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SCIENCE AND HEALTH
First
Edition
BY
MARY BAKER
GLOVER.
BOSTON:
CHRISTIAN SCIENTIST PUBLISHING COMPANY.
1875.
Entered according to Act of Congress, In the year 1875, by
MARY BAKER GLOVER,
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at
Washington
PREFACE.
Leaning on the
sustaining Infinite with loving trust, the trials of to-day are brief, and
to-morrow is big with blessings. The wakeful shepherd tending his flocks,
beholds from the mountain's top the first faint morning beam ere cometh the
risen day. So from Soul's loftier summits shines the pale star to the prophet
shepherd, and it traverses night, over to where the young child lies in cradled
obscurity that shall waken a world. Over the night of error dawn the morning
beams and guiding star of Truth, and the wise men are led by it to Science, to
that which repeats the eternal harmony reproduced in proof of immortality and
God. The time for thinkers has come; and the time for revolutions, ecclesiastic
and social, must come. Truth, independent of doctrines or time-honored systems,
stands at the threshold of history. Contentment with the past, or the cold
conventionality of custom, may no longer shut the door on science; though
empires fall, "He whose right it is shall reign." Ignorance of God should no
longer be the stepping-stone to faith; understanding Him "whom to know aright
is Life" is the only guaranty of obedience.
Since the hoary centuries but
faintly shadow forth the tireless Intelligence at work for man, this volume
4
may not open at once a new thought, and make it familiar it has the task
of a pioneer to hack away at the tall oak and cut the rough granite, leaving
future ages to declare what has been done. We made our first discovery that
science mentally applied would heal the sick, in 1864, and since then have
tested it on ourselves and hundreds of others, and never found it fail to prove
the statement herein made of it. The science of man alone can make him
harmonious, unfold his utmost possibilities, and establish the perfection of
man. To admit God the Principle of all being, and live in accordance with this
Principle, is the Science of Life, but to reproduce the harmony of being,
errors of personal sense must be destroyed, even as the science of music, must
correct tones caught from the ear, to give the sweet concord of sound. There
are many theories of physic, and theology; and many calls in each of their
directions for the right way; but we propose to settle the question of "What is
Truth?" on the ground of proof. Let that method of healing the sick and
establishing Christianity, be adopted, that is found to give the most health,
and make the best Christians, and you will then give science a fair field; in
which case we are assured of its triumph over all opinions and beliefs.
Sickness and sin have ever had their doctors, but the question is, have they
become less because of them? The longevity of our antediluvians, would say, no!
and the criminal records of to-day utter their voices little in favor of such a
conclusion. Not that we would deny to Caesar the things that are his, but that
we ask for the things that are Truth's, and safely affirm, from the
demonstrations we have been able to make, that science would
5
have
eradicated sin, sickness, and death, in a less period than six thousand years.
We find great difficulties in starting this work right: some shockingly false
claims are already made to its practice; mesmerism (its very antipode), is one.
Hitherto we have never in a single instance of our discovery or practice found
the slightest resemblance between mesmerism and the science of Life. No
especial idiosyncrasy is requisite for a learner; although spiritual sense is
more adapted to it than even the intellect; and those who would learn this
science without a high moral standard will fail to understand it until they go
up higher. Owing to our explanations constantly vibrating between the same
points an irksome repetition of words must occur; also, the use of capital
letters, genders and technicalities peculiar to the science, variety of
language, or beauty of diction, must give place to close analysis, and
unembellished thought. "Hoping all things, enduring all things:" to do good to
the upright in heart, and to bless them that curse us, and bear to the
sorrowing and the sick consolation and healing, we commit these pages to
posterity.
MARY BAKER GLOVER. |
