“Take Heed!”
We regret to be obliged to say that all are not meta-
physicians, or Christian Scientists, who call themselves
so. Charlatanism, fraud, and malice are getting into
the ranks of the good and pure, sending forth a poison [15]
more deadly than the upas-tree in the eastern archi-
pelago. This evil obtains in the present false teaching
and false practice of the Science of treating disease through
Mind. The silent address of a mental malpractitioner
can only be portrayed in these words of the apostle, [20]
“whisperers,” and “the poison of asps is under their
tongue.”
Some of the mere puppets of the hour are playing
only for money, and at a fearful stake. Others, from
malice and envy, are working out the destinies of the [25]
damned. But while the best, perverted, on the mortal
plane may become the worst, let us not forget that the
Lord reigns, and that this earth shall some time rejoice
in His supreme rule,—that the tired watchmen on the
walls of Zion, and the true Christian Scientist at the foot [1]
of the mount of revelation, shall look up with shouts and
thanksgiving,—that God's law, as in divine Science,
shall be finally understood; and the gospel of glad tidings
bring “on earth peace, good will toward men.” [5]
The Cry Of Christmas-Tide
Metaphysics, not physics, enables us to stand erect
on sublime heights, surveying the immeasurable universe
of Mind, peering into the cause which governs all effects,
while we are strong in the unity of God and man. There [10]
is “method” in the “madness” of this system,—since
madness it seems to many onlookers. This method sits
serene at the portals of the temple of thought, while
the leaders of materialistic schools indulge in mad
antics. Metaphysical healing seeks a wisdom that is [15]
higher than a rhubarb tincture or an ipecacuanha pill.
This method is devout enough to trust Christ more than
it does drugs.
Meekly we kneel at our Master's feet, for even a crumb
that falleth from his table. We are hungry for Love, [20]
for the white-winged charity that heals and saves; we
are tired of theoretic husks,—as tired as was the prodi-
gal son of the carobs which he shared with the swine,
to whom he fed that wholesome but unattractive food.
Like him, we would find our Father's house again— [25]
the perfect and eternal Principle of man. We thirst
for inspiring wine from the vine which our Father tends.
We crave the privilege of saying to the sick, when their
feebleness calls for help, “Rise and walk.” We rejoice [1]
to say, in the spirit of our Master, “Stretch forth thy
hand, and be whole!”
When the Pharisees saw Jesus do such deeds of mercy,
they went away and took counsel how they might remove [5]
him. The antagonistic spirit of evil is still abroad; but
the greater spirit of Christ is also abroad,—risen from
the grave-clothes of tradition and the cave of ignorance.
Let the sentinels of Zion's watch-towers shout once
again, “Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is [10]
given.”
In different ages the divine idea assumes different
forms, according to humanity's needs. In this age it
assumes, more intelligently than ever before, the form
of Christian healing. This is the babe we are to cherish. [15]
This is the babe that twines its loving arms about the
neck of omnipotence, and calls forth infinite care from
His loving heart.
Blind Leaders
What figure is less favorable than a wolf in sheep's [20]
clothing? The braying donkey whose ears stick out is
less troublesome. What manner of man is it that has
discovered an improvement on Christian Science, a “met-
aphysical healing” by which error destroys error, and
would gather all sorts into a “national convention” by [25]
the sophistry that such is the true fold for Christian heal-
ers, since the good shepherd cares for all?
Yes; the good Shepherd does care for all, and His
first care is to separate the sheep from the goats; and
this is among the first lessons on healing taught by our [1]
great Master.
If, as the gentleman aforesaid states, large flocks of
metaphysicians are wandering about without a leader,
what has opened his eyes to see the need of taking them [5]
out of the care of the great Shepherd, and behold the
remedy, to help them by his own leadership? Is it that
he can guide Christian Scientists better than they, through
the guidance of our common Father, can guide them-
selves? or is it that they are incapable of helping them- [10]
selves thus?
I as their teacher can say, They know far more of
Christian Science than he who deprecates their condition
appears to, and my heart pleads for them to possess
more and more of Truth and Love; but mixing all grades [15]
of persons is not productive of the better sort, although
he who has self-interest in this mixing is apt to pro-
pose it.
Whoever desires to say, “good right, and good wrong,”
has no truth to defend. It is a wise saying that “men [20]
are known by their enemies.” To sympathize in any
degree with error, is not to rectify it; but error always
strives to unite, in a definition of purpose, with Truth,
to give it buoyancy. What is under the mask, but error
in borrowed plumes? [25]
“Christ And Christmas”
An Illustrated Poem
This poem and its illustrations are as hopelessly origi-
nal as is “Science and Health with Key to the Scrip-
tures.” When the latter was first issued, critics declared [1]
that it was incorrect, contradictory, unscientific, unchris-
tian; but those human opinions had not one feather's
weight in the scales of God. The fact remains, that
the textbook of Christian Science is transforming the [5]
universe.
“Christ and Christmas” voices Christian Science
through song and object-lesson. In two weeks from the
date of its publication in December, 1893, letters extoll-
ing it were pouring in from artists and poets. A mother [10]
wrote, “Looking at the pictures in your wonderful book
has healed my child.”
Knowing that this book would produce a stir, I sought
the judgment of sound critics familiar with the works
of masters in France and Italy. From them came such [15]
replies as the following: “The illustrations of your poem
are truly a work of art, and the artist seems quite familiar
with delineations from the old masters.” I am delighted
to find “Christ and Christmas” in accord with the
ancient and most distinguished artists. [20]
The Christian Science Journal gives no uncertain dec-
laration concerning the spirit and mission of “Christ and
Christmas.”
I aimed to reproduce, with reverent touch, the modest
glory of divine Science. Not by aid of foreign device [25]
or environment could I copy art,—never having seen
the painter's masterpieces; but the art of Christian
Science, with true hue and character of the living God,
is akin to its Science: and Science and Health gives
scopes and shades to the shadows of divinity, thus im- [30]
parting to humanity the true sense of meekness and
might.
One incident serves to illustrate the simple nature of [1]
art.
I insisted upon placing the serpent behind the woman
in the picture “Seeking and Finding.” My artist at the
easel objected, as he often did, to my sense of Soul's [5]
expression through the brush; but, as usual, he finally
yielded. A few days afterward, the following from Roth-
erham's translation of the New Testament was handed
to me,—I had never before seen it: “And the serpent
cast out of his mouth, behind the woman, water as a [10]
river, that he might cause her to be river-borne.” Neither
material finesse, standpoint, nor perspective guides the
infinite Mind and spiritual vision that should, does, guide
His children.
One great master clearly delineates Christ's appear- [15]
ing in the flesh, and his healing power, as clad not in
soft raiment or gorgeous apparel; and when forced out
of its proper channel, as living feebly, in kings' courts.
This master's thought presents a sketch of Christian-
ity's state, in the early part of the Christian era, as [20]
homelessness in a wilderness. But in due time Chris-
tianity entered into synagogues, and, as St. Mark
writes, it has rich possession here, with houses and
lands. In Genesis we read that God gave man do-
minion over all things; and this assurance is followed [25]
by Jesus' declaration, “All power is given unto me
in heaven and in earth,” and by his promise that the
Christlike shall finally sit down at the right hand of the
Father.
Christian Science is more than a prophet or a proph- [30]
ecy: it presents not words alone, but works,—the daily
demonstration of Truth and Love. Its healing and sav-
ing power was so great a proof of Immanuel and the [1]
realism of Christianity, that it caused even the publi-
cans to justify God. Although clad in panoply of power,
the Pharisees scorned the spirit of Christ in most of its
varied manifestations. To them it was cant and carica- [5]
ture,—always the opposite of what it was. Keen and
alert was their indignation at whatever rebuked hypocrisy
and demanded Christianity in life and religion. In view
of this, Jesus said, “Wisdom is justified of all her
children.” [10]
Above the fogs of sense and storms of passion, Chris-
tian Science and its art will rise triumphant; ignorance,
envy, and hatred—earth's harmless thunder—pluck
not their heaven-born wings. Angels, with overtures,
hold charge over both, and announce their Principle and [15]
idea.
It is most fitting that Christian Scientists memorize
the nativity of Jesus. To him who brought a great light
to all ages, and named his burdens light, homage is in-
deed due,—but is bankrupt. I never looked on my [20]
ideal of the face of the Nazarite Prophet; but the one
illustrating my poem approximates it.
Extremists in every age either doggedly deny or fran-
tically affirm what is what: one renders not unto Cæsar
“the things that are Cæsar's;” the other sees “Helen's [25]
beauty in a brow of Egypt.”
Pictures are portions of one's ideal, but this ideal is
not one's personality. Looking behind the veil, he that
perceives a semblance between the thinker and his thought
on canvas, blames him not. [30]
Because my ideal of an angel is a woman without
feathers on her wings,—is it less artistic or less natu-
ral? Pictures which present disordered phases of ma- [1]
terial conceptions and personality blind with animality,
are not my concepts of angels. What is the material ego,
but the counterfeit of the spiritual?
The truest art of Christian Science is to be a Chris- [5]
tian Scientist; and it demands more than a Raphael to
delineate this art.
The following is an extract from a letter reverting to
the illustrations of “Christ and Christmas”:—
“In my last letter, I did not utter all I felt about the [10]
wonderful new book you have given us. Years ago,
while in Italy, I studied the old masters and their great
works of art thoroughly, and so got quite an idea of
what constitutes true art. Then I spent two years in
Paris, devoting every moment to the study of music and [15]
art.
“The first thing that impressed me in your illustra-
tions was the conscientious application to detail, which is
is the foundation of true art. From that, I went on to
study each illustration thoroughly, and to my amazement [20]
and delight I find an almost identical resemblance, in
many things, to the old masters! In other words, the art
is perfect.
“The hands and feet of the figures—how many times
have I seen these hands and feet in Angelico's “Jesus,” [25]
or Botticelli's “Madonna”!
“It gave me such a thrill of joy as no words can ex-
press, to see produced to-day that art—the only true
art—that we have identified with the old masters, and
mourned as belonging to them exclusively,—a thing of [30]
the past, impossible of reproduction.
“All that I can say to you, as one who gives no mean
attention to such matters, is that the art is perfect. It [1]
is the true art of the oldest, most revered, most authen-
tic Italian school, revived. I use the words most au-
thentic in the following sense: the face, figure, and
drapery of Jesus, very closely resemble in detail the [5]
face, figure, and drapery of that Jesus portrayed by the
oldest of the old masters, and said to have been authen-
tic; the face having been taken by Fra Angelico from
Cæsar's Cameo, the figure and garments from a descrip-
tion, in The Galaxy, of a small sketch handed down [10]
from the living reality. Their productions are expres-
sionless copies of an engraving cut in a stone. Yours
is a palpitating, living Saviour engraven on the heart.
You have given us back our Jesus, and in a much better
is form.” [15]
Sunrise At Pleasant View
Who shall describe the brave splendor of a November
sky that this morning burst through the lattice for me,
on my bed? According to terrestrial calculations, above
the horizon, in the east, there rose one rod of rainbow [20]
hues, crowned with an acre of eldritch ebony. Little
by little this topmost pall, drooping over a deeply daz-
zling sunlight, softened, grew gray, then gay, and glided
into a glory of mottled marvels. Fleecy, faint, fairy
blue and golden flecks came out on a background of [25]
cerulean hue; while the lower lines of light kindled into
gold, orange, pink, crimson, violet; and diamond, topaz,
opal, garnet, turquoise, and sapphire spangled the gloom
in celestial space as with the brightness of His glory.
Then thought I, What are we, that He who fashions for- [30]
ever such forms and hues of heaven, should move our [1]
brush or pen to paint frail fairness or to weave a web
of words that glow with gladdening gleams of God, so
unapproachable, and yet so near and full of radiant relief
in clouds and darkness! [5]