Chapter 16: Dictatorship – Whoso Readeth

WHOSO READETH LET HIM UNDERSTAND - Chapter 16.

DICTATORSHIP

HAVE you ever analyzed the real meaning of dictatorship? Only by so doing can the false sense of the word be recognized, that is to say, the reason for the attempt to govern and dictate to men regardless of their own desires.

The Christian Scientist, the metaphysician, knows that the oneness and allness of divine Mind is accompanied in belief by the negation of that oneness and allness. Just as Jesus expressed all power, as the showing forth of God, divine Mind, so the mortal as the showing forth of the negation of divine Mind, malicious mind, would likewise claim in belief all power. The negative of divine Mind must claim to the minutest detail, every function, power and authority of the positive, for that is the nature of the suppositional opposite.
Remember, however, it is only as the negative

130
is taken back to the positive that it really does have power. All electric power is the result of the negative being brought in contact with the positive, and that contact is seen as the power, light and heat that you use.

This illustration should be helpful to the Christian Scientist by showing him that to attain enlightenment on any subject, he has only to take the negative back to the positive; in other words to translate matter back to Mind. By so doing he finds Mind embracing within itself all being and all effect, and instantly there is light, power and freedom.

Applying this to dictatorship: Is not God, as the one and only Mind, self-evidently the one controlling power and consequently the one Dictator? It is necessary to understand this fact and not to attempt to destroy dictator, but to gain such a true sense of dictator that God is seen everywhere as dictating. This understanding will destroy the power of malicious mind to substitute itself as the mental volition of anyone and thus compel its victim to act contrary to wisdom and good.

The understanding that there is no malicious mind to operate as a malicious mental malpractitioner lifts the nightmare of mesmerism and frees the victim from false dictatorship. The

131
worst and most vicious form of dictatorship is the despotism of malicious mental malpractice.

Annihilate the belief that malicious mind has any avenues or channels through which to operate; any man, woman or child upon whom to foist its beliefs of law; any malicious mental malpractice or malicious mental malpractitioner to declare its dictatorial demands or to carry them out. How is this done? By knowing that God, being the one and only Mind, His man, woman and child is the only man, woman and child, His law is the only law, and that God’s man is ever about God’s business. This realization leaves God as the one and only Dictator.

If malicious mind is admitted, it follows that, as mind, either good or bad, it must have avenues and channels, men, women and children through whom it can act and devolve power to act. Hence it is necessary to know that there is no malicious mind. This understanding destroys all false sense of dictatorship. It is futile to imagine that false dictatorship will vanish until this is done.
The European situation is simply the outward expression, in the various phases of materiality, of what Christian Science, in its advancing unfoldment, has brought to light, namely, that malicious mind through suggestion acts in its

132
last iniquity as malicious minds and directs evil in all its deviltry of killing and destroying the finer sentiments of being—so as finally to “destroy both soul and body in hell,” as Jesus indicated. Right knowing and nothing but right knowing can stop the carnage.

You alone are responsible for what is taking place in your world. It is not something “over there” but consciousness right “here.” You have full power and authority to think and act rightly. You as the activity of God, divine Mind, must understand your world in its true sense. In so doing remember you are compelling malicious mind to cease its suggestions, which is all that is declaring this turmoil, misery and death.

However, you must recognize that while it is all hypnotic suggestion, nevertheless, just designating it as hypnotism does not change its effect. That simply places it where you can cope with it and refute its destructive madness.

Diagnosing a case is one step. Applying the remedy is the next and more important step. It is in the application that the correctness of the diagnosis is rewarded by the disappearance of the evil. You cannot escape, and you do not wish to escape, your responsibility to judge righteous judgment. Mrs. Eddy urged in Pulpit and Press to, “Know, then, that you possess sovereign

133
power to think and act rightly, and that nothing can dispossess you of this heritage and trespass on Love. If you maintain this position, who or what can cause you to sin or suffer? Our surety is our confidence that we are indeed dwellers in Truth and Love, man’s eternal mansion.”

The duty of the Christian Scientist is to hold crime in check. One on God’s side is a majority. The Christian Scientist does not interfere with Mind, but he certainly does interfere with malicious mental malpractice and its operation. He definitely will not tolerate any discordant condition in world affairs any more than in sickness, or storms or other untoward circumstances. He is determined to be about his Father’s business, the destruction of everything unlike good.

If the Christian Scientist is not conscious of his power, how can he exercise it and bring good to light? The reason the Christian Scientist must be successful in his endeavor to conquer sin, disease, death, and all limitations is that he is absolutely sure they are not of God. He therefore attacks them with full power and authority, because he knows mesmerism is all that is at work there, and that it is the basis of every erroneous appearance. He refuses to tolerate any false sense of control whether called dictatorship, or totalitarianism, or any other subver-

134
sive ism, and he promptly destroys them by recognizing all such influence as malicious mental malpractice.

Thus the command voiced by the prophet Isaiah is fulfilled, “To loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke.”

The Christian Scientist detects the evil which masquerades as good back of the false concept of dictatorship. He never loses sight of the ruthless endeavors of malicious mind to dominate. God’s way of imparting good is the exact reverse of domination; it is always by way of reflection. “For what things soever He doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise . . . For the Father loveth the Son and sheweth him all things that himself doeth.”
Mrs. Eddy in her First Edition of Science and Health has exposed the nature of the dictatorial attitude of mortal mind which in the “days to come,” when leaving a matter basis, would operate as pure evil mind. This warning was given sixty-five years ago. “In coming years the person or mind that hates his neighbour, will have no need to traverse his fields, to destroy his flocks and herds, and spoil his vines; or to enter his house to demoralize his household; for the evil

135
mind will do this through mesmerism; and not in propia persona be seen committing the deed. Unless this terrible hour be met and restrained by Science, mesmerism, that scourge of man, will leave nothing sacred when mind begins to act under direction of conscious power. Sensuous man makes war to the death on his enemies; but the spiritual pours blessings on them unseen and unacknowledged; like the chamomile, that crushed, yields the sweetest odor, spiritual minds emit an atmosphere of Truth that blesses their enemies and destroys error while it is persecuting them; but stir the evil sensual mind, and worse than the deadly Upas are the plagues it emits.”