  The question will present itself: Shall people be treated mentally without their knowledge or consent? The direct rule for practice of Christian Science is the Golden Rule, “As ye would that men should do to you, do ye,” [10] Who of us would have our houses broken open or our locks picked? and much less would we have our minds tampered with. Our Master said, “When ye enter a house, salute it.” Prolonging the metaphysical tone of his command, I say, [15] When you enter mentally the personal precincts of human thought, you should know that the person with whom you hold communion desires it. There are solitary ex- ceptions to most given rules: the following is an exception to the above rule of mental practice. [20] If the friends of a patient desire you to treat him with- out his knowing it, and they believe in the efficacy of Mind-healing, it is sometimes wise to do so, and the end justifies the means; for he is restored through Christian Science when other means have failed. One other oc- [25] casion which may call for aid unsought, is a case from accident, when there is no time for ceremony and no other aid is near. The abuse which I call attention to, is promiscuous and unannounced mental practice where there is no neces- [1] sity for it, or the motive is mercenary, or one can to ad- vantage speak the truth audibly; then the case is not exceptional. As a rule, one has no more right to enter the mind of a person, stir, upset, and adjust his thoughts [5] without his knowledge or consent, than one has to enter a house, unlock the desk, displace the furniture, and suit one's self in the arrangement and management of another man's property. It would be right to break into a burning building and [10] rouse the slumbering inmates, but wrong to burst open doors and break through windows if no emergency de- manded this. Any exception to the old wholesome rule, “Mind your own business,” is rare. For a student of mine to treat another student without his knowledge, is [15] a breach of good manners and morals; it is nothing less than a mistaken kindness, a culpable ignorance, or a conscious trespass on the rights of mortals. I insist on the etiquette of Christian Science, as well as its morals and Christianity. The Scriptural rule of [20] this Science may momentarily be forgotten; but this is seldom the case with loyal students, or done without incriminating the person who did it. Each student should, must, work out his own problem of being; conscious, meanwhile, that God worketh with [25] him, and that he needs no personal aid. It is the genius of Christian Science to demonstrate good, not evil,— harmony, not discord; for Science is the mandate of Truth which destroys all error. Whoever is honestly laboring to learn the principle of [30] music and practise it, seldom calls on his teacher or mu- sician to practise for him. The only personal help re- quired in this Science is for each one to do his own work [1] well, and never try to hinder others from doing theirs thus. Christian Science, more than any other system of religion, morals, or medicine, is subject to abuses. Its [5] infinite nature and uses occasion this. Even the human- itarian at work in this field of limitless power and good may possess a zeal without knowledge, and thus mistake the sphere of his present usefulness. Students who strictly adhere to the right, and make the [10] Bible and Science and Health a study, are in no danger of mistaking their way. This question is often proposed, How shall I treat malicious animal magnetism? The hour has passed for this evil to be treated personally, but it should have been [15] so dealt with at the outset. Christian Scientists should |
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