,,the ,,pastor',s ,,son  ,,by ,,william 
,w4 ,,walter     ,,dedicated ,,to  ,f4  
,s4 ,b4 ,,in ,,grateful ,,recognition   
,,of ,,work ,,well ,,done     ,,preface 
,my sole reason for writing this book   
and placing it before the public is to  
call the public's attention to another  
book1 wherein is contained the ,christ  
truth1 the understanding of which will  
free you from all your troubles4  ,if in
 sin1 it shows the way out2 if sick1 it 
will heal you2 if grief-stricken1 it    
will mend your broken heart2 if in      
poverty1 it will give you plenty4 ,i    
speak from experience1 having been sick 
for more than seven years1 at the edge  
of the grave1 reduced to poverty1 and   
all earthly hope gone4 ,i was rescued   
from this inferno on earth1 my health   
restored1 my supply sufficient1 my joy  
complete2 surely ,i can say1 my cup of  
happiness runneth over4 ,truly that book
 sayeth--,come all ye that are heavy    
laden and ,i will give you rest4        
,,contents  ,,chapter  ,i               

,,thanksgiving ,,morning  ,,ii    ,,the 
,,turkey ,,dinner  ,,iii   ,,what       
,,walter ,,found  ,,iv    ,,preparing   
,,for ,,the ,,lessons  ,v     ,,the     
,,first ,,lesson  ,,vi    ,,confusion   
,,vii   ,,the ,,second ,,lesson  ,,viii 
,,the ,,third ,,lesson  ,,ix    ,,the   
,,christian ,,science ,,journal  ,x     
,,humanity',s ,,mistake  ,,xi    ,,false
 ,,investigation  ,,xii   ,a ,,fair     
,,investigation  ,,xiii  ,,the          
,,unreality ,,of ,,evil  ,,xiv   ,,the  
,,dream  ,,xv    ,,truth ,,being        
,,manifested  ,,xvi   ,,the ,,farewell  
,,sermon        ,a ,,parting ,,word     
,,chapter ,i  ,,thanksgiving ,,morning  
,what a beautiful ,thanksgiving morning 
this is1 said the ,rev4 ,james ,a4      
,williams to his son ,walter1 as he     
looked out of the dining-room window4   
,there isn't a cloud in the sky1 and    
this soft1 balmy breeze from the south  
makes one almost believe that it is a   
,june morning instead of the #cjth of   
,november4 ,i know there will be a large

 attendance at church this morning1     
which will please me very much1 as ,i   
have prepared an excellent sermon1 and  
feel certain that the congregation will 
enjoy it4  ,he glanced at his son as he 
finished speaking1 and some of the joy  
and cheerfulness that had shown in his  
eyes faded away1 for he saw no return of
 his joy and happiness on his child's   
face2 all that was written there was    
sorrow1 pain1 and feebleness4  ,his son1
 who was nearly seventeen1 had always   
been sickly and feeble since birth2 the 
best physicians had been employed1      
change of climate had been tried1 and   
everything else that promised relief1   
but of no avail4 ,the best specialists  
had been consulted1 but they gave little
 hope that hereditary consumption could 
be cured1 for the minister's wife had   
been similarly afflicted for many years4
  ,the ,rev4 ,williams thought silently 
for a few moments1 then tried to regain 
his cheerfulness by changing the subject
 to something that might interest his   

son2 so he said1 ,well1 wife1 ,i suppose
 that turkey ,deacon ,phillips gave us  
will be done to perfection by dinner    
time2 ,i am beginning to feel hungry    
already1 just from thinking of it and it
 is two hours to dinner time yet4       
,lillian his wife1 looked up from her   
work with a careworn expression on her  
face1 and said1 ,yes1 it is a fine large
 turkey4 ,his wife always looked        
worn-out and tired1 for not being strong
 and still compelled to do all the      
housework1 it fatigued her very much4   
,it had not always been this way1 for   
the ,rev4 ,williams was a man of        
ability1 his congregation large1 and his
 salary ample under ordinary            
circumstances1 but the constant drain of
 physicians' bills1 and the great       
expense of sending mother and son to a  
warm climate each fall1 as the rigors of
 the northern winters were considered   
too hard for the two invalids to bear1  
had reduced them almost to poverty2     
consequently the expense of a           

maidservant had long since been         
dispensed with4  ,rev4 ,williams now    
turned to go to his study1 and as he was
 turning1 said1 ,i know that ,i will do 
justice to that turkey1 after delivering
 my long sermon1 and ,i am very thankful
 to ,deacon ,phillips1 and to ,god1 for 
having given it to us4  ,there was      
silence for a few moments after the     
father left the room2 then ,mrs4        
,williams said3 ,walter1 dear1 you had  
better get ready for church2 ,i will    
soon have this turkey so ,i can leave   
it1 then ,i will get ready and we will  
both go to church1 there to give thanks 
to ,god4  ,walter turned to his mother  
saying1 ,what have we to be thankful    
for1 mother8  ,his mother looked up1    
somewhat startled1 and answered1 ,why   
for everything that ,god gave us4       
,everything1 mother8 asked ,walter4     
,yes dear1 everything4  ,oh1 mother1 ,i 
don't see how ,i am going to do that1   
father told me that ,god gave me this   
sickness1 and ,i don't see how ,i can   

feel thankful to ,him for making me     
suffer4  ,the mother anxiously looked at
 her son1 then said1 ,remember ,walter1 
,jesus ,christ1 the only ,son of ,god1  
also suffered4  ,yes1 ,i know1 but it   
was not ,god that made ,him suffer1 it  
was the ,pharisees2 but father said it  
was ,god gave me this sickness and that 
,i must bear it with love and patience1 
which ,i have tried to do1 but ,i have  
never been able to understand why a good
 and loving ,god should care to see me  
suffer4  ,i am sure ,i cannot tell1 said
 his mother1 but it must be for some    
good purpose2 we will ask your father to
 explain some time4 ,now hurry and get  
ready4  ,a few minutes later they both  
walked to the church1 which was only a  
short distance away1 and entered its    
wide-open doors4     ,,chapter ,,ii     
,,the ,,turkey ,,dinner    ,well wife1  
what did you think of my sermon8 asked  
the pastor as he sat down to enjoy the  
turkey dinner4  ,i think it was the best
 sermon you ever delivered1 ,james1     

answered his wife1 quietly4  ,i think   
so1 too1 said ,james1 and what's more1  
it ought to make every person that heard
 it feel very thankful to ,god1 for all 
,he has given them1 then looking around 
the room he asked1 ,where is ,walter8   
,i don't know1 said his wife1 he became 
so nervous and tired1 that he left just 
before the last hymn was sung4 ,i       
suppose he went up to his room1 you had 
better call him to dinner4  ,i will1    
answered the pastor1 and going to the   
hall door1 he called aloud1 ,walter1    
dinner is ready4  ,all right father1 ,i 
will be down in a minute1 came back the 
answer in a rather faint voice4 ,the    
pastor turned to his wife and asked1 ,do
 you think that last medicine is doing  
him any more good than the others we    
have tried8  ,his wife raised her sad   
face to his1 and replied1 ,no1 ,james1  
,i don't think it is helping him1 for he
 seems to get weaker and more nervous   
all the time4 ,i feel that he is losing 
ground even more rapidly than ,i am4    

,here ,walter entered the room1 his face
 more flushed than usual1 and his       
father's watchful eye took note of it1  
but he spoke up cheerfully1 ,just look  
at that turkey1 ,walter1 isn't it a fine
 one8 ,see how nice and evenly it is    
browned1 and the oyster dressing1 ,i'll 
bet it's fit for a king4  ,walter merely
 glanced at the turkey1 then seated     
himself beside his mother4  ,after the  
pastor had said grace1 he picked up the 
carving knife and said1 ,now1 son1 just 
tell me what piece you like best and ,i 
will have it carved out for you before  
you can say1 ,jack ,robinson4  ,you are 
very kind1 father1 but ,i don't believe 
,i care for any turkey1 ,i am not       
feeling very well1 answered ,walter4    
,just try a little1 ,walter1 said the   
mother coaxingly1 ,i know it must be    
very tender and nice1 for ,deacon       
,phillips said it was a young turkey4   
,yes1 ,walter1 said his father1 hand me 
your plate1 and ,i will give you a      
little of the dark and a little of the  

light meat1 with some of this delicious 
dressing4  ,the boy listlessly handed   
over his plate without any more ado1 his
 father put onto it a liberal piece of  
each kind of meat and some dressing1    
then handed it back1 with the remark1   
,eat all you can son1 for it will make  
you strong4 ,then he added1 ,now wife1  
it's your turn1 ,i know you like the    
dark meat the best1 and while he was    
talking he carved a nice piece of the   
turkey and laid it on her plate1 and    
then said1 ,now father1 it is your turn1
 and ,i know your failing to be the leg1
 and suiting the action to the word1 he 
carved for himself the leg4  ,then1     
addressing his son once more1 he asked1 
,how did you like the sermon1 ,walter8  
,i thought it was very fine1 father1 and
 as ,i looked over the congregation1 ,i 
could see many heads nodding their      
approval of your words telling them they
 ought to be thankful1 and ,i tried1 oh1
 so hard1 to be thankful1 but ,i        
couldn't1 for something seemed to say1  

you have nothing to be thankful for1    
,god gave you this sickness as a        
punishment4 ,i tried to think what ,i   
had done to merit this punishment1 but  
found it could not have been anything ,i
 had done1 as ,i remembered that you had
 said ,i always had been sick even when 
a little child1 and then--  ,tut1 tut1  
child1 now don't get excited1 said the  
pastor4 ,we all know that your          
punishment is not for anything you may  
have done1 but you are probably         
suffering for the sins of others1 the   
same as ,jesus did2 why1 ,walter1 just  
think1 ,jesus ,christ died for all our  
sins4  ,for my sins1 father8 asked the  
boy4  ,yes1 ,walter1 all our sins4  ,but
 father1 ,i don't see how that could be4
 ,we weren't any of us living at that   
time1 and if we sinned1 it must have    
been since then1 and ,jesus could not   
die for sins that had not been          
committed4  ,the father was so surprised
 at what he heard1 that for a moment he 
just stared at his son2 the idea was    

entirely new to him1 and yet it was only
 common sense4 ,he tried to find some   
reply that would be reasonable1 but     
before he found it1 the boy continued4  
,i cannot believe that ,god punishes any
 one person for the sins of another4 ,if
 ,he would do this1 ,he would not be a  
just ,god4 ,why1 father1 even man is    
more just than that4 ,supposing ,judge  
,baxter had pronounced sentence like    
this3 ',yes1 ,i find ,mose ,webster     
guilty of stealing ,mr4 ,johnson's      
chickens1 and have decided to send the  
,rev4 ,james ,williams to the county    
jail for ten months1 because ,mose      
,webster stole those chickens1' would   
you think that justice8 and could you   
feel thankful to the judge for sending  
you to jail to suffer in the place of   
,mose ,webster1 and--  ,silence1 child1 
said the father1 more sternly than he   
had ever spoken to his son before4 ,he  
was so confused by what the boy had said
 that he could not find words to speak4 
,after a time he said1 ,walter1 never   

let me hear you say anything like that  
again1 to think that you1 a minister's  
son1 should say such things4 ,why1 they 
are almost blasphemous4  ,never mind1   
,james1 said the mother2 think how hard 
it must be to suffer year in and year   
out1 without any relief1 and remember1  
dear1 that even some of the apostles    
doubted at times4 ,now1 let us finish   
our dinner4 ,then1 turning to her son1  
she added1 father will explain all this 
to you as soon as he finds time4  ,the  
father looked at the flushed face of the
 boy and his anger softened1 then in a  
kind voice said3 ,i think it would be a 
very nice idea for us to set aside one  
or two evenings each week for ,bible    
reading and study2 in this way we would 
all get a better understanding of ,god1 
and ,his great love for mankind4 ,what  
do you think of that plan1 ,walter8  ,i 
should enjoy it1 as there is a great    
deal in the ,bible that ,i should like  
to have explained4  ,all right1 ,walter1
 now what would you say to starting our 

,bible class to-morrow evening8  ,that  
would please me1 said ,walter4  ,how    
about you1 mother8 asked the pastor4    
,oh1 ,i certainly want to be a member of
 the class4 ,i know it will be very     
entertaining and instructive1 besides it
 will be such a pleasant way to spend   
the long winter evenings4  ,why mother1 
,i thought we were going south this     
winter4  ,no1 child1 it will be         
impossible for us to go this year4 ,you 
know that this last medicine which you  
and ,i are taking costs father five     
dollars per bottle1 and we each need a  
bottle a week1 so it has been impossible
 for father to save the money necessary 
for our going4  ,for a moment the boy's 
face looked sad and grave1 and the      
pastor swallowed a lump that had risen  
in his throat1 for it hurt the good man 
severely to think that he had not the   
necessary funds to gratify their every  
wish1 but had already borrowed more than
 he could pay back in several years4    
,still he was willing to make more      

sacrifices1 had his wife agreed1 but she
 had said on one occasion when they were
 discussing this subject1 ,no1 ,james1  
,i will not leave you again4 ,i think   
the separation does us as much harm as  
the warm climate does good1 and ,i feel 
that we have not many more years to be  
together1 so ,i cannot bear the thought 
of being separated from you for another 
five months4 ,i think ,walter and ,i    
will be better off to be at home with   
you4 ,we need not go out in the cold    
very much1 and you and ,i can arrange   
some way to entertain and amuse ,walter4
  ,the pastor had answered3 ,well1      
,lillian1 it may be the better way1 for 
,i must confess that these long         
separations were very unpleasant to me1 
yet ,i was more than willing to endure  
them1 if thereby you and ,walter could  
be benefited1 still it seems that the   
change of climate idea did not prove as 
beneficial as we had hoped for1 but     
please don't speak in that hopeless     
strain again1 for you certainly have    

heard that old saying1 'while there is  
life there is hope1' so never give up1  
and remember that there are many noted  
physicians and chemists1 working day and
 night to get a sure cure for           
tuberculosis1 and who knows but that the
 morrow will bring it forth4 ,you know  
that ,i am constantly on the lookout for
 everything that looks promising4  ,and 
so the thought of a southern trip had   
been dismissed4     ,,chapter ,,iii     
,,what ,,walter ,,found    ,dinner over1
 they all arose from their seats at the 
table1 and the father asked1 ,walter1   
what part of the ,bible shall we start  
to study first8  ,i hardly know1 father1
 said ,walter4  ,well1 you can take the 
old family ,bible1 look it over and then
 decide4 ,as for myself ,i have very    
little choice2 ,i have read and studied 
it so often that ,i feel very familiar  
with all it contains4  ,all right2      
father1 may ,i go up to my room now8    
,yes1 certainly1 if you choose1 but ,i  
should think you would rather be outside

 to-day1 it is so warm1 and there won't 
be many more days like this this year4  
,i believe ,i would rather go to my     
room1 said the boy1 starting in that    
direction4  ,just as you please1 son1   
said the father1 as he stepped through  
the hall to enter the library4 ,walter  
went quickly up stairs to his room1 and 
his mother wondered greatly at his      
hurry4  ,once in his room he closed the 
door and quietly locked it1 then going  
to his trunk1 he excitedly pulled forth 
a little book with a black leather cover
 which looked very much like a small    
,bible4 ,he opened it and began reading 
in a low tone4 ,science and ,health1    
with ,key to the ,scriptures1 by ,mary  
,baker ,g4 ,eddy4 ,yes1 ,i am sure it is
 the same book that lovely lady down    
south told me about1 and asked mother to
 get me one1 but mother had said1 'no1  
we will never try ,christian ,science2  
we are real ,christians and believe in  
,god4' ,i could not hear everything they
 said1 but ,i did hear the lady say1 ',i

 don't see how you can say that you     
believe that ,god is all ,good1 and at  
the same time think ,he made your lovely
 boy sick4' ,i did not hear mother's    
reply1 but ,i know she was angry4 ,now  
,i wonder who lost this book8 ,i saw no 
one in sight when ,i picked it up this  
morning2 there is no name in it1 so ,i  
can't return it to the owner4 ,i wonder 
if ,i ought to read it8 ,i don't need to
 believe it if ,i do read it4 ,anyway1  
that lady did not look like a person    
that was bad1 and she said she read     
,science and ,health every day1 and that
 it had healed her of a severe sickness4
  ,as he talked he turned a few pages   
and then read1 ,contents1 ,chapter ,i1  
,prayer4 ,i wonder if that chapter is in
 favor of prayer or against it4 ,i      
suppose though it must be against it by 
the way mother acted towards that lady4 
,he laid his head upon his hands and    
thought silently for some time1 then    
raised his head and said1 ,well1 ,i am  
going to read it4 ,that lady said       

reading ',science and ,health' cured    
her1 and ,i am going to see if it will  
cure me if ,i read it4 ,i suppose the   
place to start is ,chapter ,i4  ,walter 
began to read to himself3 ,science and  
,health4 ,chapter ,i1 ,prayer4  ,for    
verily ,i say unto you1 that whosoever  
shall say unto this mountain1 be thou   
removed1 and be thou cast into the sea1 
and shall not doubt in his heart1 but   
shall believe that those things which he
 saith shall come to pass1 he shall have
 whatsoever he saith4 ,therefore ,i say 
unto you1 what things whatsoever ye     
desire when ye pray1 believe that ye    
receive them1 and ye shall have them4   
,your ,father knoweth what things ye    
have need of before ye ask him4 ,christ 
,jesus4  ,then he stopped and said1 ,why
 that is just the same as ,i read in our
 ,bible2 there certainly can be no bad  
in that4 ,but maybe they only printed   
that so as to ridicule it farther on in 
the book2 anyway1 ,i wonder what ,jesus 
,christ meant1 when he said1 'therefore 

,i say unto you1 what things whatsoever 
ye desire when ye pray1 believe ye shall
 receive them and ye shall have them4'  
,oh1 how often and how earnestly have ,i
 prayed for health1 with tears running  
down my cheeks1 but my prayers never    
seem to have been answered2 now ,i      
wonder why1 for ,i know that what ,jesus
 ,christ said must be true1 for ,he was 
the ,son of ,god1 and would not deceive 
us2 why1 oh why1 doesn't ,god answer my 
prayers8  ,he stopped to consider for a 
moment1 then turned pale as death1      
pressed his thin hands to his breast1 as
 a new thought came to his              
consciousness1 then he gasped in a      
whisper1 ,i--believe--,i--know4 ,he     
paused a moment1 then continued1 ,it    
must be that--,i see it all now2 ,i see 
my mistake4 ,i prayed to ,god for       
health1 and in the next instant doubted 
,him1 doubted that ,he would heal me4   
,in fact1 ,i never really believed that 
,he would heal me1 and ,jesus said1     
',believe that ye receive4' ,oh1 can    

this really be true4 ,i am so excited ,i
 can hardly think4 ,here ,i am again1   
this time doubting the word of ,christ4 
,then he jumped up with the exclamation1
 ,i must tell father1 for his prayers   
are not answered1 and it must be for the
 same reason4 ,no1 ,i don't mean that4  
,my father is a minister and he could   
not doubt ,god4 ,but why aren't his     
prayers answered8 ,i don't know what to 
do4 ,if ,i tell father or mother1 they  
may take the book away1 and then my last
 hope would be gone4 ,i think ,i will   
read it first4 ,so saying1 he sat down  
in an easy rocker1 and was soon absorbed
 in what he was reading1 nor did he     
notice how the time flew until he heard 
his mother's anxious voice and knock at 
the door4  ,he answered at once1 and    
hastily put the book back in his trunk1 
then went to the door and opened it4    
,his mother greeted him with1 ,why1     
,walter1 what is the matter8 ,since when
 have you taken to locking your door in 
the daytime8 ,you look so flushed and   

excited1 and we haven't heard a sound   
from you all the afternoon4 ,we were    
beginning to get alarmed about you1 so  
,i came up to see what was the matter1  
and to tell you that supper was ready4  
,what have you been doing8 ,don't you   
feel as well as usual8 ,tell me1        
,walter1 are you worse8  ,no1 mother1 ,i
 am not worse1 ,i only became so        
absorbed in reading that ,i forgot all  
about time1 and also that ,i had locked 
the door4  ,his mother did not think to 
ask him what he was reading1 as she had 
always been very careful to see that no 
reading matter that was at all          
questionable was brought into the house1
 so she had no idea that he had been    
reading anything but what she had read  
and deemed proper4  ,we had better hurry
 down1 ,walter1 as father is waiting for
 his supper4  ,they both started down   
the stairs1 his mother still talking to 
him2 but he scarcely heard a word she   
said1 for his thoughts were still       
centered on what he had read4 ,and now  

that his excitement had abated1 there   
seemed to be a hopeful gleam in his     
eyes4 ,as soon as they entered the room1
 his father noticed that his eyes were  
brighter1 but took it as a bad sign4    
,all through the evening meal they had  
to address him several times before he  
would answer1 and his father's heart    
grew heavy as he noticed the thoughtful 
mood of his son4  ,when they had        
finished their meal1 ,walter asked to be
 excused1 and immediately went to his   
room4  ,as soon as he was gone the      
pastor said1 ,lillian1 did you notice   
how ,walter acted to-night8 ,it seemed  
to me that he was very much more        
thoughtful than usual4  ,yes1 answered  
the mother1 he seemed confused1 and his 
eyes were so bright1 but he ate a very  
hearty supper4  ,i also noticed that1   
said the pastor1 then added1 ,it seems  
there is a change1 but ,i hardly know   
whether to say the change is for better 
or worse4 ,i hope it is for the best2 it
 may be that the medicine has just taken

 effect4  ,god grant that this may be   
so1 reverently said the mother4 ,they   
were both silent for some time1 then the
 pastor said1 ,i never heard ,walter    
speak as he did this noon4 ,i wonder how
 he thought of such an absurd thing1 as 
sending me to jail because some one else
 stole some chickens4  ,i know1 ,james1 
that it does seem absurd at first       
thought1 yet it seems to me to be just  
as sensible to punish the wrong person  
for stealing1 as it would be to punish  
the innocent with sickness because some 
one else had sinned4 ,i have been       
thinking seriously of this all the      
afternoon1 but have not arrived at a    
satisfactory conclusion1 said ,mrs4     
,williams4  ,the pastor slowly turned   
toward his wife and said1 ,lillian ,i am
 astonished beyond measure to hear this 
from you2 it was bad enough to hear it  
from my own son1 but to hear it from you
 is worse4 ,don't you think that        
,almighty ,god knows what is best for   
us1 do you dare question anything ,he   

does8 ,do you think the allwise ,creator
 would have made him sick if it were not
 for the best8  ,james1 do you really   
believe ,god made our boy sick8  ,it    
must be so1 answered ,james1 for we read
 in the ,bible1 that ,god made          
everything that was made4  ,if this be  
true ,james1 it would be a sin to give  
him medicine1 for we would be trying to 
undo the work of ,god4  ,to say the     
pastor was astonished would be putting  
it mildly4 ,never in his whole life had 
he been so shocked as on this day1 and  
each shock was greater than the         
preceding one4  ,he now stood perfectly 
still for a full minute1 then said1 ,it 
seems high time that we begin the study 
of the ,bible in this house1 for from   
what ,i have heard to-day it is very    
apparent to me that my wife and son are 
quite ignorant of what the ,bible       
contains4 ,then turning1 he strode from 
the room4  ,the pastor was a good and   
kind man4 ,he had always been a good    
husband and father1 always patient and  

sympathetic with his invalid wife and   
son2 but this day had been a very trying
 one to him1 first in hearing his son   
say things that he considered little    
less than blasphemous1 then to notice   
that the mother seemed to indorse what  
the son had said1 and to make matters   
worse1 to actually hear his wife        
questioning the doings of ,god1 as he   
understood them4 ,this was the          
last-straw4 ,he was really angry and out
 of patience1 and somewhat confused1 so 
he decided to go to his library and     
think it all over4 ,as soon as he       
arrived there he impatiently seated     
himself in an easy chair and began to   
soliloquize after this fashion3 ,i      
wonder where ,walter got that idea about
 sending me to jail1 what can that have 
to do with his sickness2 then to think  
my wife agreed with him4 ,let me see1   
what did she say8 ,i was so outraged ,i 
can scarcely recall what was said4 ,i   
believe though she said something about 
some of the apostles doubting at times4 

,what has that to do with sending me to 
jail8 ,i don't seem able to think       
clearly to-day4 ,then this other matter1
 about giving medicine being a sin4 ,why
 everybody takes medicine2 the most     
pious and devout ,christians that ever  
lived have taken medicine1 and this has 
been so for thousands of years4 ,the    
,bible says that the leaves of the trees
 are for the healing of the nations4    
,then why may not the roots and the bark
 be used as well8 ,of course ,jesus     
,christ did not heal with medicine4 ,he 
was the ,son of ,god and was endowed    
from on high with supernatural power4   
,he didn't need the medicine4 ,well1 all
 ,i can say is that ,i am glad we are   
going to have those ,bible lessons1 for 
,i know that as soon as we get to       
studying them they will get the truth1  
and then ,i will hear no more of this   
nonsense4 ,i don't think ,i will mention
 the matter again until we get to       
studying the lessons2 then as we get to 
this medicine question1 ,i will point it

 out to them4  ,so the pastor1 after    
having thought himself into a better    
frame of mind1 dismissed the subject    
from his thoughts1 arose1 and walked    
over to the bookcase1 selected the book 
he wanted1 and was soon absorbed in     
reading4  ,in the meantime ,walter had  
hurried to his room and was soon busily 
engaged in reading ,science and ,health4
  ,about nine o'clock he heard his      
father and mother coming upstairs to    
retire for the night4 ,he hastily turned
 out his light and scrambled into bed1  
clothes and all4  ,a few moments later  
when his mother looked in she found him 
in bed nicely covered up1 and supposing 
him asleep1 quietly left the room4 ,as  
soon as ,walter was sure they had       
retired1 he arose1 relit the gas1 and   
continued reading4 ,it was after        
midnight when he laid down the book and 
said1 ,i feel sure this book is true1   
and that ,god made only the good1 and   
never made me or any one else sick4 ,i  
believe ,i will get well when ,i        

understand how to pray aright4 ,then he 
undressed and got into bed1 a happier   
and more hopeful boy than he had ever   
been4  ,after saying his usual prayers1 
he added1 ,and now1 ,god1 ,i wish to    
thank you for all the good things you   
have given me4 ,i could not thank you   
this morning1 for then ,i thought you   
had made me sick4 ,but now ,i know that 
you are all good and could not make     
evil2 truly ,i now have something to be 
thankful for and shall always remember  
this ,thanksgiving day4     ,,chapter   
,,iv  ,,preparing ,,for ,,the ,,lessons 
,the next morning1 when ,walter awoke it
 was broad daylight1 and the hands on   
the clock pointed to the hour of ten1 as
 his mother came into his room with an  
anxious look on her face and said1 ,i   
have just come up to wake you as your   
father was worried because of your      
sleeping so long2 how do you feel this  
morning8  ,oh1 mother1 ,i feel better   
this morning1 and ,i had the best       
night's rest ,i have had for years4 ,i  

never woke up once all night1 and ,i    
feel strong and hungry4  ,thank ,god you
 are better1 ,i will go down and get    
your breakfast ready4  ,all right1      
mother1 ,i will be down as soon as ,i   
wash and dress4 ,before going down1 he  
went over to his trunk1 took out        
,science and ,health1 and said1 ,i      
believe that you contain the truth and  
will free me of this disease4 ,he then  
placed it in his trunk again1 being     
careful to hide it from the view of any 
one who should carelessly look into it4 
,hastily descending to the dining-room1 
he ate a hearty breakfast4 ,as he was   
leaving the table his mother said1 ,i am
 sorry you did not take advantage of the
 beautiful sunshine yesterday1 for the  
wind has changed and is now blowing     
severely from the north and it is very  
cold and dreary out4  ,i don't mind it  
at all to-day1 mother1 for ,i feel so   
much better that ,i hadn't noticed the  
weather4  ,his mother was somewhat      
astonished to hear him speak so         

cheerfully1 as it had been customary for
 ,walter to complain of feeling worse on
 dreary days4 ,then she thought1 ,it    
must be that new medicine1 for he       
certainly is better1 and ,i pray ,god he
 will continue to improve4  ,as for     
,walter1 he was glad it was a dreary    
day1 as this would give him an excuse   
for staying in his room and continue his
 reading4 ,he wished he was there now1  
but did not want to awaken the suspicion
 of his mother by too hurried a         
departure4 ,so he walked about the room1
 trying to think of some excuse4        
,finally a happy thought occured to him1
 and he said1 ,mother1 ,i believe ,i    
will take the ,bible and go to my room  
and read1 so as to be prepared for our  
lesson this evening4  ,very well1       
,walter1 you will find it on the library
 table4  ,walter walked into the        
library1 secured the book1 then went up 
to his room1 took out ,science and      
,health and was soon absorbed in its    
contents4  ,the afternoon was a         

repetition of the morning4  ,at the     
supper table the ,rev4 ,williams said1  
,i am sorry we cannot start our ,bible  
lessons for a few evenings1 as ,i have  
received a notification to be present at
 some meetings to be held by the local  
clergy4  ,any matter of importance1     
,james8 asked his wife4  ,not           
particularly so4 ,the ,rev4 ,mr4        
,johnson said that they wished to find a
 way to successfully combat this new    
heretical idea called ,christian        
,science1 and they want to arrange so   
that each clergyman will give a sermon  
denouncing it1 each on a different      
,sunday1 and ,rev4 ,johnson asked me if 
,i was willing to deliver a sermon on   
it1 and ,i told him yes4  ,why father1  
said ,walter1 ,i did not know that you  
had ever read or looked into ,christian 
,science4  ,no son1 ,i never did look it
 up or study it1 and what is more ,i    
never intend to4 ,the ,bible is good    
enough for me4  ,but1 father1 how can   
you preach a sermon on it if you do not 

know what it is8  ,i did not say that ,i
 did not know what it is4 ,i have heard 
enough to know that it is not ,christian
 and that they claim to heal in the same
 way that ,jesus ,christ did4 ,this     
claim alone proves that it is false1 for
 ,jesus ,christ was the ,son of ,god1   
and that is why ,he could heal the sick1
 and for any man to consider himself    
equal to ,jesus ,christ is blasphemous4 
,father did not ,jesus bid ,his         
disciples heal the sick8  ,yes1         
certainly1 ,he gave ,his disciples the  
power to heal the sick1 but ,his        
disciples have been dead for a long     
time1 and nobody else was given the     
power to heal as ,christ did1 said the  
pastor4 ,was ,st4 ,paul one of ,christ's
 disciples8  ,no ,walter1 he was not in 
reality one of ,christ's disciples1 but 
he was a very good and holy man4  ,did  
not ,st4 ,paul heal the sick8  ,yes1    
there are several accounts in the ,bible
 of ,st4 ,paul's healing power4  ,well  
father1 where did ,st4 ,paul get his    

power to heal the sick if he was not one
 of the disciples that ,jesus gave the  
power of healing to8  ,why you see it   
was like this--that is--,i mean to say--
 the pastor stopped rather confused1    
then finished with1 ,it is too long a   
story to tell to-night1 as ,i must be   
getting ready for that meeting4 ,i will 
explain this all when we start our      
lessons4  ,the pastor left the room and 
entered the library1 thinking deeply4 ,i
 wonder where that boy gets those queer 
ideas from4 ,i am very much pleased that
 ,i suggested those ,bible lessons1 for 
if he was not enlightened1 he would     
surely go astray4  ,shortly after1 the  
pastor was wending his way to the       
meeting1 still thinking of what ,walter 
had said regarding ,st4 ,paul4 ,walter  
made an excuse to retire to his room and
 was soon reading in his precious       
,science and ,health2 and it was        
precious to him1 for in it he saw the   
only hope he had ever had of getting    
well4 ,he read far into the night1 and  

every spare moment of the next few days1
 so that when ,wednesday evening came he
 had finished the book4 ,but ,wednesday 
evening was prayer meeting1 so there    
would be no ,bible lessons until        
,thursday evening4  ,he spent almost all
 day ,thursday reading ,genesis in the  
,bible and comparing it with the        
scientific interpretation as found in   
,science and ,health1 by ,mary ,baker   
,g4 ,eddy1 under the subject of         
,genesis1 beginning on page #eja4       
,about six o'clock his mother called him
 for supper1 and as he laid down his    
books he said1 ,it must be true2 ,i feel
 that it is the truth4 ,i will have     
father start with ,genesis to-night and 
will ask such questions as will be most 
apt to get father to see the ,bible in  
its true light4 ,how ,i wish ,i had     
found this book long ago1 then ,i would 
be better prepared to convince father4  
,still ,i know that ,god is good and    
will help me1 and with ,him to help me  
,i cannot fail4     ,,chapter ,v  ,,the 

,,first ,,lesson   ,it was just #g3cj   
p4m4 when the pastor1 his wife1 and     
,walter entered the library to have     
their first ,bible lesson4  ,well1      
,walter1 said the father pleasantly1    
have you decided where we shall commence
 our studies8  ,yes1 father1 ,i should  
like to start at the beginning1 with    
,genesis4  ,the pastor looked at his son
 and noticed that his face was flushed  
with excitement4 ,still he made no      
comment about it1 but answered1 very    
well ,walter1 if agreeable to mother1 we
 will start with ,genesis4  ,yes1       
,james1 ,i am satisfied to start        
anywhere that pleases ,walter4  ,as we  
are all in accord1 ,i will start with   
chapter #a of ,genesis1 and continue    
reading until we come to something that 
you do not understand4 ,then you may    
stop me and ,i will explain4 ,i think   
this will be an excellent way1 don't    
you1 ,walter8  ,yes1 father1 ,i think   
that will be the best way4 ,the pastor  
started to read ,genesis1 chapter #a1   

and there was no interruption until he  
arrived at ,genesis #a1 #bf4  ,several  
times ,walter was on the point of asking
 some question1 but did not4 ,now he    
asked1 father1 what is meant by that    
verse8 ,i do not understand it clearly4 
,i'll read it again for you1 said the   
pastor4 ,genesis1 chapter #a1 #bfth     
verse4 ',and ,god said1 let us make man 
in our image after our likeness1 and let
 them have dominion over the fish of the
 sea and the fowl of the air and over   
the cattle1 and over all the earth1 and 
over every creeping thing that creepeth 
upon the earth4' ,do you understand it  
now8  ,not yet4 ,god is ,spirit1 is ,he 
not8  ,certainly1 why do you ask8  ,that
 verse says that ,god made man in ,his  
image and likeness1 does that mean that 
man is spiritual8  ,yes1 answered the   
pastor4 ,then my body must be spiritual4
  ,oh1 no1 our bodies are not spiritual1
 it is only the soul that is in the body
 that is here spoken of as the image and
 likeness of ,god4  ,then ,god did not  

make our bodies1 did ,he1 father8  ,why1
 certainly ,he did4 ,have you never read
 that ,god made all that was made8  ,it 
doesn't say anything in that verse about
 ,god's making a body does it father8   
,no but it says 'in ,his image and      
likeness1' that means just like ,him1   
said the pastor4  ,then if ,i am just   
like ,him1 ,he in turn must be just like
 me1 and in that case ,god would have a 
material body1 and would not be wholly  
spirit4  ,why son1 what queer ideas you 
have4 ,as ,i said before this verse is  
only speaking of the soul2 you will see 
farther on where ,he created the body4  
,now let us proceed4  ,father1 what is  
meant by that part of this same verse1  
where it reads3 ',and let them have     
dominion over the fish of the sea and   
the fowl of the air1' etc48  ,there has 
been considerable differences of opinion
 in regard to that passage4 ,personally1
 ,i think it means that we will have    
this dominion after we die and enter the
 spirit world1 for we certainly haven't 

dominion over the fish and fowl here4   
,james1 do you think there will be fish 
and fowl in heaven8 meekly asked his    
wife4  ,that is a very absurd question4 
,everybody knows there will be no fish  
and fowl in heaven1 said her husband4   
,then how can we have dominion over them
 if there are none there8 asked his     
wife4  ,it seems to me that you are both
 very dense this evening4 ,let us       
continue and these things will clear up 
as we proceed1 said the pastor1 a little
 nettled at his inability to answer     
their questions clearly4  ,walter had   
several more questions he wanted to ask 
on this subject1 but he thought best not
 to ask too many at one time4  ,there   
was no more interruption until the      
pastor reached ,genesis #a1 #cast       
verse--and ,god saw everything ,he had  
made1 and behold it was very good1 and  
the evening and the morning were the    
#fth day4 ,here ,walter interrupted     
with1 ,then everything that ,god made   
was good4  ,yes1 everything that ,god   

made was good1 answered the pastor4  ,if
 that be true1 ,god could not have made 
me sick1 for sickness is not good1 said 
,walter4  ,walter1 ,i believe you are   
right1 said his mother4  ,the pastor    
looked from one to the other1 then      
slowly laid the ,bible down in his lap4 
,he was surprised at the turn the       
conversation had taken1 and he          
remembered that ,walter had on a        
previous occasion said something        
similar4 ,just what would be the best   
answer to make he did not know1 so      
thought he would ask ,walter a few      
questions1 and in this way find out what
 the boy had on his mind4 ,so he asked1 
,what makes you so positive that ,god   
did not make you sick ,walter8  ,because
 ,god is good and just1 and ,i am ,his  
child1 and the ,bible says ,he made     
everything good and ,he made everything 
that was made1 so everything must be    
good4 ,besides1 ,i cannot conceive of a 
just ,god making me suffer for a sin    
some one else committed1 any more than  

,i could think of you1 father1 punishing
 me for something that our neighbor's   
boy had done4  ,like a flash the pastor 
saw now what the boy had meant when he  
spoke of sending him to jail because    
some one else had stolen some chickens4 
,the boy was only trying to illustrate  
to him the injustice of punishing one   
person for the deeds of another4 ,then  
the thought came1 ,shall man be more    
just than ,god8 ,there was something    
here he did not understand1 and yet the 
,bible said ,god made everything that   
was made4 ,if this be true1 ,he was the 
author of all the sorrows and woes1 as  
well as the joys1 of the human race4    
,now that he had got to thinking on this
 subject1 he did not like to admit even 
to himself that ,god was the creator of 
all the wickedness of the world4 ,he    
decided he must have more time to think 
about this before he could answer the   
boy1 so said1 ,we know that ,god is good
 and just1 and some of the things that  
to us seem evil and unjust may still be 

for our good4 ,he then picked up the    
,bible to proceed with his reading4     
,walter noticed that his father was ill 
at ease and decided not to ask any more 
questions at present4 ,the pastor then  
read ,genesis #b1 #ast verse3 ,thus the 
heavens and earth were finished and all 
the hosts of them4 ,he now cast an      
anxious look over at ,walter1 expecting 
him to ask some question that would be  
as hard to answer as the previous ones1 
but ,walter was sitting perfectly still 
listening attentively4  ,the pastor then
 read the next verse1 ,genesis #b1 #bnd 
verse3 ,and on the seventh day ,god     
ended ,his work which ,he had made2 and 
,he rested on the seventh day from all  
,his work which ,he had made  ,is that  
all of creation1 father8 asked ,walter4 
,yes1 ,god created everything in six    
days and on the seventh ,he rested2 that
 is why we observe the ,sabbath day as a
 day of rest4  ,there was no            
interruption in the next three verses1  
although ,walter heard several things he

 would like to have asked about4 ,but   
when it came to ,genesis #b1 #fth verse1
 ,but there went up a mist from the     
earth and watered the whole face of the 
ground1 ,walter asked1 ,what is meant by
 that mist1 father8 ,the pastor tried to
 find some reasonable answer1 but could 
not1 so he replied1 ,i suppose it was   
something like the fogs we sometimes see
 rising from the ground4 ,he had come to
 the conclusion that these ,bible       
lessons were not going to be quite so   
easy and entertaining as he had         
anticipated1 and had determined that on 
the morrow he would go over the lesson  
by himself1 and in this way be prepared 
for any and all questions that might be 
asked4  ,walter knew what this mist     
meant2 he had read all about it1 in     
,science and ,health1 but still he did  
not think it policy to say anything more
 on the subject just then4 ,the pastor  
continued his reading1 ,genesis #b1 #gth
 verse4 ,and the ,lord ,god formed man  
of the dust of the ground1 and breathed 

into his nostrils the breath of life1   
and man became a living soul4  ,will you
 please explain that verse to me1       
father8  ,with pleasure2 this is the    
verse ,i spoke of a little while back1  
when ,i told you that in ,genesis #a4bf1
 ,god only made the soul or spirit of   
man1 while here is a record of the      
creation of the body4  ,you see1 son1 we
 get a better understanding as we       
proceed4 ,it is like this1 the soul or  
spirit is in the image and likeness of  
,god1 but the body is not1 it being     
material1 having been created of dust4  
,do you understand it better now8       
,walter did not answer at once1 so his  
mother said1 ,that all seems very plain 
to me now1 although ,i was somewhat     
confused before4  ,the pastor turned a  
smiling face to her and nodded his head 
approvingly2 he was now quite at his    
ease again1 and did not look for any    
further trouble4 ,then turning to       
,walter1 he was a little surprised to   
see him looking flushed and excited1 so 

said1 ,well1 ,walter1 what are you      
thinking about8  ,the boy looked up and 
said1 ,i was trying to think1 when ,god 
started ,his second creation1 for ,he   
had finished ,his first one on the sixth
 day and rested from ,his work on the   
seventh day1 and here seems to be a     
record of something ,he created after   
,he had finished4  ,had a bomb shell    
exploded in the room1 it would not have 
surprised and shocked the pastor and his
 wife so much as that which they had    
just heard2 and coming just at the time 
when the pastor thought he was making   
everything clear and plain1 it confused 
him terribly1 and in his ears kept      
ringing what ,walter had said3 ,i was   
trying to think1 when ,god started ,his 
second creation1 for ,he had finished   
,his first one on the sixth day and     
rested from ,his work which ,he had     
made1 on the seventh day4 ,what could   
this mean2 where did ,walter get these  
queer thoughts from2 were they in       
reality queer8 ,the idea of a second    

creation was absurd1 yet the ,bible     
said1 ,genesis #b4 #a1 thus the heavens 
and earth were finished and all the     
hosts of them4 ,there it was plain      
enough1 it spoke both of heaven and     
earth1 and on the seventh day ,god ended
 ,his work which ,he had made1 and ,he  
rested on the seventh day from all ,his 
work which ,he had made4 ,did ,god make 
a mistake in the first creation and so  
start in again to rectify ,his mistake8 
,impossible4 ,god was1 is1 and always   
will be all-knowing2 this precluded all 
chance of ,deity making a mistake4 ,was 
the ,bible wrong in this particular     
instance1 if so1 might it not all be    
wrong8 ,this thought made the good man's
 heart stand still4 ,no1 no1 it could   
not be2 it must be some slight error in 
the translation or something of that    
kind--yes1 it must be2 how was it that  
he had never seen it before8 ,then he   
became conscious that his wife was      
asking him some question4  ,james1 he   
heard her say1 are there really two     

creations1 one spiritual and the other  
material8  ,what should he answer8 ,he  
never was so at a loss for a reply in   
his whole life2 there was his son and   
his wife1 both apparently depending on  
him for an explanation1 and he          
absolutely incapable of making a        
rational one4 ,and then he remembered   
that he had said it didn't make any     
difference to him what part of the      
,bible they started with1 as he was very
 familiar with it all4 ,at length he    
said3 ,i don't seem capable of clear    
thought to-night2 ,i think we had better
 stop for this time1 and we will begin  
at this same verse to-morrow night4     
,walter was sorry to see his father so  
confused and perplexed1 and tried to    
think of some way to help him arrive at 
the truth4 ,he was afraid to say much   
for fear of awakening his father's      
suspicion1 for if his father had the    
least idea that he had secured his      
information from the ,christian ,science
 text-book1 ,science and ,health1 with  

key to the scriptures1 he would not have
 allowed him to ask any more questions1 
nor even voice any of his thoughts1 on  
the subject4  ,walter decided to try to 
show his father a way out of his        
dilemma1 so he said3 ,father1 don't you 
think your explanation about that mist  
that is spoken of in ,genesis1 #b4 #f1  
being a fog is wrong8  ,what else could 
it be1 ,walter8  ,have you ever noticed1
 father1 that this particular verse     
starts in with a 'but'8 ,it reads1 ',but
 there went up a mist1' it does not say1
 ',god made a mist to rise from the     
earth4'  ,i don't see that the word     
'but' changes it any4  ,i did not mean  
to say that it did1 ,i only wished to   
point out the fact that here was        
something that ,god did not make1 for   
nowhere in the preceding chapters of    
,genesis had ,god made a mist4  ,i      
cannot understand what you mean1        
,walter4 ,the ,bible says that ,god made
 everything that was made1 and as ,i    
have seen a mist many times1 ,god must  

have made it as there is only one       
,creator1 said the pastor4  ,on the same
 line of reasoning1 we would have to    
admit ,god created all the evils of this
 world1 for we see these evils every    
day1 and then ,i would have to admit    
that ,god made me sick1 and ,i can never
 believe that1 for ,genesis #a1 #cast   
verse reads1 ',and ,god saw everything  
that ,he had made1 and behold it was    
very good4' ,if we believe this1 we     
cannot possibly believe ,he made any    
evil thing4  ,well ,walter1 we will not 
discuss that subject farther at the     
present time1 for ,i know as we progress
 with our lessons you will see it in a  
different light2 anyway ,i don't see    
what that mist has to do with the       
subject4  ,father1 might not that mist  
mean a mistake or a misapprehension8    
,then that verse would read1 ',but there
 went up a misapprehension from the     
earth1 and watered the whole face of the
 ground4'  ,why1 ,walter there would be 
no sense to such a speech2 how could a  

misapprehension water the whole face of 
the ground8 ,is not the ,bible supposed 
to be an inspired book1 father8  ,yes1  
certainly4  ,and is there not supposed  
to be a spiritual meaning to all there  
is written there8  ,yes1 ,walter1 why do
 you ask8  ,then might not the spiritual
 meaning of that verse be brought out by
 using the word 'arose' instead of 'went
 up1' and the word 'deceived1' instead  
of 'watered1' and the word              
'intelligence1' in place of 'face1' and 
the word 'people1' instead of 'ground'2 
then the verse would read like this1    
',but there arose a misapprehension from
 the earth and deceived the whole       
intelligence of the people4' ,if we add 
to this what is implied1 that the       
following creation is what the people   
through this misapprehension believe1 we
 get a clearer view of the real creation
 as narrated in the first chapter of    
,genesis4  ,it was several moments after
 ,walter finished speaking before the   
pastor or his wife made any reply4 ,many

 times that evening they had been       
surprised at what they had heard ,walter
 say1 now they were both surprised and  
bewildered4 ,the mother was the first to
 speak and said3 ,what you say1 ,walter1
 seems reasonable1 yet ,i do not think  
we have the right to change anything    
that is written in the ,bible4  ,that is
 true1 wife1 it is from this pernicious 
habit of translating the ,bible to suit 
the thought of each ignoramous that     
thinks he knows something of the ,bible1
 simply because he has read it once or  
twice1 that all the contradictory       
sayings about the ,bible originate1 and 
it ought to be stopped by law1 said the 
pastor4  ,why1 father1 that is not      
changing the ,bible1 it is simply       
bringing to light the hidden meaning1   
the same as you do when you interpret   
some of the sayings1 or parables1 of    
,jesus2 anyway1 ,i merely suggested that
 this might be the solution of the      
question of a second creation4  ,walter 
do not speak of a second creation again2

 everybody knows there is only one      
creation for there is only one ,god and 
,he is omniscient2 that precludes the   
thought of a mistake and a re-creation4 
,god made everything that was made in   
six days1 and if ,he made everything in 
that time1 there would not be anything  
more to make2 for 'everything' includes1
 'all4' ,then which of the two          
narratives in the ,bible is the true    
one1 ,james8 asked his wife4  ,my dear1 
this second narrative is the same       
creation1 told in a more simple way so  
that all may understand4 ,it enters into
 the details and tells how ,god created 
everything4  ,the pastor had not        
intended giving such an explanation as  
this when he started to speak1 but this 
thought occurred to him and it seemed   
reasonable1 so he voiced it1 and now    
that he said it1 he felt satisfied that 
the first creation was the real         
creation1 and that the second narrative 
was the explanation of how everything   
was created4  ,walter was somewhat      

confused by his father's explanation4   
,he had never thought of it in this     
light1 and now he was at a loss what to 
say4 ,he felt sure that his father's    
explanation was not the correct         
solution1 yet he could not find words to
 express his thoughts4 ,then he thought 
of his precious ,science and ,health2 if
 ,i could only look into that for a few 
minutes1 ,i know ,i could find the true 
explanation2 then turning to his father 
he said3 ,don't you think we have had   
enough ,bible study for the first night8
 ,it is half past nine4  ,why1 how fast 
the evening has passed4 ,i'm sure you   
must be tired1 anxiously exclaimed his  
mother4  ,yes1 ,walter1 said his father1
 it is time that we retire1 for there   
are many more evenings this winter1 and 
we must not think we can learn all the  
,bible contains in one evening4 ,i hope 
,i made that second narrative plain to  
you4  ,i am not fully convinced that we 
have arrived at the truth of this second
 creation1 father4 ,i shall spend       

to-morrow thinking and studying on that 
subject1 and maybe by to-morrow evening 
,i will be able to see it as it really  
is4  ,that's right1 ,walter1 said the   
pastor1 highly pleased at the thought of
 his son taking such an interest in the 
scriptures1 it is only by study and     
research that we can gain knowledge4    
,the pastor had no idea that ,walter had
 any other source of information than   
the family ,bible1 but ,walter was      
thinking of his key to the scriptures by
 ,mrs4 ,eddy1 with which he proposed to 
unlock the treasure vaults of the       
,bible4 ,come1 ,walter1 you had better  
go to bed1 ,i fear you have already     
overexerted yourself1 as you are not    
accustomed to being up so late4  ,walter
 turned a bright and cheery face to her 
and said1 ,i do not feel tired at all   
mother1 for the lesson has been very    
interesting to me1 so do not worry4 ,i  
am sure it did me good4 ,then turning to
 his father1 he said1 ,good-night1      
father1 shall we have another lesson    

to-morrow night8  ,yes1 certainly2 now  
good-night and pleasant dreams4  ,walter
 bade his mother an affectionate        
good-night and went to his room4 ,as    
soon as he was gone1 father and mother  
looked at each other and there was hope 
and delight written on both their faces4
  ,he is surely getting better1 said the
 mother4  ,i never saw him so interested
 and cheerful in his whole life1        
remarked the father4  ,i think we have  
secured the right medicine at last1 said
 the mother4  ,i have prayed long and   
faithfully to ,god that ,he spare his   
life and guide his footsteps into the   
ministry1 and ,i believe both prayers   
have been heard1 for he is surely       
gaining rapidly in health1 and has taken
 more than an ordinary interest in the  
,bible2 some of his questions were very 
absurd1 but this is simply because he   
does not understand4 ,i shall put a     
little study on to-morrow's lesson1 so  
as to be more able to explain any and   
all questions he may ask1 said the      

father4  ,shortly after1 they ascended  
the stairs to retire for the night4 ,as 
they passed ,walter's room the mother   
softly opened the door1 looked at her   
sleeping boy1 silently closed the door1 
and said1 ,dear boy1 he must have been  
tired to fall asleep so quickly4  ,but  
,walter was not sleeping1 he felt he    
could not sleep until he had cleared up 
the matter of a second creation4 ,he    
also knew his mother would look into the
 room before she retired1 so he         
pretended to be asleep4 ,as soon as she 
had closed the door he arose and turned 
on the light1 went to his trunk1 and    
brought forth his ,science and ,health4 
,he then seated himself and said1 ,i'm  
sure ,i saw this all explained in the   
book2 ,i wonder what part ,i will find  
it in2 ,i should think it would be in   
the explanation of ,genesis4 ,turning to
 ,genesis1 he read until he came to page
 #ebd1 line #ad1 then exclaimed1 ,here  
it is1 plain as day2 it wasn't ,god1    
,spirit1 that created the dust man1 and 

all the rest of this material universe4 
,it was the ,lord ,god1 that is1 man's  
material conception of ,god1 or false   
,god4 ,i wonder how ,i am going to make 
this plain to father without showing him
 my ',science and ,health4' ,then       
putting away his book he was soon in bed
 and asleep4     ,,chapter ,,vi         
,,confusion   ,the next morning as soon 
as breakfast was over1 the pastor went  
to the library1 secured his ,bible1 and 
began to read4 ,after reading for some  
time1 a look of perplexity came over his
 face2 he leaned back in his chair1     
thinking deeply1 and his thoughts were  
as follows3 ,it's remarkable that ,i    
never noticed this second narrative is  
the reverse of the first2 they are      
clearly and distinctly two narratives4  
,in the first there is no mention made  
of anything material1 and all is created
 by the word of ,god--or spiritually2   
there is no mention of evil1 but--all is
 pronounced good by ,god4 ,he made the  
earth1 the trees1 and the animals first1

 and man last1 in an ascending scale2   
while in the #b;d chapter of ,genesis1  
,god is supposed to have made man first1
 then woman1 then the animals1 etc41 in 
a descending scale4 ,i am now quite sure
 my explanation to ,walter about this   
second creation being a more detailed   
account of the first is not correct1 yet
 what else could it be8 ,it certainly   
cannot be a second creation4 ,let me    
see1 what did ,walter say about that    
mist being a misapprehension that arose 
among the people as to creation8 ,and   
that this second narrative was the      
misapprehension8 ,it sounded reasonable 
and would be an easy solution to this   
second creation2 but how about this     
material body of mine1 and the rest of  
the material things8 ,are we laboring   
under a misapprehension regarding all   
these things8 ,impossible1 we could not 
all make the same mistake2 yet according
 to ,walter's explanation this mist     
watered the whole face of the earth2    
that means all the people4 ,where did   

this mist or misapprehension come from8 
,there is no record of ,god having made 
it4 ,what a position for a minister of  
the gospel to be in1 unable to explain  
the simplest things regarding creation2 
preaching that man is the image and     
likeness of ,god1 who is ,spirit1 and   
believing man was created out of dust or
 materially1 thereby contradicting the  
statement1 that we are the image and    
likeness of ,god1 ,spirit2 for matter is
 not spirit1 but its opposite4 ,i must  
admit ,i am very much confused1 and ,i  
must be able to explain by to-night1 for
 ,walter will be disappointed if he     
cannot continue his lesson this evening4
 ,i think ,i had better read these first
 two chapters of ,genesis over a few    
more times1 and maybe ,i will be able to
 see through this confusion4  ,the      
pastor read and studied until dinner was
 called1 then the entire afternoon4     
,when he laid his book down to come to  
supper he said1 ,i am fully convinced   
that these two narratives are not meant 

to be the same1 nor is one the          
explanation of the other1 for one is the
 direct opposite of the other4 ,but ,i  
cannot decide which is the real1 for the
 ,bible speaks as though ,god was the   
author of both4 ,maybe ,walter will have
 some idea that will shed light on the  
subject4 ,i am astonished at his        
explanation of that mist2 it is so      
reasonable4 ,it is remarkable that it   
never occured to me1 after the many     
times ,i have read it4  ,at the supper  
table the pastor said1 ,walter1 what    
have you been doing all day8 ,i haven't 
seen you except at dinner1 and now at   
supper4  ,i have been reading and       
thinking preparatory to our lesson1 as  
,i suppose we will have another lesson  
this evening4  ,yes1 ,walter1 we will   
continue1 although ,i must confess ,i am
 not as well prepared as ,i should like 
to be4  ,why1 ,james1 ,i thought you    
were reading the ,bible almost all day1 
said his wife4  ,so ,i was1 dear1 but   
could not fully satisfy myself as to    

that second narrative being an          
explanation of the first2 in fact1 ,i   
came to the conclusion that it was not1 
but that it is a separate1 and distinct 
narrative4  ,do you mean to say that    
there really were two creations8 asked  
his wife in a surprised tone4  ,no1     
dear1 ,i do not mean that2 the fact of  
the matter is1 ,i cannot find any       
reasonable solution for there being two 
accounts of creation1 and as this       
thought had never occured to me before1 
,i have not been able to find a         
satisfactory explanation4 ,nevertheless1
 we will take this subject up in our    
lesson this evening1 and see if we      
cannot explain it satisfactorily to all 
concerned4 ,i am going to the library1  
and when you are ready you can both come
 there1 and we will get an early start4 
,the pastor then quitted the room4      
,mrs4 ,williams turned to her son and   
said1 ,walter1 ,i cannot understand how 
your father can be confused at anything 
he could find in the ,bible1 for he was 

credited with being one of the best     
,bible students in this part of the     
country4  ,i suppose1 mother1 that it   
had never occurred to father1 that there
 were two accounts of creation in the   
,bible1 and possibly it had never been  
pointed out to him4 ,i think though1    
that before the evening lesson is over  
we will all understand just why that    
second account is given4 ,personally1 ,i
 have come to a satisfactory conclusion 
concerning it1 and maybe father will    
agree with me4  ,now1 ,walter1 you must 
not presume to teach your father        
anything concerning the ,bible2 he has  
put years of hard study on it4  ,i know 
that is true1 mother1 but it has often  
happened that a skilled mechanic has    
worked for years on some particular     
thing1 and never attained what he was   
after1 and some other person who knew   
nothing of mechanism discovered the     
solution without any trouble4 ,it may be
 so in this case1 you or ,i may say just
 the thing that will clear up this      

seeming mystery4  ,i know that such     
things have happened1 but ,i would      
hardly presume to be able to say        
anything in regard to the ,bible that   
your father has not thought of years    
ago4  ,walter did not wish to say       
anything more on this subject at        
present1 but it had occured to him that 
if his father had been taught wrong in  
regard to creation1 most likely he had  
also been mis-taught in regard to the   
rest of the ,bible1 for he reasoned that
 if he started to explain the ,bible    
from the wrong standpoint1 that is      
materially1 instead of spiritually1 he  
would necessarily be in error as to the 
truth of all the teachings of the       
,bible4     ,,chapter ,,vii  ,,the      
,,second ,,lesson   ,it was not long    
before his mother had finished her work4
 ,she then said1 ,come1 ,walter1 ,i am  
ready now to go to the library4  ,they  
both entered and found ,mr4 ,williams   
waiting for them with the ,bible open in
 his hand4 ,he looked up at them as soon

 as they appeared and said1 ,i suppose  
the great question before the class     
to-night is to decide whether there are 
one or two creations chronicled in the  
,bible2 and if there are two1 which one 
is the real4 ,have you arrived at any   
conclusion in regard to this point1     
,walter8  ,yes1 father1 ,i have4 ,it    
seems very plain to me now1 and if you  
will allow me1 ,i shall be pleased to   
give my views regarding these two       
creations4  ,this was just what the     
pastor wanted4 ,he wished ,walter to    
speak first1 to see what conclusions the
 boy had arrived at1 before he expressed
 his own opinion1 so he readily gave his
 consent and said1 ,speak your mind     
freely1 son1 and if ,i cannot agree with
 you on all points1 we will take up     
those points afterwards and discuss     
them4  ,walter now had the privilege he 
wanted1 but he felt he must be careful  
not to say too much for fear of         
awakening his father's suspicion2 so he 
quietly opened the ,bible he had brought

 with him1 and read aloud1 ,genesis #b1 
#gth verse1 ,and the ,lord ,god formed  
man of the dust of the ground and       
breathed into his nostrils the breath of
 life1 and man became a living soul4 ,as
 he finished reading this verse1 he     
looked at his father and said1 ,you will
 notice1 father1 that the ,bible says1  
'the ,lord ,god' formed this dust man1  
and this is not the same ,god that      
created man in his image and likeness4  
,you will also notice that in the first 
narrative it simply speaks of ,god      
creating everything1 and in the second  
narrative it always speaks of the ,lord 
,god as having made everything and--    
,wait1 ,walter1 said the pastor         
hurriedly4 ,he had intended to let      
,walter say everything he had to say on 
the subject1 but he could not think of  
allowing his son to bring out the theory
 that there were two ,gods1 as this     
would be worse than the thought of two  
creations4 ,you surely are not trying to
 bring forth the theory that there are  

two ,gods1 two supreme powers4 ,i cannot
 possibly allow you to advance such a   
thought even in theory1 for that would  
be pantheism4  ,please1 father1 let me  
finish my explanation4 ,i have no       
intention of bringing forth a theory    
upholding two supreme powers1 but ,i    
desire to show that we are now believing
 in two supreme powers1 and that only   
one is true and real4 ,will you please  
look at the verse ,i have just read8    
,notice that it uses the words1 ,lord   
,god1 and you will find that this form  
is used almost all of the way through   
this second narrative4 ,now look at the 
first chapter of ,genesis2 you will     
notice that it never speaks of the ,lord
 ,god1 but simply of ,god4  ,the pastor 
had caught the meaning of what ,walter  
had said1 and was now diligently reading
 first a verse in chapter #a1 ,genesis1 
then a corresponding verse in chapter   
#b4  ,walter's mother had quietly risen1
 gone to the bookcase1 secured a ,bible 
and was also comparing one with the     

other4 ,at length the pastor looked up  
at ,walter with a surprised and confused
 look1 and said1 ,what you say is true1 
,walter1 and ,i must admit ,i never     
noticed this before1 but ,i cannot see  
that it changes the narratives any4 ,the
 author or writer simply changed the    
name he employed to designate ,deity1   
that is all4 ,still ,i cannot understand
 what his reason could have been for    
making the change4 ,it is also          
remarkable that the change should take  
place just at the time it does1 at the  
beginning of the second narrative4  ,it 
does seem strange that such a change    
should be made1 if it was not done for a
 purpose1 said ,mrs4 ,williams4  ,i     
believe ,i can explain why the change   
was made1 said ,walter4  ,very well1    
,walter1 said the pastor1 let us hear   
your explanation4  ,well1 father1 as ,i 
understand it1 the first creation is    
real1 it being the work of ,god4 ,then  
the ,bible speaks of that mist or       
misapprehension that arose1 and the     

story told in the second narrative is   
this misapprehension4 ,therefore1 ,i    
should judge that ,lord ,god would mean 
a man-conceived ,god2 and man1 through  
misapprehending the real character and  
nature of ,deity1 believes the earth and
 man were created according to the      
second narrative1 which would agree with
 all our present ideas4 ,i mean by this 
that we all think and believe that ,god 
made man materially out of the dust of  
the earth1 while the first account says 
man was made in the image and likeness  
of ,god2 and as ,god is ,spirit1 man    
must be spiritual2 as a dust or material
 man cannot be that likeness1 because   
matter is the opposite of spirit4 ,then 
again1 everything that ,god made was    
good--and this dust man is more evil    
than good2 and as ,god1 who is conceded 
as being all good1 made all1 and        
pronounced all ,he made good1 this dust 
or material man1 being evil1 was never  
made1 but1 through a misapprehension1 we
 think man to be material1 and believe  

him to be the real man4 ,to illustrate  
what ,i mean1 say some one told you a   
falsehood and you believed it to be the 
truth2 then the lie would seem true to  
you4 ,nevertheless1 because you believe 
this lie to be the truth1 it would not  
make a truth of it1 as it would be a lie
 still1 regardless of your belief4 ,in  
the same way theologists have made a    
mistake by thinking that this second    
creation is the real1 and have taught   
all mankind that they originated from   
dust and must return to dust1 and every 
one believes this2 and because every one
 believes this mistake1 it seems like   
the truth to all of us1 but no matter   
how many believe a lie1 it does not make
 a truth of it2 and it is because of    
this false interpretation that all evil 
has come upon us1 for in the real and   
spiritual creation there is no mention  
of evil4 ,it is only after that mist or 
misapprehension arose that evil is      
mentioned4 ,oh1 father1 if my           
explanation is the truth1 then ,god did 

not make evil1 did not make sickness2   
and if ,he didn't make sickness1 it was 
never made1 for the ,bible says1 ,god   
made all that was made1 then sickness is
 also a part of the misapprehension that
 arose1 and is not real1 does not exist1
 only in our mistaken thoughts4 ,in     
other words1 we have all been taking a  
lie for the truth1 and the whole world  
has been taught this error1 and through 
this mistake we thought it possible for 
evil to exist when we ought to have     
known that ,god could not have made     
evil1 for there is no mention of sin1   
disease1 or death in the first          
narrative1 or real creation4  ,walter   
stopped1 his face all aglow with joy and
 happiness4 ,he had risen to his feet   
while he was speaking and now he looked 
from father to mother1 but he only saw  
perplexity written on their faces4      
,can't you see it1 father8 mother1      
didn't ,i make it plain8 ,it seems so   
easy for me to understand it now2 don't 
you see what it means to me8 ,it means  

that ,i never was sick in reality1 that 
,i never need be sick in reality1 that  
,i am sick only in belief1 that all any 
one need do to get well is to find out  
this truth1 that sickness is only an    
illusion1 a lie1 which the truth will   
correct4 ,this must be the truth that   
,jesus ,christ spoke of when ,he said1  
,ye shall know the truth1 and the truth 
shall make you free4 ,yes1 it has made  
me free1 for it has lifted this cloud of
 sickness and feebleness from my mind1  
and ,i feel perfectly well and strong4  
,again he looked from one to the other  
of his parents1 on his father's face he 
saw sorrow written1 on his mother's     
fear4  ,walter then turned his face     
upward1 and said1 ,oh1 thou1 ,god1 who  
is all good1 who never made evil or     
sickness1 ,i thank thee for this great  
truth which thou hast revealed to me4 ,i
 also desire that thou show this same   
truth to my father and mother1 and ,i   
believe that thou wilt1 for thy ,son1   
,jesus ,christ1 hath said that whatever 

we desire when we pray1 we should       
believe that we receive and we would    
receive2 and ,i do believe that my      
desire will be granted1 for ,jesus      
,christ would not have said it if it    
were not true4  ,the ,rev4 ,mr4         
,williams and his good wife were        
speechless4 ,the words they had heard   
and the actions of ,walter had caused   
the father to fear that his son's mind  
had given way2 while the mother thought 
there was something supernatural about  
it all1 and she felt half inclined to   
believe that what she had heard was the 
truth1 and that this wisdom was given to
 her son from on high4  ,now the pastor 
advanced to where ,walter stood1 looked 
at him inquiringly1 laid his hand on his
 arm1 and said1 ,sit down1 ,walter1     
don't get excited about this question2  
we will all understand it better after a
 while4 ,then looking at his wife1 he   
said1 ,mother1 don't you think we have  
had enough ,bible lesson for this       
evening8  ,his wife was surprised at the

 question1 for she had not thought of   
,walter as being demented4 ,she could   
not see why the pastor wished to        
discontinue the lesson1 for they had    
only begun2 but1 ever ready to agree    
with her husband1 she answered1 ,just as
 you think1 ,james4  ,walter looked at  
his father for a moment1 wondering what 
could be the matter1 and as he thought  
of all he had said1 it occured to him   
that his father must think he had lost  
his reason2 this struck him as so       
ridiculous that he burst out laughing1  
more heartily than he had ever done in  
his life1 for he felt better and more   
free than ever before4 ,but his laughter
 only made matters worse as it confirmed
 his father's opinion in regard to his  
having lost his reason2 and now the good
 man sadly shook his head1 saying1 ,it  
is worse than ,i thought4  ,this only   
made ,walter laugh the heartier4  ,the  
mother looked from her laughing son to  
her sorrowing husband1 wondering what it
 all meant4 ,at last she said1 ,james1  

what is worse than you thought8  ,before
 the pastor could answer1 ,walter said1 
,mother1 father thinks ,i have gone     
crazy1 and this seemed so ridiculous to 
me that ,i could not control my         
laughter4  ,crazy6 ejaculated the       
mother1 did you think that1 ,james8     
,the pastor did not answer4 ,he had     
supposed that no one but a demented     
person would say the things ,walter had 
said1 but it certainly was not the act  
of a demented person to guess what he   
had thought4  ,mother1 said ,walter1 and
 there was still a healthy smile on his 
face1 now that ,i come to think of it1  
,i do not wonder that father thought ,i 
had lost my reason1 as it would be      
impossible for him to grasp this great  
truth as readily as you or ,i4 ,to do   
so1 he would have to unlearn in these   
few minutes all that he had ever learned
 regarding this false creation2 with you
 and ,i1 mother1 it would be easier2 we 
only believed1 and belief is never      
absolute conviction1 and can more       

readily be changed4 ,i read a parable   
to-day that ,i think will explain what  
,i mean4 ,jesus said1 'you cannot add   
any more to a cask already full4' ,so it
 is with father2 his mind is filled so  
full of the present idea of ,god and    
this material creation1 that there      
cannot enter anything different from    
this teaching1 until some of the old is 
emptied out4 ,i believe this emptying   
out process is what is meant by ,jesus  
when ,he said1 'unless ye become as     
little children1 you can in no wise     
enter the kingdom of heaven4' ,i take   
this to mean that we must put human     
opinion and prejudice aside1 and have a 
free1 open1 and inquiring mind before   
this great truth can be understood by   
us4  ,walter1 said his father rather    
sternly1 ,i think you have said enough  
on this question4 ,do you think it      
common sense for you to put yourself up 
as a greater authority as to what the   
,bible means than all the great men who 
have labored all their lives on the     

,bible8 ,i do not wonder that ,i thought
 for a moment you had lost your reason1 
as ,i do not think any sane person would
 advance such a chimerical idea1 and    
claim it to be the truth1 as you have   
done4 ,i see ,i have made a mistake in  
allowing you to question the ,bible4    
,hereafter1 ,i shall read from the      
,bible and explain it as we proceed1 but
 ,i will not allow any more comments to 
be made4 ,in regard to this question of 
creation1 we will consider that closed  
for the present1 and in the near future1
 probably next ,sunday1 ,i will preach a
 sermon on creation2 and as you will    
undoubtedly both be there1 you will see 
this question made plain4 ,in the       
meantime ,i think we will discontinue   
the lesson1 so as to give you a chance  
to study the ,bible4 ,i was not aware   
that you knew so little of what it      
contained1 for you do not seem to grasp 
the simplest statements when ,i explain 
them to you4  ,walter was very much     
astonished at the way his father had    

taken his explanation1 and for a moment 
was sorry that he had said so much at   
one time2 then he smiled as a happy     
thought struck him4 ,if his father      
intended to deliver a thorough sermon on
 creation1 he would be compelled to     
carefully study ,genesis1 and ,walter   
believed enough had been said to make   
his father doubt the second narrative4  
,he felt like saying1 ,i don't believe  
you will ever preach that sermon1 but   
instead1 he said1 ,alright1 father1 ,i  
shall put considerable study on the     
,bible1 as you wish and ,i am sorry if  
my explanation has offended you1 yet ,i 
explained it just as it seemed to me4   
,never mind1 ,walter1 said his mother1  
we cannot all of us be as well versed on
 the ,bible as your father1 who has     
spent most of his life in the study of  
it4  ,would you suggest1 father1 that ,i
 continue to study ,genesis from the    
place we left off8  ,yes son1 said the  
pastor more kindly1 start from where we 
left off this evening1 and it might be  

well for you to review what we have     
passed over1 so you will be able to     
fully understand my sermon when ,i      
deliver it4  ,after a few more          
commonplace remarks1 ,walter bade his   
father and mother good night1 and       
ascended to his chamber1 carrying his   
,bible with him4  ,as soon as ,walter   
had left the room1 the pastor turned to 
his wife and said1 ,i wonder what can   
have taken possession of that boy1 he   
has changed wonderfully4 ,whereas he was
 always speaking of his sickness1 and   
complaining of being weak1 he now never 
refers to his trouble1 nor does he      
complain of being tired any more4 ,and  
what is more wonderful1 he does not walk
 and act as if he was tired or weak2 he 
also looks cheerful and his explanation 
was full of vim and courage1 even though
 it was nonsense4  ,i think1 ,james1 it 
is the work of that last medicine4 ,he  
has begun to notice that he is getting  
better1 and in his great enthusiasm he  
ascribes his healing to the goodness of 

,god1 and is very desirous of giving    
thanks for his recovery4  ,that may be  
it1 said the pastor1 yet ,i don't see   
any reason for his talking such         
nonsense4 ,some of his assertions are   
simply absurd2 for instance1 that       
assertion about his never having been   
sick in reality1 and that there is no   
evil2 haven't we had the best physicians
 in the country1 and didn't they say he 
had hereditary consumption4 ,that       
certainly ought to prove its reality4   
,besides1 he has been gradually growing 
weaker and weaker under our very eyes4  
,that is all true1 ,james1 yet ,i do not
 think all he said was nonsense4 ,it    
seemed to me that when he was speaking  
he seemed to glow with a heavenly       
radiance1 and while you thought he had  
lost his mind1 ,i supposed he was       
inspired from on high4  ,the pastor sat 
bolt upright in his chair1 and looked at
 his wife4 ,if this thing kept up much  
longer he would be demented himself2    
what was the matter with his family8    

,how could his wife take the nonsense of
 a boy for inspiration8  ,now1 ,james1  
don't look at me that way2 it does not  
seem so very incredible to me that ,god 
should have made everything good1 and   
that the good alone is real1 and that   
evil is unreal1 but that we make a      
reality of it simply by thinking it     
real4 ,i think that is what ,walter was 
trying to make clear to us4 ,to         
illustrate1 if you should receive word  
this evening that your brother was      
killed in a railroad disaster1 you would
 certainly feel sorrowful1 and you would
 say you felt that way because your     
brother was killed4 ,now if in the      
morning your brother should step in the 
house perfectly well1 your sorrow would 
flee4 ,this would prove that your sorrow
 was not caused by the death of your    
brother1 but simply because you believed
 him dead2 so it was the belief that    
caused the sorrow1 and not the deed     
itself4 ,i can agree with you in regard 
to your illustration1 for it was the    

belief of my brother's death1 and not   
his real death1 as he did not die1 that 
made me sorrowful4 ,but the two cases   
are not parallel2 in the one1 nothing   
had happened1 but in the other there is 
in reality a sick boy1 and not simply   
the report of a sick boy4  ,can you not 
see1 ,james1 that if ,god never made    
sickness1 and ,he made all there was    
made1 that sickness could not be a      
reality8 ,and we could not be sick in   
reality4 ,yet if we thought ourselves   
sick and believed what we thought1 this 
would make it seem true to us1 though in
 fact1 it was not true4 ,i believe it is
 just as ,walter put it4 ,if we believe 
a falsehood to be the truth1 this       
falsehood1 then1 seems like the truth to
 us4 ,but no matter how often1 or how   
many1 believe a lie to be the truth1 it 
still in fact remains a lie4  ,what you 
say about the lie1 wife1 is plain1 but  
sickness is not a lie or a falsehood1 it
 is only too real4  ,james1 if sin1     
sickness1 and death are real1 ,god must 

have made them1 for the ,bible says ,god
 made everything that was made and      
pronounced it all very good4 ,it might  
be possible to stretch the imagination  
so as to say that sickness1 or even     
death1 might be good under certain      
conditions2 but no ,christian would     
agree with you that sin was good4 ,and  
if we would agree that sickness and     
death were made by ,god and were good1  
then ,jesus ,christ destroyed the works 
of ,god1 and at the same time destroyed 
something that was good4  ,oh1 ,james1  
the more ,i think of ,walter's          
explanation1 the more reasonable it     
seems1 and ,i cannot get the idea out of
 my mind that our boy was inspired when 
he made that explanation4  ,lillian1 ,i 
will admit that never in my whole life  
have ,i been so confused on anything as 
,i am in regard to these two narratives 
of creation4 ,if we admit that the first
 is the real and was all that was made1 
whence came all this evil1 sin1 and     
sickness into the world1 and how did ,i 

acquire this material body1 and where   
did all these other material things come
 from8 ,if we admit that the second     
creation is of ,god1 then ,god1 in a    
sense1 would be responsible for all the 
trials and tribulations of man1 for ,god
 is all-powerful and could have made us 
better1 even to perfection4 ,now that ,i
 think of it1 ,i don't believe the      
,bible mentions anywhere that ,god made 
evil4 ,it speaks of the ,lord ,god      
cursing the ground1 but it does not     
accuse ,him of making evil2 and yet ,god
 should have made all4 ,can evil only be
 a lie1 a dream1 a delusion1 a mistake  
or misapprehension1 as ,walter called   
it8 ,what a state for a minister to be  
in2 why1 ,i believe ,i am questioning   
the truth of the ,bible4  ,no1 ,james1  
,i don't think you could properly call  
that questioning the ,bible1 you are    
simply seeking the truth1 and ,i know   
that when you get into a calmer frame of
 mind you will readily find it2 don't   
you think we had better retire for      

to-night8 ,to-morrow you will have time 
to look up this entire matter4  ,i      
suppose we had1 as ,i see no way to     
satisfy myself except by carefully      
studying the whole book of ,genesis1 and
 ,i am very doubtful whether ,i will be 
able to find what ,i want even there1   
for ,i have often noticed that when a   
man once begins to doubt the truth of   
the ,bible1 he usually ends up as an    
unbeliever4 ,god grant that this may not
 happen to me4  ,o1 ,i have no fear of  
that1 said his wife2 you are too firm a 
believer in ,god to ever doubt anything 
in the ,bible4  ,i hope so1 wife1 yet ,i
 must admit that ,i am beginning to     
doubt the genuineness of the second     
narrative1 and for the last fifteen     
years ,i have preached the gospel from  
the standpoint of this second or dust   
creation4 ,in fact1 ,i could not preach 
otherwise1 as it would be impossible for
 me to make my congregation believe that
 they were wholly spiritual1 and that   
they have no material body1 had ,i      

desired4  ,why1 ,james1 of course we    
have a material body1 don't we have to  
feed1 clothe1 and take care of it8      
,that is the way ,i always believed1 but
 if ,walter's idea is correct in regard 
to that mist1 or misapprehension1 then  
the first chapter of ,genesis is        
correct1 and in that case we could not  
possibly have a material body1 but only 
think we have1 and because we believe   
what we think1 it would seem so to us4  
,wife1 ,i am half inclined to think this
 is the solution1 but how can ,i prove  
to others1 or even myself1 that my body 
is spiritual when it is so very         
material8  ,it is quite surprising to   
me1 ,james1 that you cannot readily     
explain this part of the ,bible1 for you
 have done little else all your life but
 study the ,bible4 ,at any rate1 let it 
rest for to-night2 you will1 no doubt1  
get the right thought more readily after
 a good night's sleep4  ,the pastor     
rather reluctantly followed his wife out
 of the room and up stairs4 ,he would   

have preferred to solve this knotty     
problem before retiring4 ,he lay awake a
 long time thinking deeply1 and the more
 he thought the more firmly he believed 
that ,walter was right in his           
conclusions that the first narrative was
 the true one4 ,then the thought came2  
if this is correct1 it will turn the    
whole world into confusion1 for         
everybody believes in the dust man2 in  
fact1 every clergyman ,i know of is     
preaching the gospel from this          
standpoint4  ,it was after midnight     
before he finally went to sleep4        
,walter1 also1 lay awake some time1 but 
he was not trying to solve the question 
of which was the true narrative2 he had 
fully satisfied himself in regard to    
this4 ,what he was trying to do was to  
think of some way to convince his father
 and mother in regard to it4            
,,chapter ,,viii  ,,the ,,third ,,lesson
   ,nearly two months had passed since  
the evening of the last ,bible lesson4  
,walter was so interested in studying   

the ,bible and ,science and ,health1    
that he did not notice the dreary winter
 days4 ,besides1 he was gaining very    
rapidly in strength and flesh to the    
great joy of his parents4 ,his mother   
had some time ago noticed that he did   
not take his medicine1 and spoke to him 
about it4 ,he answered her in a very    
positive1 but gentle tone1 ,no1 mother1 
,i am not taking any medicine and never 
intend to take any more1 for ,i am now  
depending entirely on ,god1 and ,he is  
making me well4  ,his mother had asked  
him when he had stopped taking it1 and  
he said1 ,i determined never again to   
take medicine the night ,i realized the 
unreality of sickness1 as it would be   
very foolish to take medicine to cure me
 of something which in reality did not  
exist4 ,both his father and mother tried
 to persuade him to continue taking his 
medicine1 as they believed his          
improvement was due to this last kind he
 had been taking4  ,walter knew better1 
so had said1 ,please allow me to leave  

off taking it for a short time1 and if  
,i do not continue to improve1 ,i will  
start taking it again to please you4    
,it had been left that way1 although his
 parents were averse to his stopping at 
the very time he seemed to be gaining4  
,they watched him closely1 but he       
continued to improve so steadily and    
rapidly1 that taking medicine had not   
been mentioned to him again4 ,his mother
 continued taking hers1 but showed no   
improvement4  ,many times ,walter asked 
his father when he would take up their  
,bible lessons again2 but his father    
never seemed ready4 ,he noticed that his
 father always seemed to be in a very   
thoughtful mood4 ,the boy knew what was 
the cause of it1 and several times had  
tried to engage his father in           
conversation regarding creation or some 
other part of the ,bible1 as he desired 
to point out the truth to him4 ,but his 
father always dropped the subject as    
soon as possible1 nor had he preached   
his sermon on creation as he had        

promised4  ,the pastor daily studied his
 ,bible and was taking copious notes as 
he read1 but did not seem to arrive at a
 satisfactory conclusion4 ,many times he
 wondered at the little things ,walter  
would say about the ,bible1 and on      
several occasions he had made up his    
mind to ask him some questions1 but he  
disliked to let the boy know of his own 
inability to understand the ,bible4 ,he 
wondered if his wife was right in regard
 to the boy's being inspired4 ,how else 
could he account for some of the things 
,walter said4 ,on several occasions he  
had taken the trouble to prove his      
assertions1 and found to his surprise   
that the ,bible easily substantiated    
what the boy had said4  ,this was the   
state of affairs on a ,january afternoon
 when the pastor said to himself1 come  
what will1 ,i am going to continue those
 ,bible lessons this evening4 ,what     
,walter said brought me into this       
darkness and confusion and it is        
possible he may say something that will 

show me the light4  ,that evening at    
supper the pastor surprised his wife and
 son by saying1 ,if it is agreeable to  
you both1 we will continue our ,bible   
lessons this evening4  ,they readily    
assented1 and as soon as ,mrs4 ,williams
 had finished her work1 they repaired to
 the library4  ,as soon as they were    
seated the pastor said1 ,well1 ,walter1 
have you changed your mind in regard to 
which of the two narratives regarding   
creation is the correct one8  ,no1      
father1 ,i have not4 ,i have put        
considerable more study on that subject 
since our last lesson1 and ,i am now    
fully satisfied and convinced that the  
view expressed in regard to the first   
narrative being the true one is correct4
  ,walter1 ,i believe you are right4 ,i 
have been studying and thinking all of  
these two months1 and have come to the  
same conclusion regarding creation4 ,yet
 in no way have ,i been able to explain 
away all these material things and this 
material body4  ,james1 have you come to

 the conclusion that everything is      
spiritual8 asked his wife4  ,yes1       
,lillian1 for there are only two        
conclusions to arrive at1 either ,god is
 the creator spoken of in the first     
narrative where everything was made by  
the ,word1 or spiritually1 and is       
pronounced very good1 or else ,god is   
the creator spoken of in the second     
narrative and therefore ,he would be the
 creator of all this evil1 sickness1    
sin1 and death1 with all the other dire 
calamities we are subjected to4 ,and    
since ,i have thought and studied on    
this question1 ,i cannot conceive of our
 ,heavenly ,father being the cause of   
all our troubles1 who are ,his children1
 any more than ,i would bring such a    
visitation on my family4 ,so of the two1
 ,i prefer believing that ,god made     
everything good as described in the     
first narrative1 as it is impossible to 
believe both1 for they are direct       
opposites4 ,what bothers me is this     
material body and everything else that  

is material4  ,father1 ,i believe ,i can
 throw some light on that subject if you
 will allow me4  ,his father looked at  
him for a moment1 undecided whether to  
ask him to explain or not1 for his last 
explanation had caused all his          
confusion1 yet1 as he thought of it1 he 
now agreed with that explanation4 ,maybe
 the boy was inspired and he was doing  
wrong in not hearing what he had to say4
 ,anyway1 his getting well without the  
use of doctors or drugs was little short
 of a miracle to him1 so he decided to  
have him explain1 and said1 ,i will hear
 what you have to say on this subject1  
,walter1 but be careful not to say      
anything ridiculous4  ,walter smiled2 he
 had learned a lesson the time he made  
his explanation regarding creation1 and 
he did not intend that his enthusiasm   
should cause him to say too much this   
time and thereby make the same mistake  
he had made before4 ,so he simply asked 
his father a question4 ,did not         
everybody think the earth was flat years

 ago8  ,yes1 ,walter1 but what has that 
to do with our material bodies8  ,did   
everybody believe it1 father8           
,certainly1 for they did not know       
different  ,did their thinking so make  
it so8  ,most assuredly not1 as you well
 know1 ,walter1 the earth was always    
round4  ,and even though they believed  
this mistake regarding the earth1 it did
 not change the earth any1 did it1      
father8 ,no1 but why these questions8   
,only this1 father1 that this is just   
what we have been long doing regarding  
our bodies1 thinking that they were     
material and believing it1 but our      
mistaken thought regarding our bodies   
has not in reality changed them1 any    
more than the thought that the earth was
 flat changed the earth4 ,it seemed flat
 to those who believed it flat1 though  
the truth was that the earth was round  
in reality4 ,so with our bodies2 they   
are material to us who believe them so1 
but in truth or reality1 they are       
spiritual4  ,i can readily agree with   

you in regard to the earth1 because we  
know that it always was round1 but we   
cannot prove that the body is spiritual4
  ,that is just the point1 father4 ,we  
can readily admit that the earth is     
round after it has been proven so2 still
 before this proof was furnished the    
people would not admit it1 any more than
 we will admit that our bodies are      
spiritual4 ,nevertheless the earth was  
round before it was proven so1 and so   
with the body being spiritual4 ,the     
proof of its spirituality does not      
change it any1 as it will always remain 
as ,god made it1 regardless of what man 
thinks or believes about it1            
nevertheless1 ,jesus ,christ on several 
occasions proved the body to be         
spiritual and the proof that ,he done so
 is contained in the ,bible1 ,he also   
said ',blessed are they who believe and 
do not see4'  ,i know ,jesus ,christ    
said that1 but that was about something 
entirely different4 ,you could hardly   
want me to believe something ,i could   

not see or prove1 for you know1 ,walter1
 the old saying is that seeing is       
believing4  ,walter immediately thought 
of what ,science and ,health said on    
this subject1 so he said1 ,can we always
 believe what we see8  ,yes1 ,i think   
so1 son4  ,father1 if you were to look  
out of this window to-morrow morning you
 would see in the distance where the    
heaven and earth seemed to meet2 would  
you believe they did8  ,certainly not1  
for ,i know better4  ,still you say1    
seeing is believing4 ,his father leaned 
back in his chair and regarded his son  
critically2 was the boy inspired8 ,how  
else could he account for his           
intelligence8 ,what was he to hear next1
 should he ask any more questions8 ,yes1
 he would ask him something more about  
this material body3 ,walter is there    
anything in the ,bible that you know of 
wherewith to substantiate your claim of 
a spiritual body8  ,i think there is1   
father4 ,jesus ,christ must have known  
that his body was spiritual1 and not    

material1 for if his body had been      
material he could not have walked on the
 water1 and in several places it speaks 
of ,jesus becoming invisible to those   
around him4  ,i know1 son1 but ,jesus   
,christ was the ,son of ,god4  ,that is 
true1 father1 so are we1 ,i distinctly  
remember reading in ,st4 ,john--'now are
 we the sons of ,god4' ,st4 ,paul also  
speaks of us as sons of ,god and joint  
heirs with ,christ4  ,the ,rev4         
,williams slowly closed the ,bible he   
had been holding open on his knee and   
looked at his son4 ,where would this    
thing end8 ,he must try and confine the 
boy to one thing at a time1 so he said1 
,i am still in the dark concerning your 
idea of how the material body came to   
be4  ,father1 ,i will quote you again   
from the ,bible--'as a man thinketh in  
his heart1 so is he' ,this means that if
 you think anything1 no matter what1 and
 believe what you think1 then so it is  
with you1 and it seems true to you4 ,for
 instance1 take a person that is        

demented1 who imagines he is ,king      
,george1 and believes it2 to himself he 
is king ,george and no one can make him 
believe otherwise4  ,that may be true of
 one who is demented1 but how about a   
sane person8  ,this person may be sane  
on every topic but that one4 ,still ,i  
will give you another illustration of   
what the wrong thought on any subject   
will do4 ,i read a while ago about some 
college students who decided to play a  
joke on their professor4 ,this professor
 had several blocks to walk to the      
college1 and the students decided to    
place themselves at frequent intervals  
along his path1 and each one was to     
comment on how badly he looked1 and     
intimate to him that he was sick4 ,so on
 a certain morning as the professor was 
walking to the college 7and he was      
feeling as well as usual71 the first    
person he met was one of the students   
who greeted him warmly with a hearty    
'good morning' and then added1 ',what is
 the matter1 professor1 are you sick8'  

,the professor said1 ',no1 ,i am feeling
 as well as usual2 why do you ask8' ,the
 student then told him he looked very   
pale1 and that he thought he must surely
 be sick4 ,the professor then assured   
the student that he was feeling well and
 started toward the college4 ,the next  
student he met also told him he looked  
sick2 this was repeated several times1  
and caused the professor to imagine     
there must be something wrong4 ,after   
meeting several more of the jokers he   
began to think he must be sick4 ,then   
being told the same thing a few more    
times1 he believed he was sick1 or      
believed what he thought1 and turned    
back home a very sick man4 ,so it is    
with us1 we think we have material      
bodies1 and because we believe what we  
think1 it makes it seem true to us1 even
 though it is not the truth4  ,a very   
good illustration1 ,walter1 ,i think ,i 
understand what you mean4 ,if we all    
thought our bodies were spiritual and   
believed what we thought1 then our      

bodies would be spiritual2 in other     
words1 whichever way we thought and     
believed1 so it would really be4  ,no   
father1 that is not quite right4 ,simply
 thinking you are sick or well and      
believing it does not make you sick1 or 
well1 in reality2 it only seems to do it
 to our mistaken mortal sense of things2
 the truth of anything remains the      
truth1 regardless of how many falsehoods
 are told about it4  ,am ,i to          
understand ,walter1 that no matter what 
,i or others may think or believe about 
this body1 it does not change the facts 
regarding it1 but only seems to do so to
 our senses8  ,that is just what ,i     
mean4 ,god made us in ,his image and    
likeness1 and as ,he is ,spirit we must 
be like ,him or spiritual1 for matter is
 not the likeness of ,spirit1 but its   
opposite4  ,that seems quite reasonable1
 ,walter1 said his mother1 but this     
material body is here1 ,i can see it and
 feel it4  ,it only seems to be         
material1 mother1 because we take our   

information from our five material      
senses2 and as these five senses can    
only testify regarding material things  
because of their materiality1 they do   
not testify to the truth1 or reality1 of
 man and the universe4  ,but ,walter1   
said the pastor1 if ,i am not to believe
 the testimony of my five senses1 how am
 ,i to know anything8  ,the five        
material senses are continually         
deceiving us4 ,the sense of sight ,i    
have spoken of before1 but will give you
 a different illustration that shows up 
the deception of all the senses4        
,father1 do you believe life to be a    
reality8  ,i certainly do4  ,can you see
 life8  ,i hardly know how to answer    
that1 ,i can see that you are alive4    
,no1 ,i shall say we can not see life   
itself1 but only the manifestation of   
life4  ,i agree with you1 father1 we    
cannot see life itself4 ,can we hear    
life8  ,no4  ,can we touch life8  ,no4  
,can we smell life8  ,no4  ,can we taste
 life8  ,no4  ,then our five material   

senses do not testify anything regarding
 a reality1 for you said life was a     
reality4 ,the pastor and his wife were  
very much surprised at ,walter's ability
 to explain these things1 and his mother
 was fully convinced of his being       
inspired1 and the father was fast coming
 to the same conclusion4  ,did you      
understand me1 father8  ,yes1 fully1 you
 made it very plain4  ,now1 father1     
would you say that the opposite of a    
reality was an unreality8  ,the pastor  
hesitated1 hardly daring to answer2 at  
length he said1 ,yes1 it must be4  ,is  
not death the opposite of life1 father8 
,yes1 ,walter4  ,then if life is real1  
its opposite1 or death1 must be unreal2 
can you agree with me1 father8 ,he      
always addressed his father1 for his    
mother was showing by the nod of her    
head that she fully agreed with him4  ,i
 must say1 ,walter1 that ,i do agree    
with you1 to quite an extent2 but1 ,i   
shall have to think it all over         
carefully before ,i will be fully       

convinced4  ,walter then continued3 ,we 
have found that the five senses do not  
testify regarding a reality1 now let us 
see if they testify regarding an        
unreality4 ,as we had agreed that death 
was the opposite of life and that life  
was real and death unreal1 we will take 
death as our example4 ,when a person    
dies1 we say life1 or the reality has   
flown1 and the unreality1 the material  
or dead body1 remains4 ,do our five     
material senses testify anything        
regarding this unreality or dead body8  
,yes1 all five of them1 for we can see  
this unreality with the eye4 ,if we move
 this unreality1 we hear it move with   
the ear4 ,if we reach forth our hand we 
can touch it4 ,after decomposition sets 
in1 we can smell it2 and if we would put
 a piece of it into our mouth1 as we do 
of the dead cow or bird1 we could even  
taste this unreality4 ,this ought to    
convince us of the unreliability of the 
knowledge transmitted to us by the five 
senses2 for1 as ,i have shown1 they all 

say the unreal is real and that the real
 is unreal4 ,st4 ,paul said1 ',to be    
carnally minded is death1 and to be     
spiritually minded is life eternal4'  ,i
 know that ,st4 ,paul said this1 but do 
not see as it has any bearing on the    
question we are discussing1 said the    
pastor4 ,on the contrary1 father1 ,i    
think it is a verification of what ,i   
have been illustrating4  ,can you       
explain what you mean1 ,walter1 so your 
mother and ,i will understand8  ,to me  
it seems plain1 the carnal mind is the  
fleshly mind1 which thinks everything is
 material2 and this method of thinking  
leads to the belief in a material body  
and eventually in the death1 or         
unreality1 of this material body1 the   
returning of the fleshly body to its    
original state1 dust to dust1 the real  
meaning of which ,i think is1 nothing   
you were1 to nothing you must return1   
for only the real is eternal4  ,walter1 
where do you get that definition of the 
word dust8  ,i take it from what is     

implied in the #b;d chapter of ,genesis1
 #gth verse1 where it reads1 ',and the  
,lord ,god formed man of the dust of the
 ground'2 as there is no record of any  
dust having been made1 it is very easy  
to see that dust must be the name given 
to designate something that exists only 
in our imagination1 a false sense of the
 real1 an illusion1 and this ',lord     
,god' the suppositional creator of      
material things1 is the false or        
material sense of ,god entertained by us
 mortals1 and only exists in our        
imagination4 ,i believe our prayers are 
unanswered for this very reason that the
 ,god we have been praying to exists in 
our imagination only and is a man-made  
,god1 or1 as ,i said before1 a ,god     
conceived by man4  ,not so fast1        
,walter2 let us finish one thing at a   
time4 ,your explanation of the dust man 
is very reasonable1 but ,i don't see    
where you get your authority for calling
 dust an unreality1 or illusion4        
,father1 ,i thought we had agreed that  

there was a hidden1 or spiritual1       
meaning to all that was written in the  
,bible1 and ,i think what ,i have said  
about this dust or material man is this 
meaning2 take for instance1 the first   
verse of chapter #c of ,genesis1 which  
reads1 ',now the serpent was more subtle
 than any beast of the field1 which the 
,lord ,god had made1 and he said unto   
the woman1 yea1 hath ,god said ye shall 
not eat of every tree of the garden4'   
,now1 father1 who ever heard of a       
talking snake4 ,no one4 ,it is only a   
myth1 and ,i believe this snake was used
 to symbolize the narrator's idea of    
evil1 tempting the children of ,god1    
,good1 to do evil4  ,another            
illustration that this second narrative 
is metaphorically written is in ,genesis
 #b1 #ith verse1 which reads3 ',and out 
of the ground made the ,lord ,god to    
grow every tree that is pleasant to the 
sight and good for food1 the tree of    
life also in the midst of the garden and
 the tree of knowledge of good and      

evil4' ,we can readily agree that there 
is no tree that bears fruit called good 
and evil1 so this word 'tree' is used   
metaphorically1 and stands for something
 quite different4  ,here ,walter stopped
 and looked at his father to see what   
effect his speech was having on him1    
also because he thought he had said     
enough for one time4 ,but his father was
 leaning slightly forward and had been  
drinking in every word the boy was      
saying1 as he was fully convinced that  
his son did not of himself know all     
these things about the ,bible1 and1     
consequently1 it must be that he was    
inspired4  ,the mother had the same     
opinion1 so did not care to interrupt   
him4  ,walter continued looking from one
 to the other not knowing what to make  
of their silence and the knowing look   
which passed between them1 as he did not
 know that they thought him inspired4   
,at length the father1 said1 ,walter1 do
 you know what is meant by the word     
'tree' in that verse8  ,i think ,i do1  

father2 to me it stands for the word1   
'thought1' for this seems to bring out  
the spiritual meaning of the verse2 for 
instance1 if we would read the verse    
this way1 ',every thought that is       
pleasant to the sight1 i4 e41           
understanding1 and good for food1 the   
thought of life also in the midst of the
 garden and the thought or belief in    
good and evil'2 this may not be correct1
 but it at least makes it plain to me4  
,and when we remember that ,adam and    
,eve were allowed to eat of all the     
trees excepting this tree of knowledge  
of good and evil1 it seems to me that   
they were forbidden to believe that both
 good and evil were real1 in other      
words1 to believe that both spirit and  
matter existed2 for as soon as they     
would eat or believed in materiality the
 penalty would be death1 as they were   
believing in something that did not in  
reality exist4 ,this false belief must  
in the end inevitably result in death or
 annihilation1 as it is this false      

belief of life as existent in matter1 or
 material body1 that dies and is        
annihilated1 for the real or spiritual  
man cannot die4  ,what do you mean by   
spiritual man8  ,the ,bible says3 ',god 
is omniscient1 omnipresent1 omnipotent4'
 ,let us define this word omniscient4   
,in a common sense way1 'omni' means    
all1 and 'scientia' means science1 then 
it would be proper to say1 ',god is all 
science1 and science is perfect         
intelligence1' for the scientific       
reality concerning anything1 is the     
perfect intelligence pertaining thereto4
 ,we can now say1 ',god is all          
intelligence1' the word 'all' includes  
our intelligence1 then ,god is the      
intelligence1 the thinking ability1 or  
mind1 of man4  ,walter1 do you wish to  
intimate that the brain is ,god8  ,no1  
father1 the brain cannot think4         
,walter1 this is nonsense1 of course the
 brain thinks1 we certainly do not think
 with our hands or feet4  ,just a       
moment1 father1 and we will see if the  

brain has the ability to think4         
,supposing we take it out and lay it on 
a platter1 does it think8 ,certainly    
not1 it is not in its proper place1 said
 his father4  ,it seems to me1 that if  
the brain had the ability in itself to  
think1 it could do so no matter what    
place it occupied4  ,no1 ,walter1 that  
would not be a fair illustration4  ,all 
right father1 we will now take another  
example4 ,say a man should drop dead on 
the street from apoplexy2 there lies his
 material body1 his brain occupies its  
accustomed place1 not having been       
disturbed at all1 yet you would not say 
that his brain had the ability to think8
  ,but the man was dead1 life had flown1
 said ,mr4 ,williams4  ,then it is ,life
 that has in itself the ability to      
think1 for everything else is there1 in 
its proper place1 and what is the life  
of a man but his consciousness1 his     
intelligence1 his mind4 ,now we have    
arrived at the same point in our        
reasoning where we were before1 that    

,god is ,mind1 intelligence1 the ,life  
of man1 and that brains cannot think4   
,you see1 father1 the brain is also     
matter1 the same as the rest of our     
material body1 that is1 dust1 or as ,i  
explained before1 nothing2 an illusion1 
or false conception4  ,do you mean to   
say ,i have no body at all8  ,no1       
father1 what ,i mean is that man has    
taken a false view of his body by       
thinking it material when in reality it 
is spiritual1 as is all the rest of the 
universe2 for ,god1 ,spirit could not   
make a material world1 as matter is the 
opposite of spirit4  ,the ,rev4 ,mr4    
,williams leaned his head on his hand   
and was thinking deeply4 ,could         
,walter's explanation be the truth8 ,he 
could see when what we called death     
occurred the consciousness1             
intelligence1 or what we called life1   
seemed to leave the body and thereafter 
the body was inanimate1 and in time     
returned to dust4 ,reasoning from this  
standpoint1 he could agree that life and

 intelligence were the same1 and that   
the intelligence of man was his mind was
 also plain1 but that ,mind was ,god1   
was beyond his comprehension1 because he
 had always conceived of mind and brain 
as being the same1 consequently1 that   
the brain had the power of thought4 ,yet
 ,walter's explanation concerning the   
inability of the brain1 in the corpse1  
to think1 and that it was as material as
 the rest of the body was quite         
convincing that brain1 in itself1 did   
not contain the power of thought4 ,was  
the boy right regarding the word        
omniscient8 ,if so1 it would be very    
easy to agree with him when he said that
 ,god was the intelligence or mind of   
man2 he1 himself1 believed in an all    
intelligent creator4  ,walter all this  
while had been waiting for his father or
 mother to express themselves1 as they  
did not1 he said3 ,if we can agree that 
,mind is ,god1 then it is very easy to  
conceive of man as the image and        
likeness of ,god1 and this image would  

be spiritual and not material4  ,his    
father looked up at him but did not     
speak4 ,his mother said3 ,how would that
 help it1 ,walter8  ,if we reason from  
the standpoint that ,mind is the        
creative force or first cause1 and as we
 know that like produces like1 it would 
be impossible for the creative force1 or
 ,mind1 to produce matter1 for matter is
 the opposite of mind4 ,now let us see  
what ,mind does create1--why thoughts or
 ideas and nothing else1 so we see that 
man is a thought1 or a number of them1  
or idea emanating from the one ,mind or 
creative force and the idea or thought  
must be the image and likeness of the   
mind or intelligence that conceived it4 
,this would give us a spiritual man1 who
 in reality would be the image and      
likeness of the real ,god4  ,walter1    
said his father1 ,i cannot stand to hear
 any more to-night1 ,i will not say that
 you are right or wrong1 as ,i must have
 time to think1 and the more ,i hear you
 say1 the more in the dark ,i seem to   

be1 besides it is getting quite late and
 it is time we were retiring4  ,i hope  
you are not angry for my presuming to   
explain the ,bible as ,i see it1 for ,i 
believe ,i am right2 in fact1 ,i have   
had proof sufficient to convince me that
 it cannot be otherwise4  ,no ,walter1  
,i am not angry1 but very badly mixed up
 in my reasoning because of the peculiar
 views you entertain concerning ,god and
 man4 ,what proof have you had that you 
are right8  ,through these peculiar     
views as you call them1 ,i am being     
restored to health2 in fact1 ,i believe 
every symptom has gone forever1 and that
 ,i am entirely well1 besides ,i feel so
 happy1 contented1 and free that ,i can 
hardly wait for the day when mother will
 understand1 and be free from her       
bondage4  ,if understanding will make   
her free ,i pray ,god that ,he will give
 her such understanding1 but ,i cannot  
see what connection understanding can   
possibly have with sickness4  ,you know1
 father1 ,jesus ,christ said1 ',ye shall

 know the truth1 and the truth shall    
make you free4' ,the question is1 free  
from what8 ,for the men ,he was speaking
 to answered ,him saying3 ',we be       
,abraham's seed and were never in       
bondage to any man1 how sayest thou     
then1 ye shall be free8' ,jesus ,christ 
answered them1 ',verily1 verily ,i say  
unto you1 whosoever commiteth sin1 is   
the servant of sin4' ,at another time as
 related in ,matthew #i3e1 ,jesus       
,christ intimated that sin and sickness 
were one and the same4 ,he said to the  
sick man1 ',son1 be of good cheer1 thy  
sins are forgiven thee1' and certain of 
the scribes said1 ',this man            
blasphemeth4' ,jesus ,christ1 knowing   
what they were thinking and saying1     
said1 ',wherefore think ye evil in your 
hearts1 for whither is easier to say1   
thy sins are forgiven thee or to say1   
arise and walk4' ,if we can now agree   
that sin and sickness are the same1 we  
could say with ,jesus ,christ1 ',verily1
 verily ,i say unto you1 whosoever      

commiteth 7sickness7 sin1 is the servant
 of sickness1' for we certainly are the 
slaves of any sickness that we claim to 
have1 and give it the power to rule us  
with a rod of iron1 and in doing so1 we 
sin against the first commandment1      
',thou shalt have no other ,gods before 
me1' as we are making a ,god or power of
 our sickness4 ,and if we take medicine1
 we are giving the medicine power to    
heal1 or making a ,god of it1 and in    
doing so we break the same commandment4 
,now1 father1 good-night1 and ,i hope by
 a careful perusal of the ,bible on this
 subject you will be able to agree with 
me4 ,good-night1 mother4  ,good-night1  
,walter1 said both his father and       
mother1 as he turned to leave the room4 
,as soon as he was gone ,mrs4 ,williams 
turned to the pastor and said3 ,to-night
 you must surely agree with me that the 
boy is inspired4  ,the pastor looked up 
at her and said1 ,that is the only way  
,i can account for the wonderful things 
he says4 ,i must admit he has gone far  

beyond me1 in his understanding of the  
,bible4 ,i intend to put in the next few
 days in verifying his explanations4    
,james1 do you think the boy can be     
right in regard to sickness and sin     
being the same8  ,there is hardly any   
other conclusion to arrive at1 if we    
believe the words of ,jesus ,christ4    
,now let us go to bed1 as it is quite   
late4     ,,chapter ,,ix  ,,the         
,,christian ,,science ,,journal         
,bright and early the next morning      
,walter was up and reading in ,science  
and ,health4 ,after reading some little 
time1 he heard his mother calling him to
 breakfast4 ,he laid his book down and  
said3 ,this is the most wonderful book  
,i ever read2 no matter how many times  
,i read it over1 it seems like a new    
book1 and sometimes ,i wonder if ,i had 
not skipped some of it when ,i read it  
before1 as there are many things ,i see 
in it now that ,i did not see before4 ,i
 suppose it is because ,i did not       
understand it all the first time4       

,shortly after breakfast1 his mother    
asked ,walter to do an errand for her   
down town4 ,on the way he began to      
wonder if ,christian ,scientists had a  
church or meeting-place1 he also wished 
he knew of some one who was a           
,scientist1 as he desired very much to  
ask some questions1 particularly in     
regard to his mother's illness4  ,on his
 return from town1 he was compelled to  
wait several moments at a railroad      
crossing near the depot1 and as he      
stepped inside his eye caught sight of a
 little bracket nailed to the wall4 ,in 
the bracket was a book1 and on the cover
 in large print were the words1         
,christian ,science ,journal4 ,walter   
hastily walked over to the wall1 took   
the book1 and began to examine it4 ,he  
saw it was published monthly in ,boston4
 ,opening the book1 he saw the first    
part was reading matter1 and as he      
turned page after page1 he came to where
 he saw1 ,list of organized churches of 
,christ1 ,scientist4 ,immediately he    

began looking if there was a church in  
his town4 ,he noticed that the names of 
the towns and cities were arranged      
alphabetically4 ,after searching for a  
moment he said1 ,yes1 here it is1       
',mapelton1 ,vermont4 ,first church of  
,christ1 ,scientist1 ,first ,reader1    
,john ,j4 ,sivad2 ,services #aj3de ,a4  
,m41 ,sunday ,school #ab ,m41 ,wednesday
 #g3de ,p4 ,m41 ,number #eb ,squirrel   
,ave41 on ,island4 ,reading-room same   
address1 #b to #d ,p4 ,m4' ,why1 that is
 only five or six blocks from my home2  
,i wish ,i could go to their service4 ,i
 may some day4 ,they seem to have a     
great many churches2 there are eight in 
,chicago alone2 three in ,cleveland1    
,ohio2 three in ,kansas ,city2 three in 
,london1 ,england2 six in ,new ,york    
,city2 two in ,new ,orleans1 ,la42 three
 in ,portland2 one in ,paris1 ,france2  
one in ,melbourne1 ,victoria1           
,australia4 ,why1 they seem to be in    
every city in the world4 ,he continued  
to read and turned the pages until he   

came to a page where he saw printed1    
,addresses of ,christian ,science       
,practitioners4 ,i wonder what they mean
 by practitioner2 it must mean those who
 practice ,christian ,science1 but ,i   
should think every ,christian ,scientist
 would practice what he knows4 ,i wonder
 if there are any in ,mapelton2 let me  
see1 they are all classified in states  
and cities2 yes1 there is ,mapelton4    
,there are three of them here4  ,mrs4   
,f4 ,s4 ,white1 ,c4 ,s41 #bha ,n4 ,grant
 ,st4  ,mrs4 ,m4 ,j4 ,sivad1 ,c4 ,s41   
#gdb ,upland ,court4  ,mrs4 ,l4 ,s4     
,poor1 ,c4 ,s41 #de ,napoleon ,ave4  ,i 
wonder if all practitioners are women2  
no1 here is ,mr4 ,sherman ,bradford2    
here is another man2 ,oh1 yes1 there are
 a good many men1 but there are more    
women than men4 ,i know ,mrs4 ,white2   
her husband used to keep a shoe store1  
and ,mrs4 ,m4 ,j4 ,sivad is that lovely 
lady who lives in a beautiful large     
mansion in ,upland ,court1 the finest   
street in town2 her husband is a retired

 merchant4 ,and ,mrs4 ,l4 ,s4 ,poor is  
that tall1 stately looking lady that    
passes by our house so often4 ,i must   
have a talk with them some time4 ,now ,i
 must hurry home or mother will think   
something has happened4  ,arriving home1
 he told his mother he had stopped at   
the depot1 and that this was the reason 
of his delay4  ,walter was now so well  
and strong that his parents did not     
worry much about him1 but ,walter and   
his father were quite alarmed at ,mrs4  
,william's condition1 for she had been  
failing rapidly for the last month and  
was so weak that it was almost          
impossible for her to do her accustomed 
work4 ,walter and his father did all    
they could to help her and made her work
 as light as possible4  ,it was several 
days later when his mother felt so ill  
that she could not get up at all1 and so
 ,walter decided to go to one of the    
practitioners for advice1 which he did  
that same afternoon4  ,he told the      
practitioner of his illness and of his  

finding ,science and ,health and that   
the reading and study of the book had   
cured him2 also that his mother was     
sick1 that he was a minister's son1 and 
his father was very much opposed to     
,christian ,science4 ,he also told her  
of their ,bible lessons and of the      
confusion of his father4  ,the          
practitioner told him that the word     
practitioner was used instead of doctor 
or healer and that this was her         
profession1 healing the sick1 and that  
she would be pleased to help him all she
 could1 but that she had no right to    
treat his mother without her consent4   
,walter assured her that it would be    
impossible to get either his father or  
mother's consent1 for they refused to   
have him treated at one time when a     
friend had suggested it4  ,the          
practitioner then said1 ,well1 ,mr4     
,williams1 your work is before you4     
,truth has found you1 and ,truth will   
show you a way out of your seeming      
trouble4 ,trust ,god and never doubt    

,his wisdom1 for ,god1 ,good1 works in a
 mysterious way ,his wonders to perform2
 you must hold in thought that          
everything will come to pass as you wish
 it1 and if you can persuade your father
 to have a talk with me1 let me know1   
and ,i will be pleased to come4         
,thanking the practitioner for her      
advice1 ,walter left the house and      
started home4 ,he was not fully         
satisfied with his visit2 many of the   
questions he had asked the practitioner 
remained unanswered1 as he supposed1 for
 the practitioner always referred him to
 ,science and ,health4 ,in answer to one
 of his most important questions1 she   
said1 ',science and ,health1' page so   
and so1 says thus--and then she would   
quote something from the book1 but he   
could see no connection between his     
question and the quotation4 ,when he    
arrived home he decided to tell his     
father all and try to persuade him to   
have his mother treated by a ,christian 
,science practitioner4     ,,chapter ,x 

,,humanity',s ,,mistake   ,the same     
evening ,walter went into the library to
 see his father1 and found him seated at
 his desk with his ,bible open before   
him4 ,as ,walter seated himself near the
 desk1 his father looked up and asked1  
,what is it1 ,walter8  ,i came to have a
 little talk with you1 father4  ,i am   
glad you did1 as there are several      
questions ,i wanted to ask you1 one of  
which is in regard to that saying of    
,jesus ,christ--'ye shall know the truth
 and the truth shall make you free'-you 
explained before but ,i did not catch   
your meaning4  ,let us use an           
illustration to show what is meant by   
that saying4 ,for instance1 supposing we
 had been taught from childhood that two
 times two are five1 and every person on
 earth believed this to be right1 we    
would all go through life making this   
mistake4 ,there would be constant       
trouble all over the mathematical world 
because of it1 and when we tried to     
rectify this trouble we would use this  

same mistake in trying to arrive at a   
true answer4 ,at times we would deceive 
ourselves and believe we were right1    
only to find later on that we were in   
deeper trouble4 ,and when we had        
children of our own1 we would still     
teach them the same as we were taught   
that two times two are five1 and the    
longer the world stood1 the greater     
would become this mistake1 as no one    
knew the truth that two times two were  
only four2 yet all this time the        
principle of mathematics existed and was
 correct1 but man knew it not4 ,now     
father1 imagine how great and widespread
 this mistake would become in several   
thousands of years1 and how hard it     
would be to convince the people of their
 mistake1 especially the professor of   
mathematics who had devoted a lifetime  
to proving that this mistake was the    
truth4 ,you can readily see it would be 
much easier for the child who had never 
learned or believed in the mistake to   
grasp this truth than the professor who 

believed that the mistake was correct4  
,supposing that while these conditions  
existed some one should discover the    
truth1 that two times two are four1 and 
would bring it before the world2 would  
not the learned professor ridicule the  
idea and say two times two have been    
five since the beginning of the world1  
and for any one to say different is     
nonsense8 ,could you induce him to      
investigate8 ,no2 why8 ,because he      
thinks he knows all about it1 and that  
it would be a waste of time to          
investigate what he supposes is         
nonsense4 ,so it is with man4 ,for      
thousands of years he has been taught   
that he has a material body and that    
this body is intelligent1 and knows when
 it has a toe that aches or a stomach   
that is out of order1 or an arm that it 
can not move1 etc41 throughout all the  
ills that flesh is heir to4 ,and when   
man gets in trouble through this        
mistaken teaching1 we try to correct the
 trouble by making the same mistake     

again2 for it was through the belief    
that man has a material body and that   
matter is intelligent that all this     
trouble came about1 and now we try to   
correct the trouble by using more matter
 in the guise of medicine4  ,if we had  
insisted on the professor of mathematics
 who was using the mistake of two times 
two are five in his work1 to give us a  
correct answer every time1 he would be  
compelled to say that it was an         
impossibility4 ,if you were to ask why1 
he would say1 because the principle of  
mathematics isn't correct2 he could not 
say otherwise1 as he did not know that  
the mistake had been made in teaching   
him that two times two are five4 ,so it 
is with man1 when he gets so deeply in  
trouble that he cannot see any way out  
he lays his trouble to ,god and blames  
his perfect ,principle1 when the truth  
is that the mistake is not with the     
,principle1 but with his own false      
belief1 brought about by his being      
taught a mistake4  ,walter stopped and  

looked at his father1 but he said       
nothing1 so he continued1 ,and when man 
goes to the professor of ,christianity1 
the minister1 and asks why all this     
trouble and sickness has come upon him1 
the answer is the same as the professor 
of mathematics made1 by saying it must  
be the will of ,god--thereby intimating 
that ,god was the author of his         
troubles2 in other words1 that the      
,principle of man must be wrong4        
,instead of showing him that ,god1 who  
is all good1 could not make evil1 and   
consequently1 he must be suffering      
through a false belief brought about by 
being taught a mistake4 ,now let us     
suppose that some one should discover   
that man was spiritual and had a        
spiritual body1 that the entire universe
 was spiritual and matter did not exist 
only as a false belief2 that ,god made  
everything good1 consequently there     
could be no evil1 and that evil existed 
only in belief4 ,if the one who         
discovered this truth should try to     

convince the professor of ,christianity1
 the minister1 that ,god made only the  
good and the evil did not exist1 the    
professor would say1 thou blasphemest1  
,god made everything--if he should      
advance the thought that man was wholly 
spiritual1 the professor would ridicule 
him1 and say you must be mistaken1 my   
body is material4 ,i can feel it1 and   
every man's body has been so since the  
beginning of the world4 ,if the         
discoverer insisted that everything was 
spiritual in reality1 these learned     
professors would say the discoverer was 
insane1 and then try to pass laws       
prohibiting the teaching of this truth4 
,in olden times they did somewhat       
differently2 the learned professors of  
that day crucified the demonstrator of  
this truth4 ,it was ,jesus ,christ1 and 
,his students were called ,his          
disciples2 later when they went forth to
 preach the ,gospel1 'good spell1' 7or  
truth71 and heal the sick1 they were    
called apostles4 ,the rediscoverer of   

this ,truth at the present time is ,mary
 ,baker ,g4 ,eddy1 and her students are 
called ,christian ,scientists2 and      
later1 when they go forth to preach the 
,gospel or ,truth1 and heal the sick1   
they are called ,christian ,science     
,practitioners1 and he who condemns her 
teachings condemns the ,truth1 the same 
as the scribes and pharisees condemned  
the teachings of ,jesus ,christ2 and it 
is the understanding of this ,truth that
 sets us free1 as ,jesus ,christ said it
 would4  ,for several minutes the pastor
 did nothing but lean back in his chair 
and stare at his son2 then he said1     
,walter do you mean to tell me that you 
received all this information pertaining
 to the ,bible from a ,christian        
,scientist8  ,no1 father1 what ,i know  
of the ,bible and the explanations ,i   
have been able to make regarding the    
sayings of ,jesus ,christ1 together with
 what ,i have said about the real       
meaning of creation as narrated in      
,genesis1 ,i have learned by careful    

study of the ,christian ,science text   
book1 ',science and ,health1' with key  
to the scriptures1 by ,mary ,baker ,g4  
,eddy1 and by comparing the writings in 
this book with the ,bible1 ,i have      
become fully convinced that ,christian  
,science1 as explained in ',science and 
,health' is the same ,truth that ,jesus 
,christ taught ,his disciples4 ,jesus   
,christ said1 ',these signs shall follow
 them that believe1 they shall lay hands
 on the sick and they shall recover1'   
etc4 ,christian ,science practitioners  
are doing this1 and the signs spoken of 
by ,jesus ,christ follow their work4 ,as
 yet ,i have only learned a few of the  
simplest things pertaining to this      
science1 but this little helped me much4
  ,but1 ,walter1 how do we know that it 
is not the work of the evil one8 or a   
trick of the devil to lead you astray8  
,i am very much afraid that you did     
wrong in not asking me about this       
teaching before you filled your mind so 
full of it4  ,father1 you surely must   

agree that the things ,i have explained 
to you regarding the ,bible are true1 or
 at least nearer right than the way you 
were taught2 and if you will only study 
',science and ,health' you will soon    
agree with me4  ,walter1 ,i have had    
enough of this2 you have heard me       
express my views regarding this         
heretical idea2 now ,i must insist that 
you stop reading such nonsense at once1 
,i will admit that some of your         
statements seemed very plausible1 but   
there is no proof that they are true4   
,father1 ,i must speak more on this     
subject even though you accuse me of    
disobedience4 ,i have ample proof that  
,christian ,science is true1 and that   
the signs do follow their teachings4    
,one proof is that it was through the   
understanding ,i gained by the study of 
',science and ,health' that ,i am well  
to-day4  ,oh1 pshaw1 the idea that      
reading a book could have healed you of 
consumption6 ,i credited you with more  
intelligence than that4  ,it was not the

 reading of the book that healed me1 it 
was the understanding of the truth this 
book contains that showed me the way out
 of my troubles2 for if ,i had not found
 and studied this book ,i would probably
 not be with you now4  ,did you say you 
found this book8  ,yes1 ,thanksgiving   
day1 between the church and our home4   
,at first ,i was afraid to read it1 and 
probably would not have read it if it   
had not been for an incident that       
happened on our last trip to the ,south4
  ,what incident was that8 ,i don't     
believe ,i heard anything about it4     
,one day as mother and ,i were walking  
along the street1 a lady approached us1 
and among other things made the remark  
that she read ',science and ,health'    
every day1 and the reading of the book  
had healed her of some severe disease4  
,this lady did not look like a bad      
person1 so ,i thought if the book had   
healed her1 it might me1 and the truth  
it contains has done so4  ,you have     
certainly gained a great deal in health 

since ,thanksgiving day1 but may not    
this be the work of the devil to lead   
you astray8  ,father do you think it a  
good thing that ,i am well8  ,what a    
question1 why certainly ,i do4  ,did you
 ever hear of the devil doing a good    
thing8  ,the pastor looked surprised1   
but answered1 ,no4  ,then why do you say
 that maybe my getting well is the work 
of the devil8 ,the pastor could not find
 a ready answer1 after a moment he said1
 ,as ,i said before1 ,i don't want      
anything to do with ,christian ,science1
 be it good or bad1 and it will please  
me if you will never mention it to me   
again4  ,oh1 father1 ,i must speak of it
 to you for--  ,silence6 ,i will hear no
 more of it4  ,but father1 listen to--  
,walter1 ,i forbid you to speak to me on
 the subject again4  ,father1 ,i must   
speak6  ,do you dare disobey me8  ,yes6 
for my mother's life depends upon my    
speaking4 ,let me speak this once on    
this subject1 and ,i will agree never to
 mention ,christian ,science to you     

again unless you wish it4  ,the pastor's
 anger had been rising1 but when ,walter
 said his mother's life depended on his 
speaking1 every particle of color left  
his face1 and the anger vanished at     
once4 ,he looked at ,walter and saw he  
was dreadfully in earnest1 so he said1  
,speak this once1 ,i will hear you4     
,father it was through the reading of   
',science and ,health' that ,i was      
healed of the dread disease that is even
 now threatening the life of my mother2 
and as soon as ,i was convinced of the  
truth of this teaching ,i called upon a 
practitioner1 asking her for advice     
regarding my mother's illness and asked 
her to give mother treatment4 ,i did    
this without your consent1 as ,i knew   
how prejudiced you both were regarding  
this subject1 but the practitioner      
kindly told me she would not treat      
mother without her consent4 ,and ,i knew
 mother would never consent to take     
treatment if you were opposed to it1 so 
,i felt ,i must gain your consent first4

 ,the practitioner would be pleased to  
come and talk with you on this subject  
at any time4  ,no doubt of it1 but ,i   
will have nothing to do with ,christian 
,science4  ,oh1 father1 don't say that2 
you must be even more prejudiced than ,i
 thought4  ,yes1 ,i am prejudiced1      
against all such nonsense4  ,father1    
will nothing change your views8 said    
,walter rather coldly4  ,no1 nothing4   
,then father1 forever hereafter1 ,i will
 ascribe the death of my mother to your 
unreasoning prejudice against ,christian
 ,science1 for the medical profession   
cannot cure her1 but ,christian ,science
 can4 ,as ,walter finished speaking1 he 
arose from his chair and left the room2 
he immediately proceeded to his own     
bed-chamber1 as he felt he must be      
alone1 for he was terribly hurt by his  
father's prejudice against something    
which he admitted he had never          
investigated4  ,walter had always       
supposed that his father was very       
broad-minded1 but in this instance he   

thought him very narrow1 condemning     
something he knew nothing about1 in fact
 could not be induced to investigate or 
try1 even though his dearly beloved     
wife's life might be saved by a trial4  
,it was at least a half hour before     
,walter could calm himself enough to    
think clearly4 ,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 
,science4 ,she said1 ,truth has found   
you and ,truth will lead you out of your
 trouble4 ,he now bowed his head and    
said1 ,oh1 ,god1 ,i had forgotten that  
thou art an ever-present help in time of
 trouble4  ,he then secured his ,science
 and ,health and after reading for some 
time he stopped and said3 ,here is what 
,i have been looking for4 ,then he      
slowly read1 aloud1 ,god1 ,good1 is not 
the creator of evil4 ,continuing to     
soliloquize he said1 ,of course not1    
,god is ,good1 and ,good could not make 

evil4 ,then evil does not exist1 for    
,god made everything that was made4 ,is 
prejudice an evil8  ,certainly2 then it 
does not exist in reality1 but only     
seems to exist1 because of the false    
report of the material senses4 ,then my 
father cannot be prejudiced4 ,this must 
be what the author of ',science and     
,health' called 'error1' and when the   
truth is declared pertaining to any     
error1 that error ceases to exist-for an
 error can only exist as long as we     
believe the error to be the truth4 ,when
 we discover the truth respecting a lie1
 the lie is gone1 for truth has taken   
its place2 the truth is there all the   
time1 but we cannot see the truth       
because we believe the lie4  ,i see my  
error very plainly now4 ,i believed my  
father was prejudiced1 and this was an  
error2 in other words ,i believed a lie 
to be the truth4 ,the real truth is that
 ,god never made prejudice and it does  
not exist1 so my father could not       
express it1 but it only seemed so to me1

 just as my sickness seemed real to me  
until ,i discovered that ,god never made
 it1 but ,i had to prove it to myself   
before ,i could believe1 or understand  
it1 and as rapidly as ,i understood the 
truth regarding the error of sickness1  
just in the same proportion did the     
sickness disappear and the truth or     
health appear4 ,health was there all the
 time1 but ,i thought ,i was sick1 and  
my believing what ,i thought made the   
unreal seem real to me4 ,i see now what 
that practitioner meant when she said my
 work was before me4 ,i have another    
demonstration to make1 at least that is 
what ,i saw it called in that ,christian
 ,science ,journal4 ,it means that ,i   
must demonstrate the truth regarding the
 existence of prejudice4 ,it is easy    
enough for me to say it does not exist  
or to believe ,god never made it1 and   
this would be a step in the right       
direction2 but to annul this error      
entirely1 ,i must be able to prove to   
myself1 its nonexistence2 that means ,i 

must fully understand the nothingness of
 evil under the guise of prejudice1 and 
realize the ever-presence of ,good1 for 
if ,god 7,good7 is ever present1        
prejudice1 or evil1 is never present2   
now ,i must get to work4  ,i made my    
first demonstration with the help of the
 ,bible and ',science and ,health1' and 
with their help ,i will make this one4  
,it was nearly midnight before he       
stopped his work4 ,he was not afraid of 
his mother calling in to see him1 as she
 had been unable to leave her bed for   
several days1 his father had been       
compelled to hire a servant to do the   
housework1 and she was coming in the    
morning4  ,the ,rev4 ,williams did not  
retire until long after midnight2 he    
also had the same evil to fight1 for he 
had admitted that he was prejudiced and 
so his prejudice seemed real to him4    
,when ,walter had first quitted the     
room1 the pastor thought of calling him 
back and giving him a severe reprimand2 
but as he thought of all the misery the 

boy had been through in these many years
 of sickness1 he decided not to do it4  
,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  
first1 but after a careful research of  
the ,bible ,i found them fully          
substantiated and to be the real        
meaning2 besides some of his            
explanations are very plain and prove   
his assertions4 ,to think he got his    
information out of the ,christian       
,science text book ',science and        
,health1' with key to the scriptures1   
which nearly every clergyman and        
professors of all kinds have been       
ridiculing for the last thirty-five or  
forty years6 ,was there really something
 to ,christian ,science8 ,of course not2
 if there had been1 all these learned   
men who had investigated it would not   
have denounced it4 ,but maybe they were 
like me1 so prejudiced that they        

denounced it without investigating4 ,i  
even preached a sermon opposing it1     
simply because some one else said it was
 heretical1 and as like as not this     
person never investigated it any more   
than ,i did1 but denounced it because   
some one spoke ill of it to him4 ,now   
that ,i think of it1 it was not a very  
,christian-like act to preach a sermon  
condemning something ,i have never      
looked into4 ,maybe that is what is the 
matter with us all2 it is the same as   
sentencing a man without a hearing4 ,i  
believe ,i will investigate this thing a
 little4 ,i'll go over and have a talk  
with ,parson ,jones2 he is considered a 
very well educated and broad-minded man2
 perhaps ,walter was right when he      
accused me of being unreasonable2 it    
certainly cannot do any harm to         
investigate4 ,if there is nothing in it1
 ,i can tell the boy so1 and if there   
is1 it would be wrong not to try it for 
my wife's illness4 ,let me see1 what did
 ,walter say about its not being the    

work of the devil8 ,he said the devil1  
or evil1 could not or would not do good4
 ,this seems reasonable1 and it surely  
would be doing good to heal any one of  
sickness4 ,the ,bible says ,jesus       
,christ went about doing good1 and this 
good that is spoken of was healing the  
sick and preaching the gospel4 ,yes1    
,i'll just go over to ,parson ,jones    
to-morrow morning and have a long talk  
with him on this subject2 now ,i must go
 to bed4     ,,chapter ,,xi  ,,false    
,,investigation   ,the next morning     
about #i o'clock the ,rev4 ,williams put
 on his coat and hat and said1 ,walter1 
,i am going out calling and will        
probably be gone until lunch time4  ,ten
 minutes later he was seated in an easy 
chair in ,parson ,jones's study4 ,after 
a few commonplace remarks he said1 ,rev4
 ,jones1 ,i came over here to ask your  
advice about something ,i do not seem   
able to satisfy myself on4  ,rev4 ,jones
 was a short1 fleshy man1 with red hair 
and face2 he was noted for being a well 

educated and well read man1 also of     
being very short and sharp in his       
speech1 always speaking directly to the 
point4 ,so he said1 ,well1 what is it8  
,i came to ask you if you know anything 
about this new cult called ,christian   
,science8  ,nothing to it at all4  ,my  
boy1 ,walter1 claims to have been healed
 by reading the text book1 ',science and
 ,health4' ,a book full of rubbish1     
heresy1 and nonsense4  ,the boy is well 
now1 and you know he has always been    
sick since he was a child4  ,reading    
that book didn't heal him4  ,still he   
claims it did1 he stopped taking        
medicine1 began reading the book1 and   
soon we saw he was improving4  ,rest    
assured it wasn't the book4  ,he does   
not claim it was the book1 but the truth
 the book contained that did the work4  
,nonsense6 there is no truth in that    
book4  ,how1 then1 can we account for   
his getting well8  ,probably the after  
effect of the medicine1 or else he only 
believed himself sick4  ,that is just   

what he claims1 that he was only sick in
 belief and not in reality4  ,just as ,i
 thought1 said the ,rev4 ,jones4  ,what 
do you mean1 ,mr4 ,jones8  ,he is       
another one of those simple-minded      
fellows who believed they were sick1 and
 then claim reading that book cured     
them1 said ,rev4 ,jones4  ,but ,i       
employed the best physicians and        
specialists1 and they all agreed that he
 had hereditary consumption and was     
incurable4  ,most of these physicians   
are numbskulls and quacks4  ,do you call
 ,professor ,chas4 ,william ,canterbury 
of the ,university of ,canterbury a     
numbskull or quack8  ,eh1 no1 of course 
not4  ,he examined him thoroughly about 
a year ago and agreed with the diagnosis
 of the other physicians2 furthermore he
 told me the boy could not live more    
than a year1 and it was about this time 
that he began to fail very rapidly1 said
 the ,rev4 ,williams4  ,when did he     
begin to mend8  ,it was just at the time
 when he was failing rapidly that he    

found a copy of ',science and ,health'  
on the street1 and he claims that as    
soon as he began the reading of the book
 he began to get better4  ,this must be 
the work of the devil2 it never was the 
book4 ,you had better be careful1 ,rev4 
,williams1 said the ,rev4 ,jones1 with a
 startled look4 ,so ,i told the boy1 and
 he asked me a question which ,i would  
like to ask you4  ,what is it8  ,do you 
consider it good that my boy is well1   
,rev4 ,jones8  ,why certainly4  ,did you
 ever hear of the devil doing good8     
,no1 said the ,rev4 ,jones1 with a shake
 of his head4  ,then how can you say his
 getting well is the work of the devil  
who never does anything good8  ,rev4    
,jones sat back in his chair with a     
jerk4  ,rev4 ,williams1 do you intend to
 defend this heretical cult8  ,certainly
 not4 ,i merely gave you the answer my  
boy gave me4  ,a very bright answer1    
when you think of it1 said ,rev4 ,jones1
 rather stiffly4  ,especially so1 coming
 from one of those simple-minded fellows

 who only believed they were sick and   
then claimed that book healed them4 ,it 
had nettled the ,rev4 ,williams a little
 to hear his son called simple-minded1  
after the boy had shown that his        
knowledge of the deep things of the     
,bible surpassed his own1 hence his     
reply4  ,well1 all ,i've got to say is  
that there is nothing in ,christian     
,science1 said ,mr4 ,jones1 with a bored
 look on his face4  ,rev4 ,jones1 ,i did
 not come here out of idle curiosity1   
for you well know my wife has been sick 
for years with tuberculosis1 and has    
been gradually failing until at the     
present time she is confined to her bed1
 and our family physician doesn't think 
she will ever get up from it4 ,my son   
claims that ,christian ,science has     
cured him and that it will cure his     
mother if ,i will consent to try it4 ,i 
told him ,i would not1 and he said      
forever hereafter he would blame my     
unreasonable prejudice for his mother's 
death1 and knowing you to be a very well

 read man1 ,i came to you for advice4   
,i have given you my opinion of it4  ,on
 what do you base your opinion8  ,on    
what ,i have heard and read about it4   
,did you ever investigate it thoroughly1
 ,rev4 ,jones8 ,thoroughly enough to    
convince myself of the fallacy of its   
teachings4  ,did you ever talk to one of
 those practitioners8  ,no4 ,they are a 
lot of hair-brained women and know no   
more than the author of ',science and   
,health1' said the ,rev4 ,jones with a  
contemptuous toss of his head4  ,did you
 ever read what they call their         
textbook1 ',science and ,health8'  ,no1 
my time is too valuable to waste it on  
reading nonsense4  ,how do you know it  
is nonsense8  ,i have heard enough of   
what it contains4  ,can you quote       
something1 ,mr4 ,jones8  ,yes1 here are 
some of the things printed in that book3
  ,there is no death4 ,you haven't a    
body4 ,your stomach can't ache4 ,there  
is no matter4 ,brains can't think4      
,there is no sickness4 ,there is no sin4

 ,there is no evil4 ,all is good1 ,good 
is ,god1 ,god is ,mind1 ,mind is ,god1  
,god is all4 ,he stopped and looked at  
the ,rev4 ,williams1 then continued1    
,all what1 ,i would like to know4  ,are 
you sure the book contains these things8
 ,certainly1 ,i have it from a man who  
bought a book4  ,if the book contains   
such assertions1 it certainly must be   
nonsense4  ,nonsense1 ,i should say so4 
,no one but a demented person would     
write such stuff4  ,i am glad ,i came to
 see you about this thing1 as ,i hardly 
knew what to say to ,walter in reply to 
his accusations of being prejudiced4    
,oh1 it's always well to investigate a  
new thing of this kind before you       
condemn it1 at least that is what ,i    
did4  ,but you say you never read the   
book yourself8  ,no1 ,i never saw the   
book myself1 but my friend ,dr4         
,thompson has one4  ,do you know whether
 he has read it carefully8  ,no1 he     
never read it through1 he intended to1  
but when he saw such assertions as ,i   

quoted to you1 he could see there was   
nothing in it4  ,why1 certainly1 of     
course4 ,you must excuse me1 ,mr4       
,jones1 for acting carefully in this    
matter1 because of the condition of my  
wife4 ,i would do the same if ,i were in
 your place1 but you can rest assured   
there is nothing in it4  ,i suppose not1
 yet ,i wish there was for my wife's    
sake4  ,you wouldn't dare use it if     
there was1 they would cast you from your
 church4  ,but no one need know it1     
,rev4 ,jones4  ,do you think one of     
those female practitioners could keep   
such a good thing8 ,they would be       
pleased beyond measure to be employed by
 a minister1 and would scatter the news 
to the four winds of heaven4  ,i hadn't 
thought of that2 thank you1 ,mr4 ,jones1
 for pointing out to me the danger of   
employing one of those ,christian       
,scientists4 ,i also thank you for      
showing me the nonsense of thinking     
,christian ,science could cure my wife  
of something that the best physicians   

pronounce incurable4 ,i must be going   
now1 as ,i wish to talk it all over with
 my son4 ,good day1 ,rev4 ,jones4  ,good
 bye1 ,rev4 ,williams1 call again4  ,i  
shall be pleased to4  ,the pastor wended
 his way home1 well satisfied with      
himself4 ,walter could not now accuse   
him of being prejudiced1 for he had     
given ,christian ,science an impartial  
investigation1 besides he was           
congratulating himself that he had been 
wise enough to consult with a           
deep-thinking man like ,parson ,jones1  
before employing a practitioner1 for    
that practitioner would have delighted  
in telling it to every person in his    
parish1 and this would have resulted in 
the loss of his position4 ,the parson   
felt he had had a narrow escape from a  
great trouble4  ,as soon as he arrived  
home he called ,walter to the library   
and told him of his visit to ,parson    
,jones1 and also what ,rev4 ,jones had  
said regarding ,christian ,science4     
,walter was somewhat surprised at the   

news1 but after a moment he said1 ,you  
say you have given ,christian ,science  
an impartial investigation8  ,yes1      
,walter1 ,i have2 you see ,i was not as 
prejudiced as you thought4 ,i talked for
 an hour with ,parson ,jones1 and he    
convinced me that it was nothing but a  
lot of rubbish and nonsense4  ,what does
 ,parson ,jones know about it8 ,why1    
,walter1 ,mr4 ,jones is considered the  
best educated man in our city4  ,best   
educated in what8  ,in every thing in   
general4  ,did ,parson ,jones ever study
 ,christian ,science under a qualified  
,christian ,science teacher8  ,no1 ,i   
think not4  ,did he ever study ',science
 and ,health1' the text-book of this    
science8  ,no1 he considered it a waste 
of time4  ,did he ever read ',science   
and ,health'8  ,no4  ,did he ever see   
the book8  ,he said not4  ,then he      
certainly must be a very bright man to  
know what ,christian ,science is4 ,for a
 man that can know all about a science  
of any kind without taking instructions1

 without studying1 without reading1     
without seeing the text-book of that    
science1 is certainly a remarkably wise 
man4  ,but1 ,walter1 he got his         
information in a different way4  ,how   
was that1 father8 ,his friend ,dr4      
,thompson bought a ',science and        
,health' and told him all about it4     
,was ,dr4 ,thompson ever taught         
,christian ,science8  ,no1 ,i guess not4
  ,did he ever study or read ',science  
and ,health'8  ,he intended to read it1 
but when he saw such ridiculous         
assertions in it1 he considered it folly
 to read it1 said the pastor4  ,another 
one of those wise men that know all     
about a science without instruction1    
study1 or reading4  ,what do you mean1  
,walter8  ,father1 if ,dr4 ,thompson had
 told you that he knew all about        
medicine by simply glancing into a      
medical book1 would you believe him8    
,certainly not6  ,and if he had found   
therein some quotations that he did not 
understand1 would you think it strange8 

said ,walter4  ,no4  ,and if he should  
tell you that those quotations which he 
did not understand were rubbish and     
nonsense1 would you consider him a good 
authority8  ,no1 how could he be1       
replied the pastor4  ,then1 why should  
you believe him in regard to ,christian 
,science1 when he confesses that he     
never studied or read the text book of  
this science8  ,but everybody says there
 is nothing to ,christian ,science1 said
 the pastor4  ,so did everybody say the 
earth was flat until it was proven      
round1 replied ,walter4  ,that's the    
point exactly2 none of our learned men  
have been able to prove that the claims 
of ,christian ,science are true1 said   
the pastor quickly4  ,that is because   
they do not go to those who can furnish 
the proof4  ,who can prove it1 ,walter8 
,many thousands of those who were healed
 and the practitioners in particular4   
,parson ,jones said they are a lot of   
hair-brained women4  ,does that make    
them so8 asked the boy4 ,no1 yet he     

ought to know what he is talking about4 
,did ,parson ,jones ever have a talk    
with one of those hair-brained women1 as
 he calls them8  ,no1 ,i don't think he 
did1 but he says he has investigated    
this cult sufficiently to know there is 
nothing in it1 said the pastor1 rather  
quietly4  ,i suppose1 father1 he gave it
 what you call an impartial             
investigation1 and probably went about  
it in the same way you did4 ,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 wrong1 yet he   
professed to know all about it1 and     
advised you to let it alone4 ,now1      
father1 if you wanted advice pertaining 
to a foreign country1 would you go to a 
man who had never been there1 and hadn't
 even read about it1 or would you go to 
some one who had lived there for many   
years8  ,i should certainly go to the   
man who had been there1 said the pastor4
  ,then when you want information       

regarding ,christian ,science1 why don't
 you go to a ,christian ,scientist8 said
 his son4 ,the pastor was silent for a  
moment1 then said1 ,i see what you mean1
 ,walter2 my going to see ,rev4 ,jones  
about ,christian ,science is like going 
to a blacksmith for information         
pertaining to surgery4  ,yes1 father4   
,i guess you are right1 ,walter4 ,i     
believe ,i will go to see a             
practitioner1 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 it4  ,oh6 thank you1 father1 
,i will go now and see if this          
practitioner can come to see you4  ,who 
is this practitioner8  ,mrs4 ,white1 who
 lives down on ,grant ,st42 she promised
 to come any time ,i would ask her to4  
,when ,walter said ,mrs4 ,white1 the    
pastor recalled what ,parson ,jones said
 regarding these lady practitioners     
telling all his parishioners1 and the   
possibility of his losing his position2 
this made him very much afraid1 so he   

said3  ,wait a minute1 ,walter1 let us  
talk this matter over a little before   
you go4 ,had you thought of the position
 it would place me in to have a         
,christian ,science practitioner coming 
to our home every day8 ,and most likely 
she would be delighted to tell all her  
friends that the ,rev4 ,williams of the 
,park ,row ,church had been compelled to
 call her in to treat his wife4  ,no1   
father1 ,i do not think she would say a 
word about it4  ,but some of my         
parishioners might see her coming here  
every day1 and then ,i would be in      
danger of losing my position4  ,father1 
would you let your position stand in the
 way of saving mother's life8  ,the     
pastor did not answer at once1 but was  
thinking deeply2 at length he looked up 
and said1 ,walter1 your persistence has 
won the day4 ,i will at least have a    
talk with this practitioner2 you may    
tell her to come this evening if she    
will1 and ,i will talk with her4  ,oh1  
father1 how happy you have made me4 ,and

 ,i know you will change your opinion of
 this lady practitioner after a few     
minutes' talk with her1 and ,i feel     
confident that through her my mother    
will be made well4  ,i pray ,god it will
 be as you say4  ,several minutes later 
,walter was on his way to the           
practitioner's4 ,in due time he was back
 and told his father she had promised to
 come that evening at #g3cj4            
,,chapter ,,xii  ,a ,,fair              
,,investigation   ,promptly at #g3cj the
 door-bell rang1 and ,walter went to the
 door to welcome the practitioner2 he   
showed her into the parlor and called   
his father4 ,after a formal             
introduction1 the ,rev4 ,williams asked 
both the practitioner and ,walter into  
the library1 the pastor being afraid he 
might have some callers that would know 
the practitioner1 although he did not   
state his reason for going to the       
library4  ,after being comfortably      
seated1 the pastor said1 ,mrs4 ,white1  
,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 son4 
,mr4 ,williams1 said the lady1 ,i don't 
believe you could be any more prejudiced
 than ,i was1 and ,i only consented to  
try it after every other means had      
failed to cure me1 and as ,i was not    
made well after one week's treatment ,i 
became skeptical1 and wanted to stop    
taking treatment4 ,but my husband said1 
',let us give it a fair trial1 as there 
is nothing else for you4' ,the fact is  
that nearly everybody is prejudiced     
against ,christian ,science1 and yet    
none of those who are can give you a    
reasonable answer why they are1 and as a
 rule know nothing at all about it4 ,so 
it does not seem strange to me to find  
you in this frame of mind4  ,i suppose  
my son has told you he found a ',science
 and ,health' and that he believes      
reading it has cured him4  ,yes1 he told

 me1 but you make a mistake when you say
 he believes reading the book cured him2
 he doesn't believe it1 he knows it4    
,why do you say he knows it1 ,mrs4      
,white8  ,because if he did not know or 
understand the truth that ',science and 
,health' contains1 he would not now be  
well1 for these are the signs following1
 spoken of by ,jesus ,christ4  ,excuse  
me1 ,mrs4 ,white1 but ,i don't seem to  
catch your meaning2 what signs follow   
the reading of ',science and ,health'8  
,simply reading ',science and ,health'  
will not help us1 although it is a step 
in the right direction4 ,it is when we  
understand the truth contained therein  
that the signs follow4 ,jesus ,christ   
said1 ',these signs shall follow them   
that believe1 they shall lay hands on   
the sick and they shall be healed1 and  
if they drink any deadly thing1 it shall
 not hurt them4' ,if we use the word    
'understand'1 instead of 'believe'1 we  
get a clearer view of what ,christ meant
 when he said1 ',these signs shall      

follow them that understand4' ,and as   
the same truth that ,jesus ,christ      
taught is contained in this book1 the   
understanding of it must be followed by 
the same signs4  ,but ,i am not willing 
as yet to concede that this book does   
contain the ,christ ,truth1 said the    
pastor4  ,mr4 ,williams1 when you were  
attending school1 suppose the teacher   
had given you a mathematical problem to 
solve1 and had said1 ',you will find the
 rule by which this example can be      
worked on page #aje1 and the correct    
answer is #ah4' ,you would have looked  
up the rule and started to work the     
example4 ,if when you were done the     
answer you got was #ah1 you would know  
at once that you understood the rule1   
and had applied it correctly4           
,thereafter you would not merely believe
 that you knew the rule1 but you would  
know that you understood it4 ,so it is  
with the sick2 take your son's case1 for
 instance2 he found a ',science and     
,health1' began to read and study it2 in

 it is printed the rule of health4      
,after a little study he understood this
 rule4 ,he then applied it correctly and
 got the answer1 health1 and this is    
sufficient proof to him that the        
scientific method of healing the sick as
 ,jesus ,christ did1 is contained in    
this book1 and no amount of argument to 
the contrary can ever convince him that 
it is not true1 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 answer4     
,correct answers are the signs          
following1 or proofs of understanding1  
of any science4  ,then it is not ,god   
that does the healing1 but the correct  
application of a rule1 said the pastor  
quickly4  ,oh1 yes1 it is ,god that     
heals the sick2 for instance1 when you  
were working the problem mentioned      
above1 you found the rule on the page   
indicated by the teacher1 but the rule  
did not do your problem1 neither did the

 mere application of the rule do it1 but
 it was your intelligence1 or mind1 that
 directed the correct application of the
 rule that solved the problem2 so to    
,mind must be given the credit of the   
solution1 for the rule could not do     
anything without ,mind to direct the    
application4 ,and so it is with the rule
 of health2 it is in ',science and      
,health1' but to be benefited thereby it
 must be correctly applied by the       
intelligence of man1 which is his mind4 
,but this statement contradicts your    
first statement4  ,in what way1 ,mr4    
,williams8  ,in the first instance1 you 
said it was ,god that did the healing1  
and now you say it is the intelligence  
of man1 or mind4  ,mr4 ,williams1 do you
 believe ,god is all intelligence8      
,yes1 certainly4  ,then ,he must be the 
intelligence of man1 or his mind1       
otherwise ,god would not be all         
intelligence4 ,the pastor sat perfectly 
still1 fully absorbed with his own      
thoughts4 ,mrs4 ,white waited a few     

moments1 then continued3 ,what ,i have  
said in regard to applying the rule is  
in full accord with the teachings of    
,jesus ,christ wherein ,he demonstrated 
the necessity of us working out our own 
salvation4  ,mrs4 ,white1 you say that  
,god is the intelligence of man1 or his 
mind4  ,yes1 for ,god is all            
intelligence4  ,you also say that ,god  
is good only4  ,yes1 ,god is all ,good4 
,then according to this theory that ,god
 is all intelligence1 you must admit    
that ,he is also the bad or evil        
intelligence found in some men1 and if  
this be true1 you could hardly claim    
that ,he is all good1 for one statement 
would contradict the other1 slowly said 
the pastor4  ,you have made a mistake in
 your reasoning1 ,mr4 ,williams4 ,a bad 
intelligence is not intelligence1 but a 
lack of intelligence1 or                
non-intelligence2 in other words1       
ignorance1 and ignorance has no place in
 the realm of intelligence1 for         
ignorance is evil1 and intelligence is  

good1 said the practitioner4 ,your      
explanation sounds very reasonable1 but 
,i am not yet willing to agree with you2
 it may be because ,i do not fully      
understand1 answered the pastor4  ,i do 
not think it possible for man to fully  
comprehend any science in a few moments1
 and this science is the science of     
sciences4  ,am ,i to understand that    
evil and ignorance have no place in the 
universe2 in other words1 are not real8 
asked the pastor4  ,yes1 the good alone 
is real4 ,it is only through ignorance  
of the truth that evil seems real1 or   
has place or power4  ,but we see evil   
all about us1 said the pastor4  ,this   
seems so1 but it is only a              
misapprehension of the truth1 for evil  
is not real1 has no entity or principle1
 ,god 7,good7 never made it1 said the   
practitioner4  ,but if it is not real1  
and ,god did not make it1 where did it  
come from8 asked the pastor4  ,mrs4     
,white's face broadened into a smile1   
and then she said1 ,mr4 ,williams1 ,i   

think ,i will tell you a little story   
that ,i wrote to one of my patients who 
was suffering from a claim of           
indigestion4 ,she insisted that evil was
 real1 and offered up the evidence of   
her indigestion as proof thereof4 ,this 
little story came to me as ,i was       
thinking of her case4 ,it may enlighten 
you on the origin of evil as it did her4
 ,now for the story4     ,,chapter      
,,xiii  ,,the ,,unreality ,,of ,,evil   
,once upon a time long1 long ago1 there 
was a great and good king1 who lived in 
a country where everything was good4 ,he
 had thousands of subjects under him1   
and these subjects were all good4 ,this 
was because the king was good and the   
people strove to be like him4 ,but one  
day one of his people imagined she saw  
an evil thing or devil1 and became      
greatly alarmed thereat4 ,she hurried   
home and told her husband what she had  
seen1 and he believed her story about   
this evil1 or devil 7that never had any 
existence1 only in the imagination of   

this woman74 ,and because of her great  
fear of it this woman kept thinking of  
this evil constantly1 until at last it  
seemed very real to her1 and after a    
time she imagined this evil1 or devil1  
had entered her body and was stopping   
her stomach from digesting its food4    
,she also told this to her husband1 and 
he became afraid of this myth1 and told 
his friends that an evil1 or devil1 had 
entered the body of his wife4 ,his      
friends began to talk about this evil1  
or devil1 wondering what it might be4   
,at length1 after discussing it for some
 time1 they decided they didn't know    
what this evil was1 but that it ought to
 be given a name1 so called it          
indigestion1 because it had stopped the 
woman's stomach from digesting her food4
 ,in this way this imaginary thing      
became real enough to have a name4      
,after the people had given this evil1  
or devil1 a name1 they all began to make
 suggestions of how best to get rid of  
him4 ,one suggested that a plate be made

 hot and applied to the stomach4 ,this1 
he thought1 would make it so            
uncomfortable for the devil that he     
would leave4 ,another suggested that the
 woman take a strong dose of peppermint 
and burn the devil2 another suggested   
that they manipulate the stomach1 i4 e41
 pull and haul and pound it1 hoping in  
this way to kill him2 another said1 let 
us attach an electric battery and shock 
the devil4 ,another said he believed    
that devils had an aversion for blue    
lights1 and thought that if they would  
let a blue light shine on him1 he would 
leave4 ,another said1 give the woman a  
bath of mud1 let her be covered all over
 with soft mud1 and this will smother   
the devil4 ,still another suggested that
 the woman be sent away from home to    
another climate1 he thinking the devil  
might not like the change1 and so leave 
the woman4 ,hundreds of other           
suggestions were offered and tried1 but 
none of them succeeded in driving this  
devil out of the woman4 ,and now1 after 

several thousands of years1 the people  
are still offering advice to this woman1
 but with no better success4 ,the simple
 reason why all these things did not    
succeed in driving out this evil1 or    
devil1 is that in reality there wasn't  
any devil to drive out1 as it was only  
an imaginary thing and had no existence1
 only as an illusion in the mind of the 
woman4 ,about #b1jjj years ago1 there   
lived a man who was intelligent enough  
to understand what the trouble was4 ,he 
said that there were not any evils1 or  
devils1 and that ,god1 or the ,creative 
,principle1 was good only1 and that evil
 was a lie1 or delusion1 and proved ,his
 words by ,his works4 ,this enraged the 
wise men of ,his time very much1 for    
they had been teaching the people that  
evil was real1 and that in many         
instances ,god put evil upon ,his       
children to make them good4 ,these wise 
men were sore afraid that the people    
would believe what this good man was    
teaching and denounce their teaching4   

,so they conspired together and had ,him
 crucified1 and still continued their   
teaching that evil was as real as good4 
,about forty years ago1 a woman1        
intelligent and good1 became conscious  
of the unreality of evil1 and after a   
careful study of the life of this man   
who was crucified1 she discovered that  
all this good man had said and taught   
regarding the unreality of evil1 was the
 truth4 ,she wrote a book explaining    
this great fact1 and said1 ',if the     
people would study this book1 they could
 prove for themselves that there weren't
 any evils1 or devils4' ,as in the time 
of the good man that was crucified1 so  
in her time1 the wise men were teaching 
the people that evil was real1 and as   
the teachings of this woman were        
contrary to their teachings1 they became
 enraged2 and if it had been customary  
to crucify people in her time1 she would
 have been crucified4 ,since that book  
was written1 many thousands of people   
who imagined they had evils or were     

possessed with devils1 have1 by reading 
and studying this book1 discovered that 
all of the evils1 or devils of the past 
and present were imaginary1 and seemed  
real1 because we feared them4 ,this book
 also teaches that the only way to get  
rid of these imaginations1 or false     
beliefs1 is to use our ,god-given       
intelligence and reason rightly1 and    
then we would discover the nothingness  
of these evils1 or devils1 and our fear 
of them would depart1 likewise the      
evils1 or devils1 no matter under       
whatever name they might be             
masquerading1 as it was only our        
ignorance of the true facts1 coupled    
with our fear1 that made them seem real4
 ,so with this woman1 who imagined she  
saw an evil1 or devil2 if she had not   
feared it1 she would have investigated  
and consequently have discovered its    
unreality4  ,as ,mrs4 ,white finished   
her story1 she looked at ,walter1 and by
 the way he nodded his head she was sure
 he had grasped the truth of her story4 

,then1 glancing at the pastor1 she said1
 ,mr4 ,williams1 does that answer your  
question1 as to the unreality and origin
 of evil8  ,mrs4 ,white1 said the pastor
 nervously1 ,that story answers my      
questions so fully that ,i haven't any  
foundation to stand on1 and as ,i have  
been preaching the reality of evil these
 many years ,i am at a loss to know what
 to say or do4  ,do not worry or get    
excited1 ,mr4 ,williams1 ,every person  
is more or less confused as his old     
idols and gods are destroyed1 but fear  
not1 for out of this destruction will   
rise an intelligent temple with ,god1   
,good1 the ruler thereof4  ,but ,i am at
 a loss what to do4 ,i have discovered  
the fact that ,i was mistaught in regard
 to the reality of evil1 and now ,i fear
 that all the rest of my teachings may  
be at fault and ,i cannot               
conscientiously preach what is false1 as
 ,god knows ,i would not wilfully       
mislead my fellow-man4 ,i am afraid ,i  
will be compelled to give up my position

 at once1 and feel ,i am not fitted to  
do anything else4 ,he then glanced at   
the practitioner and said1 ,mrs4 ,white1
 can you offer me any advice8  ,yes1    
first of all1 remember that there is    
room in ,god's kingdom for all ,his     
children4 ,second1 remember that your   
real source of supply is not your       
church1 but ,god2 trust in ,him fully1  
and your every need will be supplied4   
,third1 ,i would advise you not to give 
up your position on the spur of the     
moment2 take time to consider1 study    
',science and ,health1' and see if it is
 what you want4 ,if it is1 you can then 
send in your resignation4 ,if not1 no   
one need be the wiser that you have been
 studying the book4  ,but ,i cannot     
conscientiously preach one thing and    
believe another4  ,then1 ,mr4 ,williams1
 ,i would suggest that you ask for a    
vacation for six months1 as ,i          
understand from what your son told me1  
that it has been a long time since you  
have taken one1 and by the time six     

months have passed you will know what is
 best for you to do4  ,mrs4 ,white1 ,i  
would be pleased to take your advice1   
but ,i haven't enough money to carry me 
for six months without a salary4  ,god  
is your supply1 trust ,him fully1 said  
,mrs4 ,white4  ,father1 have no fear1   
,god is all good1 all love1 and ,i know 
,he will not see us want1 if we will    
only trust ,him4  ,walter1 my son1 ,i   
will take your advice and trust it all  
to ,god4 ,then1 after a moment1 he      
looked at ,mrs4 ,white and said1 ,now1  
,mrs4 ,white1 let us talk of my dear    
wife's illness2 ,i suppose ,walter told 
you she has been suffering from         
tuberculosis of the lungs for many      
years4 ,do you think she can be healed8 
,mr4 ,williams1 do you think an         
all-powerful ,god could heal her8 ,for  
it is not myself that does the healing1 
but ,god4  ,yes1 ,i know that ,god can  
heal her if ,he will4  ,have you ever   
asked ,him to8  ,many hundreds of times 
have ,i asked1 prayed1 begged1 and      

beseeched ,him4  ,what did you expect to
 accomplish by your begging and         
beseeching8  ,i do not understand what  
you mean1 ,mrs4 ,white4  ,did you think 
you could influence a good and just ,god
 by your begging and beseeching1 to be  
more than good and just8  ,oh1 ,i did   
not wish to influence ,god1 said the    
pastor4  ,then what did you expect to   
accomplish by begging and beseeching8   
,as the pastor did not answer1 ,mrs4    
,white continued3  ,a good and just ,god
 could not be less than good and just1  
and if this be true1 what could we      
expect to accomplish by begging and     
beseeching8 ,mr4 ,williams1 the reason  
your prayers have not been answered1 is 
that you don't know how to pray aright1 
besides you have been praying to a false
 god1 an idol of your own making4  ,the 
pastor's back stiffened up perceptibly1 
as he said rather cooly1 ,mrs4 ,white1  
don't you think your accusations are a  
little unjust8 ,you must remember ,i am 
an ordained minister4  ,mr4 ,williams1  

don't think ,i am alluding only to you2 
almost the whole human race has made the
 same mistake4 ,i am free to confess    
that ,i did not know how to pray aright 
until after ,i had studied ',science and
 ,health4' ,if you will allow me1 ,i    
will try to prove my assertions4        
,please proceed4  ,mr4 ,williams1 when  
you pray1 do you or do you not have a   
mental picture of your god in mind8     
,yes1 most generally ,i do4 ,will you   
please describe this mental picture8    
asked ,mrs4 ,white4  ,when ,i close my  
eyes in prayer1 ,i usually see the      
spirit of ,god as though ,he was        
appearing through the clouds1 said the  
pastor4  ,does this spirit of ,god1 as  
you call it1 have a human face8  ,yes1  
,mrs4 ,white1 a face that is radiant    
with goodness and love4  ,mr4 ,williams1
 don't you see that this is a god of    
your own making1 an imaginary creature  
of your own mind8  ,i don't quite       
understand1 said the pastor1 somewhat   
confused4  ,when you close your eyes to 

pray1 you imagine you see the face of a 
man1 appearing through the clouds4 ,you 
know this is not real1 but the face     
appears only in your imagination1 and   
when your congregation close their eyes1
 they each have an imaginary picture of 
some kind before them1 or else a void1  
and if you were to compare notes1 you   
would find no two persons to have the   
same picture or idol4 ,are there so many
 gods as that8 ,if not1 which one of the
 congregation has the right one8 ,the   
fact is1 most people pray to a god of   
their own making1 a man-made god1 a     
thing that does not exist1 except in    
their own imagination1 and then wonder  
why their prayers are not answered4     
,have ,i proven my assertion1 ,mr4      
,williams8  ,yes1 ,mrs4 ,white1 you     
have1 but you have also robbed me of my 
,god1 and now ,i am entirely at a loss4 
,better no god at all than a false one1 
said ,mrs4 ,white4  ,that may be true1  
,mrs4 ,white1 but you do not wish to    
intimate that there is no ,god8  ,most  

assuredly not1 have ,i not told you that
 ,god heals the sick1 that ,god is      
,good1 that ,god is ,mind8 ,if ,i have  
robbed you of your false god1 ,i have   
done a good work1 for then you are ready
 to seek the true ,god4 ,i recommend    
that you carefully study ',science and  
,health4' ,in it ,i found who and what  
the true ,god is4 ,if you will read this
 book1 in connection with the ,bible1   
you will find that it will unlock the   
mysteries of the ,bible1 and you will   
come into possession of that peace that 
passeth all understanding4 ,i shall     
certainly do as you suggest1 ,mrs4      
,white2 for ,i have determined to find  
the true ,god4  ,now1 ,mr4 ,williams1 do
 you wish me to give your wife          
treatment8  ,yes1 ,i have determined to 
give ,christian ,science a fair trial4  
,as it is getting rather late1 ,i will  
not see your wife to-night1 but will    
treat her absently as soon as ,i get    
home4 ,i would also suggest that you    
acquaint her with the fact that ,i will 

see her tomorrow evening4  ,but ,i have 
not asked her whether she is willing to 
take science treatment1 said the pastor4
  ,father1 that has all been arranged1  
as ,i have asked her2 all that mother   
wanted was your sanction4 ,otherwise she
 would not take the treatment1 and ,i   
had acquainted ,mrs4 ,white with the    
facts before she came4  ,i am pleased to
 hear that your mother is willing to try
 these treatments1 as we have tried     
everything else1 and now this is our    
last and only hope4  ,when it should    
have been your first2 yet that is the   
way of mortals1 they try everything else
 first and ,god last1 nevertheless ,god 
is ever ready to help man when man turns
 to ,him1 no matter what has gone       
before1 said the practitioner4  ,mrs4   
,white1 your words give me great hope1  
yet my wife's case seems hopeless4  ,mr4
 ,williams1 why should you think it     
strange that a good1 and loving1 and    
all-powerful ,father should be ever     
ready to help ,his children8  ,i know   

not1 unless it is because ,he did not   
answer my prayers1 and this may have    
weakened my faith1 meekly said the      
pastor4  ,but you did not pray to an    
all-good1 loving1 and all-powerful ,god1
 or you would surely have been answered2
 you were praying to a false god1 even  
one of your own making4  ,yes1 ,i know  
now that there was something wrong1 and 
,i supposed it was because ,god did not 
wish to help2 but you have shown me that
 the fault was not with ,god1 but with  
myself4  ,well1 ,mr4 ,williams1 ,i am   
glad that the light of understanding is 
coming to your consciousness1 and now ,i
 must be going4 ,i have no special      
directions to give you regarding your   
wife except that ,i don't want you or   
,walter to tell a single person that    
your wife is receiving ,christian       
,science treatment1 and you may rest    
assured that ,i shall not tell any one4 
,the pastor was very much relieved to   
hear ,mrs4 ,white say she would tell no 
one1 and supposing she did not wish to  

jeopardize his position as minister1 he 
said1 ,i thank you very much1 ,mrs4     
,white1 for being so solicitous of my   
position4  ,mrs4 ,white's answer rather 
surprised him4 ,she said3 ,when ,i told 
you to tell no one1 ,i did not have you 
or your position in thought1 ,i was     
simply thinking of the welfare of your  
wife4 ,now good-night1 and you may      
expect me at the same hour to-morrow    
evening4  ,the pastor and his son bade  
her a hearty goodnight1 then returned to
 the library4 ,as soon as they arrived  
there the pastor turned to his son and  
said1 ,walter1 what other reason could  
,mrs4 ,white have in bidding us say     
nothing of the treatments1 excepting my 
position8  ,father1 ,i do not fully     
understand why this is done1 but ,i have
 heard that they request this in all    
cases4 ,i think it is for the same      
reason that ,jesus ,christ told them ,he
 healed1 to go and tell no man4  ,the   
pastor looked at his son and said1 ,it  
may be for the same reason1 although    

both are a mystery to me1 at any rate   
this disproves the assertion the ,rev4  
,jones made in regard to these lady     
practitioners being pleased to tell     
their business to everybody4 ,why1 any  
one could be healed by ,christian       
,science and no one be the wiser4 ,i    
wonder if this does not account for the 
mysterious recovery of ,mr4 ,anderson4  
,you remember the paper stated that he  
was given up by the physicians1 and that
 he could not live more than twenty-four
 to thirty-six hours2 then to the       
surprise of everybody he began to mend  
rapidly1 and in six week's time no one  
would think that he ever had a sick day 
in his life4 ,and ever since he has been
 attending to his business1 and every   
time ,i meet him he seems running over  
with happiness1 joy1 and good health4   
,father1 wasn't he supposed to be       
suffering from a very severe case of    
,blight's disease8  ,yes1 he had a      
consultation of three of our best       
physicians1 and they pronounced it      

,bright's disease4  ,if it really was   
,christian ,science that healed him1 ,i 
am sure it will heal mother4  ,yes1 son1
 ,i think so too1 ,i believe ,i will ask
 ,mr4 ,anderson what healed him1 for if 
it was ,christian ,science1 it will give
 me more confidence4  ,now please bring 
me this science book you found1 as ,i   
would like to see it4  ,i will get it at
 once1 father1 said the delighted boy1  
for he felt sure that if his father ever
 started to read it1 he would never     
leave it until he had discovered the    
great truth the book contained4  ,in a  
few moments he was back and handed the  
book to his father1 who said1 ,walter1  
,i wish you would call in to see your   
mother and acquaint her with what has   
been done2 then you had better retire1  
as ,i may spend some time with this     
book4  ,all right1 father4 ,good-night4 
,good-night1 ,walter1 said the pastor1  
as he assumed an easy position in his   
large armchair4  ,walter went to his    
mother's room and1 finding her awake1   

told her all about the visit of the     
practitioner1 and also some of the      
things she had said1 and that she was   
coming to see her the next evening4 ,he 
then bade her a cheerful good-night and 
retired to his own room1 a very happy   
and well satisfied boy4  ,his father    
continued his reading until long after  
midnight1 and as he closed the book he  
said aloud1 ,it truly is a wonderful    
book1 but ,i cannot agree with all that 
it contains1 although this may be       
because ,i do not fully understand4 ,he 
then wended his way to his wife's       
bedchamber1 and looking in1 found her   
sleeping peacefully2 then he murmured3  
,i must trust ,god fully1 for no one    
else can help her4     ,,chapter ,,xiv  
,,the ,,dream   ,the next evening at the
 appointed hour ,mrs4 ,white made her   
appearance1 and after a few casual      
remarks1 requested to be taken to ,mrs4 
,williams4 ,the pastor introduced her to
 his wife4  ,the practitioner1 after    
explaining her purpose in calling1      

kindly requested the pastor to leave the
 room as she wished to be alone with her
 patient4  ,as soon as the pastor had   
left the room1 ,mrs4 ,white turned to   
her patient and said in a voice full of 
affection and love3 ,be not afraid1     
,mrs4 ,williams1 ,god is an ever-present
 help in time of trouble1 therefore ,i  
bid you hope4  ,some of the languid and 
discouraged look that had been on ,mrs4 
,williams's face seemed to fade away as 
she said1 ,you bid me hope1 when all the
 rest of the world and my physicians    
have told me my case is hopeless8       
,surely you do not believe ,i can be    
healed4  ,mrs4 ,williams1 ,i not only   
believe1 but ,i know you can be healed1 
for nothing is impossible to ,god1 and  
from now on ,he is your physician4 ,do  
not think it is ,i that is going to heal
 you1 but our heavenly ,father4 ',he    
doeth the work4'  ,if ,i could only     
believe1 said the sick woman1 with eyes 
full of tears4  ,mrs4 ,williams1 you can
 at least say the same as the man in the

 ,bible said when ,jesus asked him if he
 believed ,he could heal him2 he said3  
',oh1 ,god1 ,i believe1 help thou mine  
unbelief4' ,and this is what ,i am going
 to do1 ,i am going to help thine       
unbelief1 that is1 cast it out1 and let 
,truth reign in your consciousness4 ,to 
accomplish this you must be obedient2 if
 you have any prejudice1 cast it aside4 
,the word prejudice means to prejudge1  
and very few people are wise enough to  
prejudge even the most simple things of 
life1 and those who do1 are wrong more  
times than they are right4  ,what you   
say is true1 and ,i don't want to be    
prejudiced about anything1 but there has
 been so much said against ,christian   
,science and it has been ridiculed so   
severely that ,i find it hard to have   
any faith in it1 yet ,i am very willing 
to give it a trial4  ,mrs4 ,williams1   
what would you think of a judge or a    
jury that would convict a person solely 
on the evidence of witnesses who were   
opposed to the person on trial1 and     

probably all of the testimony was of    
this type3 7',i heard ,mr4 ,smith say he
 heard the prisoner had done it'78 in   
other words mere gossip2 would you      
consider this justice8 ,yet that is just
 the kind of trial that all prejudiced  
people give ,christian ,science4 ,if    
,christian ,scientists point to the     
great mass of evidence in favor of this 
science1 this evidence is ridiculed and 
denied1 no matter how honest the person 
may be who gave the testimony4  ,your   
contention is true1 ,mrs4 ,white1 ,i did
 prejudge or sentence ,christian        
,science on the testimony of its        
enemies4  ,i am glad to hear you admit  
this1 as it shows me that one obstacle  
to your recovery has been removed1 and  
you will now give ,christian ,science an
 impartial hearing and a fair trial4    
,and now before ,i give you a silent    
treatment1 ,i wish to set your thoughts 
aright about ,god4 ,you may have said   
that it is ,god's will that you are     
suffering1 or that ,he had put this     

thing upon you as a punishment1 either  
for something you1 or some one else1 had
 done4 ,this is a terrible thing to do1 
to accuse your ,maker1 a ,god who is all
 good1 all love1 of such a contemptible 
act as this4 ,no1 ,mrs4 ,williams1 rest 
assured ,god never did such a thing4    
,let us see what the ,bible says on this
 question4 ,in the first place1 it says 
,god made everything good2 do you       
believe that8  ,the sick woman nodded   
her head4  ,next1 it says1 ',and ,god   
saw everything ,he had made and         
pronounced it very good'2 it further    
states that ,god made everything that   
was made2 do you believe this also8     
,yes4  ,you have heard it said that     
,christian ,science claims that sin1    
disease1 and death are not real1 haven't
 you8 asked the practitioner4  ,yes4    
,now let us see if their claims are     
true4 ,you agreed that ,god made        
everything that was made and that it was
 good4 ,now then1 can you in any        
possible way show me wherein this claim 

of sickness of yours is good8 if not1   
then ,god did not make it1 it cannot be 
real1 and it does not exist4  ,but1     
,mrs4 ,white1 ,i have suffered with it  
for years1 and it certainly is real to  
me1 said ,mrs4 ,williams4  ,let me show 
you how real it is1 and what is         
necessary to make it unreal to you4     
,suppose ,i lie down on that couch over 
there1 she said1 pointing to a couch at 
the further side of the room4 ,as ,i    
fall asleep1 the things in the room     
gradually fade from my sight and        
consciousness1 that is1 they become     
unreal to me1 in fact they have no      
existence for me for the time being1 yet
 they are all there4 ,after a little ,i 
begin to dream that ,i am getting ready 
to take a trip to ,europe4 ,i pack my   
trunk1 telephone for the expressman to  
take it to the depot1 ,i dress myself in
 my traveling suit1 get into my         
carriage1 and am driven to the depot4   
,on the way down ,i see some of my      
friends4 ,i bow to them1 and as ,i get  

out of the carriage at the depot ,i find
 my husband and sister there1 to bid me 
,god speed on my journey4 ,i realize    
that my husband came from his place of  
business1 and my sister from a distant  
part of the city4 ,we enter the depot   
chatting gaily4 ,my husband goes to     
inquire about the train4 ,he comes back 
and tells us it is ready1 and we walk   
down a pair of stairs and out into the  
train shed4 ,as we approach the train1  
my husband gets out my ticket1 shows it 
to the porter1 and he says1 ',second car
 to the rear4' ,as we reach the place   
indicated1 my husband shows the ticket  
to another porter who is standing there4
 ,he examines it and says with a wave of
 his hand1 ',right in this car4' ,we    
enter1 and find the number of my berth4 
,my husband puts my traveling bag under 
the seat1 and we all sit there talking  
for some time4 ,we then hear the        
conductor's warning1 ',all aboard4' ,my 
husband and sister both kiss me and     
hurriedly leave the car4 ,a moment later

 ,i see them on the platform4 ,i hear   
the bell on the engine ring1 ,i feel the
 car move1 and wave a last farewell to  
those on the platform as they pass from 
my sight4 ,a little later ,i am out in  
the country4 ,then we dash through a    
village without stopping1 and at length 
we arrive at ,new ,york4 ,i take a      
carriage to be driven to the dock4 ,on  
the way there the horse becomes         
frightened1 runs away1 tips the carriage
 over1 throws me under a rapidly moving 
street car1 which runs over both my     
feet4 ,the ambulance is called4 ,i am   
taken to the hospital4 ,the pain is     
almost unbearable4 ,the physician       
examines my injuries and says he will be
 compelled to amputate both my feet4    
,this seems so terrible to me that the  
shock wakes me up4 ,for a few moments   
after ,i awake1 ,i still feel the pain  
and lie there trembling with fright1 for
 the dream has been so real4 ,yet in    
reality ,i never left the couch1 and    
everything in the room is there just as 

,i left it when ,i went to sleep4 ,it   
was all an illusion1 and the only thing 
necessary to prove it to me was         
something or somebody to awaken me4 ,so 
it is with man4 ,god made him perfect   
and everything good1 and all man needs  
to prove it to himself is to be         
awakened1 that is1 made acquainted with 
the true facts pertaining to life4 ,this
 means man must understand the science  
of being2 then his delusion regarding   
sin1 disease1 and death will be no more 
real than my trip to ,europe with its   
accompanying pain and disasters4  ,i see
 the force of your illustration1 ,mrs4  
,white1 but ,i am sure ,i am not        
dreaming4 ,but you are suffering from a 
delusion1 and a delusion is a dream1 and
 is no more real4 ,if it had been       
possible for some one to tell me while  
,i was on my dream trip1 that it was a  
dream1 ,i would have denied it1 because 
it seemed real to me4 ,so with you1 this
 delusion seems so real you believe it  
to be a reality4 ,nevertheless the facts

 were that ,i was suffering from a      
delusion1 and so are you4 ,so let us    
deny that evil is real1 and we will wake
 up to the truth1 or understanding1 that
 it is not real4 ,now ,i will give you  
your treatment4     ,,chapter ,,xv      
,,truth ,,being ,,manifested   ,the     
treatment over1 ,mrs4 ,white said a few 
more cheerful words to her patient and  
then called the pastor into the room1   
saying to him1 it would be well if he   
would read from ,science and ,health to 
his wife whenever he found time1 which  
he promised to do4  ,a few minutes      
later1 ,mrs4 ,white was on her way home1
 and the pastor and his family were more
 hopeful than they had been for some    
time4 ,walter and his father discussed  
with ,mrs4 ,williams the happenings of  
the evening1 and it was quite late      
before they all retired for the night4  
,mrs4 ,white came regularly every       
evening for about a week1 and as her    
patient began slowly to mend she came   
only every other evening4 ,the ,rev4    

,williams and also ,walter read to the  
sick woman every day1 and by the end of 
the month ,mrs4 ,williams began to stay 
up several hours each day4 ,she also was
 an eager reader and student of ,science
 and ,health4 ,many were the pleasant   
evenings spent by them in explanation   
and discussion of what they were        
reading4  ,true to his word1 the pastor 
decided to trust in ,god for his supply1
 and had asked for a vacation1 which was
 granted him4 ,near the end of the      
second week a letter came2 in it was a  
check from a man whom he had loaned some
 money to1 a long time before4 ,it also 
contained a note explaining that he had 
always intended to pay the debt1 but not
 until recently had his financial       
circumstances permitted it4 ,when the   
pastor saw it1 he said1 ,surely this is 
in return for my trust in ,god1 for ,i  
long ago reckoned this money as lost4   
,at the end of three months1 ,mrs4      
,williams was so far recovered that she 
was able to take care of her household  

duties and the pastor's understanding of
 ,science and ,health had increased to  
such an extent that he felt sure it     
contained the ,christ ,truth1 but he was
 not yet ready to say he would give up  
his position as pastor4 ,walter grasped 
the truth more rapidly than his father1 
and whenever he found him perplexed or  
doubtful he was ever ready to point the 
way4 ,his mother was constantly gaining 
both in health and understanding1 and   
when ,spring came and the end of the    
pastor's six months' vacation drew nigh1
 she was entirely healed4  ,it was at   
this time the pastor told his wife and  
son that he had determined to hand in   
his resignation and leave the ministry4 
,they agreed with him that he could not 
consistently preach the old belief after
 understanding the truth2 and as his    
congregation was very well satisfied    
with the minister who was filling his   
place1 they would not miss him much4  ,a
 few days later he handed in his        
resignation4 ,it was somewhat of a      

surprise to the directors1 and they     
asked him to reconsider2 but when he    
assured them it was final1 they in due  
time accepted it and requested that he  
preach a farewell sermon4 ,at first the 
pastor thought of declining1 but did    
not2 instead1 he told them he would     
consider for a few days4  ,that evening1
 as they were all sitting in the        
library1 he told his wife and son of    
their request1 and said he had not fully
 made up his mind what was best to do4  
,at this point ,walter spoke up and     
said1 with a smile on his face3 ,father1
 do you remember one evening when we    
were having our ,bible lessons you      
promised to preach a sermon on creation8
  ,yes1 son1 ,i remember4  ,why not     
preach that sermon as a farewell1 for ,i
 know you can do so now with            
understanding4  ,the father looked at   
his son1 smiled1 and said3 ,not a bad   
idea2 what do you think of it1 wife8  ,i
 think it would be grand and might be   
the means of showing some poor sufferer 

the truth4 ,how thankful ,i am for this 
truth1 and how ,i wish the whole world  
would know the ,christ ,truth4  ,then it
 is settled1 ,i will tell the directors 
of my decision in the morning2 which he 
did1 also telling them on what subject  
he would preach4     ,,chapter ,,xvi    
,,the ,,farewell ,,sermon   ,the        
appointed ,sunday dawned clear and      
balmy1 and by the time the services     
commenced1 the church was filled to its 
full capacity1 the new minister         
officiating2 and when it came time for  
the sermon1 he announced that the ,rev4 
,williams would preach his farewell     
sermon1 and that the subject would be   
,creation4 ,the pastor slowly arose from
 the seat he had been occupying and     
leisurely walked up to and into the     
pulpit4 ,he slowly allowed his gaze to  
roam over the crowded church1 then began
 his sermon in a clear1 full voice3  ,my
 dearly beloved brethren1 once again1   
after more than six months' vacation1 ,i
 stand before you for the last time as  

pastor4 ,i have been in your midst for  
more than fifteen years1 trying to point
 out to you1 to the best of my ability1 
the way to salvation4 ,in that time ,i  
have made many staunch friends--friends 
to be proud of1 friends that were true1 
friends that were friends in time of    
storm as well as sunshine1 friends that 
have stood the test of time1 and ,i hope
 will stand the test to the end of time1
 for a severe test of their love and    
friendship for me and mine is coming4   
,by this time every eye was fastened on 
him1 and each individual ear was        
strained to catch his every word4  ,the 
,rev4 ,williams now opened the ,bible he
 had carried to the pulpit with him1 and
 said3  ,as has been announced by your  
pastor1 the subject of my sermon is     
',the ,creation4' ,in explanation ,i    
might say that just before1 and during  
the time of my vacation1 ,i was         
carefully studying the ,bible relative  
to this subject1 and ,i discovered the  
fact that during all the time ,i was    

studying for the ministry1 and these    
many years that ,i have been an ordained
 minister1 ,i had not become acquainted 
with the true facts regarding the       
creation of man4 ,it was the discovery  
of this1 with many others ,i have since 
made1 that compelled me to send in my   
resignation1 and in my sermon to-day ,i 
shall endeavor to make plain my         
discovery4 ,i say my discovery1 although
 it was not mine originally1 but        
another's whose illumined spiritual     
sense is as far above mine as the blue  
vaults of heaven are above the earth4 ,i
 will now read to you verses from the   
first and second chapters of ,genesis4  
,no doubt1 you are all more or less     
familiar with them4 ,genesis1 ,chapter  
,i1 #bfth verse1 reads3 ',and ,god said1
 ,let us make man in our image1 after   
our likeness1 and let them have dominion
 over the fish of the sea1 and over the 
fowl of the air1 and over the cattle1   
and over all the earth1 and over every  
creeping thing that creepeth upon the   

earth4' ,chapter #a1 #bgth verse1 reads3
 ',so ,god created man in his own image1
 in the image of ,god created ,he him2  
male and female created ,he them4'      
,chapter #a1 #cast verse1 reads3 ',and  
,god saw everything that ,he had made1  
and behold1 it was very good1 and the   
evening and the morning were the #fth   
day4' ,chapter #b1 #ast verse1 reads3   
',thus the heavens and earth were       
finished1 and all the hosts of them4'   
,chapter #b1 #fth verse1 reads3 ',but   
there went up a mist from the earth1 and
 watered the whole face of the ground4' 
,chapter #b1 #gth verse1 reads3 ',and   
the ,lord ,god formed man of the dust of
 the ground1 and breathed into his      
nostrils the breath of life and man     
became a living soul4'  ,as he finished 
reading this verse1 he laid the ,bible  
down and said1 ,i now wish to call your 
attention to chapter ,i1 #bfth verse4   
,therein is stated that ,god made man in
 ,his image and likeness4 ,chapter ,i1  
#bgth verse1 reiterates this statement  

so as to more fully emphasize this great
 truth4 ,we now come to the question of 
what is ,god4 ,we all agree that ,god is
 ,spirit4 ,if this be true1 then man    
must be spiritual and not material1 else
 he would not be the image and likeness 
of ,god1 ,spirit4 ,in chapter ,i1 #cast 
verse1 we read that ,god saw everything 
,he had made1 and behold1 it was very   
good4 ,now ,i want to ask1 is sin1      
disease1 trouble1 affliction1 or death  
good8 ,it has been said that under      
certain conditions sickness might be    
good4 ,i also thought this at one time1 
but in no way can we conceive of sin as 
being good4 ,then ,god never made sin1  
neither did ,he make disease and death2 
then whence came they8 ,is there an evil
 power that creates these dreaded       
things8 ,if we believe this1 we will    
have two creators1 or gods1 which cannot
 be true4 ,let us see if the ,bible will
 not throw some light on this seeming   
mystery4 ,chapter #b1 #ast verse1 reads3
 ',thus the heavens and earth were      

finished and all the hosts of them4'    
,now this is all of creation1 ,god has  
finished ,his work1 yet in the same     
chapter a little further along we read3 
',but there went up a mist from the     
earth and watered the whole face of the 
ground4' ,in the next verse we read3    
',and the ,lord ,god formed man of the  
dust of the ground and breathed into his
 nostrils the breath of life1 and man   
became a living soul4' ,but ,god had    
finished ,his work some time before1 at 
least so it was stated in some of the   
preceding verses4 ,is there a second    
creation1 or is this simply one of the  
contradictions spoken of by some of our 
,bible critics8 ,we can not conceive of 
an all-knowing ,god having made a       
mistake when ,he created man spiritually
 in ,his image and likeness and then    
later making another man materially from
 dust4  ,i wish to call your attention  
to the fact that the ,bible does not    
state that this dust man is made in the 
image and likeness of ,god1 in fact it  

does not state that he was made at all1 
it simply says3 ',and the ,lord ,god    
formed man of the dust of the ground4'  
,then this dust man at best was only    
formed and never made4 ,neither does it 
state that ,god had anything to do with 
the forming of this dust man1 as it does
 of the spiritual man made in ,his image
 and likeness1 but states the ,lord ,god
 formed him4  ,nowhere in the first     
chapter of ,genesis1 which is the true  
or spiritual creation1 does the ,lord   
,god create anything2 it is only after  
that mist 7spoken of in the #fth verse  
of chapter two7 arose from the earth    
that the ,lord ,god formed the dust or  
material man1 or anything else4 ,then   
the mystery of this seeming second      
creator1 the ,lord ,god1 and his        
creation or forming of this dust or     
material man and material world must lie
 within this mist1 and it does2 this    
mist that arose was simply a            
misapprehension that arose amongst the  
people1 wherein they believed themselves

 to be formed of dust or materially1    
whereas in truth they were created      
spiritually4 ,and this ,lord ,god spoken
 of that formed the dust man is not the 
real creator1 the true ,god1 but is man 
himself1 who1 through his own false idea
 or belief1 formed man of dust1 in other
 words1 by his misapprehension of his   
true nature1 man thinks himself         
material1 when1 in reality1 he is       
spiritual1 and it is through this       
mistake that all this evil or           
materiality seems to exist4 ,but it is  
no more real than the dust man1 and gets
 its seeming reality in the same way    
through a delusion or misapprehension of
 the truth4 ,the proof that evil is not 
real1 does not exist1 and was never     
made1 is contained in the ,bible4       
,genesis #a1 #cast verse1 is this proof2
 it reads3 ',and ,god saw everything    
that ,he had made1 and behold1 it was   
very good1 and the evening and the      
morning were the #fth day4' ,i wish you 
to note that this verse says everything2

 this includes all4 ,then everything    
that really exists is good1 it cannot be
 otherwise4 ,our ,god1 our ,creator1    
could not make both good and evil1 else 
,he would not be perfect1 for evil is an
 imperfection and an imperfection can   
have no principle1 hence no reality4    
,evil has the same reality that a lie   
has4 ,what becomes of a lie when the    
truth is declared8 ,it ceases to exist2 
so with evil2 it being unreal1 it ceases
 to exist1 when ,good is declared4      
,now1 ,beloved1 ,i will quote you the   
greatest command given to man by ,jesus 
,christ3 ,thou shalt love the ,lord thy 
,god with all thy heart1 and with all   
thy soul1 and with all thy mind4' ,i    
will now give you my interpretation of  
this great commandment3 ,thou shalt love
 the ,good1 thy ,god1 with all thy love1
 and with all thy intelligence1 and with
 all thy thoughts4 ,oh1 if we could only
 do this1 there surely would be no evil4
 ,do we obey this greatest command of   
our ,master8 ,no4 ,for instead of loving

 ,god1 we fear ,him1 and lay every evil 
that befalls us at ,his door4 ,if there 
be a cyclone1 a flood1 a cloudburst1 a  
railroad disaster1 a conflagration1 an  
earthquake1 an epidemic1 we say it is   
the will of ,god4 ,oftentimes we labor  
long and faithfully to accomplish a     
desired result1 and just as we think we 
have success in our hands1 we fail1 and 
all our hopes and desires are destroyed2
 again we say1 it is the will of ,god4  
,if we see any of our brethren sick1 we 
claim it to be the will of ,god4 ,if we 
see the father of a family taken away1  
we bow our heads and say ,god's will be 
done4 ,if we see a family of children   
left motherless1 again we bow our heads 
and say ,god's will be done4 ,if we see 
a beautiful infant snatched by death    
from the breast of it's heart-broken    
mother1 we meekly bow again1 and1 with  
heart full of sorrow1 say1 it's the will
 of ,god4 ,i tell you it is not the will
 of ,god1 the will of ,good4 ,there is  
no good in it1 hence not of ,god's      

making1 but is the work of evil1 or     
devil1 in other words1 the work of a    
delusion1 the believing of a lie4 ,and  
when we stand meekly by and see evil    
destroy our health1 our hopes1 our      
happiness1 our homes1 without a protest1
 we are abetting the devil in his work4 
,the ,bible says ,god gave man dominion 
over all the earth1 so rise in the might
 of your intelligence1 your ,mind1 and  
destroy this evil1 this illusion1 this  
lie1 with the sword of truth1 in        
,christ's name4 ,god1 ,good1 is with you
 in this work1 and with ,him for you1   
who can stand against you8 ,too long has
 man been robbed by evil in the name of 
good4 ,jesus ,christ said3 ',ye shall   
know the truth1 and the truth shall make
 you free4' ,this truth has been        
revealed and is in our midst2 'seek and 
ye shall find4' ,st4 ,john1 the most    
beloved disciple1 said3 ',god is ,love4'
 ,can you believe a father who is ,love 
would destroy the hopes of ,his         
children1 make them suffer through      

accident1 sickness1 and poverty1 and    
after three score and ten years let them
 die1 in other words1 kill them8 ,even  
the lowest of earthly fathers would not 
do this4 ,jesus ,christ said3 ,the last 
enemy to overcome is death4' ,this      
surely does not mean that we must submit
 to death1 but the opposite1 or overcome
 death4 ,christ's bidding us to overcome
 death shows that death is an evil4     
,then all things that are allies of     
death1 such as sickness1 poverty1       
accidents and the like1 must be         
overcome1 and when we have overcome all 
these things there will be no death to  
overcome2 therefore ,i bid you awake    
from this delusion1 this dream of life  
in matter1 to the truth of life in      
,mind1 in ,god4 ,simply believing in    
,god is not enough1 you must know ,god4 
,again ,i say1 awake and work out your  
own salvation1 as ,st4 ,paul said you   
must2 salvation1 is not believing1 but  
knowing4 ,in the words of one of the    
prophets1 acquaint thyself with ,god and

 be at peace4 ,search the ,scriptures1  
they contain the truth of life4 ,use    
your reasoning power1 and do your own   
thinking-for the kingdom of heaven is at
 hand4 ,christ is risen and is knocking 
at your door1 let ,him in1 and ,he will 
show you the way out of trouble1 sin1   
disease1 and how to conquer death4      
,now1 ,beloved1 in conclusion1 ,i would 
like to call your attention to my       
family1 as you all know my son ,walter  
was a sufferer for years from a disease 
that materia medica says is incurable2  
you now see him in your midst1 a well   
and strong young man4 ,i had long ago   
come to the conclusion that it was the  
will of ,god that he was sick1 but      
through his own realization of the great
 truth that ,god made only the good1 he 
was healed--in a like manner his mother1
 my wife1 was healed of the same dread  
disease by one who knew that the good   
only was real1 and proved it by         
destroying this seeming evil1 which to  
us is known as tuberculosis4 ,my wife is

 also in your midst1 hale and hearty1 as
 proof of my statement4 ,and as ,i have 
also acquired this understanding of     
,god1 ,i cannot consistently preach the 
gospel in the old way1 hence my         
resignation from this church and the    
ministry1 and now ,i must echo the words
 of that great man1 ,martin ,luther3    
',here ,i stand1 ,i can do no otherwise1
 so help me ,god4' ,amen4     ,a        
,,parting ,,word   ,nearly1 all my life 
,i was an inveterate reader of fiction1 
trying in this way to forget my troubles
 and pain1 as many thousands of others  
are doing to-day4 ,during all this time 
there was a book in existence the study 
of which would have banished all my     
misery1 but ,i knew it not4 ,it is with 
the hope that in this way ,i may reach a
 few of these thousands and get them    
interested enough so they will seek the 
truth in the way pointed out herein1    
that this work of fiction is put upon   
the market4 ,seek and ye shall find1 and
 when found1 hold fast that which is    

true and you will come into that peace  
that passeth all understanding4  ,,the  
,,author4