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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/6310.txt b/6310.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d9b94ac --- /dev/null +++ b/6310.txt @@ -0,0 +1,4400 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Pastor's Son, by William W. Walter + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the +copyright laws for your country before downloading or redistributing +this or any other Project Gutenberg eBook. + +This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project +Gutenberg file. Please do not remove it. Do not change or edit the +header without written permission. + +Please read the "legal small print," and other information about the +eBook and Project Gutenberg at the bottom of this file. Included is +important information about your specific rights and restrictions in +how the file may be used. You can also find out about how to make a +donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved. + + +**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** + +**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 *** + +This file should be named 6310.txt or 6310.zip + +Produced by Mary Wampler, Juliet Sutherland, Charles Franks +and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team. + +Project Gutenberg eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the US +unless a copyright notice is included. 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