  The true consciousness is the true health. One says, [25] “I find relief from pain in unconscious sleep.” I say, You mistake; through unconsciousness one no more gains freedom from pain than immunity from evil. When unconscious of a mistake, one thinks he is not mistaken; but this false consciousness does not change the fact, or [30] its results; suffering and mistakes recur until one is awake [1] to their cause and character. To know the what, when, and how of error, destroys error. The error that is seen aright as error, has received its death-blow; but never until then. [5] Let us look through the lens of Christian Science, not of “self,” at the following mistake, which demands our present attention. I have no time for detailed report of this matter, but simply answer the following question sent to me; glad, indeed, that this query has finally come [10] with the courage of conviction to the minds of many students. “Is it right to copy your works and read them for our public services?” The good which the material senses see not is the only [15] absolute good; the evil which these senses see not is the only absolute evil. If I enter Mr. Smith's store and take from it his gar- ments that are on sale, array myself in them, and put myself and them on exhibition, can I make this right [20] by saying, These garments are Mr. Smith's; he manu- factured them and owns them, but you must pay me, not him, for this exhibit? The spectators may ask, Did he give you permission to do this, did he sell them or loan them to you? No. [25] Then have you asked yourself this question on the sub- ject, namely, What right have I to do this? True, it saves your purchasing these garments, and gives to the public new patterns which are useful to them; but does this silence your conscience? or, because you have con- [30] fessed that they are the property of a noted firm, and you wished to handle them, does it justify you in appro- priating them, and so avoiding the cost of hiring or [1] purchasing? Copying my published works verbatim, compiling them in connection with the Scriptures, taking this copy into the pulpit, announcing the author's name, then reading [5] it publicly as your own compilation, is—what? We answer, It is a mistake; in common parlance, it is an ignorant wrong. If you should print and publish your copy of my works, you would be liable to arrest for infringement of copy- [10] right, which the law defines and punishes as theft. Read- ing in the pulpit from copies of my publications gives you the clergyman's salary and spares you the printer's bill, but does it spare you our Master's condemnation? You literally publish my works through the pulpit, instead [15] of the press, and thus evade the law, but not the gospel. When I consent to this act, you will then be justified in it. Your manuscript copy is liable, in some way, to be printed as your original writings, thus incurring the pen- [20] alty of the law, and increasing the record of theft in the United States Circuit Court. To The Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, which I had organized and of which I had for many years been pastor, I gave permission to cite, in the Christian Science [25] Quarterly, from my work Science and Health, passages giving the spiritual meaning of Bible texts; but this was a special privilege, and the author's gift. |
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