Page:Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures.djvu/351

Rh Mortal mind sends its despatches over the body, but it is both telegraph-office and wire. Nerves are unable to talk, and matter can return no answer to mind.

When the blood rushes through the veins, or languidly creeps along its frozen channels, we call this condition disease. This is a misconception. Fear is producing the propulsion or the languor; and we prove this to be so when the fear is destroyed, and the circulation returns to that standard which mortal mind has decided upon as essential for health.

Anodynes, counter-irritants, and depiction never reduce inflammation, as will the Truth of Being, whispered into the thoughtful ear. If Christian Healing is abused by a mere smattering of Science, it becomes a shocking bore. It starts a petty cross-fire over every cripple and invalid, sending into him the cold bullet, “Nothing ails you,” instead of cheerfully effecting a cure.

The question is, which is first, mind or pain? If pain is first, what feels it? If mind is first, then mind makes the pain. You say a boil is painful; but that is impossible, for matter without mind is not painful. The boil simply manifests your belief in pain, — inflammation and swelling; and you call this belief a boil.

Heat and cold are products of fear. The body, bereft of mortal mind, at first cools; and afterwards it is resolved into its primitive mortal elements, — dies, as men say. Fear produces animal heat, and expels it through other beliefs, that either cause the abandonment of fear, or increase it to the point of self-destruction and death. Sin is fear, and must produce (in belief) inflammation and death. Heat would pass from the body as painlessly