The final section of the chapter titled “Christian Science Practice” in Science and Health (p. 430-442) is an allegory of a trial in which mortal man is first tried in the Court of Error and is found guilty of breaking the various health rules of mortality in his efforts to obey the Golden Rule by helping a sick friend.  The verdict given by this material court is death.  However, when the case is brought before the Court of Spirit after a vigorous appeal by Christian Science, the defendant is found innocent and is regenerated: “His form was erect and commanding, his countenance beaming with health and happiness.” (p. 442)

This allegory is a perfect illustration of how to give a Christian Science treatment.  Each and every element of the false accusations leveled at the defendant in the lower court are uncovered and mightily argued against, denounced, refuted, rebuked, and proven to be false by the defense attorney, Christian Science, and then the truth is argued for, affirmed, and stated with only the authority that the understanding of Spirit can bring.

So—here’s a question that I ask myself regularly, and perhaps you may need to, also.  Which side am I arguing for?  Spirit or matter?

Now, both you and I will probably answer “Spirit”!  But are we always sure that’s the case?

Are we really examining our thoughts closely in the light of Truth?

If we’ve accepted in any form the supposed claims and validity of material health rules/superstitions, dietary laws, medical diagnoses, physical symptoms and causes, eastern religions and philosophies, psychology, yoga, alternative medicines, or material substance and identity, then aren’t we arguing against God to the detriment of ourselves and those who need our help?

Each and every one of these has a concept of matter as their basis.  Each and every one of these would seek to distract and misdirect our attention and reliance from God as the only source of our or anyone else’s health and well-being.  Each and every one is enthroned in the lies of matter—regardless of how “convincing” their arguments seem to be.  No matter how “logical” or “reasonable” they appear.  No matter how “tangible” the effects seem to be.  They are all products of the material senses, of mortal mind, of which Mary Baker Eddy wrote:

The material senses originate and support all that is material, untrue, selfish, or debased. They would put soul into soil, life into limbo, and doom all things to decay. We must silence this lie of material sense with the truth of spiritual sense. We must cause the error to cease that brought the belief of sin and death and would efface the pure sense of omnipotence. (Science and Health, p. 318)

There you have it: The material senses are both the origin and the substantiation of evil whose intent is to deface all that is good and holy!  The claim of a power other than God.  A claim that we must put a stop to—that we must destroy!

In this week’s Bible Lesson, “Truth,” this citation appears:

We must not seek the immutable and immortal through the finite, mutable, and mortal, and so depend upon belief instead of demonstration, for this is fatal to a knowledge of Science. (SH 286)

Think of it!  Fatal to a knowledge of Christian Science and its demonstration!  We need to take these words seriously!

And if taking them seriously makes us uncomfortable or if we find ourselves avoiding deeply considering the meanings of the numerous warnings that Mrs. Eddy has written relative to taking a half-way position about the rules and morality of Christian Science or the various pitfalls and traps of mortal mind, then we can be sure that this reluctance isn’t coming from God.  It’s none other than the silent argument of mortal mind masquerading as our own thinking and deductions.

Let’s pray to be arguing against the beliefs of matter and for the reality of God and not the other way around!