Books: The Pastor\'s Son
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William W. Walter >> The Pastor\'s Son
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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."
CHAPTER XI
FALSE INVESTIGATION
The next morning about 9 o'clock the Rev. Williams put on his coat and
hat and said, "Walter, I am going out calling and will probably be
gone until lunch time."
Ten minutes later he was seated in an easy chair in Parson Jones's
study. After a few commonplace remarks he said, "Rev. Jones, I came
over here to ask your advice about something I do not seem able to
satisfy myself on."
Rev. Jones was a short, fleshy man, with red hair and face; he was
noted for being a well educated and well read man, also of being very
short and sharp in his speech, always speaking directly to the point.
So he said, "Well, what is it?"
"I came to ask you if you know anything about this new cult called
Christian Science?"
"Nothing to it at all."
"My boy, Walter, claims to have been healed by reading the text book,
'Science and Health.'" "A book full of rubbish, heresy, and nonsense."
"The boy is well now, and you know he has always been sick since he
was a child."
"Reading that book didn't heal him."
"Still he claims it did, he stopped taking medicine, began reading the
book, and soon we saw he was improving."
"Rest assured it wasn't the book."
"He does not claim it was the book, but the truth the book contained
that did the work."
"Nonsense! there is no truth in that book."
"How, then, can we account for his getting well?"
"Probably the after effect of the medicine, or else he only believed
himself sick."
"That is just what he claims, that he was only sick in belief and not
in reality."
"Just as I thought," said the Rev. Jones.
"What do you mean, Mr. Jones?"
"He is another one of those simple-minded fellows who believed they
were sick, and then claim reading that book cured them," said Rev.
Jones.
"But I employed the best physicians and specialists, and they all
agreed that he had hereditary consumption and was incurable."
"Most of these physicians are numbskulls and quacks."
"Do you call Professor Chas. William Canterbury of the University of
Canterbury a numbskull or quack?"
"Eh, no, of course not."
"He examined him thoroughly about a year ago and agreed with the
diagnosis of the other physicians; furthermore he told me the boy could
not live more than a year, and it was about this time that he began
to fail very rapidly," said the Rev. Williams.
"When did he begin to mend?"
"It was just at the time when he was failing rapidly that he found a
copy of 'Science and Health' on the street, and he claims that as soon
as he began the reading of the book he began to get better."
"This must be the work of the devil; it never was the book. You had
better be careful, Rev. Williams," said the Rev. Jones, with a startled
look. "So I told the boy, and he asked me a question which I would
like to ask you."
"What is it?"
"Do you consider it good that my boy is well, Rev. Jones?"
"Why certainly."
"Did you ever hear of the devil doing good?"
"No," said the Rev. Jones, with a shake of his head.
"Then how can you say his getting well is the work of the devil who
never does anything good?"
Rev. Jones sat back in his chair with a jerk.
"Rev. Williams, do you intend to defend this heretical cult?"
"Certainly not. I merely gave you the answer my boy gave me."
"A very bright answer, when you think of it," said Rev. Jones, rather
stiffly.
"Especially so, coming from one of those simple-minded fellows who
only believed they were sick and then claimed that book healed them."
It had nettled the Rev. Williams a little to hear his son called
simple-minded, after the boy had shown that his knowledge of the deep
things of the Bible surpassed his own, hence his reply.
"Well, all I've got to say is that there is nothing in Christian
Science," said Mr. Jones, with a bored look on his face.
"Rev. Jones, I did not come here out of idle curiosity, for you well
know my wife has been sick for years with tuberculosis, and has been
gradually failing until at the present time she is confined to her
bed, and our family physician doesn't think she will ever get up from
it. My son claims that Christian Science has cured him and that it
will cure his mother if I will consent to try it. I told him I would
not, and he said forever hereafter he would blame my unreasonable
prejudice for his mother's death, and knowing you to be a very well
read man, I came to you for advice."
"I have given you my opinion of it."
"On what do you base your opinion?"
"On what I have heard and read about it."
"Did you ever investigate it thoroughly, Rev. Jones?" "Thoroughly
enough to convince myself of the fallacy of its teachings."
"Did you ever talk to one of those practitioners?"
"No. They are a lot of hair-brained women and know no more than the
author of 'Science and Health,'" said the Rev. Jones with a contemptuous
toss of his head.
"Did you ever read what they call their textbook, 'Science and Health?'"
"No, my time is too valuable to waste it on reading nonsense."
"How do you know it is nonsense?"
"I have heard enough of what it contains."
"Can you quote something, Mr. Jones?"
"Yes, here are some of the things printed in that book:
"There is no death. You haven't a body. Your stomach can't ache. There
is no matter. Brains can't think. There is no sickness. There is no
sin. There is no evil. All is good, Good is God, God is Mind, Mind is
God, God is all." He stopped and looked at the Rev. Williams, then
continued, "All what, I would like to know."
"Are you sure the book contains these things?" "Certainly, I have it
from a man who bought a book."
"If the book contains such assertions, it certainly must be nonsense."
"Nonsense, I should say so. No one but a demented person would write
such stuff."
"I am glad I came to see you about this thing, as I hardly knew what
to say to Walter in reply to his accusations of being prejudiced."
"Oh, it's always well to investigate a new thing of this kind before
you condemn it, at least that is what I did."
"But you say you never read the book yourself?"
"No, I never saw the book myself, but my friend Dr. Thompson has one."
"Do you know whether he has read it carefully?"
"No, he never read it through, he intended to, but when he saw such
assertions as I quoted to you, he could see there was nothing in it."
"Why, certainly, of course. You must excuse me, Mr. Jones, for acting
carefully in this matter, because of the condition of my wife." "I
would do the same if I were in your place, but you can rest assured
there is nothing in it."
"I suppose not, yet I wish there was for my wife's sake."
"You wouldn't dare use it if there was, they would cast you from your
church."
"But no one need know it, Rev. Jones."
"Do you think one of those female practitioners could keep such a good
thing? They would be pleased beyond measure to be employed by a
minister, and would scatter the news to the four winds of heaven."
"I hadn't thought of that; thank you, Mr. Jones, for pointing out to
me the danger of employing one of those Christian Scientists. I also
thank you for showing me the nonsense of thinking Christian Science
could cure my wife of something that the best physicians pronounce
incurable. I must be going now, as I wish to talk it all over with my
son. Good day, Rev. Jones."
"Good bye, Rev. Williams, call again."
"I shall be pleased to."
The pastor wended his way home, well satisfied with himself. Walter
could not now accuse him of being prejudiced, for he had given Christian
Science an impartial investigation, besides he was congratulating
himself that he had been wise enough to consult with a deep-thinking
man like Parson Jones, before employing a practitioner, for that
practitioner would have delighted in telling it to every person in his
parish, and this would have resulted in the loss of his position. The
parson felt he had had a narrow escape from a great trouble.
As soon as he arrived home he called Walter to the library and told
him of his visit to Parson Jones, and also what Rev. Jones had said
regarding Christian Science.
Walter was somewhat surprised at the news, but after a moment he said,
"You say you have given Christian Science an impartial investigation?"
"Yes, Walter, I have; you see I was not as prejudiced as you thought.
I talked for an hour with Parson Jones, and he convinced me that it
was nothing but a lot of rubbish and nonsense."
"What does Parson Jones know about it?" "Why, Walter, Mr. Jones is
considered the best educated man in our city."
"Best educated in what?"
"In every thing in general."
"Did Parson Jones ever study Christian Science under a qualified
Christian Science teacher?"
"No, I think not."
"Did he ever study 'Science and Health,' the text-book of this science?"
"No, he considered it a waste of time."
"Did he ever read 'Science and Health'?"
"No."
"Did he ever see the book?"
"He said not."
"Then he certainly must be a very bright man to know what Christian
Science is. For a man that can know all about a science of any kind
without taking instructions, without studying, without reading, without
seeing the text-book of that science, is certainly a remarkably wise
man."
"But, Walter, he got his information in a different way."
"How was that, father?" "His friend Dr. Thompson bought a 'Science and
Health' and told him all about it."
"Was Dr. Thompson ever taught Christian Science?"
"No, I guess not."
"Did he ever study or read 'Science and Health'?"
"He intended to read it, but when he saw such ridiculous assertions
in it, he considered it folly to read it," said the pastor.
"Another one of those wise men that know all about a science without
instruction, study, or reading."
"What do you mean, Walter?"
"Father, if Dr. Thompson had told you that he knew all about medicine
by simply glancing into a medical book, would you believe him?"
"Certainly not!"
"And if he had found therein some quotations that he did not understand,
would you think it strange?" said Walter.
"No."
"And if he should tell you that those quotations which he did not
understand were rubbish and nonsense, would you consider him a good
authority?"
"No, how could he be," replied the pastor.
"Then, why should you believe him in regard to Christian Science, when
he confesses that he never studied or read the text book of this
science?"
"But everybody says there is nothing to Christian Science," said the
pastor.
"So did everybody say the earth was flat until it was proven round,"
replied Walter.
"That's the point exactly; none of our learned men have been able to
prove that the claims of Christian Science are true," said the pastor
quickly.
"That is because they do not go to those who can furnish the proof."
"Who can prove it, Walter?"
"Many thousands of those who were healed and the practitioners in
particular."
"Parson Jones said they are a lot of hair-brained women."
"Does that make them so?" asked the boy. "No, yet he ought to know
what he is talking about."
"Did Parson Jones ever have a talk with one of those hair-brained
women, as he calls them?"
"No, I don't think he did, but he says he has investigated this cult
sufficiently to know there is nothing in it," said the pastor, rather
quietly.
"I suppose, father, he gave it what you call an impartial investigation,
and probably went about it in the same way you did. You went to a man
for advice on a subject he had never studied and who was so prejudiced
he would not take the time to prove whether it was right or wrong, yet
he professed to know all about it, and advised you to let it alone.
Now, father, if you wanted advice pertaining to a foreign country,
would you go to a man who had never been there, and hadn't even read
about it, or would you go to some one who had lived there for many
years?"
"I should certainly go to the man who had been there," said the pastor.
"Then when you want information regarding Christian Science, why don't
you go to a Christian Scientist?" said his son. The pastor was silent
for a moment, then said, "I see what you mean, Walter; my going to see
Rev. Jones about Christian Science is like going to a blacksmith for
information pertaining to surgery."
"Yes, father."
"I guess you are right, Walter. I believe I will go to see a
practitioner, for if there is anything on this earth that can help
your mother I will let nothing stand in the way of a trial of it."
"Oh! thank you, father, I will go now and see if this practitioner can
come to see you."
"Who is this practitioner?"
"Mrs. White, who lives down on Grant St.; she promised to come any
time I would ask her to."
When Walter said Mrs. White, the pastor recalled what Parson Jones
said regarding these lady practitioners telling all his parishioners,
and the possibility of his losing his position; this made him very
much afraid, so he said:
"Wait a minute, Walter, let us talk this matter over a little before
you go. Had you thought of the position it would place me in to have
a Christian Science practitioner coming to our home every day? And
most likely she would be delighted to tell all her friends that the
Rev. Williams of the Park Row Church had been compelled to call her
in to treat his wife."
"No, father, I do not think she would say a word about it."
"But some of my parishioners might see her coming here every day, and
then I would be in danger of losing my position."
"Father, would you let your position stand in the way of saving mother's
life?"
The pastor did not answer at once, but was thinking deeply; at length
he looked up and said, "Walter, your persistence has won the day. I
will at least have a talk with this practitioner; you may tell her to
come this evening if she will, and I will talk with her."
"Oh, father, how happy you have made me. And I know you will change
your opinion of this lady practitioner after a few minutes' talk with
her, and I feel confident that through her my mother will be made
well."
"I pray God it will be as you say."
Several minutes later Walter was on his way to the practitioner's. In
due time he was back and told his father she had promised to come that
evening at 7:30.
CHAPTER XII
A FAIR INVESTIGATION
Promptly at 7:30 the door-bell rang, and Walter went to the door to
welcome the practitioner; he showed her into the parlor and called his
father. After a formal introduction, the Rev. Williams asked both the
practitioner and Walter into the library, the pastor being afraid he
might have some callers that would know the practitioner, although he
did not state his reason for going to the library.
After being comfortably seated, the pastor said, "Mrs. White, I think
it only fair to you to state that I have always been very much
prejudiced against Christian Science and would not even now have
consented to have an interview with you if it had not been for the
persistence of my son."
"Mr. Williams," said the lady, "I don't believe you could be any more
prejudiced than I was, and I only consented to try it after every other
means had failed to cure me, and as I was not made well after one
week's treatment I became skeptical, and wanted to stop taking
treatment. But my husband said, 'Let us give it a fair trial, as there
is nothing else for you.' The fact is that nearly everybody is
prejudiced against Christian Science, and yet none of those who are
can give you a reasonable answer why they are, and as a rule know
nothing at all about it. So it does not seem strange to me to find you
in this frame of mind."
"I suppose my son has told you he found a 'Science and Health' and
that he believes reading it has cured him."
"Yes, he told me, but you make a mistake when you say he believes
reading the book cured him; he doesn't believe it, he knows it."
"Why do you say he knows it, Mrs. White?"
"Because if he did not know or understand the truth that 'Science and
Health' contains, he would not now be well, for these are the signs
following, spoken of by Jesus Christ."
"Excuse me, Mrs. White, but I don't seem to catch your meaning; what
signs follow the reading of 'Science and Health'?" "Simply reading
'Science and Health' will not help us, although it is a step in the
right direction. It is when we understand the truth contained therein
that the signs follow. Jesus Christ said, 'These signs shall follow
them that believe, they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall be
healed, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them.'
If we use the word 'understand', instead of 'believe', we get a clearer
view of what Christ meant when he said, 'These signs shall follow them
that _understand_.' And as the same truth that Jesus Christ taught
is contained in this book, the understanding of it must be followed
by the same signs."
"But I am not willing as yet to concede that this book does contain
the Christ Truth," said the pastor.
"Mr. Williams, when you were attending school, suppose the teacher had
given you a mathematical problem to solve, and had said, 'You will
find the rule by which this example can be worked on page 105, and the
correct answer is 18.' You would have looked up the rule and started
to work the example. If when you were done the answer you got was 18,
you would know at once that you understood the rule, and had applied
it correctly. Thereafter you would not merely believe that you knew
the rule, but you would know that you understood it. So it is with the
sick; take your son's case, for instance; he found a 'Science and
Health,' began to read and study it; in it is printed the rule of
health. After a little study he understood this rule. He then applied
it correctly and got the answer, _health,_ and this is sufficient
proof to him that the scientific method of healing the sick as Jesus
Christ did, is contained in this book, and no amount of argument to
the contrary can ever convince him that it is not true, any more than
it would have been possible to tell you that you did not understand
the rule by which you solved your mathematical problem after you had
secured the correct answer. Correct answers are the signs following,
or proofs of understanding, of any science."
"Then it is not God that does the healing, but the correct application
of a rule," said the pastor quickly.
"Oh, yes, it is God that heals the sick; for instance, when you were
working the problem mentioned above, you found the rule on the page
indicated by the teacher, but the rule did not do your problem, neither
did the mere application of the rule do it, but it was your
intelligence, or mind, that directed the correct application of the
rule that solved the problem; so to Mind must be given the credit of
the solution, for the rule could not do anything without Mind to direct
the application. And so it is with the rule of health; it is in 'Science
and Health,' but to be benefited thereby it must be correctly applied
by the intelligence of man, which is his mind."
"But this statement contradicts your first statement."
"In what way, Mr. Williams?"
"In the first instance, you said it was God that did the healing, and
now you say it is the intelligence of man, or mind."
"Mr. Williams, do you believe God is all intelligence?"
"Yes, certainly."
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