PRINCIPLE AND PRACTICE

The nature and position of mortal mind is always are the opposite of immortal Mind. The so-called mortal mind is belief and is not understanding. Christian Science requires understanding instead of belief; it is based on a fixed eternal and divine Principle wholly apart from mortal conjecture, and it must be understood, or otherwise it cannot be correctly accepted and demonstrated.

The inclination of mortal mind is to receive Christian Science through a belief instead of the understanding, and this inclination prevails like an epidemic on the body; it inflames mortal mind and weakens the intellect, but this so-called mortal mind is wholly ignorant of this fact, and so cherishes its mere faith in Christian Science.

The sick, like a drowning maen, catches at whatever drifts towards him them. The sick are told by this a faith-Scientist, "I can heal you, for God is all, and you are well, since God creates neither sin, sickness, nor death. Making sSuch statements to the sick will result in either in the sick in their being healed by their faith in what you tell them - which heal [?] Unclear or illegible s only as a drug would heal, through belief- or they it will have in no effect upon them whatever. If the faith healer succeeds in securing [*]Archival Note: The following text was later added to the document by the author or another annotator, disrupting the surrounding thought.kindleing? kindling[*]Archival Note: End floating text. the belief of the patient in his own recovery, the practitioner will have performed a faith cure which he mistakenly pronounces Christian Science.

In this very manner some students of Christian Science have accepted, through faith, a divine Principle, God, as their Savior, but they have not understood this Principle sufficiently well to fulfill the scriptural command, "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospelMark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. , heal the sickMatt 10:8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. ". It is the healer's understanding of the operation of the divine Principle, and his application thereof, that which heals the sick, the same as just as it is one's understanding of the principle of mathematics which enables him to demonstrate its rules.

Christian Science is not a faith cure, and unless human faith be distinguished from scientific healing, Christian Science will again be lost in from the history practice of religion as it was soon after at the period of our great Master's scientific teaching and practice.

Preaching without practice of the divine Principle of man's being has not, in nineteen hundred years, resulted in demonstrating this Principle. Preaching without the truthful and consistent practice of your statements will destroy the success of Christian Science.

Dictated to me by Mary Baker Eddy in the fall of 1910. Adam H Dickey. Oct 1. 1915.