IT might almost seem, from the attention which Christian Scientists devote to the healing of sickness, that this work is indeed, as some believe, the sole object of their ministry; but Mrs. Eddy makes this distinct statement: "The emphatic purpose of Christian Science is the healing of sin" (Rudimental Divine Science, p. 2). Its fulfilment of our Lord's command to "heal the sick" may be at present its most distinctive feature, but this is only because of the more abundant opportunity to help mankind physically than is afforded to meet their deeper need of moral and spiritual enlightenment.

The mission of Christian Science, now and always, is to redeem mortals from their belief of separation from God, expressed in the sense of sin and death as well as in the sense of disease, but it necessarily takes up this work at the first and easiest point within reach, which is physical healing; for, as Mrs. Eddy goes on to say, "while mortals love to sin, they do not love to be sick" (Ibid., p. 3). Nevertheless, if one will look behind the scenes he will see that much more is transpiring than outwardly appears, for the physical betterment accomplished through Christian Science involves a degree of moral improvement that cannot be obtained from any purely human system.

That human pathological systems are palliative rather than eradicative is evident from the material premises upon which they are founded. Let us suppose, for instance, that all mankind were healed of their diseases today by these means: according to mortals' beliefs, the whole human race, if they continued to hold their present material beliefs, would be on the highway to disease again before the next morning. Although temporarily relieved of suffering, yet retaining the belief in material origin and moral depravity, with the vices that result therefrom; retaining the belief in material law, with the fears that necessarily accompany that belief, in what other direction could humanity go, unless these errors of belief were corrected and replaced with the spiritual sense of being? Despite its best efforts, the human mind is unable to eliminate or to escape from its own errors, since it is itself the fountain from which these errors spring, and the same fountain cannot produce both truth and error. Notwithstanding the lofty motives and faithful work of medical practitioners, which Christian Scientists do not desire to depreciate, it is apparent that mankind have not been lifted thereby a single degree out of their belief in evil and its supposed power. The utmost that material methods inspire in mortals is the hope that, by these means, their earthly sojourn may be made as long and as pleasant as possible.

The average patient, in presenting his case to a Christian Science practitioner, seldom has a higher hope than when he presented his case to a medical practitioner; that is, he hopes to be eased of bodily trouble; but he does not, as a rule, think of Christian Science as a savior from materiality itself, But the wide-awake Christian Scientist knows that his patient's greatest need is to understand the truth that can make him free from the belief in evil as well as from its effects. Therefore, the while he ministers to his sense of physical need, he endeavors to awaken in him the larger desire for spiritual good. Simply to make one's sense of life in matter easier, and leave him at that point, is of no lasting benefit; but to awaken spiritual desire strong enough to make one an active student of the truth that healed him, is to make the healing fruitful in an ever-increasing sense of good, and confers permanent benefit upon the individual and the race.

The materialistic physician, governed by physical evidence, sees in his patient only a disordered physicality, where the Scientist discerns a disordered mentality. The physician, with physical healing as the end in view, is satisfied if he removes the material disturbance; while the Scientist subdues the sense of physical disorder by quieting, the troubled thought, and is satisfied only when he brings to his patient's recognition the assurance of God's loving care and fatherhood. By the former material process the sufferer's fear may be soothed, but is not lessened; whereas in the latter, through the influence of divine Love, fear is so diminished that, if the lesson has been truly learned, disease will never appear quite so real again.

The belief of sickness does not exist as a thing of itself, but is a resultant condition. If that which precedes and produces this experience is purely material, then mind has nothing to do with it; but if it is a mental state, it must be dealt with through the action of right thought. That bodily discord is of mental origin is amply proved in Christian Science practice, and this abnormal state is remedied, not by the suggestion nor the substitution of other forms of belief, but by correcting the erroneous thought. Thus Christian Science healing, in its very nature, is reformative, and fulfils a most important part in human redemption, an importance that was fully recognized by Christ Jesus and is not overestimated by Christian Scientists.

It is true that a sufferer needs to be relieved of his suffering, and it is not intended to belittle that necessity, but until he is brought to realize the error of an existence apart from God, he will continue subject to the penalties of that belief. Merely to remove the discomforts of the illusion of life in matter, as human methods aim to do, would only seem to prolong that illusion, and rob mortals of their chief incentive to escape therefrom. Physical healing, as understood and accomplished in Christian Science, indicates the beginning of mortals' emergence from materiality, and marks their awakening to discern the Christ, not as a personal Saviour, but as divine Truth to be understood and demonstrated. It has proved for many a harassed mortal the opening chapter of deliverance from evil, either as something to love or to fear, and has brought to him the dawning perception of spiritual being.

The Christian Science practitioner, although working earnestly and in large measure successfully to lessen human suffering, does not regard physical healing as the end in view, but as a means toward that end. The essential purpose of Christian Science is to transform human consciousness from a material to the spiritual basis, and the practitioner should keep this goal before him in order to give his patients the highest service. It is certainly pleasanter to be at ease than to be diseased in the flesh but unless the bringing of physical ease brings also an awakening desire for spiritual good, and the willingness to strive for its attainment, the relief is superficial, and another sharp experience may have to be entered upon to bring sufficient desire for progress. Hence an invalid's need is greater than for material comfort; it is to be shown the unreality of matter, to learn the falsity of its claim to life and intelligence, and its powerlessness to make mortals happy or wretched.

Christian Science, in its healing of the sick, also points out the way of salvation, and if the patient has had enough of sin he will gladly walk therein. But, if he is content to remain at that point, resorting to Christian Science only when in trouble, and making no effort to understand and practice its teachings for himself, this indicates his unreadiness to be healed in God's way, and the necessity of being awakened to the real significance of Christian Science. This condition is not necessarily the fault of the practitioner, for he may have given more than his patient was willing to receive, but such instances should keep one watchful lest, under the pressure of accumulating demands, he forget the essential object of his ministry. The Christian Scientist knows, or should know, that his patients do not come to him for physical relief alone, but that they come to Christian Science to be shown the way of Life; and this fact kept uppermost must result in a better quality of healing than when thought is absorbed with the desire to restore a sense of physical harmony.

Healing the sick by the Christ-power is the primer of Science, wherein mortals learn the a-b-c of the "new tongue." It is the beginning of their spiritual education. Its importance becomes plain when we remember that, until the first step is taken, the steps farther on will always be beyond reach. However sweet may seem the release from bodily discord, thought should not be lulled to rest at that point to the neglect of higher attainment, for true healing breaks the dream of sensuous satisfaction and ushers in a truer sense of being. Healing in Christian Science is ever pointing the way onward, directing its beneficiaries to greater demands and larger overcoming, until all sense of evil shall have been eliminated from consciousness.

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