testify
+regarding material things because of their materiality, they do not
+testify to the truth, or reality, of man and the universe."
+
+"But Walter," said the pastor, "if I am not to believe the testimony
+of my five senses, how am I to know anything?"
+
+"The five material senses are continually deceiving us. The sense of
+sight I have spoken of before, but will give you a different
+illustration that shows up the deception of all the senses." "Father,
+do you believe life to be a reality?"
+
+"I certainly do."
+
+"Can you see life?"
+
+"I hardly know how to answer that, I can see that you are alive. No,
+I shall say we can not see life itself, but only the manifestation of
+life."
+
+"I agree with you, father, we cannot see life itself. Can we hear
+life?"
+
+"No."
+
+"Can we touch life?"
+
+"No."
+
+"Can we smell life?"
+
+"No."
+
+"Can we taste life?"
+
+"No."
+
+"Then our five material senses do not testify anything regarding a
+reality, for you said life was a reality." The pastor and his wife
+were very much surprised at Walter's ability to explain these things,
+and his mother was fully convinced of his being inspired, and the
+father was fast coming to the same conclusion.
+
+"Did you understand me, father?"
+
+"Yes, fully, you made it very plain."
+
+"Now, father, would you say that the opposite of a reality was an
+unreality?"
+
+The pastor hesitated, hardly daring to answer; at length he said, "Yes,
+it must be."
+
+"Is not death the opposite of life, father?"
+
+"Yes, Walter."
+
+"Then if life is real, its opposite, or death, must be unreal; can you
+agree with me, father?" He always addressed his father, for his mother
+was showing by the nod of her head that she fully agreed with him."
+
+"I must say, Walter, that I do agree with you, to quite an extent;
+but, I shall have to think it all over carefully before I will be fully
+convinced."
+
+Walter then continued: "We have found that the five senses do not
+testify regarding a reality, now let us see if they testify regarding
+an unreality. As we had agreed that death was the opposite of life and
+that life was real and death unreal, we will take death as our example.
+When a person dies, we say life, or the reality has flown, and the
+unreality, the material or dead body, remains. Do our five material
+senses testify anything regarding this unreality or dead body? Yes,
+all five of them, for we can see this unreality with the eye. If we
+move this unreality, we hear it move with the ear. If we reach forth
+our hand we can touch it. After decomposition sets in, we can smell
+it; and if we would put a piece of it into our mouth, as we do of the
+dead cow or bird, we could even taste this unreality. This ought to
+convince us of the unreliability of the knowledge transmitted to us
+by the five senses; for, as I have shown, they all say the unreal is
+real and that the real is unreal. St. Paul said, 'To be carnally minded
+is death, and to be spiritually minded is life eternal.'"
+
+"I know that St. Paul said this, but do not see as it has any bearing
+on the question we are discussing," said the pastor. "On the contrary,
+father, I think it is a verification of what I have been illustrating."
+
+"Can you explain what you mean, Walter, so your mother and I will
+understand?"
+
+"To me it seems plain, the carnal mind is the fleshly mind, which
+thinks everything is material; and this method of thinking leads to
+the belief in a material body and eventually in the death, or unreality,
+of this material body, the returning of the fleshly body to its original
+state, dust to dust, the real meaning of which I think is, nothing you
+were, to nothing you must return, for only the real is eternal."
+
+"Walter, where do you get that definition of the word dust?"
+
+"I take it from what is implied in the 2d chapter of Genesis, 7th
+verse, where it reads, '_And the Lord God formed man of the dust of
+the ground_'; as there is no record of any dust having been made,
+it is very easy to see that dust must be the name given to designate
+something that exists only in our imagination, a false sense of the
+real, an illusion, and this 'Lord God' the suppositional creator of
+material things, is the false or material sense of God entertained by
+us mortals, and only exists in our imagination. I believe our prayers
+are unanswered for this very reason that the God we have been praying
+to exists in our imagination only and is a man-made God, or, as I said
+before, a God conceived by man."
+
+"Not so fast, Walter; let us finish one thing at a time. Your
+explanation of the dust man is very reasonable, but I don't see where
+you get your authority for calling dust an unreality, or illusion."
+
+"Father, I thought we had agreed that there was a hidden, or spiritual,
+meaning to all that was written in the Bible, and I think what I have
+said about this dust or material man is this meaning; take for instance,
+the first verse of chapter 3 of Genesis, which reads, _'Now the serpent
+was more subtle than any beast of the field, which the Lord God had
+made, and he said unto the woman, yea, hath God said ye shall not eat of
+every tree of the garden.'_ Now, father, who ever heard of a talking
+snake. No one. It is only a myth, and I believe this snake was used to
+symbolize the narrator's idea of evil, tempting the children of God,
+Good, to do evil.
+
+"Another illustration that this second narrative is metaphorically
+written is in Genesis 2, 9th verse, which reads: _'And out of the
+ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the
+sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the
+garden and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.'_ We can readily
+agree that there is no tree that bears fruit called good and evil, so
+this word 'tree' is used metaphorically, and stands for something quite
+different."
+
+Here Walter stopped and looked at his father to see what effect his
+speech was having on him, also because he thought he had said enough
+for one time. But his father was leaning slightly forward and had been
+drinking in every word the boy was saying, as he was fully convinced
+that his son did not of himself know all these things about the Bible,
+and, consequently, it must be that he was inspired.
+
+The mother had the same opinion, so did not care to interrupt him.
+
+Walter continued looking from one to the other not knowing what to
+make of their silence and the knowing look which passed between them,
+as he did not know that they thought him inspired.
+
+At length the father, said, "Walter, do you know what is meant by the
+word 'tree' in that verse?"
+
+"I think I do, father; to me it stands for the word, 'thought,' for
+this seems to bring out the spiritual meaning of the verse; for
+instance, if we would read the verse this way, 'Every thought that is
+pleasant to the sight, i. e., understanding, and good for food, the
+thought of life also in the midst of the garden and the thought or
+belief in good and evil'; this may not be correct, but it at least
+makes it plain to me. And when we remember that Adam and Eve were
+allowed to eat of all the trees excepting this tree of knowledge of
+good and evil, it seems to me that they were forbidden to believe that
+both good and evil were real, in other words, to believe that both
+spirit and matter existed; for as soon as they would eat or believed
+in materiality the penalty would be death, as they were believing in
+something that did not in reality exist. This false belief must in the
+end inevitably result in death or annihilation, as it is this false
+belief of life as existent in matter, or material body, that dies and
+is annihilated, for the real or spiritual man cannot die."
+
+"What do you mean by spiritual man?"
+
+"The Bible says: 'God is omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent.' Let us
+define this word omniscient. In a common sense way, 'omni' means all,
+and 'scientia' means science, then it would be proper to say, 'God is
+all science, and science is perfect intelligence,' for the scientific
+reality concerning anything, is the perfect intelligence pertaining
+thereto. We can now say, 'God is all intelligence,' the word 'all'
+includes our intelligence, then God is the intelligence, the thinking
+ability, or mind, of man."
+
+"Walter, do you wish to intimate that the brain is God?"
+
+"No, father, the brain cannot think."
+
+"Walter, this is nonsense, of course the brain thinks, we certainly
+do not think with our hands or feet."
+
+"Just a moment, father, and we will see if the brain has the ability
+to think. Supposing we take it out and lay it on a platter, does it
+think?" "Certainly not, it is not in its proper place," said his father.
+
+"It seems to me, that if the brain had the ability in itself to think,
+it could do so no matter what place it occupied."
+
+"No, Walter, that would not be a fair illustration."
+
+"All right father, we will now take another example. Say a man should
+drop dead on the street from apoplexy; there lies his material body,
+his brain occupies its accustomed place, not having been disturbed at
+all, yet you would not say that his brain had the ability to think?"
+
+"But the man was dead, life had flown," said Mr. Williams.
+
+"Then it is Life that has in itself the ability to think, for everything
+else is there, in its proper place, and what is the life of a man but
+his consciousness, his intelligence, his mind. Now we have arrived at
+the same point in our reasoning where we were before, that God is Mind,
+intelligence, the Life of man, and that brains cannot think. You see,
+father, the brain is also matter, the same as the rest of our material
+body, that is, dust, or as I explained before, nothing; an illusion,
+or false conception."
+
+"Do you mean to say I have no body at all?"
+
+"No, father, what I mean is that man has taken a false view of his
+body by thinking it material when in reality it is spiritual, as is
+all the rest of the universe; for God, Spirit could not make a material
+world, as matter is the opposite of spirit."
+
+The Rev. Mr. Williams leaned his head on his hand and was thinking
+deeply. Could Walter's explanation be the truth? He could see when
+what we called death occurred the consciousness, intelligence, or what
+we called life, seemed to leave the body and thereafter the body was
+inanimate, and in time returned to dust. Reasoning from this standpoint,
+he could agree that life and intelligence were the same, and that the
+intelligence of man was his mind was also plain, but that Mind was
+God, was beyond his comprehension, because he had always conceived of
+mind and brain as being the same, consequently, that the brain had the
+power of thought. Yet Walter's explanation concerning the inability
+of the brain, in the corpse, to think, and that it was as material as
+the rest of the body was quite convincing that brain, in itself, did
+not contain the power of thought. Was the boy right regarding the word
+omniscient? If so, it would be very easy to agree with him when he
+said that God was the intelligence or mind of man; he, himself, believed
+in an all intelligent creator.
+
+Walter all this while had been waiting for his father or mother to
+express themselves, as they did not, he said: "If we can agree that
+Mind is God, then it is very easy to conceive of man as the image and
+likeness of God, and this image would be spiritual and not material."
+
+His father looked up at him but did not speak. His mother said: "How
+would that help it, Walter?"
+
+"If we reason from the standpoint that Mind is the creative force or
+first cause, and as we know that like produces like, it would be
+impossible for the creative force, or Mind, to produce matter, for
+matter is the opposite of mind. Now let us see what Mind does
+create,--why thoughts or ideas and nothing else, so we see that man
+is a thought, or a number of them, or idea emanating from the one Mind
+or creative force and the idea or thought must be the image and likeness
+of the mind or intelligence that conceived it. This would give us a
+spiritual man, who in reality would be the image and likeness of the
+real God."
+
+"Walter," said his father, "I cannot stand to hear any more to-night,
+I will not say that you are right or wrong, as I must have time to
+think, and the more I hear you say, the more in the dark I seem to be,
+besides it is getting quite late and it is time we were retiring."
+
+"I hope you are not angry for my presuming to explain the Bible as I
+see it, for I believe I am right; in fact, I have had proof sufficient
+to convince me that it cannot be otherwise."
+
+"No Walter, I am not angry, but very badly mixed up in my reasoning
+because of the peculiar views you entertain concerning God and man.
+What proof have you had that you are right?"
+
+"Through these peculiar views as you call them, I am being restored
+to health; in fact, I believe every symptom has gone forever, and that
+I am entirely well, besides I feel so happy, contented, and free that
+I can hardly wait for the day when mother will understand, and be free
+from her bondage."
+
+"If understanding will make her free I pray God that He will give her
+such understanding, but I cannot see what connection understanding can
+possibly have with sickness."
+
+"You know, father, Jesus Christ said, 'Ye shall know the truth, and
+the truth shall make you free.' The question is, free from what? For
+the men He was speaking to answered Him saying: 'We be Abraham's seed
+and were never in bondage to any man, how sayest thou then, ye shall
+be free?' Jesus Christ answered them, 'Verily, verily I say unto you,
+whosoever commiteth sin, is the servant of sin.' At another time as
+related in Matthew 9:5, Jesus Christ intimated that sin and sickness
+were one and the same. He said to the _sick_ man, 'Son, be of good
+cheer, thy _sins_ are forgiven thee,' and certain of the scribes said,
+'This man blasphemeth.' Jesus Christ, knowing what they were thinking
+and saying, said, 'Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts, for whither
+is easier to say, thy sins are forgiven thee or to say, arise and walk.'
+If we can now agree that sin and sickness are the same, we could say
+with Jesus Christ, 'Verily, verily I say unto you, whosoever commiteth
+(sickness) sin, is the servant of sickness,' for we certainly are the
+slaves of any sickness that we claim to have, and give it the power to
+rule us with a rod of iron, and in doing so, we sin against the first
+commandment, 'Thou shalt have no other Gods before me,' as we are making
+a God or power of our sickness. And if we take medicine, we are giving
+the medicine power to heal, or making a God of it, and in doing so we
+break the same commandment. Now, father, good-night, and I hope by a
+careful perusal of the Bible on this subject you will be able to agree
+with me. Good-night, mother."
+
+"Good-night, Walter," said both his father and mother, as he turned
+to leave the room.
+
+As soon as he was gone Mrs. Williams turned to the pastor and said:
+"To-night you must surely agree with me that the boy is inspired."
+
+The pastor looked up at her and said, "That is the only way I can
+account for the wonderful things he says. I must admit he has gone far
+beyond me, in his understanding of the Bible. I intend to put in the
+next few days in verifying his explanations."
+
+"James, do you think the boy can be right in regard to sickness and
+sin being the same?"
+
+"There is hardly any other conclusion to arrive at, if we believe the
+words of Jesus Christ. Now let us go to bed, as it is quite late."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX
+
+THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE JOURNAL
+
+
+Bright and early the next morning Walter was up and reading in "Science
+and Health." After reading some little time, he heard his mother calling
+him to breakfast. He laid his book down and said: "This is the most
+wonderful book I ever read; no matter how many times I read it over,
+it seems like a new book, and sometimes I wonder if I had not skipped
+some of it when I read it before, as there are many things I see in
+it now that I did not see before. I suppose it is because I did not
+understand it all the first time."
+
+Shortly after breakfast, his mother asked Walter to do an errand for
+her down town. On the way he began to wonder if Christian Scientists
+had a church or meeting-place, he also wished he knew of some one who
+was a Scientist, as he desired very much to ask some questions,
+particularly in regard to his mother's illness.
+
+On his return from town, he was compelled to wait several moments at
+a railroad crossing near the depot, and as he stepped inside his eye
+caught sight of a little bracket nailed to the wall. In the bracket
+was a book, and on the cover in large print were the words, "Christian
+Science Journal." Walter hastily walked over to the wall, took the
+book, and began to examine it. He saw it was published monthly in
+Boston. Opening the book, he saw the first part was reading matter,
+and as he turned page after page, he came to where he saw, "List of
+organized churches of Christ, Scientist." Immediately he began looking
+if there was a church in his town. He noticed that the names of the
+towns and cities were arranged alphabetically. After searching for a
+moment he said, "Yes, here it is, 'Mapelton, Vermont. First church of
+Christ, Scientist, First Reader, John J. Sivad; Services 10:45 A. M.,
+Sunday School 12 M., Wednesday 7:45 P. M., Number 52 Squirrel Ave.,
+on Island. Reading-room same address, 2 to 4 P. M.' Why, that is only
+five or six blocks from my home; I wish I could go to their service.
+I may some day. They seem to have a great many churches; there are
+eight in Chicago alone; three in Cleveland, Ohio; three in Kansas City;
+three in London, England; six in New York City; two in New Orleans,
+La.; three in Portland; one in Paris, France; one in Melbourne,
+Victoria, Australia. "Why, they seem to be in every city in the world."
+He continued to read and turned the pages until he came to a page where
+he saw printed, "Addresses of Christian Science Practitioners." "I
+wonder what they mean by practitioner; it must mean those who practice
+Christian Science, but I should think every Christian Scientist would
+practice what he knows. I wonder if there are any in Mapelton; let me
+see, they are all classified in states and cities; yes, there is
+Mapelton. There are three of them here.
+
+"Mrs. F. S. White, C. S., 281 N. Grant St.
+
+"Mrs. M. J. Sivad, C. S., 742 Upland Court.
+
+"Mrs. L. S. Poor, C. S., 45 Napoleon Ave.
+
+"I wonder if all practitioners are women; no, here is Mr. Sherman
+Bradford; here is another man; Oh, yes, there are a good many men, but
+there are more women than men. I know Mrs. White; her husband used to
+keep a shoe store, and Mrs. M. J. Sivad is that lovely lady who lives
+in a beautiful large mansion in Upland Court, the finest street in
+town; her husband is a retired merchant. And Mrs. L. S. Poor is that
+tall, stately looking lady that passes by our house so often. I must
+have a talk with them some time. Now I must hurry home or mother will
+think something has happened."
+
+Arriving home, he told his mother he had stopped at the depot, and
+that this was the reason of his delay.
+
+Walter was now so well and strong that his parents did not worry much
+about him, but Walter and his father were quite alarmed at Mrs.
+William's condition, for she had been failing rapidly for the last
+month and was so weak that it was almost impossible for her to do her
+accustomed work. Walter and his father did all they could to help her
+and made her work as light as possible.
+
+It was several days later when his mother felt so ill that she could
+not get up at all, and so Walter decided to go to one of the
+practitioners for advice, which he did that same afternoon.
+
+He told the practitioner of his illness and of his finding "Science
+and Health" and that the reading and study of the book had cured him;
+also that his mother was sick, that he was a minister's son, and his
+father was very much opposed to Christian Science. He also told her
+of their Bible lessons and of the confusion of his father.
+
+The practitioner told him that the word practitioner was used instead
+of doctor or healer and that this was her profession, healing the sick,
+and that she would be pleased to help him all she could, but that she
+had no right to treat his mother without her consent.
+
+Walter assured her that it would be impossible to get either his father
+or mother's consent, for they refused to have him treated at one time
+when a friend had suggested it.
+
+The practitioner then said, "Well, Mr. Williams, your work is before
+you. Truth has found you, and Truth will show you a way out of your
+seeming trouble. Trust God and never doubt His wisdom, for God, Good,
+works in a mysterious way His wonders to perform; you must hold in
+thought that everything will come to pass as you wish it, and if you
+can persuade your father to have a talk with me, let me know, and I
+will be pleased to come."
+
+Thanking the practitioner for her advice, Walter left the house and
+started home. He was not fully satisfied with his visit; many of the
+questions he had asked the practitioner remained unanswered, as he
+supposed, for the practitioner always referred him to "Science and
+Health." In answer to one of his most important questions, she said,
+"'Science and Health,' page so and so, says thus--"and then she would
+quote something from the book, but he could see no connection between
+his question and the quotation. When he arrived home he decided to
+tell his father all and try to persuade him to have his mother treated
+by a Christian Science practitioner.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X
+
+HUMANITY'S MISTAKE
+
+
+The same evening Walter went into the library to see his father, and
+found him seated at his desk with his Bible open before him. As Walter
+seated himself near the desk, his father looked up and asked, "What
+is it, Walter?"
+
+"I came to have a little talk with you, father."
+
+"I am glad you did, as there are several questions I wanted to ask
+you, one of which is in regard to that saying of Jesus Christ--'ye
+shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free'-you explained
+before but I did not catch your meaning."
+
+"Let us use an illustration to show what is meant by that saying. For
+instance, supposing we had been taught from childhood that two times
+two are five, and every person on earth believed this to be right, we
+would all go through life making this mistake. There would be constant
+trouble all over the mathematical world because of it, and when we
+tried to rectify this trouble we would use this same mistake in trying
+to arrive at a true answer. At times we would deceive ourselves and
+believe we were right, only to find later on that we were in deeper
+trouble. And when we had children of our own, we would still teach
+them the same as we were taught that two times two are five, and the
+longer the world stood, the greater would become this mistake, as no
+one knew the truth that two times two were only four; yet all this
+time the principle of mathematics existed and was correct, but man
+knew it not. Now father, imagine how great and widespread this mistake
+would become in several thousands of years, and how hard it would be
+to convince the people of their mistake, especially the professor of
+mathematics who had devoted a lifetime to proving that this mistake
+was the truth. You can readily see it would be much easier for the
+child who had never learned or believed in the mistake to grasp this
+truth than the professor who believed that the mistake was correct.
+Supposing that while these conditions existed some one should discover
+the truth, that two times two are four, and would bring it before the
+world; would not the learned professor ridicule the idea and say two
+times two have been five since the beginning of the world, and for any
+one to say different is nonsense? Could you induce him to investigate?
+No; why? Because he thinks he knows all about it, and that it would
+be a waste of time to investigate what he supposes is nonsense. So it
+is with man. For thousands of years he has been taught that he has a
+material body and that this body is intelligent, and knows when it has
+a toe that aches or a stomach that is out of order, or an arm that it
+can not move, etc., throughout all the ills that flesh is heir to. And
+when man gets in trouble through this mistaken teaching, we try to
+correct the trouble by making the same mistake again; for it was through
+the belief that man has a material body and that matter is intelligent
+that all this trouble came about, and now we try to correct the trouble
+by using more matter in the guise of medicine.
+
+"If we had insisted on the professor of mathematics who was using the
+mistake of two times two are five in his work, to give us a correct
+answer every time, he would be compelled to say that it was an
+impossibility. If you were to ask why, he would say, because the
+principle of mathematics isn't correct; he could not say otherwise,
+as he did not know that the mistake had been made in teaching him that
+two times two are five. So it is with man, when he gets so deeply in
+trouble that he cannot see any way out he lays his trouble to God and
+blames his perfect Principle, when the truth is that the mistake is
+not with the Principle, but with his own false belief, brought about
+by his being taught a mistake."
+
+Walter stopped and looked at his father, but he said nothing, so he
+continued, "And when man goes to the professor of Christianity, the
+minister, and asks why all this trouble and sickness has come upon
+him, the answer is the same as the professor of mathematics made, by
+saying it must be the will of God--thereby intimating that God was the
+author of his troubles; in other words, that the Principle of man must
+be wrong. Instead of showing him that God, who is all good, could not
+make evil, and consequently, he must be suffering through a false
+belief brought about by being taught a mistake. Now let us suppose
+that some one should discover that man was spiritual and had a spiritual
+body, that the entire universe was spiritual and matter did not exist
+only as a false belief; that God made everything good, consequently
+there could be no evil, and that evil existed only in belief. If the
+one who discovered this truth should try to convince the professor of
+Christianity, the minister, that God made only the good and the evil
+did not exist, the professor would say, thou blasphemest, God made
+everything--if he should advance the thought that man was wholly
+spiritual, the professor would ridicule him, and say you must be
+mistaken, my body is material. I can feel it, and every man's body has
+been so since the beginning of the world. If the discoverer insisted
+that everything was spiritual in reality, these learned professors
+would say the discoverer was insane, and then try to pass laws
+prohibiting the teaching of this truth. In olden times they did somewhat
+differently; the learned professors of that day crucified the
+demonstrator of this truth. It was Jesus Christ, and His students were
+called His disciples; later when they went forth to preach the Gospel,
+'good spell,' (or truth), and heal the sick, they were called apostles.
+The rediscoverer of this Truth at the present time is Mary Baker G.
+Eddy, and her students are called Christian Scientists; and later,
+when they go forth to preach the Gospel or Truth, and heal the sick,
+they are called Christian Science Practitioners, and he who condemns
+her teachings condemns the Truth, the same as the scribes and pharisees
+condemned the teachings of Jesus Christ; and it is the understanding
+of this Truth that sets us free, as Jesus Christ said it would."
+
+For several minutes the pastor did nothing but lean back in his chair
+and stare at his son; then he said, "Walter do you mean to tell me
+that you received all this information pertaining to the Bible from
+a Christian Scientist?"
+
+"No, father, what I know of the Bible and the explanations I have been
+able to make regarding the sayings of Jesus Christ, together with what
+I have said about the real meaning of creation as narrated in Genesis,
+I have learned by careful study of the Christian Science text book,
+'Science and Health,' with key to the scriptures, by Mary Baker G.
+Eddy, and by comparing the writings in this book with the Bible, I
+have become fully convinced that Christian Science, as explained in
+'Science and Health' is the same Truth that Jesus Christ taught His
+disciples. Jesus Christ said, 'These signs shall follow them that
+believe, they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover,'
+etc. Christian Science practitioners are doing this, and the signs
+spoken of by Jesus Christ follow their work. As yet I have only learned
+a few of the simplest things pertaining to this science, but this
+little helped me much."
+
+"But, Walter, how do we know that it is not the work of the evil one?
+or a trick of the devil to lead you astray? I am very much afraid that
+you did wrong in not asking me about this teaching before you filled
+your mind so full of it."
+
+"Father, you surely must agree that the things I have explained to you
+regarding the Bible are true, or at least nearer right than the way
+you were taught; and if you will only study 'Science and Health' you
+will soon agree with me."
+
+"Walter, I have had enough of this; you have heard me express my views
+regarding this heretical idea; now I must insist that you stop reading
+such nonsense at once, I will admit that some of your statements seemed
+very plausible, but there is no proof that they are true."
+
+"Father, I must speak more on this subject even though you accuse me
+of disobedience. I have ample proof that Christian Science is true,
+and that the signs do follow their teachings. One proof is that it was
+through the understanding I gained by the study of 'Science and Health'
+that I am well to-day."
+
+"Oh, pshaw, the idea that reading a book could have healed you of
+consumption! I credited you with more intelligence than that."
+
+"It was not the reading of the book that healed me, it was the
+understanding of the truth this book contains that showed me the way
+out of my troubles; for if I had not found and studied this book I
+would probably not be with you now."
+
+"Did you say you found this book?"
+
+"Yes, Thanksgiving day, between the church and our home. At first I
+was afraid to read it, and probably would not have read it if it had
+not been for an incident that happened on our last trip to the South."
+
+"What incident was that? I don't believe I heard anything about it."
+
+"One day as mother and I were walking along the street, a lady
+approached us, and among other things made the remark that she read
+'Science and Health' every day, and the reading of the book had healed
+her of some severe disease. This lady did not look like a bad person,
+so I thought if the book had healed her, it might me, and the truth
+it contains has done so."
+
+"You have certainly gained a great deal in health since Thanksgiving
+day, but may not this be the work of the devil to lead you astray?"
+
+"Father do you think it a good thing that I am well?"
+
+"What a question, why certainly I do."
+
+"Did you ever hear of the devil doing a good thing?"
+
+The pastor looked surprised, but answered, "No."
+
+"Then why do you say that maybe my getting well is the work of the
+devil?" The pastor could not find a ready answer, after a moment he
+said, "As I said before, I don't want anything to do with Christian
+Science, be it good or bad, and it will please me if you will never
+mention it to me again."
+
+"Oh, father, I must speak of it to you for--"
+
+"Silence! I will hear no more of it."
+
+"But father, listen to--"
+
+"Walter, I forbid you to speak to me on the subject again."
+
+"Father, I must speak!"
+
+"Do you dare disobey me?"
+
+"Yes! for my mother's life depends upon my speaking. Let me speak this
+once on this subject, and I will agree never to mention Christian
+Science to you again unless you wish it."
+
+The pastor's anger had been rising, but when Walter said his mother's
+life depended on his speaking, every particle of color left his face,
+and the anger vanished at once. He looked at Walter and saw he was
+dreadfully in earnest, so he said, "Speak this once, I will hear you."
+
+"Father it was through the reading of 'Science and Health' that I was
+healed of the dread disease that is even now threatening the life of
+my mother; and as soon as I was convinced of the truth of this teaching
+I called upon a practitioner, asking her for advice regarding my
+mother's illness and asked her to give mother treatment. I did this
+without your consent, as I knew how prejudiced you both were regarding
+this subject, but the practitioner kindly told me she would not treat
+mother without her consent. And I knew mother would never consent to
+take treatment if you were opposed to it, so I felt I must gain your
+consent first. The practitioner would be pleased to come and talk with
+you on this subject at any time."
+
+"No doubt of it, but I will have nothing to do with Christian Science."
+
+"Oh, father, don't say that; you must be even more prejudiced than I
+thought."
+
+"Yes, I am prejudiced, against all such nonsense."
+
+"Father, will nothing change your views?" said Walter rather coldly.
+
+"No, nothing."
+
+"Then father, forever hereafter, I will ascribe the death of my mother
+to your unreasoning prejudice against Christian Science, for the medical
+profession cannot cure her, but Christian Science can." As Walter
+finished speaking, he arose from his chair and left the room; he
+immediately proceeded to his own bed-chamber, as he felt he must be
+alone, for he was terribly hurt by his father's prejudice against
+something which he admitted he had never investigated.
+
+Walter had always supposed that his father was very broad-minded, but
+in this instance he thought him very narrow, condemning something he
+knew nothing about, in fact could not be induced to investigate or
+try, even though his dearly beloved wife's life might be saved by a
+trial.
+
+It was at least a half hour before Walter could calm himself enough
+to think clearly. Then like a flash he remembered one of the sayings
+of the practitioner when he had told her that he thought he would have
+trouble in persuading his father to try Christian Science. She said,
+"Truth has found you and Truth will lead you out of your trouble." He
+now bowed his head and said, "Oh, God, I had forgotten that thou art
+an ever-present help in time of trouble."
+
+He then secured his "Science and Health" and after reading for some
+time he stopped and said: "Here is what I have been looking for." Then
+he slowly read, aloud, "God, Good, is not the creator of evil."
+Continuing to soliloquize he said, "Of course not, God is Good, and
+Good could not make evil. Then evil does not exist, for God made
+everything that was made. Is prejudice an evil?"
+
+"Certainly; then it does not exist in reality, but only seems to exist,
+because of the false report of the material senses. Then my father
+cannot be prejudiced. This must be what the author of 'Science and
+Health' called 'error,' and when the truth is declared pertaining to
+any error, that error ceases to exist-for an error can only exist as
+long as we believe the error to be the truth. When we discover the
+truth respecting a lie, the lie is gone, for truth has taken its place;
+the truth is there all the time, but we cannot see the truth because
+we believe the lie.
+
+"I see my error very plainly now. I believed my father was prejudiced,
+and this was an error; in other words I believed a lie to be the truth.
+The real truth is that God never made prejudice and it does not exist,
+so my father could not express it, but it only seemed so to me, just
+as my sickness seemed real to me until I discovered that God never
+made it, but I had to prove it to myself before I could believe, or
+understand it, and as rapidly as I understood the truth regarding the
+error of sickness, just in the same proportion did the sickness
+disappear and the truth or health appear. Health was there all the
+time, but I thought I was sick, and my believing what I thought made
+the unreal seem real to me. I see now what that practitioner meant
+when she said my work was before me. I have another demonstration to
+make, at least that is what I saw it called in that Christian Science
+Journal. It means that I must demonstrate the truth regarding the
+existence of prejudice. It is easy enough for me to say it does not
+exist or to believe God never made it, and this would be a step in the
+right direction; but to annul this error entirely, I must be able to
+prove to myself, its nonexistence; that means I must fully understand
+the nothingness of evil under the guise of prejudice, and realize the
+ever-presence of Good, for if God (Good) is ever present, prejudice,
+or evil, is never present; now I must get to work.
+
+"I made my first demonstration with the help of the Bible and 'Science
+and Health,' and with their help I will make this one."
+
+It was nearly midnight before he stopped his work. He was not afraid
+of his mother calling in to see him, as she had been unable to leave
+her bed for several days, his father had been compelled to hire a
+servant to do the housework, and she was coming in the morning.
+
+The Rev. Williams did not retire until long after midnight; he also
+had the same evil to fight, for he had admitted that he was prejudiced
+and so his prejudice seemed real to him. When Walter had first quitted
+the room, the pastor thought of calling him back and giving him a
+severe reprimand; but as he thought of all the misery the boy had been
+through in these many years of sickness, he decided not to do it. He
+then began to think of all that Walter had said throughout the Bible
+lessons and his thoughts were as follows "I cannot help admitting that
+a great many things he said seemed nonsense at first, but after a
+careful research of the Bible I found them fully substantiated and to
+be the real meaning; besides some of his explanations are very plain
+and prove his assertions. To think he got his information out of the
+Christian Science text book 'Science and Health,' with key to the
+scriptures, which nearly every clergyman and professors of all kinds
+have been ridiculing for the last thirty-five or forty years! Was there
+really something to Christian Science? Of course not; if there had
+been, all these learned men who had investigated it would not have
+denounced it. But maybe they were like me, so prejudiced that they
+denounced it without investigating. I even preached a sermon opposing
+it, simply because some one else said it was heretical, and as like
+as not this person never investigated it any more than I did, but
+denounced it because some one spoke ill of it to him. Now that I think
+of it, it was not a very Christian-like act to preach a sermon
+condemning something I have never looked into. Maybe that is what is
+the matter with us all; it is the same as sentencing a man without a
+hearing. I believe I will investigate this thing a little. I'll go
+over and have a talk with Parson Jones; he is considered a very well
+educated and broad-minded man; perhaps Walter was right when he accused
+me of being unreasonable; it certainly cannot do any harm to
+investigate. If there is nothing in it, I can tell the boy so, and if
+there is, it would be wrong not to try it for my wife's illness. Let
+me see, what did Walter say about its not being the work of the devil?
+He said the devil, or evil, could not or would not do good. This seems
+reasonable, and it surely would be doing good to heal any one of
+sickness. The Bible says Jesus Christ went about doing good, and this
+good that is spoken of was healing the sick and preaching the gospel.
+Yes, I'll just go over to Parson Jones to-morrow morning and have a
+long talk with him on this subject; now I must go to bed."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI
+
+FALSE INVESTIGATION
+
+
+The next morning about 9 o'clock the Rev. Williams put on his coat and
+hat and said, "Walter, I am going out calling and will probably be
+gone until lunch time."
+
+Ten minutes later he was seated in an easy chair in Parson Jones's
+study. After a few commonplace remarks he said, "Rev. Jones, I came
+over here to ask your advice about something I do not seem able to
+satisfy myself on."
+
+Rev. Jones was a short, fleshy man, with red hair and face; he was
+noted for being a well educated and well read man, also of being very
+short and sharp in his speech, always speaking directly to the point.
+So he said, "Well, what is it?"
+
+"I came to ask you if you know anything about this new cult called
+Christian Science?"
+
+"Nothing to it at all."
+
+"My boy, Walter, claims to have been healed by reading the text book,
+'Science and Health.'" "A book full of rubbish, heresy, and nonsense."
+
+"The boy is well now, and you know he has always been sick since he
+was a child."
+
+"Reading that book didn't heal him."
+
+"Still he claims it did, he stopped taking medicine, began reading the
+book, and soon we saw he was improving."
+
+"Rest assured it wasn't the book."
+
+"He does not claim it was the book, but the truth the book contained
+that did the work."
+
+"Nonsense! there is no truth in that book."
+
+"How, then, can we account for his getting well?"
+
+"Probably the after effect of the medicine, or else he only believed
+himself sick."
+
+"That is just what he claims, that he was only sick in belief and not
+in reality."
+
+"Just as I thought," said the Rev. Jones.
+
+"What do you mean, Mr. Jones?"
+
+"He is another one of those simple-minded fellows who believed they
+were sick, and then claim reading that book cured them," said Rev.
+Jones.
+
+"But I employed the best physicians and specialists, and they all
+agreed that he had hereditary consumption and was incurable."
+
+"Most of these physicians are numbskulls and quacks."
+
+"Do you call Professor Chas. William Canterbury of the University of
+Canterbury a numbskull or quack?"
+
+"Eh, no, of course not."
+
+"He examined him thoroughly about a year ago and agreed with the
+diagnosis of the other physicians; furthermore he told me the boy could
+not live more than a year, and it was about this time that he began
+to fail very rapidly," said the Rev. Williams.
+
+"When did he begin to mend?"
+
+"It was just at the time when he was failing rapidly that he found a
+copy of 'Science and Health' on the street, and he claims that as soon
+as he began the reading of the book he began to get better."
+
+"This must be the work of the devil; it never was the book. You had
+better be careful, Rev. Williams," said the Rev. Jones, with a startled
+look. "So I told the boy, and he asked me a question which I would
+like to ask you."
+
+"What is it?"
+
+"Do you consider it good that my boy is well, Rev. Jones?"
+
+"Why certainly."
+
+"Did you ever hear of the devil doing good?"
+
+"No," said the Rev. Jones, with a shake of his head.
+
+"Then how can you say his getting well is the work of the devil who
+never does anything good?"
+
+Rev. Jones sat back in his chair with a jerk.
+
+"Rev. Williams, do you intend to defend this heretical cult?"
+
+"Certainly not. I merely gave you the answer my boy gave me."
+
+"A very bright answer, when you think of it," said Rev. Jones, rather
+stiffly.
+
+"Especially so, coming from one of those simple-minded fellows who
+only believed they were sick and then claimed that book healed them."
+It had nettled the Rev. Williams a little to hear his son called
+simple-minded, after the boy had shown that his knowledge of the deep
+things of the Bible surpassed his own, hence his reply.
+
+"Well, all I've got to say is that there is nothing in Christian
+Science," said Mr. Jones, with a bored look on his face.
+
+"Rev. Jones, I did not come here out of idle curiosity, for you well
+know my wife has been sick for years with tuberculosis, and has been
+gradually failing until at the present time she is confined to her
+bed, and our family physician doesn't think she will ever get up from
+it. My son claims that Christian Science has cured him and that it
+will cure his mother if I will consent to try it. I told him I would
+not, and he said forever hereafter he would blame my unreasonable
+prejudice for his mother's death, and knowing you to be a very well
+read man, I came to you for advice."
+
+"I have given you my opinion of it."
+
+"On what do you base your opinion?"
+
+"On what I have heard and read about it."
+
+"Did you ever investigate it thoroughly, Rev. Jones?" "Thoroughly
+enough to convince myself of the fallacy of its teachings."
+
+"Did you ever talk to one of those practitioners?"
+
+"No. They are a lot of hair-brained women and know no more than the
+author of 'Science and Health,'" said the Rev. Jones with a contemptuous
+toss of his head.
+
+"Did you ever read what they call their textbook, 'Science and Health?'"
+
+"No, my time is too valuable to waste it on reading nonsense."
+
+"How do you know it is nonsense?"
+
+"I have heard enough of what it contains."
+
+"Can you quote something, Mr. Jones?"
+
+"Yes, here are some of the things printed in that book:
+
+"There is no death. You haven't a body. Your stomach can't ache. There
+is no matter. Brains can't think. There is no sickness. There is no
+sin. There is no evil. All is good, Good is God, God is Mind, Mind is
+God, God is all." He stopped and looked at the Rev. Williams, then
+continued, "All what, I would like to know."
+
+"Are you sure the book contains these things?" "Certainly, I have it
+from a man who bought a book."
+
+"If the book contains such assertions, it certainly must be nonsense."
+
+"Nonsense, I should say so. No one but a demented person would write
+such stuff."
+
+"I am glad I came to see you about this thing, as I hardly knew what
+to say to Walter in reply to his accusations of being prejudiced."
+
+"Oh, it's always well to investigate a new thing of this kind before
+you condemn it, at least that is what I did."
+
+"But you say you never read the book yourself?"
+
+"No, I never saw the book myself, but my friend Dr. Thompson has one."
+
+"Do you know whether he has read it carefully?"
+
+"No, he never read it through, he intended to, but when he saw such
+assertions as I quoted to you, he could see there was nothing in it."
+
+"Why, certainly, of course. You must excuse me, Mr. Jones, for acting
+carefully in this matter, because of the condition of my wife." "I
+would do the same if I were in your place, but you can rest assured
+there is nothing in it."
+
+"I suppose not, yet I wish there was for my wife's sake."
+
+"You wouldn't dare use it if there was, they would cast you from your
+church."
+
+"But no one need know it, Rev. Jones."
+
+"Do you think one of those female practitioners could keep such a good
+thing? They would be pleased beyond measure to be employed by a
+minister, and would scatter the news to the four winds of heaven."
+
+"I hadn't thought of that; thank you, Mr. Jones, for pointing out to
+me the danger of employing one of those Christian Scientists. I also
+thank you for showing me the nonsense of thinking Christian Science
+could cure my wife of something that the best physicians pronounce
+incurable. I must be going now, as I wish to talk it all over with my
+son. Good day, Rev. Jones."
+
+"Good bye, Rev. Williams, call again."
+
+"I shall be pleased to."
+
+The pastor wended his way home, well satisfied with himself. Walter
+could not now accuse him of being prejudiced, for he had given Christian
+Science an impartial investigation, besides he was congratulating
+himself that he had been wise enough to consult with a deep-thinking
+man like Parson Jones, before employing a practitioner, for that
+practitioner would have delighted in telling it to every person in his
+parish, and this would have resulted in the loss of his position. The
+parson felt he had had a narrow escape from a great trouble.
+
+As soon as he arrived home he called Walter to the library and told
+him of his visit to Parson Jones, and also what Rev. Jones had said
+regarding Christian Science.
+
+Walter was somewhat surprised at the news, but after a moment he said,
+"You say you have given Christian Science an impartial investigation?"
+
+"Yes, Walter, I have; you see I was not as prejudiced as you thought.
+I talked for an hour with Parson Jones, and he convinced me that it
+was nothing but a lot of rubbish and nonsense."
+
+"What does Parson Jones know about it?" "Why, Walter, Mr. Jones is
+considered the best educated man in our city."
+
+"Best educated in what?"
+
+"In every thing in general."
+
+"Did Parson Jones ever study Christian Science under a qualified
+Christian Science teacher?"
+
+"No, I think not."
+
+"Did he ever study 'Science and Health,' the text-book of this science?"
+
+"No, he considered it a waste of time."
+
+"Did he ever read 'Science and Health'?"
+
+"No."
+
+"Did he ever see the book?"
+
+"He said not."
+
+"Then he certainly must be a very bright man to know what Christian
+Science is. For a man that can know all about a science of any kind
+without taking instructions, without studying, without reading, without
+seeing the text-book of that science, is certainly a remarkably wise
+man."
+
+"But, Walter, he got his information in a different way."
+
+"How was that, father?" "His friend Dr. Thompson bought a 'Science and
+Health' and told him all about it."
+
+"Was Dr. Thompson ever taught Christian Science?"
+
+"No, I guess not."
+
+"Did he ever study or read 'Science and Health'?"
+
+"He intended to read it, but when he saw such ridiculous assertions
+in it, he considered it folly to read it," said the pastor.
+
+"Another one of those wise men that know all about a science without
+instruction, study, or reading."
+
+"What do you mean, Walter?"
+
+"Father, if Dr. Thompson had told you that he knew all about medicine
+by simply glancing into a medical book, would you believe him?"
+
+"Certainly not!"
+
+"And if he had found therein some quotations that he did not understand,
+would you think it strange?" said Walter.
+
+"No."
+
+"And if he should tell you that those quotations which he did not
+understand were rubbish and nonsense, would you consider him a good
+authority?"
+
+"No, how could he be," replied the pastor.
+
+"Then, why should you believe him in regard to Christian Science, when
+he confesses that he never studied or read the text book of this
+science?"
+
+"But everybody says there is nothing to Christian Science," said the
+pastor.
+
+"So did everybody say the earth was flat until it was proven round,"
+replied Walter.
+
+"That's the point exactly; none of our learned men have been able to
+prove that the claims of Christian Science are true," said the pastor
+quickly.
+
+"That is because they do not go to those who can furnish the proof."
+
+"Who can prove it, Walter?"
+
+"Many thousands of those who were healed and the practitioners in
+particular."
+
+"Parson Jones said they are a lot of hair-brained women."
+
+"Does that make them so?" asked the boy. "No, yet he ought to know
+what he is talking about."
+
+"Did Parson Jones ever have a talk with one of those hair-brained
+women, as he calls them?"
+
+"No, I don't think he did, but he says he has investigated this cult
+sufficiently to know there is nothing in it," said the pastor, rather
+quietly.
+
+"I suppose, father, he gave it what you call an impartial investigation,
+and probably went about it in the same way you did. You went to a man
+for advice on a subject he had never studied and who was so prejudiced
+he would not take the time to prove whether it was right or wrong, yet
+he professed to know all about it, and advised you to let it alone.
+Now, father, if you wanted advice pertaining to a foreign country,
+would you go to a man who had never been there, and hadn't even read
+about it, or would you go to some one who had lived there for many
+years?"
+
+"I should certainly go to the man who had been there," said the pastor.
+
+"Then when you want information regarding Christian Science, why don't
+you go to a Christian Scientist?" said his son. The pastor was silent
+for a moment, then said, "I see what you mean, Walter; my going to see
+Rev. Jones about Christian Science is like going to a blacksmith for
+information pertaining to surgery."
+
+"Yes, father."
+
+"I guess you are right, Walter. I believe I will go to see a
+practitioner, for if there is anything on this earth that can help
+your mother I will let nothing stand in the way of a trial of it."
+
+"Oh! thank you, father, I will go now and see if this practitioner can
+come to see you."
+
+"Who is this practitioner?"
+
+"Mrs. White, who lives down on Grant St.; she promised to come any
+time I would ask her to."
+
+When Walter said Mrs. White, the pastor recalled what Parson Jones
+said regarding these lady practitioners telling all his parishioners,
+and the possibility of his losing his position; this made him very
+much afraid, so he said:
+
+"Wait a minute, Walter, let us talk this matter over a little before
+you go. Had you thought of the position it would place me in to have
+a Christian Science practitioner coming to our home every day? And
+most likely she would be delighted to tell all her friends that the
+Rev. Williams of the Park Row Church had been compelled to call her
+in to treat his wife."
+
+"No, father, I do not think she would say a word about it."
+
+"But some of my parishioners might see her coming here every day, and
+then I would be in danger of losing my position."
+
+"Father, would you let your position stand in the way of saving mother's
+life?"
+
+The pastor did not answer at once, but was thinking deeply; at length
+he looked up and said, "Walter, your persistence has won the day. I
+will at least have a talk with this practitioner; you may tell her to
+come this evening if she will, and I will talk with her."
+
+"Oh, father, how happy you have made me. And I know you will change
+your opinion of this lady practitioner after a few minutes' talk with
+her, and I feel confident that through her my mother will be made
+well."
+
+"I pray God it will be as you say."
+
+Several minutes later Walter was on his way to the practitioner's. In
+due time he was back and told his father she had promised to come that
+evening at 7:30.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII
+
+A FAIR INVESTIGATION
+
+
+Promptly at 7:30 the door-bell rang, and Walter went to the door to
+welcome the practitioner; he showed her into the parlor and called his
+father. After a formal introduction, the Rev. Williams asked both the
+practitioner and Walter into the library, the pastor being afraid he
+might have some callers that would know the practitioner, although he
+did not state his reason for going to the library.
+
+After being comfortably seated, the pastor said, "Mrs. White, I think
+it only fair to you to state that I have always been very much
+prejudiced against Christian Science and would not even now have
+consented to have an interview with you if it had not been for the
+persistence of my son."
+
+"Mr. Williams," said the lady, "I don't believe you could be any more
+prejudiced than I was, and I only consented to try it after every other
+means had failed to cure me, and as I was not made well after one
+week's treatment I became skeptical, and wanted to stop taking
+treatment. But my husband said, 'Let us give it a fair trial, as there
+is nothing else for you.' The fact is that nearly everybody is
+prejudiced against Christian Science, and yet none of those who are
+can give you a reasonable answer why they are, and as a rule know
+nothing at all about it. So it does not seem strange to me to find you
+in this frame of mind."
+
+"I suppose my son has told you he found a 'Science and Health' and
+that he believes reading it has cured him."
+
+"Yes, he told me, but you make a mistake when you say he believes
+reading the book cured him; he doesn't believe it, he knows it."
+
+"Why do you say he knows it, Mrs. White?"
+
+"Because if he did not know or understand the truth that 'Science and
+Health' contains, he would not now be well, for these are the signs
+following, spoken of by Jesus Christ."
+
+"Excuse me, Mrs. White, but I don't seem to catch your meaning; what
+signs follow the reading of 'Science and Health'?" "Simply reading
+'Science and Health' will not help us, although it is a step in the
+right direction. It is when we understand the truth contained therein
+that the signs follow. Jesus Christ said, 'These signs shall follow
+them that believe, they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall be
+healed, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them.'
+If we use the word 'understand', instead of 'believe', we get a clearer
+view of what Christ meant when he said, 'These signs shall follow them
+that _understand_.' And as the same truth that Jesus Christ taught
+is contained in this book, the understanding of it must be followed
+by the same signs."
+
+"But I am not willing as yet to concede that this book does contain
+the Christ Truth," said the pastor.
+
+"Mr. Williams, when you were attending school, suppose the teacher had
+given you a mathematical problem to solve, and had said, 'You will
+find the rule by which this example can be worked on page 105, and the
+correct answer is 18.' You would have looked up the rule and started
+to work the example. If when you were done the answer you got was 18,
+you would know at once that you understood the rule, and had applied
+it correctly. Thereafter you would not merely believe that you knew
+the rule, but you would know that you understood it. So it is with the
+sick; take your son's case, for instance; he found a 'Science and
+Health,' began to read and study it; in it is printed the rule of
+health. After a little study he understood this rule. He then applied
+it correctly and got the answer, _health,_ and this is sufficient
+proof to him that the scientific method of healing the sick as Jesus
+Christ did, is contained in this book, and no amount of argument to
+the contrary can ever convince him that it is not true, any more than
+it would have been possible to tell you that you did not understand
+the rule by which you solved your mathematical problem after you had
+secured the correct answer. Correct answers are the signs following,
+or proofs of understanding, of any science."
+
+"Then it is not God that does the healing, but the correct application
+of a rule," said the pastor quickly.
+
+"Oh, yes, it is God that heals the sick; for instance, when you were
+working the problem mentioned above, you found the rule on the page
+indicated by the teacher, but the rule did not do your problem, neither
+did the mere application of the rule do it, but it was your
+intelligence, or mind, that directed the correct application of the
+rule that solved the problem; so to Mind must be given the credit of
+the solution, for the rule could not do anything without Mind to direct
+the application. And so it is with the rule of health; it is in 'Science
+and Health,' but to be benefited thereby it must be correctly applied
+by the intelligence of man, which is his mind."
+
+"But this statement contradicts your first statement."
+
+"In what way, Mr. Williams?"
+
+"In the first instance, you said it was God that did the healing, and
+now you say it is the intelligence of man, or mind."
+
+"Mr. Williams, do you believe God is all intelligence?"
+
+"Yes, certainly."
+
+"Then He must be the intelligence of man, or his mind, otherwise God
+would not be _all_ intelligence." The pastor sat perfectly still,
+fully absorbed with his own thoughts. Mrs. White waited a few moments,
+then continued: "What I have said in regard to applying the rule is
+in full accord with the teachings of Jesus Christ wherein He
+demonstrated the necessity of us working out our own salvation."
+
+"Mrs. White, you say that God is the intelligence of man, or his mind."
+
+"Yes, for God is _all_ intelligence."
+
+"You also say that God is good only."
+
+"Yes, God is _all_ Good."
+
+"Then according to this theory that God is all intelligence, you must
+admit that He is also the bad or evil intelligence found in some men,
+and if this be true, you could hardly claim that He is all good, for
+one statement would contradict the other," slowly said the pastor.
+
+"You have made a mistake in your reasoning, Mr. Williams. A bad
+intelligence is not intelligence, but a lack of intelligence, or
+non-intelligence; in other words, ignorance, and ignorance has no place
+in the realm of intelligence, for ignorance is evil, and intelligence
+is good," said the practitioner. "Your explanation sounds very
+reasonable, but I am not yet willing to agree with you; it may be
+because I do not fully understand," answered the pastor.
+
+"I do not think it possible for man to fully comprehend any science
+in a few moments, and this science is the science of sciences."
+
+"Am I to understand that evil and ignorance have no place in the
+universe; in other words, are not real?" asked the pastor.
+
+"Yes, the good alone is real. It is only through ignorance of the truth
+that evil seems real, or has place or power."
+
+"But we see evil all about us," said the pastor.
+
+"This seems so, but it is only a misapprehension of the truth, for
+evil is not real, has no entity or principle, God (Good) never made
+it," said the practitioner.
+
+"But if it is not real, and God did not make it, where did it come
+from?" asked the pastor.
+
+Mrs. White's face broadened into a smile, and then she said, "Mr.
+Williams, I think I will tell you a little story that I wrote to one
+of my patients who was suffering from a claim of indigestion. She
+insisted that evil was real, and offered up the evidence of her
+indigestion as proof thereof. This little story came to me as I was
+thinking of her case. It may enlighten you on the origin of evil as
+it did her. Now for the story."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII
+
+THE UNREALITY OF EVIL
+
+
+"Once upon a time long, long ago, there was a great and good king, who
+lived in a country where everything was good. He had thousands of
+subjects under him, and these subjects were all good. This was because
+the king was good and the people strove to be like him. But one day
+one of his people imagined she saw an evil thing or devil, and became
+greatly alarmed thereat. She hurried home and told her husband what
+she had seen, and he believed her story about this evil, or devil (that
+never had any existence, only in the imagination of this woman). And
+because of her great fear of it this woman kept thinking of this evil
+constantly, until at last it seemed very real to her, and after a time
+she imagined this evil, or devil, had entered her body and was stopping
+her stomach from digesting its food. She also told this to her husband,
+and he became afraid of this myth, and told his friends that an evil,
+or devil, had entered the body of his wife. His friends began to talk
+about this evil, or devil, wondering what it might be. At length, after
+discussing it for some time, they decided they didn't know what this
+evil was, but that it ought to be given a name, so called it
+indigestion, because it had stopped the woman's stomach from digesting
+her food. In this way this imaginary thing became real enough to have
+a name. After the people had given this evil, or devil, a name, they
+all began to make suggestions of how best to get rid of him. One
+suggested that a plate be made hot and applied to the stomach. This,
+he thought, would make it so uncomfortable for the devil that he would
+leave. Another suggested that the woman take a strong dose of peppermint
+and burn the devil; another suggested that they manipulate the stomach,
+i. e., pull and haul and pound it, hoping in this way to kill him;
+another said, let us attach an electric battery and shock the devil.
+Another said he believed that devils had an aversion for blue lights,
+and thought that if they would let a blue light shine on him, he would
+leave. Another said, give the woman a bath of mud, let her be covered
+all over with soft mud, and this will smother the devil. Still another
+suggested that the woman be sent away from home to another climate,
+he thinking the devil might not like the change, and so leave the
+woman. Hundreds of other suggestions were offered and tried, but none
+of them succeeded in driving this devil out of the woman. And now, after
+several thousands of years, the people are still offering advice to
+this woman, but with no better success. The simple reason why all these
+things did not succeed in driving out this evil, or devil, is that in
+reality there wasn't any devil to drive out, as it was only an imaginary
+thing and had no existence, only as an illusion in the mind of the
+woman. About 2,000 years ago, there lived a man who was intelligent
+enough to understand what the trouble was. He said that there were not
+any evils, or devils, and that God, or the Creative Principle, was
+_good only_, and that evil was a lie, or delusion, and proved His
+words by His works. This enraged the wise men of His time very much,
+for they had been teaching the people that evil was real, and that in
+many instances God put evil upon His children to make them good. These
+wise men were sore afraid that the people would believe what this good
+man was teaching and denounce their teaching. So they conspired together
+and had Him crucified, and still continued their teaching that evil
+was as real as good. About forty years ago, a woman, intelligent and
+good, became conscious of the unreality of evil, and after a careful
+study of the life of this man who was crucified, she discovered that
+all this good man had said and taught regarding the unreality of evil,
+was the truth. She wrote a book explaining this great fact, and said,
+'If the people would study this book, they could prove for themselves
+that there weren't any evils, or devils.' As in the time of the good
+man that was crucified, so in her time, the wise men were teaching the
+people that evil was real, and as the teachings of this woman were
+contrary to their teachings, they became enraged; and if it had been
+customary to crucify people in her time, she would have been crucified.
+Since that book was written, many thousands of people who imagined
+they had evils or were possessed with devils, have, by reading and
+studying this book, discovered that all of the evils, or devils of the
+past and present were imaginary, and seemed real, because we feared
+them. This book also teaches that the _only_ way to get rid of
+these imaginations, or false beliefs, is to use our God-given
+intelligence and reason rightly, and then we would discover the
+nothingness of these evils, or devils, and our fear of them would
+depart, likewise the evils, or devils, no matter under whatever name
+they might be masquerading, as it was only our ignorance of the true
+facts, coupled with our fear, that made them seem real. So with this
+woman, who imagined she saw an evil, or devil; if she had not feared
+it, she would have investigated and consequently have discovered its
+unreality."
+
+As Mrs. White finished her story, she looked at Walter, and by the way
+he nodded his head she was sure he had grasped the truth of her story.
+Then, glancing at the pastor, she said, "Mr. Williams, does that answer
+your question, as to the unreality and origin of evil?"
+
+"Mrs. White," said the pastor nervously, "That story answers my
+questions so fully that I haven't any foundation to stand on, and as
+I have been preaching the reality of evil these many years I am at a
+loss to know what to say or do."
+
+"Do not worry or get excited, Mr. Williams, Every person is more or
+less confused as his old idols and gods are destroyed, but fear not,
+for out of this destruction will rise an intelligent temple with God,
+Good, the ruler thereof."
+
+"But I am at a loss what to do. I have discovered the fact that I was
+mistaught in regard to the reality of evil, and now I fear that all
+the rest of my teachings may be at fault and I cannot conscientiously
+preach what is false, as God knows I would not wilfully mislead my
+fellow-man. I am afraid I will be compelled to give up my position at
+once, and feel I am not fitted to do anything else." He then glanced
+at the practitioner and said, "Mrs. White, can you offer me any advice?"
+
+"Yes, first of all, remember that there is room in God's kingdom for
+all His children. Second, remember that your real source of supply is
+not your church, but God; trust in Him fully, and your every need will
+be supplied. Third, I would advise you not to give up your position
+on the spur of the moment; take time to consider, study 'Science and
+Health,' and see if it is what you want. If it is, you can then send
+in your resignation. If not, no one need be the wiser that you have
+been studying the book."
+
+"But I cannot conscientiously preach one thing and believe another."
+
+"Then, Mr. Williams, I would suggest that you ask for a vacation for
+six months, as I understand from what your son told me, that it has
+been a long time since you have taken one, and by the time six months
+have passed you will know what is best for you to do.
+
+"Mrs. White, I would be pleased to take your advice, but I haven't
+enough money to carry me for six months without a salary."
+
+"God is your supply, trust Him fully," said Mrs. White.
+
+"Father, have no fear, God is all good, all love, and I know He will
+not see us want, if we will only trust Him."
+
+"Walter, my son, I will take your advice and trust it all to God."
+Then, after a moment, he looked at Mrs. White and said, "Now, Mrs.
+White, let us talk of my dear wife's illness; I suppose Walter told
+you she has been suffering from tuberculosis of the lungs for many
+years. Do you think she can be healed?"
+
+"Mr. Williams, do you think an all-powerful God could heal her? For
+it is not myself that does the healing, but God."
+
+"Yes, I know that God can heal her if He will."
+
+"Have you ever asked Him to?"
+
+"Many hundreds of times have I asked, prayed, begged, and beseeched
+Him."
+
+"What did you expect to accomplish by your begging and beseeching?"
+
+"I do not understand what you mean, Mrs. White."
+
+"Did you think you could influence a good and just God by your begging
+and beseeching, to be more than good and just?"
+
+"Oh, I did not wish to influence God," said the pastor.
+
+"Then what did you expect to accomplish by begging and beseeching?"
+As the pastor did not answer, Mrs. White continued:
+
+"A good and just God could not be less than good and just, and if this
+be true, what could we expect to accomplish by begging and beseeching?
+Mr. Williams, the reason your prayers have not been answered, is that
+you don't know how to pray aright, besides you have been praying to
+a false god, an idol of your own making."
+
+The pastor's back stiffened up perceptibly, as he said rather cooly,
+"Mrs. White, don't you think your accusations are a little unjust? You
+must remember I am an ordained minister."
+
+"Mr. Williams, don't think I am alluding only to you; almost the whole
+human race has made the same mistake. I am free to confess that I did
+not know how to pray aright until after I had studied 'Science and
+Health.' If you will allow me, I will try to prove my assertions."
+
+"Please proceed."
+
+"Mr. Williams, when you pray, do you or do you not have a mental picture
+of your god in mind?"
+
+"Yes, most generally I do." "Will you please describe this mental
+picture?" asked Mrs. White.
+
+"When I close my eyes in prayer, I usually see the spirit of God as
+though He was appearing through the clouds," said the pastor.
+
+"Does this spirit of God, as you call it, have a human face?"
+
+"Yes, Mrs. White, a face that is radiant with goodness and love."
+
+"Mr. Williams, don't you see that this is a god of your own making,
+an imaginary creature of your own mind?"
+
+"I don't quite understand," said the pastor, somewhat confused.
+
+"When you close your eyes to pray, you imagine you see the face of a
+man, appearing through the clouds. You know this is not real, but the
+face appears only in your imagination, and when your congregation close
+their eyes, they each have an imaginary picture of some kind before
+them, or else a void, and if you were to compare notes, you would find
+no two persons to have the same picture or idol. Are there so many
+gods as that? If not, which one of the congregation has the right one?
+The fact is, most people pray to a god of their own making, a man-made
+god, a thing that does not exist, except in their own imagination, and
+then wonder why their prayers are not answered. Have I proven my
+assertion, Mr. Williams?"
+
+"Yes, Mrs. White, you have, but you have also robbed me of my God, and
+now I am entirely at a loss."
+
+"Better no god at all than a false one," said Mrs. White.
+
+"That may be true, Mrs. White, but you do not wish to intimate that
+there is no God?"
+
+"Most assuredly not, have I not told you that God heals the sick, that
+God is Good, that God is Mind? If I have robbed you of your false god,
+I have done a good work, for then you are ready to seek the true God.
+I recommend that you carefully study 'Science and Health.' In it I
+found who and what the true God is. If you will read this book, in
+connection with the Bible, you will find that it will unlock the
+mysteries of the Bible, and you will come into possession of that peace
+that passeth all understanding." "I shall certainly do as you suggest,
+Mrs. White; for I have determined to find the true God."
+
+"Now, Mr. Williams, do you wish me to give your wife treatment?"
+
+"Yes, I have determined to give Christian Science a fair trial."
+
+"As it is getting rather late, I will not see your wife to-night, but
+will treat her absently as soon as I get home. I would also suggest
+that you acquaint her with the fact that I will see her tomorrow
+evening."
+
+"But I have not asked her whether she is willing to take science
+treatment," said the pastor.
+
+"Father, that has all been arranged, as I have asked her; all that
+mother wanted was your sanction. Otherwise she would not take the
+treatment, and I had acquainted Mrs. White with the facts before she
+came."
+
+"I am pleased to hear that your mother is willing to try these
+treatments, as we have tried everything else, and now this is our last
+and only hope."
+
+"When it should have been your first; yet that is the way of mortals,
+they try everything else first and God last, nevertheless God is ever
+ready to help man when man turns to Him, no matter what has gone
+before," said the practitioner.
+
+"Mrs. White, your words give me great hope, yet my wife's case seems
+hopeless."
+
+"Mr. Williams, why should you think it strange that a good, and loving,
+and all-powerful Father should be ever ready to help His children?"
+
+"I know not, unless it is because He did not answer my prayers, and
+this may have weakened my faith," meekly said the pastor.
+
+"But you did not pray to an all-good, loving, and all-powerful God,
+or you would surely have been answered; you were praying to a false
+god, even one of your own making."
+
+"Yes, I know now that there was something wrong, and I supposed it was
+because God did not wish to help; but you have shown me that the fault
+was not with God, but with myself."
+
+"Well, Mr. Williams, I am glad that the light of understanding is
+coming to your consciousness, and now I must be going. I have no special
+directions to give you regarding your wife except that I don't want
+you or Walter to tell a single person that your wife is receiving
+Christian Science treatment, and you may rest assured that I shall not
+tell any one."
+
+The pastor was very much relieved to hear Mrs. White say she would
+tell no one, and supposing she did not wish to jeopardize his position
+as minister, he said, "I thank you very much, Mrs. White, for being
+so solicitous of my position."
+
+Mrs. White's answer rather surprised him. She said: "When I told you
+to tell no one, I did not have you or your position in thought, I was
+simply thinking of the welfare of your wife. Now good-night, and you
+may expect me at the same hour to-morrow evening."
+
+The pastor and his son bade her a hearty goodnight, then returned to
+the library. As soon as they arrived there the pastor turned to his
+son and said, "Walter, what other reason could Mrs. White have in
+bidding us say nothing of the treatments, excepting my position?"
+
+"Father, I do not fully understand why this is done, but I have heard
+that they request this in all cases. I think it is for the same reason
+that Jesus Christ told them He healed, to go and tell no man."
+
+The pastor looked at his son and said, "It may be for the same reason,
+although both are a mystery to me, at any rate this disproves the
+assertion the Rev. Jones made in regard to these lady practitioners
+being pleased to tell their business to everybody. Why, any one could
+be healed by Christian Science and no one be the wiser. I wonder if
+this does not account for the mysterious recovery of Mr. Anderson. You
+remember the paper stated that he was given up by the physicians, and
+that he could not live more than twenty-four to thirty-six hours; then
+to the surprise of everybody he began to mend rapidly, and in six
+week's time no one would think that he ever had a sick day in his life.
+And ever since he has been attending to his business, and every time
+I meet him he seems running over with happiness, joy, and good health."
+
+"Father, wasn't he supposed to be suffering from a very severe case
+of Blight's disease?"
+
+"Yes, he had a consultation of three of our best physicians, and they
+pronounced it Bright's disease."
+
+"If it really was Christian Science that healed him, I am sure it will
+heal mother."
+
+"Yes, son, I think so too, I believe I will ask Mr. Anderson what healed
+him, for if it was Christian Science, it will give me more confidence."
+
+"Now please bring me this science book you found, as I would like to
+see it."
+
+"I will get it at once, father," said the delighted boy, for he felt
+sure that if his father ever started to read it, he would never leave
+it until he had discovered the great truth the book contained.
+
+In a few moments he was back and handed the book to his father, who
+said, "Walter, I wish you would call in to see your mother and acquaint
+her with what has been done; then you had better retire, as I may spend
+some time with this book."
+
+"All right, father. Good-night."
+
+"Good-night, Walter," said the pastor, as he assumed an easy position
+in his large armchair.
+
+Walter went to his mother's room and, finding her awake, told her all
+about the visit of the practitioner, and also some of the things she
+had said, and that she was coming to see her the next evening. He then
+bade her a cheerful good-night and retired to his own room, a very
+happy and well satisfied boy.
+
+His father continued his reading until long after midnight, and as he
+closed the book he said aloud, "It truly is a wonderful book, but I
+cannot agree with all that it contains, although this may be because
+I do not fully understand." He then wended his way to his wife's
+bedchamber, and looking in, found her sleeping peacefully; then he
+murmured: "I must trust God fully, for no one else can help her."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV
+
+THE DREAM
+
+
+The next evening at the appointed hour Mrs. White made her appearance,
+and after a few casual remarks, requested to be taken to Mrs. Williams.
+The pastor introduced her to his wife.
+
+The practitioner, after explaining her purpose in calling, kindly
+requested the pastor to leave the room as she wished to be alone with
+her patient.
+
+As soon as the pastor had left the room, Mrs. White turned to her
+patient and said in a voice full of affection and love: "Be not afraid,
+Mrs. Williams, God is an ever-present help in time of trouble, therefore
+I bid you hope."
+
+Some of the languid and discouraged look that had been on Mrs.
+Williams's face seemed to fade away as she said, "You bid me hope,
+when all the rest of the world and my physicians have told me my case
+is hopeless? Surely you do not believe I can be healed."
+
+"Mrs. Williams, I not only believe, but I know you can be healed, for
+nothing is impossible to God, and from now on He is your physician.
+Do not think it is I that is going to heal you, but our heavenly Father.
+'He doeth the work.'"
+
+"If I could only believe," said the sick woman, with eyes full of
+tears.
+
+"Mrs. Williams, you can at least say the same as the man in the Bible
+said when Jesus asked him if he believed He could heal him; he said:
+'Oh, God, I believe, help thou mine unbelief.' And this is what I am
+going to do, I am going to help thine unbelief, that is, cast it out,
+and let Truth reign in your consciousness. To accomplish this you must
+be obedient; if you have any prejudice, cast it aside. The word
+prejudice means to prejudge, and very few people are wise enough to
+prejudge even the most simple things of life, and those who do, are
+wrong more times than they are right."
+
+"What you say is true, and I don't want to be prejudiced about anything,
+but there has been so much said against Christian Science and it has
+been ridiculed so severely that I find it hard to have any faith in
+it, yet I am very willing to give it a trial."
+
+"Mrs. Williams, what would you think of a judge or a jury that would
+convict a person solely on the evidence of witnesses who were opposed
+to the person on trial, and probably all of the testimony was of this
+type: ('I heard Mr. Smith say he heard the prisoner had done it')? in
+other words mere gossip; would you consider this justice? Yet that is
+just the kind of trial that all prejudiced people give Christian
+Science. If Christian Scientists point to the great mass of evidence
+in favor of this science, this evidence is ridiculed and denied, no
+matter how honest the person may be who gave the testimony."
+
+"Your contention is true, Mrs. White, I did prejudge or sentence
+Christian Science on the testimony of its enemies."
+
+"I am glad to hear you admit this, as it shows me that one obstacle
+to your recovery has been removed, and you will now give Christian
+Science an impartial hearing and a fair trial. And now before I give
+you a silent treatment, I wish to set your thoughts aright about God.
+You may have said that it is God's will that you are suffering, or
+that He had put this thing upon you as a punishment, either for
+something you, or some one else, had done. This is a terrible thing
+to do, to accuse your Maker, a God who is all good, all love, of such
+a contemptible act as this. No, Mrs. Williams, rest assured God never
+did such a thing. Let us see what the Bible says on this question. In
+the first place, it says God made everything good; do you believe
+that?"
+
+The sick woman nodded her head.
+
+"Next, it says, 'And God saw everything He had made and pronounced it
+_very good_'; it further states that God made everything that was
+made; do you believe this also?"
+
+"Yes."
+
+"You have heard it said that Christian Science claims that sin, disease,
+and death are not real, haven't you?" asked the practitioner.
+
+"Yes."
+
+"Now let us see if their claims are true. You agreed that God made
+everything that was made and that it was good. Now then, can you in
+any possible way show me wherein this claim of sickness of yours is
+good? if not, then God did not make it, it cannot be real, and it does
+not exist."
+
+"But, Mrs. White, I have suffered with it for years, and it certainly
+is real to me," said Mrs. Williams.
+
+"Let me show you how real it is, and what is necessary to make it
+unreal to you. Suppose I lie down on that couch over there," she said,
+pointing to a couch at the further side of the room. "As I fall asleep,
+the things in the room gradually fade from my sight and consciousness,
+that is, they become unreal to me, in fact they have no existence for
+me for the time being, yet they are all there. After a little I begin
+to dream that I am getting ready to take a trip to Europe. I pack my
+trunk, telephone for the expressman to take it to the depot, I dress
+myself in my traveling suit, get into my carriage, and am driven to
+the depot. On the way down I see some of my friends. I bow to them,
+and as I get out of the carriage at the depot I find my husband and
+sister there, to bid me God speed on my journey. I realize that my
+husband came from his place of business, and my sister from a distant
+part of the city. We enter the depot chatting gaily. My husband goes
+to inquire about the train. He comes back and tells us it is ready,
+and we walk down a pair of stairs and out into the train shed. As we
+approach the train, my husband gets out my ticket, shows it to the
+porter, and he says, 'Second car to the rear.' As we reach the place
+indicated, my husband shows the ticket to another porter who is standing
+there. He examines it and says with a wave of his hand, 'Right in this
+car.' We enter, and find the number of my berth. My husband puts my
+traveling bag under the seat, and we all sit there talking for some
+time. We then hear the conductor's warning, 'All aboard.' My husband
+and sister both kiss me and hurriedly leave the car. A moment later
+I see them on the platform. I hear the bell on the engine ring, I feel
+the car move, and wave a last farewell to those on the platform as
+they pass from my sight. A little later I am out in the country. Then
+we dash through a village without stopping, and at length we arrive
+at New York. I take a carriage to be driven to the dock. On the way
+there the horse becomes frightened, runs away, tips the carriage over,
+throws me under a rapidly moving street car, which runs over both my
+feet. The ambulance is called. I am taken to the hospital. The pain
+is almost unbearable. The physician examines my injuries and says he
+will be compelled to amputate both my feet. This seems so terrible to
+me that the shock wakes me up. For a few moments after I awake, I still
+feel the pain and lie there trembling with fright, for the dream has
+been so real. Yet in reality I never left the couch, and everything
+in the room is there just as I left it when I went to sleep. It was
+all an illusion, and the only thing necessary to prove it to me was
+something or somebody to awaken me. So it is with man. God made him
+perfect and everything good, and all man needs to prove it to himself
+is to be awakened, that is, made acquainted with the true facts
+pertaining to life. This means man must understand the science of
+being; then his delusion regarding sin, disease, and death will be no
+more real than my trip to Europe with its accompanying pain and
+disasters."
+
+"I see the force of your illustration, Mrs. White, but I am sure I am
+not dreaming." "But you are suffering from a delusion, and a delusion
+is a dream, and is no more real. If it had been possible for some one
+to tell me while I was on my dream trip, that it was a dream, I would
+have denied it, because it seemed real to me. So with you, this delusion
+seems so real you believe it to be a reality. Nevertheless the facts
+were that I was suffering from a delusion, and so are you. So let us
+deny that evil is real, and we will wake up to the truth, or
+understanding, that it is not real. Now I will give you your treatment."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XV
+
+TRUTH BEING MANIFESTED
+
+
+The treatment over, Mrs. White said a few more cheerful words to her
+patient and then called the pastor into the room, saying to him, it
+would be well if he would read from "Science and Health" to his wife
+whenever he found time, which he promised to do.
+
+A few minutes later, Mrs. White was on her way home, and the pastor
+and his family were more hopeful than they had been for some time.
+Walter and his father discussed with Mrs. Williams the happenings of
+the evening, and it was quite late before they all retired for the
+night.
+
+Mrs. White came regularly every evening for about a week, and as her
+patient began slowly to mend she came only every other evening. The
+Rev. Williams and also Walter read to the sick woman every day, and
+by the end of the month Mrs. Williams began to stay up several hours
+each day. She also was an eager reader and student of "Science and
+Health." Many were the pleasant evenings spent by them in explanation
+and discussion of what they were reading.
+
+True to his word, the pastor decided to trust in God for his supply,
+and had asked for a vacation, which was granted him. Near the end of
+the second week a letter came; in it was a check from a man whom he
+had loaned some money to, a long time before. It also contained a note
+explaining that he had always intended to pay the debt, but not until
+recently had his financial circumstances permitted it. When the pastor
+saw it, he said, "Surely this is in return for my trust in God, for
+I long ago reckoned this money as lost."
+
+At the end of three months, Mrs. Williams was so far recovered that
+she was able to take care of her household duties and the pastor's
+understanding of "Science and Health" had increased to such an extent
+that he felt sure it contained the Christ Truth, but he was not yet
+ready to say he would give up his position as pastor. Walter grasped
+the truth more rapidly than his father, and whenever he found him
+perplexed or doubtful he was ever ready to point the way. His mother
+was constantly gaining both in health and understanding, and when
+Spring came and the end of the pastor's six months' vacation drew nigh,
+she was entirely healed.
+
+It was at this time the pastor told his wife and son that he had
+determined to hand in his resignation and leave the ministry. They
+agreed with him that he could not consistently preach the old belief
+after understanding the truth; and as his congregation was very well
+satisfied with the minister who was filling his place, they would not
+miss him much.
+
+A few days later he handed in his resignation. It was somewhat of a
+surprise to the directors, and they asked him to reconsider; but when
+he assured them it was final, they in due time accepted it and requested
+that he preach a farewell sermon. At first the pastor thought of
+declining, but did not; instead, he told them he would consider for
+a few days.
+
+That evening, as they were all sitting in the library, he told his
+wife and son of their request, and said he had not fully made up his
+mind what was best to do. At this point Walter spoke up and said, with
+a smile on his face: "Father, do you remember one evening when we were
+having our Bible lessons you promised to preach a sermon on creation?"
+
+"Yes, son, I remember."
+
+"Why not preach that sermon as a farewell, for I know you can do so
+now with understanding."
+
+The father looked at his son, smiled, and said: "Not a bad idea; what
+do you think of it, wife?"
+
+"I think it would be grand and might be the means of showing some poor
+sufferer the truth. How thankful I am for this truth, and how I wish
+the whole world would know the Christ Truth."
+
+"Then it is settled, I will tell the directors of my decision in the
+morning;" which he did, also telling them on what subject he would
+preach.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVI
+
+THE FAREWELL SERMON
+
+
+The appointed Sunday dawned clear and balmy, and by the time the
+services commenced, the church was filled to its full capacity, the
+new minister officiating; and when it came time for the sermon, he
+announced that the Rev. Williams would preach his farewell sermon, and
+that the subject would be "Creation." The pastor slowly arose from the
+seat he had been occupying and leisurely walked up to and into the
+pulpit. He slowly allowed his gaze to roam over the crowded church,
+then began his sermon in a clear, full voice:
+
+"My dearly beloved brethren, once again, after more than six months'
+vacation, I stand before you for the last time as pastor. I have been
+in your midst for more than fifteen years, trying to point out to you,
+to the best of my ability, the way to salvation. In that time I have
+made many staunch friends--friends to be proud of, friends that were
+true, friends that were friends in time of storm as well as sunshine,
+friends that have stood the test of time, and I hope will stand the
+test to the end of time, for a severe test of their love and friendship
+for me and mine is coming."
+
+By this time every eye was fastened on him, and each individual ear
+was strained to catch his every word.
+
+The Rev. Williams now opened the Bible he had carried to the pulpit
+with him, and said:
+
+"As has been announced by your pastor, the subject of my sermon is
+'The Creation.' In explanation I might say that just before, and during
+the time of my vacation, I was carefully studying the Bible relative
+to this subject, and I discovered the fact that during all the time
+I was studying for the ministry, and these many years that I have been
+an ordained minister, I had not become acquainted with the true facts
+regarding the creation of man. It was the discovery of this, with many
+others I have since made, that compelled me to send in my resignation,
+and in my sermon to-day I shall endeavor to make plain my discovery.
+I say my discovery, although it was not mine originally, but another's
+whose illumined spiritual sense is as far above mine as the blue vaults
+of heaven are above the earth. I will now read to you verses from the
+first and second chapters of Genesis. No doubt, you are all more or
+less familiar with them. Genesis, Chapter I, 26th verse, reads: _'And
+God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and let
+them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the
+air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every
+creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.'_ Chapter 1, 27th
+verse, reads: _'So God created man in his own image, in the image
+of God created He him; male and female created He them.'_ Chapter
+1, 31st verse, reads: _'And God saw everything that He had made, and
+behold, it was very good, and the evening and the morning were the 6th
+day.'_ Chapter 2, 1st verse, reads: _'Thus the heavens and earth
+were finished, and all the hosts of them.'_ Chapter 2, 6th verse,
+reads: _'But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the
+whole face of the ground.'_ Chapter 2, 7th verse, reads: _'And
+the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into
+his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul.'"_
+
+As he finished reading this verse, he laid the Bible down and said,
+"I now wish to call your attention to chapter I, 26th verse. Therein
+is stated that God made man in His image and likeness. Chapter I, 27th
+verse, reiterates this statement so as to more fully emphasize this
+great truth. We now come to the question of what is God. We all agree
+that God is Spirit. If this be true, then man must be spiritual and
+not material, else he would not be the image and likeness of God,
+Spirit. In chapter I, 31st verse, we read that _God saw everything
+He had made, and behold, it was very good._ Now I want to ask, is
+sin, disease, trouble, affliction, or death good? It has been said
+that under certain conditions sickness might be good. I also thought
+this at one time, but in no way can we conceive of sin as being good.
+Then God never made sin, neither did He make disease and death; then
+whence came they? Is there an evil power that creates these dreaded
+things? If we believe this, we will have two creators, or gods, which
+cannot be true. Let us see if the Bible will not throw some light on
+this seeming mystery. Chapter 2, 1st verse, reads: _'Thus the heavens
+and earth were finished and all the hosts of them.'_ Now this is
+all of creation, God has finished His work, yet in the same chapter
+a little further along we read: _'But there went up a mist from the
+earth and watered the whole face of the ground.'_ In the next verse
+we read: _'And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and
+breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living
+soul.'_ But God had finished His work some time before, at least
+so it was stated in some of the preceding verses. Is there a second
+creation, or is this simply one of the contradictions spoken of by
+some of our Bible critics? We can not conceive of an all-knowing God
+having made a mistake when He created man spiritually in His image and
+likeness and then later making another man materially from dust.
+
+"I wish to call your attention to the fact that the Bible does not
+state that this _dust man_ is made in the image and likeness of God, in
+fact it does not state that he was made at all, it simply says: 'And the
+Lord God _formed_ man of the dust of the ground.' Then this dust man at
+best was only _formed_ and never made. Neither does it state that God
+had anything to do with the forming of this dust man, as it does of the
+spiritual man made in His image and likeness, but states the _Lord_ God
+formed him.
+
+"Nowhere in the first chapter of Genesis, which is the true or spiritual
+creation, does the Lord God create anything; it is only after that
+_mist_ (spoken of in the 6th verse of chapter two) arose from the
+earth that the _Lord_ God _formed_ the dust or material man,
+or anything else. Then the mystery of this seeming second creator, the
+Lord God, and his creation or forming of this dust or material man and
+material world must lie within this _mist_, and it does; this
+mist that arose was simply a misapprehension that arose amongst the
+people, wherein they believed themselves to be _formed_ of dust
+or materially, whereas in truth they were created spiritually. And
+this _Lord_ God spoken of that formed the dust man is not the
+real creator, the true God, but is man himself, who, through his own
+false idea or belief, formed man of dust, in other words, by his
+misapprehension of his true nature, man thinks himself material, when,
+in reality, he is spiritual, and it is through this mistake that all
+this evil or materiality seems to exist. But it is no more real than
+the dust man, and gets its seeming reality in the same way through a
+delusion or misapprehension of the truth. The proof that evil is not
+real, does not exist, and was never made, is contained in the Bible.
+Genesis 1, 31st verse, is this proof; it reads: 'And God saw
+_everything_ that He had made, and behold, it was very good, and
+the evening and the morning were the 6th day.' I wish you to note that
+this verse says _everything_; this includes _all_. Then everything that
+really exists is good, it cannot be otherwise. Our God, our Creator,
+could not make both good and evil, else He would not be perfect, for
+evil is an imperfection and an imperfection can have no principle, hence
+no reality. Evil has the same reality that a lie has. What becomes of a
+lie when the truth is declared? It ceases to exist; so with evil; it
+being unreal, it ceases to exist, when Good is declared.
+
+"Now, Beloved, I will quote you the greatest command given to man by
+Jesus Christ: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and
+with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.' I will now give you my
+interpretation of this great commandment: Thou shalt love the _Good_,
+thy God, with all thy love, and with all thy intelligence, and with all
+thy thoughts. Oh, if we could only do this, there surely would be no
+evil. Do we obey this greatest command of our Master? No. For instead of
+loving God, we fear Him, and lay every evil that befalls us at His door.
+If there be a cyclone, a flood, a cloudburst, a railroad disaster, a
+conflagration, an earthquake, an epidemic, we say it is the will of God.
+Oftentimes we labor long and faithfully to accomplish a desired result,
+and just as we think we have success in our hands, we fail, and all our
+hopes and desires are destroyed; again we say, it is the will of God. If
+we see any of our brethren sick, we claim it to be the will of God. If
+we see the father of a family taken away, we bow our heads and say God's
+will be done. If we see a family of children left motherless, again we
+bow our heads and say God's will be done. If we see a beautiful infant
+snatched by death from the breast of it's heart-broken mother, we meekly
+bow again, and, with heart full of sorrow, say, it's the will of God. I
+tell you it is not the will of God, the will of Good. There is no good
+in it, hence not of God's making, but is the work of evil, or devil, in
+other words, the work of a delusion, the believing of a lie. And when we
+stand meekly by and see evil destroy our health, our hopes, our
+happiness, our homes, without a protest, we are abetting the devil in
+his work. The Bible says God gave man dominion over _all_ the earth, so
+rise in the might of your intelligence, your Mind, and destroy this
+evil, this illusion, this lie, with the sword of truth, in Christ's
+name. God, Good, is with you in this work, and with Him for you, who can
+stand against you? Too long has man been robbed by evil in the name of
+good. Jesus Christ said: 'Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall
+make you free.' This truth has been revealed and is in our midst; 'seek
+and ye shall find.' St. John, the most beloved disciple, said: 'God is
+Love.' Can you believe a father who is Love would destroy the hopes
+of His children, make them suffer through accident, sickness, and
+poverty, and after three score and ten years let them die, in other
+words, kill them? Even the lowest of earthly fathers would not do this.
+Jesus Christ said: The last enemy to overcome is death.' This surely
+does not mean that we must submit to death, but the opposite, or
+overcome death. Christ's bidding us to overcome death shows that death
+is an evil. Then all things that are allies of death, such as sickness,
+poverty, accidents and the like, must be overcome, and when we have
+overcome all these things there will be no death to overcome; therefore
+I bid you awake from this delusion, this dream of life in matter, to
+the truth of life in Mind, in God. Simply believing in God is not
+enough, you must know God. Again I say, awake and work out your own
+salvation, as St. Paul said you must; salvation, is not believing, but
+knowing. In the words of one of the prophets, _acquaint_ thyself
+with God and be at peace. Search the Scriptures, they contain the truth
+of life. Use your reasoning power, and do your own thinking-for the
+kingdom of heaven is at hand. Christ is risen and is knocking at your
+door, let Him in, and He will show you the way out of trouble, sin,
+disease, and how to conquer death.
+
+"Now, Beloved, in conclusion, I would like to call your attention to
+my family, as you all know my son Walter was a sufferer for years from
+a disease that materia medica says is incurable; you now see him in
+your midst, a well and strong young man. I had long ago come to the
+conclusion that it was the will of God that he was sick, but through
+his own realization of the great truth that God made only the good,
+he was healed--in a like manner his mother, my wife, was healed of the
+same dread disease by _one_ who _knew_ that the good only was real, and
+proved it by destroying this seeming evil, which to us is known as
+tuberculosis. My wife is also in your midst, hale and hearty, as proof
+of my statement. And as I have also acquired this understanding of God,
+I cannot consistently preach the gospel in the old way, hence my
+resignation from this church and the ministry, and now I must echo the
+words of that great man, Martin Luther: 'Here I stand, I can do no
+otherwise, so help me God.' Amen."
+
+
+
+
+A PARTING WORD
+
+
+Nearly, all my life I was an inveterate reader of fiction, trying in
+this way to forget my troubles and pain, as many thousands of others
+are doing to-day. During all this time there was a book in existence
+the study of which would have banished all my misery, but I knew it
+not. It is with the hope that in this way I may reach a few of these
+thousands and get them interested enough so they will seek the truth
+in the way pointed out herein, that this work of fiction is put upon
+the market. "Seek and ye shall find," and when found, hold fast that
+which is true and you will come into that peace that passeth all
+understanding.
+
+THE AUTHOR.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Pastor's Son, by William W. Walter
+
+*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE PASTOR'S SON ***
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