Day 223: Trial Summation

440:33-442:32

We have no trials for sickness before the tribunal of divine Spirit. There, Man is adjudged innocent of transgressing physical laws, because there are no such laws.

An improved belief cannot retrograde. When Christ changes a belief of sin or of sickness into a better belief, then belief melts into spiritual understanding, and sin, disease, and death disappear.

Christian Scientists, be a law to yourselves that mental malpractice cannot harm you either when asleep or when awake.

2010

Day 222: Trial Defense Rests

438:18-440:32

In the presence of the Supreme Lawgiver, standing at the bar of Truth, and in accordance with the divine statutes, I repudiate the false testimony of Personal Sense. I ask that he be forbidden to enter against Mortal Man any more suits to be tried at the Court of Material Error. I appeal to the just and equitable decisions of divine Spirit to restore to Mortal Man the rights of which he has been deprived.

2010

Day 221: Notes from the Trial

436:15-438:17

It was Fear who handcuffed Mortal Man and would now punish him.

the Court of Error construed obedience to the law of divine Love as disobedience to the law of Life.

One of the principal witnesses, Nerve, testified that he was a ruler of Body, in which province Mortal Man resides. He also testified that he was on intimate terms with the plaintiff, and knew Personal Sense to be truthful

I proclaim this witness, Nerve, to be destitute of intelligence and truth and to be a false witness.

Man self-destroyed; the testimony of matter respected; Spirit not allowed a hearing; Soul a criminal though recommended to mercy; the helpless innocent body tortured,--these are the terrible records of your Court of Error, and I ask that the Supreme Court of Spirit reverse this decision.

Then Christian Science proved the witness, Nerve, to be a perjurer. Instead of being a ruler in the Province of Body, in which Mortal Man was reported to reside, Nerve was an insubordinate citizen, putting in false claims to office and bearing false witness against Man.

2010

Day 220: The Court of Spirit

434:8-436:14

Mortal Man versus Personal Sense

Defending your right to health:

• Mortal Man has had no proper counsel in the case. All the testimony has been on the side of Personal Sense
• The only valid testimony in the case shows the alleged crime never to have been committed.
• If mortals sin, our Supreme Judge in equity decides what penalty is due for the sin, and Mortal Man can suffer only for his sin. For naught else can he be punished, according to the law of Spirit, God.
• The only jurisdiction to which the prisoner can submit is that of Truth, Life, and Love.

2010

Day 219: Erroneous Statements in the Trial

432:9-434:7

These statements are wrong and should be contradicted with statements of Truth:

• Mortality is the governor of the body.
• A disease’s person can be punished with death.
• A good deed can be punished.
• Laws of nature render disease homicidal.
• We must regard the evidence of Personal Sense.
• Because he has loved his neighbor as himself, Mortal Man has been guilty of benevolence in the first degree. For this crime Mortal Man is sentenced to be tortured until he is dead.

"Delay the execution; the prisoner is not guilty."

2010

Day 218: Trial btwn Divine Mind & Supposed laws of Matter and Hygiene

430:13-432:8

The Trial Participants

The trial is set up as an antagonistic fight between the accused, Mortal Man, and the plaintiff, Personal Sense. This reading calls the following witnesses: health laws, coated tongue, sallow skin, nerve, mortality.

I smiled when I read this. It is funny but it is also true. I check with these very witnesses sometimes when I’m not well and I know I shouldn’t. They aren’t speaking for me.

2010

Day 207: Faith & Love

408:28-410:21

Every trial of our faith in God makes us stronger. The more difficult seems the material condition to be overcome by Spirit, the stronger should be our faith and the purer our love.

2010

The Trial Participants

After reading the trial in the lower court of Error and the higher court of Spirit, I wanted a breakdown of who was who (or what was what).

Begins on Page 430

Mortal Man vs Personal Sense

Charge	Liver complaint: The prisoner watched with the sick friend every night in the week. When the sick mortal was thirsty, the prisoner gave him drink. During all this time the prisoner attended to his daily labors, partaking of food at irregular intervals, sometimes going to sleep immediately after a heavy meal. At last he committed liver-complaint. At the time of the arrest the prisoner summoned Physiology, Materia Medica, and Hypnotism to prevent punishment. The struggle on their part was long. Materia Medica held out the longest, but at length all these assistants resigned to Health laws.
Expected Punishment	Death
Defendant	Mortal Man
Arrested by	Health laws
Plaintiff	Personal Sense

Court of Error

Defendant’s Attorney	none
Plaintiff’s Attorney	False Belief
Jury	Mortal Minds, Materia Medica, Anatomy, Physiology, Hypnotism, Envy, Greed, Ingratitude
Sheriff	Fear
Judge	Medicine
Witnesses for the Defense	none
Witnesses for the Plaintiff	Health laws, Coated Tongue, Sallow Skin, Nerve (State Commissioner for Mortal Man), Mortality (Governor of the Province of Body), Death
Verdict	1) Guilty of Benevolence in the first degree; which led to 2) Guilty of liver-complaint in the first degree.
Sentence	Tortured until Death

Supreme Court of Spirit

Defendant’s Attorney	Christian Science
Jury	Spiritual Senses
Judge	Justice
Sheriff	Progress
Verdict	Innocent because no physical laws exist.

Day 223: The Trial (Day 6 – last)

440:33-442:32

This is the wrap up of the trial. There are several lines that popped out at me:

any so-called law, which undertakes to punish aught but sin, is null and void

That’s a sweeping statement. I need to keep that one close by. It is said another way, in case you need a variation:

Man is adjudged innocent of transgressing physical laws, because there are no such laws.

Day 222: The Trial (Day 5)

438:18-440:32

This part of the trial focuses on Personal Sense and False Belief. I love how False Belief is the attorney in the case for Personal Sense. Talk about a conflict of interest. At one point, MBE refers to the masked Personal Sense. I thought that idea that the character of Personal Sense as masked or hidden or hiding was interesting. I marked:

Mortal Minds were deceived by your attorney, False Belief, and were influenced to give a verdict delivering Mortal Man to Death.

Day 220: The Trial (day 3)

434:8-436:14

I feel I must apologize for my irregular posts. August is the month where I live and material life (gardening, trips to the beach, house projects) are front and center. Soon the weather will turn and I’ll be more consistent with my posts.

The trial is moved from the Court of Error to the Court of Spirit.

I liked (and will come back to when I need it):

Mortal Man has had no proper counsel in the case. All the testimony has been on the side of Personal Sense

acting within the limits of the divine law, and in obedience thereto. Upon this statute hangs all the law and testimony. Giving a cup of cold water in Christ’s name, is a Christian service. Laying down his life for a good deed, Mortal Man should find it again. Such acts bear their own justification, and are under the protection of the Most High.

Day 219: The Trail (day 2)

432:9-434:7

I’m more focused on the trail today. I read it and thought how literal it was in that diseased Mortal Man is treated as a criminal – as though the disease is the natural reaction to fit the (usually) unknown crime.

I also stopped to consider the jury of Mortal Minds. While this is an allegory in the book, it is a very real phenomenon in the material world. It is very hard to silence our own thoughts at times, so I could only imagine the dire circumstances someone would feel if the jury of public opinion termed on him. Or worse, a situation leading to mental malpractice.

Day 218: (Not really) The Trial, Day 1

430:13-432:8

Today’s reading is the trial Mortal Man. It’s an interesting way to visualize the intellectual play that happens in thought. I read it and thought was an illusion it is.

My mind has been elsewhere today. I was looking at something, I can’t even remember what, thinking ‘it’s just an idea.’ I’m just an idea. A flower is an idea. Everything is just a whole bunch of ideas. I’ve also been thinking about purpose lately so I thought if we are all ideas, what of it? I had children (ideas), what is my purpose there? To nurture these ideas. If I have a job, what is my purpose there? To nurture the ideas (people, work, etc) there. I saw everything and everyone as just ideas and our only job to nurture all the other ideas. I’m not sure where I’m going with that but I haven’t been able to let it go.