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Chapter 2 - Scientific Metaphysical Healing - A Quest for The Truth.
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This hundred page addition of testimonials provides a representative sample of the work that was going on at the time. The above case of the woman's healing of a tumor is one of the cases presented. The woman states that she had obtained a copy of that book from a lady at her boarding-place. She wrote: "The revelation was marvelous and brought a great spiritual awakening." She tells, that while she was out walking one day, it came to her very suddenly that she was healed. When she returned to her boarding-place she told her hostess that she was healed, who "looked the picture of amazement." But what she had felt that day, during her walk, became true. She writes: "The tumor began to disappear at once, the hemorrhages ceased, and perfect strength was manifest."*(Science and Health p.603)
Another of the testimonies presented in the chapter on Fruitage, is that of a man who fell from his bicycle at high speed on the way home during his lunch break. He suffered a broken arm and intense pain. As soon as he made it home, be had asked for the book, and sat down and read. Ten minutes later the pain ceased. He returned to his work shortly thereafter, where he arrived no more than half an hour late and carried on his normal tasks. His friends insisted that the arm had not really been broken, for it would have been impossible for him to continue his work without having had the bones set and held in place in some fashion until the break would mend. At their insistence the man submitted to an x-ray examination, which confirmed that the break had indeed occurred, and that it had healed; and "whoever set it made a perfect job of it" was the physician's comment.*(Science and Health p.606)
The two healings are not in any way outstanding in comparison to the other testimonials of healing presented in that chapter. Since the healings were brought about by a wide variety of ordinary men and women, it is unscientific to assume that extraordinary mental powers were at play to produce the healings. This leaves but one explanation, and this corresponds to the pattern out of which Mary Baker Eddy's own healing unfolded. It leaves only the one possible explanation, that the healing action resulted from a scientific mental causation, from Truth being understood and acknowledged. This explanation has the most natural basis, a basis that is implanted in Truth itself. Any scientific exploration of Truth, if successful, must necessarily lead to a corresponding demonstration of the phenomena of the truth that has been discovered. By the same token, any phenomenon has an underlying principle that can be discovered, that explains the phenomenon and make it repeatable. Both of these aspects were involved at the discovery of "Christian Science."
Throughout the early years of Mary Baker Eddy's Scriptural study, she had already probed many deep questions regarding Jesus' work, especially against the background of her own rapidly failing health. The same process may have been at work when she lay on, what was thought to be her death-bed. At this moment of her greatest need, when a person naturally marshals all available resources in a final effort, she found herself suddenly well. She wrote later, that she was determined, from this moment on, to discover the science of the processes that had produced her healing, and the truths that were involved.
The Science that she discovered, and the church that she founded thereon, have both survived to the present day. Unfortunately, the enormous efficacy in healing that marked the triumphant years of Christian Science at the turn of the century, has ebbed and faded in may respects. A stark contrast exists now between the effectiveness of Christian Science healing that had occurred in the early days, and what is currently being achieved according to the author's own experience.
During the time when Christian Science was still new, one of Mary Baker Eddy's students responded to a call from her to help someone in Littleton, New Hampshire. The student responded and wrote back to her, reporting: "There is a perfect rush of patients. Three M.D.'s are sending me patients... I am turning away ten to a dozen patients every day that I cannot find time to see... It is God that is doing this work, but when it is done I shall be so glad to go home. It is late in the night. I have no time to eat drink or sleep."*(A century of Christian Science Healing.)
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