Page:Science and Health.djvu/193

Rh of knowledge enveloping man in darkness disappears, the first appeal will be to reason or philosophy, to plant our next footstep, before we understand the higher and spiritual resources of being; but when this period arrives, and before former things have passed away, the reaction of mind will be fearful. Theology, (I say this not with reference to Christianity,) and materia medica have failed to demonstrate what Jesus taught and demonstrated; and why we have not followed his precepts and example is not so much from lack of desire, or willful disobedience, as lack of understanding.

In earlier periods, even the cross that should symbolize a denial of personal sense, was made an instrument of torture. Error is sometimes deceit; again, it is a misconception of Truth, and the desire to grow better is attended with more sermons and ceremonies than understanding and practice. A clergyman once adopted a diet consisting of bread and water, to increase his spirituality, and continued it six weeks, but finding his health failing, he gave it up, advising others never to try fasting to grow in grace. But we will add a leaf of experience here, showing how personal sense, or belief of any sort, shuts out harmony and science. When quite a child we adopted the Graham system for dyspepsia, ate only bread and vegetables, and drank water, following this diet for years; we became more dyspeptic, however, and, of course, thought we must diet more rigidly; so we partook of but one meal in twenty-four hours, and this consisted of a thin slice of bread, about three inches square, without water; our physician not allowing us with this ample meal, to wet our parched lips for many hours thereafter; whenever we