2 85 I had the audacity to later tell the prac titioners she was dead, but they stout ly maintained she was not dead. The doctor gave me a good grilling and in sisted that an autopsy be performed. In the meantime, he communicated with other doctors we had formerly em ployed, and learning of her former con dition, I was cleared of blame and was told to proceed with the funeral ar rangements. The Christian Scientists called this a “ wonderful demonstration,” and in duced me to spend much time in a fur ther study of the teachings. But I kept remarking that I was all confused, whereupon they would try to quiet me by saying I did not grasp Mrs. Eddy’s meaning. I knew I was after some thing— but did not then know what it was. I would go to practitioners and ask all sorts of questions. I asked one if our bodies were not the temple of God (1 Cor. 3:16-17). “ Oh, my, no,” she answered, “ there is no life, truth, or intelligence in matter. Man is not material. Man is spiritual. See what Mrs. Eddy says. Follow your daily lessons from the quarterly.” I asked if I should not believe in the blood of Jesus Christ. “ Mrs. Eddy says,” she replied, “ that the material blood of Jesus was no more efficacious to cleanse from sin when it was shed upon the ac cursed tree than when it was flowing in His veins.” Then I read my Bible and wondered why the blood was sprinkled on the door posts (Ex. 12:21-22) if it could serve the same purpose left in the veins of the innocent lambs. May God have mercy on those who tread urn der foot the blood of Jesus Christ (Heb. 10:28-29; 9:27; 1 Jno. 1:7; Rev. 5:9; 1:5; Col. 1:20; Acts 20:28). “ Without the shedding of blood is no remission- for sins.” But my practitioner said, “ How fool ish that all is— and how repulsive and repugnant the very thought. How can old blood, shed years ago, cleanse from
THE K I N G ' S BUS I NE S S there is no pain or sickness but that it is all due. to the error of mortal mind. More than once I knew the practitioner was at card parties and theaters at the time she was supposed to be giving the absent treatment. When I nailed by phone for special treatments, my wife’s misery being almost unendurable, we would be directed to read what Mrs. Eddy had said on certain pages, and the practitioner would go back to the card game. This state of affairs continued four months. We had many practitioners. All we heard was, “ Know the truth and the truth will make you free.” (X later found from Jno. 14:6 that the truth will not make us free unless we be lieve in HIM who IS the TRUTH. Oh, if people would only read the Bible!) My wife’s condition grew steadily worse—-and then the end! About four hours before she died, she lapsed into unconsciousness. She mum bled about “ the valley of the shadow of death” and Scripture verses she had known from a child. The practitioners who were with her at the time said, “ Get a doctor quick.” This indeed seemed very strange for it was contrary to all the principles we had been taught, yet I complied with the request, calling one of the best doctors in the city. As the two practitioners prepared to beat a hasty retreat they instructed me to hide all Christian Science literature and told me to deny that I had had any thing to do with Christian Science, if asked by the doctor. The doctor arrived and seemed great ly concerned. He very naturally thought it was a case of pure neglect. He asked me many questions and seemed much perplexed at the state of things. He sent me to the drug store, and after doing what he could, he left, promising to return in two hours. Be fore he came back, my poor wife, worn out with her suffering, passed away. The doctor pronounced her dead, and
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