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."