0.0 – Christian Science – 16 Books by Mary Baker Eddy – Bk 4 – Rudimental Divine Science – Chpt 12 – Means and Methods

  	    What are the means and methods of trustworthy Christian
24	Scientists? 

  	    These people should not be expected, more than others,
  	to give all their time to Christian Science work, receiving
27	no wages in return, but left to be fed, clothed, and sheltered
 
   
Rudimental Divine Science by Mary Baker Eddy                         14


 1	by charity. Neither can they serve two masters, giving
  	only a portion of their time to God, and still be Christian
 3	Scientists. They must give Him all their services, and
  	"owe no man." To do this, they must at present ask a
  	suitable price for their services, and then conscientiously
 6	earn their wages, strictly practising Divine Science, and
  	healing the sick. 
  	    The author never sought charitable support, but gave
 9	fully seven-eighths of her time without remuneration, ex-
  	cept the bliss of doing good. The only pay taken for her
  	labors was from classes, and often those were put off for
12	months, in  order to do gratuitous work. She has never
  	taught a Primary class without several, and sometimes
  	seventeen, free students in it; and has endeavored to take
15	the full price of tuition only from those who were able to
  	pay. The student who pays must of necessity do better
  	than he who does not pay, and yet will expect and require
18	others to pay him. No discount on tuition was made on
  	higher classes, because their first classes furnished students
  	with the means of paying for their tuition in the higher
21	instruction, and of doing charity work besides. If the
  	Primary students are still impecunious, it is their own
  	fault, and this ill-success of itself leaves them unprepared
24	to enter higher classes. 
  	    People are being healed by means of my instructions,
  	both in and out of class. Many students, who have
27	passed through a regular course of instruction from me,
  	have been invalids and were healed in the class; but ex-
 
   
Rudimental Divine Science by Mary Baker Eddy                         15


 1	perience has shown that this defrauds the scholar, though
  	it heals the sick. 
 3	    It is seldom that a student, if healed in a class, has left
  	it understanding sufficiently the Science of healing to im-
  	mediately enter upon its practice. Why? Because the
 6	glad surprise of suddenly regained health is a shock to
  	the mind; and this holds and satisfies the thought with
  	exuberant joy. 
 9	    This renders the mind less inquisitive, plastic, and tract-
  	able; and deep systematic thinking is impracticable until
  	this impulse subsides. 
12	    This was the principal reason for advising diseased
  	people not to enter a class. Few were taken besides inva-
  	lids for students, until there were enough practitioners to
15	fill in the best possible manner the department of healing. 
  	Teaching and healing should have separate departments,
  	and these should be fortified on all sides with suitable and
18	thorough guardianship and grace. 
  	    Only a very limited number of students can advanta-
  	geously enter a class, grapple with this subject, and well
21	assimilate what has been taught them. It is impossible
  	to teach thorough Christian Science to promiscuous and
  	large assemblies, or to persons who cannot be addressed
24	individually, so that the mind of the pupil may be dissected
  	more critically than the body of a subject laid bare for
  	anatomical examination. Public lectures cannot be such
27	lessons in Christian Science as are required to empty and
  	to fill anew the individual mind. 
 
   
Rudimental Divine Science by Mary Baker Eddy                         16


 1	    If publicity and material control are the motives for
  	teaching, then public lectures can take the place of private
 3	lessons; but the former can never give a thorough knowledge
  	of Christian Science, and a Christian Scientist will never
  	undertake to fit students for practice by such means. Lec-
 6	tures in public are needed, but they must be subordinate
  	to thorough class instruction in any branch of education. 
  	    None with an imperfect sense of the spiritual significa-
 9	tion of the Bible, and its scientific relation to Mind-
  	healing, should attempt overmuch in their translation of
  	the Scriptures into the "new tongue;" but I see that
12	some novices, in the truth of Science, and some impostors
  	are committing this error. SHOW ALL