Charles V. Winn, C.S.B., of Pasadena, California
Member of the Board of Lectureship of The Mother
Church,
The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts
The lecturer spoke substantially as follows:
If one were to sum up the righteous aspirations, hopes, true desires, and worth-while aims of mankind, the following statement would cover the whole ground: We are all seeking good.
We may have differing concepts of good, of how to secure and retain it, but we all want that which will bless us and help us. We may be led astray through ignorance or disobedience, but whatever we do we are hoping at least for a favorable outcome and result.
Throughout the Bible — that great chart of life which has withstood the moth of time, and to which we constantly turn for inspiration and guidance — are recorded instances of this search after good.
Christian Science, based as it is upon the inspired Word of the Bible and elucidating its meaning, has come to bring us the fullness of good by revealing man's unity with God, good. It shows us clearly how to bring good into our lives and how to exclude all that is evil and wrong. The greatest teacher of all time, Jesus the Christ, gave us this heavenly assurance (Luke 12:32): "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom;" and he gave full evidence of the truth of his statement. He proved that everyone who honestly, humbly, and earnestly seeks God aright can have that abundance of good which will satisfy his deepest need, heal him of his woes, fulfill his every holy desire. No matter what the need seemed to be, the Christ, Truth, which Jesus expressed satisfied it and brought into manifestation healing, purity, redemption, deliverance, and salvation.
Christian Science differentiates clearly and practically between Jesus and the Christ. In the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, Christ is defined in part (p. 332) as "the true idea voicing good." Jesus was the highest human concept of this true idea. The Christ is eternal and divine and represents infinite good, while Jesus was the human expression of this divine goodness. As we understand more of the Christ, we have that Mind in us which was also in Christ Jesus; we express the Christ-spirit, reflect the Christ-love, and thus the healing Christ is made manifest in us and through us to bring freedom and redemption. The Christ is with us always, and the Christ-power is ours to lay hold upon, prove, and demonstrate. It is the Christ, Truth, that saves us, liberates us, and reveals to us the kingdom of heaven, which Jesus said was at hand.
Jesus' own words show us clearly how he accomplished his mighty works and how we may follow his example. He declared (John 14:10), "The Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works."
Who is this "Father" who "doeth the works," who gives us the kingdom, heals our diseases, crowns honesty with success, and brings to fruition every righteous, holy prayer? In the Christian Science textbook previously mentioned, Mrs. Eddy has given this definition of Father (Science and Health, p. 586): "FATHER. Eternal Life; the one Mind; the divine Principle, commonly called God." This scientific definition of Deity is in strict accord with the Scriptures, where God is declared to be the "one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all and in you all" (Eph. 4:6).
Since God is All, above all, and through all, He must be the creator of all that is real, the author of good and good only, the source of all that is right. God's kingdom is the only kingdom. As the Psalmist declared (Ps. 22:28), "For the kingdom is the Lord's: and he is the governor among the nations." God is good, and His kingdom is overflowing with good.
Christian Science makes a very helpful and healing distinction between the real or immortal man and the unreal, counterfeit, mortal man. The Bible tells us that man is made in the image and likeness of God (Gen. 1:26). The true man is the reflection of God, infinite good, and since good is eternal, man must be immortal. The word "mortal" means that which is subject to death; so mortal man is the exact opposite of immortal man. The immortal man is "the only begotten of the Father" (John 1:14), and as the mortal concept is laid off, we see that the only man there is, is the perfect man. The Father, eternal Life, must express Himself in man as perfect Life. Not one quality of Life is lacking, but the fullness of Life is his to enjoy. The Scriptures declare this sublime fact concerning the real man (II Tim. 3:17): "That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." This must mean that God's perfect man embodies and expresses every form of good. God is perfect, and His creation is perfect and must express His perfect nature. This eternal truth is unchanging and unalterable. This is what Jesus came to prove and did prove. He utterly disproved the belief that man is separated from God; that he is imperfect, diseased, sinful, or incomplete. He knew that all the distorted, perverted pictures of material sense do not change the real and true; that the real man's perfect status has never been altered; that his unity with the Father has never been severed; that his oneness with good has not and cannot be changed. Man is "throughly furnished unto all good works," and he is divinely equipped to see good, do good, manifest good, and to maintain his perfect union with good.
What a beautiful example we have in the life of our Master. As Jesus was passing along on one of his journeys, a blind man heard that he was going by. He no doubt had heard of Jesus' work, for he immediately appealed to him for healing. Those about him tried to deter him from gaining his healing, but he pressed on in his seeking. The Scriptures record (Mark 10:50), "And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus." Jesus answered his humble appeal, had mercy upon him, and healed him, for the record continues (verse 52), "And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way."
The garments in the Orient were of a long, loose nature, which would naturally impede any rapid movement. But note you, he cast aside his garment: he did not let anything deter him from obtaining his much-desired good — in this instance, his sight. As I previously stated the Christ is defined in Christian Science as "the true idea voicing good," and as we cast aside our garment — every erroneous belief, every imperfect concept, every wrong desire, every phase of human will or false ambition — the healing Christ does not pass us by, but redeems us, saves us, liberates us. Like the blind man, our eyes are opened to divine reality, where disease and darkness are unknown.
God, eternal Life, infinite good, is everywhere; we have only to open our eyes to see His universe of good, to know more of His grace who hath said (Isa. 41:10), "Fear thou not; for I am with thee." Because God is with us, our unity with Him is firmly established, securely maintained, unfailingly sustained, divinely protected. Since God, good, is All, His beneficent power surrounds us, enfolds us, encircles us. Error cannot reach us. It cannot get through the impenetrable wall of good.
A Christian Scientist was on a plane trip in a foreign country. The airport was entirely surrounded by mountains, so that it was necessary to reach quite an altitude in order to continue the journey. As it rose, the plane was covered with dense smoke, and the outcome looked very hazardous. The Christian Scientist began to realize that man has perfect union with good and that he was in the very presence of God. A great calmness came over him; his faith rested in that perfect assurance that good is always with us and that its power is ever operative. They made a perfect landing, and after everyone was safely out of the plane, it burst into flames and was destroyed.
God's man is at one with good; he is safe in good, secure in good, at rest in good. It is not where our body is but where our thinking is that makes us secure, that renders us immune to evil, that enables us to rise up and above its false claims. A favorite expression of some mountain climbers is, "Maintain your altitude." As we know God as He is — eternal Life, the one perfect good, the one loving Father-Mother, the creator of all that is real and true — our thought is on that high plane, that altitude of Spirit, which is above discord, disease, and sin. Evil does not reach us; we are too far above it.
We prove our unity with good through true prayer, which enables us to work out our salvation, as the Scriptures demand. God is infinite good; His purposes are wholly good, beneficent, and kind. Our Father bestows all good upon His creation. The Christian Science prayer is one of true desire and affirmation. We desire only good, and then we affirm its allness, its oneness, its power and presence. Salvation means safety, and as through true prayer we realize the supremacy of good and our oneness with it, we are safe from evil; we have true security and firm protection; we abide steadfastly in infinite Love, where evil is unknown. Prayer does not change God or His plan, but enables us to conform our desires to His so that we lay hold upon His harmony and become conscious of our unity with good, which is man's eternal, unchanging, and immortal status.
How easy it is to realize the unity of God and man when we know the Father as the one Mind. Mind has only one way to express itself, and that is through its ideas. The fatherhood of God, Mind, must be manifested in a universe of right, true, and good ideas which are like their Maker — perfect and harmonious. The Scriptures declare (Mal. 2:10): "Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us?" We are all the children of that one Parent who loves us and embraces all His children in the full measure of His grace.
We think of Mind as that which directs, governs, controls, and influences. That Mind must be wholly good, and there could be nothing in God's creation, in Mind, that would defile it or render it imperfect.
There was a man who was a victim of the liquor habit. He was going on a picnic with some friends. They were not quite ready when he arrived, and as he sat in the living room, he noticed a small book lying on a table. It proved to be "Unity of Good" by Mrs. Eddy. He casually opened the book and read the following passage (p. 2): "The sinner has no refuge from sin, except in God, who is his salvation. We must, however, realize God's presence, power, and love, in order to be saved from sin." It adds, "Then follows this, as the finale in Science: The sinner loses his sense of sin, and gains a higher sense of God, in whom there is no sin." His thought was so illumined by this clear statement of the unity of God and man that he was instantly healed. He used to come into a practitioner's office and declare, "Christian Science is wonderful!" Of course this healing was wonderful or divinely natural, the inevitable result of even a glimpse of the goodness of our Father and the purity, holiness, and perfection of His perfect man.
As we realize our unity with the Father, infinite good, we not only see this as a present fact but as an eternal verity that always has been true. The Scriptures declare (Ps. 90:1): "Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations;" and of him who cognizes his union with infinite good, Mrs. Eddy has declared (Unity of Good, p. 17), "Hourly, in Christian Science, man thus weds himself with God, or rather he ratifies a union predestined from all eternity." This takes away any belief that an evil past or event is afflicting us in the present. God has ordained for us the abundance of good, and we cannot be deprived of it. The poet has told us (Christian Science Hymnal),
"For all of good the past hath had
Remains to make our own time glad."
And this good continues to remain, unimpaired, imperishable, eternal. Good is not only ever present; it always has been the only presence. It is not only here now, but it always has been all-pervasive, all-inclusive. This was beautifully proved for a friend of mine. He had some trouble with his eyes, and through a mistaken form of treatment his sight was almost totally destroyed. He consulted the very best doctors he had heard of in various parts of the country, but without receiving any help. Finally he turned to Christian Science. He was a veteran of the Civil War, and during a severe cannonading he was made deaf in one ear. His thought was so intent upon regaining his sight that he said nothing to the practitioner about his deafness. One day to his great joy he found that his hearing had been perfectly restored. Later he was healed of his blindness. This is quite a common occurrence in the practice of Christian Science. Very often the patient comes for the healing of one particular difficulty, and many other forms of discord disappear.
How we all enjoy going to a lovely park and seeing the beauty and grandeur there! How the scenes linger in memory to our delight and joy! Now, suppose we have a dream about that park, and in it we seem to see that which is not beautiful but ugly. Has that dream changed the lovely park? Not at all. When we awaken, its true nature again comes to our thought, and the unlovely pictures vanish from consciousness. When the dream was over, not only one but all the dream pictures about the park were eradicated. We may make many mistakes in attempting to solve a problem in mathematics, but once we properly understand the principle and apply it correctly, every mistake that we have made is wiped out completely and thoroughly.
God's love is infinite, boundless, and always has been. Our dwelling place in that immeasurable Love is secure and always has been. When the prodigal son came to himself, he found his heritage awaiting him. What the father had for him was his merely for the asking or appropriation. When he said (Luke 15:18), "I will arise and go to my father," and carried his resolve into action, an abundance of good filled his life and experience. The Christian Scientist, through his understanding of his unity with God, arises into the realm of unlimited good. He finds every form of good awaiting him. An abundance of health is his by divine right; holiness is his eternal heritage; dominion is his in full measure. The determination, "I will arise," lifts us to that high plane where noble aspiration is translated into divine fruition. Then we see ourselves as children of the Most High and know that "the best robe" — the perfection of Mind, the completeness of Soul — always has been ours. "What is man, that thou art mindful of him?" (Ps. 8:4), and in the Mind that is God the perfection and glory of His image, man, has never been dimmed or lost.
As we discern more and more of the oneness, entireness, and allness of God, good, how grateful we are to Mary Baker Eddy, the apostle of good to this age! Through false theology and education she seemed to be separated from good for many years, enduring suffering, invalidism, disappointment, and sorrow. Finally, after a serious accident, life seemed to be ebbing away. While reading her Bible, she caught a glimpse of the unity of God and man which Jesus so clearly saw and proved. As a result, she was instantly healed. After her healing she sought diligently for an understanding of the power that had redeemed her. Her efforts were richly rewarded by the complete understanding she gained of the divine Principle that was the basis of Jesus' words and works. After irresistible proofs of her discovery in healing all manner of disease, she gave this understanding to the world in her textbook, Science and Health. As the revolving beam in the lighthouse turns in every direction to guide the storm-tossed mariner to the desired haven, so the light of Truth in this textbook illumines our entire experience, enlarges our vision, and brings a sure freedom from sin, disease, and death.
We love and revere Mrs. Eddy not only for the noble, Christlike qualities which she so fully embodied and expressed, but because she was a spiritual seer, because she revealed the Comforter, which Jesus promised would abide with us forever and teach us all things. (See John 14.) In speaking of the necessity of gaining the true idea of what constitutes the kingdom of heaven in man, Mrs. Eddy has written (Science and Health, p. 560), "This goal is never reached while we hate our neighbor or entertain a false estimate of anyone whom God has appointed to voice His Word." And she goes on to say that "without a correct sense of its highest visible idea, we can never understand the divine Principle." This indicates the necessity of valuing aright Mrs. Eddy's place in spiritual history as the Discoverer, Founder, and Leader of Christian Science. A vast number, having perceived Mrs. Eddy's spiritual status as God's messenger and thereby having gained an understanding of the divine Principle revealed to her, rise up and call her blessed for the immeasurable good that has come into their lives through her pure consciousness. Only by following her in the Christ-way, loving as she loved, and living as she taught us — in this way only — can we pay our debt to her.
The Scriptures declare (I John 1:5), "God is light, and in him is no darkness at all;" and in Christian Science we learn this beautiful truth (Science and Health, p. 510): "Science reveals only one Mind, and this one shining by its own light and governing the universe, including man, in perfect harmony." There is no time when this light is not shining in all its fullness. The sun is always shining. Darkness seems to come over the earth because one portion turns away from the sun; but the sun itself knows nothing about darkness. The government of God is supreme, and this one Mind "shining by its own light" reveals to us the Father's perfect care, His loving and beneficent design, His gracious plan which does away with human outlining that so often leads to disappointment, sorrow, and unhappiness. God in His unerring wisdom leads us in paths of holy attainment that far exceed even our fondest human hopes. When Jesus made his complete subordination of the human to the divine, his ascension was not far away. Is it not of the greatest significance that Bethany, where Jesus rose from earth to heaven, where he ascended above all that was mortal, is on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives? For it was on the Mount of Olives in the garden of Gethsemane that Jesus made that supreme demonstration which forever sealed his unity with God when he said, "Not my will, but thine, be done" (Luke 22:42). He who realizes the unity of God and man surrenders human desires and plans but gains heaven's favors.
A young student of Christian Science suffered a great injustice through the unfairness of another and humanly he was powerless to prevent it. But God's power, because it is supreme, is the only power that is working. He persisted in knowing man's oneness with all good which Christian Science had taught him. In a few years he was led into a much larger field, with opportunity for far greater attainments than his former occupation could ever have afforded him. No matter how turbulent a stream, its violence is restrained when a dam is built in a proper way to hold it back This dam must be of steel and solid concrete, not of shifting sand, which would soon give way. "When a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him" (Prov 16:7), and the only enemy that we have is wrong thinking. When we maintain our at-one-ment with good, then we build a solid wall, a perfect defense against injustice, unfairness, every phase of wrong thinking. Christian Science reveals the Father's great love that He has bestowed upon us. It shows us how we can abide in the light of His presence, know His invincible power, trust His supreme government, and walk firmly in the way of His appointing, realizing fully His abiding peace.
When the waters of a turbulent stream are properly controlled, they become constructive, not destructive. They furnish electricity, irrigate barren lands, perform many other useful purposes. So when our thought is at one with infinite good, when we realize the perfect unity of God and man — our union with the one Mind — the turbulent elements of mortal mind are controlled; the human will is lost in the divine; evil is rendered harmless, and every experience affords us an opportunity to lay hold more firmly upon that power divine. Our efforts are constructive; the barren wastes of human experience are irrigated with the streams of love; our endeavors are fruitful, not fruitless; the baneful and harmful are cast out; that which blesses and heals comes in. We do not invite evil experiences, but if they do come, we have that righteous expectancy in the full appearing of good that causes evil to disappear. All that rightfully comes to man is from the Father and promotes his health, enhances his harmony, makes full provision for his abundant, joyous, and glorious life. Good is infinite, so it is with us, around us, always near us. God gives us that which is right. There is no disease, because it is unrighteous, unlawful, unnecessary. Health is the normal, natural, rightful condition of man. Disease is unnatural, abnormal, lawless. Harmony is the usual and expected status of man, and discord is unusual, futile, and purposeless. False theology has taught us that chastening is affliction, but this is not true. One meaning of the word "chasten" is "to purify from errors or faults; to refine" (Webster). Christian Science teaches us that good is One and All, and through this teaching our thought is purified and cleansed of anything ungoodlike, diseased, unworthy, or evil. We see the emptiness and worthlessness of evil, disease, and sin, which are no part of reality. We may have to do some climbing to get a lovely view, but once we do, we feel well repaid. We welcome every chastening, purifying, refining experience that lifts us to the heights where we see more of the glorious creation of God that is ours to behold, to envision, and to enjoy.
In defining God as Principle, our Leader has shown us the firm and unalterable unity of God and man. Principle is the most complete and inclusive definition of Deity, an understanding of which enables us to lay hold upon every form of good. We think of Principle as that which is basic, dependable, unvarying, uniform, and unerring. Principle is the source, origin, cause, and author of all that is true. We never think of Principle as causing discord, mistakes, error, or that which is wrong. "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made" (John 1:3), and all that God made expresses the perfection of Principle, its perfect order, its unchanging harmony. As our Leader has declared (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 353), "The divine Principle carries on His harmony." That harmony is continuous and abiding. Since God expresses Himself in harmony, it must be self-evident that anything discordant is contrary to Principle and is not in accord with God's law. When any seeming discord arises, all we have to do is to ask ourselves: Is this in conformity with divine Principle? Does this express the divine will? Does this promote the purposes of good? If it does not, then we know of a certainty that it is lawless, baseless, unnecessary, worthless, and unreal.
All healing in Christian Science is based upon the eternal truth that harmony is real and discord is unreal. This is clearly set forth in the Christian Science textbook (Science and Health, Pref., p. xi), where Mrs. Eddy writes, "The physical healing of Christian Science results now, as in Jesus' time, from the operation of divine Principle, before which sin and disease lose their reality in human consciousness and disappear as naturally and as necessarily as darkness gives place to light and sin to reformation." Principle manifests itself in immutable law, and its law is one of harmony not discord, health not disease, right not wrong. No matter where we are, we have the protection and support of that beneficent law which is operating for our good, our highest welfare. Time does not affect it, for Principle is eternal; place does not affect it, for Principle, infinite Love, is operating everywhere; material conditions do not affect it, for an understanding of the omnipotence of Principle, the allness of good, enables us to rise superior to surrounding conditions and not to succumb to them. "The law of the Lord is perfect" (Ps. 19:7), and there is no law of disease or imperfection. There is no evil power that could enforce evil's claims, for God rules His universe graciously and righteously.
A Christian Scientist and his wife were traveling in a foreign country. He was suddenly attacked with a tropical fever which, according to human belief, develops very rapidly and may prove fatal in a very few hours. The conditions became most alarming. He soon lost consciousness and became delirious. His wife had been beautifully healed of tuberculosis in eighteen days. She had had such a glorious proof of God's power and love that her faith was very great. She clung steadfastly to the glorious truth of the unity of man with infinite good, the nearness of God to man, and the dearness of man to God. She kept on working until a great sense of peace came over her and she retired, confident that God was taking care of His own. She looked away from the false appearance into that realm of reality where good is rightly manifested and reflected everywhere. She had a very peaceful rest, and in the morning her husband's healing was complete. Is it any wonder that from then on they both grew in grace very rapidly and became faithful workers in the glorious Cause of Christian Science?
Man is never in a foreign country, separated from his Father-Mother God, but is in the realm of Soul, the kingdom of good, the habitation of Spirit. Good is never beyond his reach, but is at hand; it is not afar off, but ever near; not inaccessible, but accessible. "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Hebr. 13:5), for divine Principle, infinite Love, boundless good, which sustains all creation sees His own. As the hymn so beautifully puts it (Christian Science Hymnal, No. 232):
"O Love, our Mother, ever near,
To Thee we turn from doubt and fear!
In perfect peace our thoughts abide;
Our hearts now in this truth confide:
Man is the child of God."
Since our unity with good is firmly established, what are the qualities of thought which will make us conscious of this great fact and show us more clearly our unity with the Father? How beautifully they are set forth in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 4): "What we most need is the prayer of fervent desire for growth in grace, expressed in patience, meekness, love, and good deeds." What an array of noble virtues! As we embody them in our lives and conduct, what a clear vision we gain that good is One and All! While we no doubt have admired these qualities, Christian Science — as it does in all its teaching — gives us a higher concept of them, strengthens them, exalts them.
True patience is not a resignation to evil, not a submission to wrong, a tolerance of error. Patience in its primary sense means to endure, work, and wait. It carries with it the thought of expectancy and confidence. The Christian Scientist knows that good alone is enduring; that evil is ephemeral and is certain to pass away. With this supreme confidence in God and His holy purposes, he works for good, and with sublime assurance he awaits its full appearing. It is only human will and wrong thinking that apparently cause good to be postponed, whereas true patience, a willingness to let God's will be done, brings good into immediate expression.
A man took up the study of Christian Science. His thought seemed to be governed very largely by human will and selfish desires. He had a very serious eye difficulty. One day while in church he was repeating the Lord's Prayer with the congregation. When they came to that passage, "Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven," a great light came to him. When he opened his eyes he seemed to see that statement written all over the walls. He saw at once how wrong his thinking had been. He resolved that from that very hour he would give up his mortal will and let God's will prevail. As a result, his eye trouble completely disappeared and was gone forever.
How grand and noble a quality is meekness! How it makes the machinery of life run smoothly and harmoniously! Webster's dictionary tells us that to be meek is to be "mild of temper, . . . not vain or haughty," and the meek man is always gentle and kind. Meekness is never associated with weakness, softness, lack of firmness. The meek man is always the most powerful. He stands resolutely for the right, so he is a strong man, a man who expresses the strength of Principle. What he does he does gently: his actions never hurt anyone, so they are crowned with success. He has no ax to grind; so he always does the kind thing, the noble thing, and his deeds are powerful deeds. He expresses mildness of temper; he has perfect self-control, poise, and steadiness. He shares in God's blessings and so lives his life that he brings many blessings into the lives of others. He inherits "the earth" (Matt. 5:5), for he has access to all good.
Love and good deeds go hand in hand. Divine Love is the supreme activity of the universe, and when it permeates human consciousness, it irresistibly expresses itself in good deeds, loving acts, kindly helpfulness. In Christian Science we learn by doing, by active practice. Jesus said (John 7:17), "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself;" and Love translated into action, into good deeds, gives us a greater vision of good and its transcendent power. We become a good musician through practice; we become a good mathematician through practice. It is not otherwise in the Science of Christianity. Right actions and loving deeds bring us such a wealth of blessings that we learn more of their divine source; we gain a clearer perception of our unity with all good. The influence of one kindly deed has often transformed a whole life, so great is the continuity of good, so potent its redeeming grace, so mighty its power to heal and bless.
Today the world seems faced with many problems and is seeking a way of release from its sorrow and distress. It is crying out for deliverance from its woes. Christian Science is answering that cry, and through its revelation of man's unity with God is meeting humanity's deepest need. It is bringing freedom from disease, release from sin, and is opening to us greater vistas of that infinite good which God freely gives to all.
The understanding of man's indissoluble unity with God shows us that in divine reality we are at one with one another. In the light of this truth, disunity and division disappear. As Mrs. Eddy so beautifully states in the textbook (Science and Health, p. 340): "One infinite God, good, unifies men and nations; constitutes the brotherhood of man; ends wars; fulfils the Scripture, 'Love thy neighbor as thyself;' annihilates pagan and Christian idolatry, — whatever is wrong in social, civil, criminal, political, and religious codes; equalizes the sexes; annuls the curse on man, and leaves nothing that can sin, suffer, be punished or destroyed."
[Delivered Nov. 16, 1948, at Mizpah Auditorium in Syracuse, New York. This lecture has been transcribed from a newspaper clipping; the name of the newspaper and the date of publication are not known.]