Such is the true Science of being. Any other theory of Life, or G.o.d, is delusive and mythological.
249:12 Mind is not the author of matter, and the creator of ideas is not the creator of illusions. Either there is no omnipotence, or omnipotence is the only power. G.o.d is 249:15 the infinite, and infinity never began, will never end, and includes nothing unlike G.o.d. Whence then is soulless matter?
Illusive dreams
249:18 Life is, like Christ, "the same yesterday, and to-day, and forever." Organization and time have nothing to do with Life. You say, "I dreamed last night."
249:21 What a mistake is that! The I is Spirit. G.o.d never slumbers, and His likeness never dreams. Mortals are the Adam dreamers.
249:24 Sleep and apathy are phases of the dream that life, sub- stance, and intelligence are material. The mortal night- dream is sometimes nearer the fact of being than are the 249:27 thoughts of mortals when awake. The night-dream has less matter as its accompaniment. It throws off some material fetters. It falls short of the skies, but makes its 249:30 mundane flights quite ethereal.
Philosophical blunders
Man is the reflection of Soul. He is the direct oppo- site of material sensation, and there is but one Ego. We 250:1 run into error when we divide Soul into souls, multiply Mind into minds and suppose error to be mind, then mind 250:3 to be in matter and matter to be a lawgiver, unintelligence to act like intelligence, and mor- tality to be the matrix of immortality.
Spirit the one Ego
250:6 Mortal existence is a dream; mortal existence has no real ent.i.ty, but saith "It is I." Spirit is the Ego which never dreams, but understands all things; 250:9 which never errs, and is ever conscious; which never believes, but knows; which is never born and never dies. Spiritual man is the likeness of this Ego.
250:12 Man is not G.o.d, but like a ray of light which comes from the sun, man, the outcome of G.o.d, reflects G.o.d.
Mortal existence a dream
Mortal body and mind are one, and that one is called 250:15 man; but a mortal is not man, for man is immortal. A mortal may be weary or pained, enjoy or suffer, according to the dream he entertains in sleep.
250:18 When that dream vanishes, the mortal finds himself experiencing none of these dream-sensations. To the observer, the body lies listless, undisturbed, and sensa- 250:21 tionless, and the mind seems to be absent.
Now I ask, Is there any more reality in the waking dream of mortal existence than in the sleeping dream?
250:24 There cannot be, since whatever appears to be a mortal man is a mortal dream. Take away the mortal mind, and matter has no more sense as a man than it has as 250:27 a tree. But the spiritual, real man is immortal.
Upon this stage of existence goes on the dance of mortal mind. Mortal thoughts chase one another like snowflakes, 250:30 and drift to the ground. Science reveals Life as not being at the mercy of death, nor will Science admit that happi- ness is ever the sport of circ.u.mstance.
Error self-destroyed
251:1 Error is not real, hence it is not more imperative as it hastens towards self-destruction. The so-called 251:3 belief of mortal mind apparent as an abscess should not grow more painful before it suppu- rates neither should a fever become more severe before 251:6 it ends.
Illusion of death
Fright is so great at certain stages of mortal belief as to drive belief into new paths. In the illusion of 251:9 death, mortals wake to the knowledge of two facts: (1) that they are not dead; (2) that they have but pa.s.sed the portals of a new belief. Truth 251:12 works out the nothingness of error in just these ways.
Sickness, as well as sin, is an error that Christ, Truth, alone can destroy.
Mortal mind"s disappearance
251:15 We must learn how mankind govern the body, - whether through faith in hygiene, in drugs, or in will- power. We should learn whether they govern 251:18 the body through a belief in the necessity of sickness and death, sin and pardon, or govern it from the higher understanding that the divine Mind 251:21 makes perfect, acts upon the so-called human mind through truth, leads the human mind to relinquish all error, to find the divine Mind to be the only Mind, 251:24 and the healer of sin, disease, death. This process of higher spiritual understanding improves mankind until error disappears, and nothing is left which deserves to 251:27 perish or to be punished.
Spiritual ignorance
Ignorance, like intentional wrong, is not Science.
Ignorance must be seen and corrected before we can at- 251:30 tain harmony. Inharmonious beliefs, which rob Mind, calling it matter, and deify their own notions, imprison themselves in what they create.
252:1 They are at war with Science, and as our Master said, "If a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom 252:3 cannot stand."
Human ignorance of Mind and of the recuperative energies of Truth occasions the only skepticism regard- 252:6 ing the pathology and theology of Christian Science.
Eternal man recognized
When false human beliefs learn even a little of their own falsity, they begin to disappear. A knowledge of 252:9 error and of its operations must precede that understanding of Truth which destroys error, until the entire mortal, material error finally disappears, 252:12 and the eternal verity, man created by and of Spirit, is understood and recognized as the true likeness of his Maker.
252:15 The false evidence of material sense contrasts strikingly with the testimony of Spirit. Material sense lifts its voice with the arrogance of reality and says:
Testimony of sense
252:18 I am wholly dishonest, and no man knoweth it. I can cheat, lie, commit adultery, rob, murder, and I elude detection by smooth-tongued villainy. Ani- 252:21 mal in propensity, deceitful in sentiment, fraudulent in purpose, I mean to make my short span of life one gala day. What a nice thing is sin! How 252:24 sin succeeds, where the good purpose waits! The world is my kingdom. I am enthroned in the gorgeousness of matter. But a touch, an accident, the law of G.o.d, 252:27 may at any moment annihilate my peace, for all my fancied joys are fatal. Like bursting lava, I expand but to my own despair, and shine with the resplendency of 252:30 consuming fire.
Testimony of Soul
Spirit, bearing opposite testimony, saith:
I am Spirit. Man, whose senses are spiritual, is my 253:1 likeness. He reflects the infinite understanding, for I am Infinity. The beauty of holiness, the perfection of being, 253:3 imperishable glory, - all are Mine, for I am G.o.d. I give immortality to man, for I am Truth. I include and impart all bliss, for I am Love.
253:6 I give life, without beginning and without end, for I am Life. I am supreme and give all, for I am Mind. I am the substance of all, because I AM THAT I AM.
Heaven-bestowed prerogative
253:9 I hope, dear reader, I am leading you into the under- standing of your divine rights, your heaven-bestowed har- mony, - that, as you read, you see there is no 253:12 cause (outside of erring, mortal, material sense which is not power) able to make you sick or sinful; and I hope that you are conquering this false sense.
253:15 Knowing the falsity of so-called material sense, you can a.s.sert your prerogative to overcome the belief in sin, dis- ease, or death.
Right endeavor possible
253:18 If you believe in and practise wrong knowingly, you can at once change your course and do right. Matter can make no opposition to right endeavors against 253:21 sin or sickness, for matter is inert, mindless.
Also, if you believe yourself diseased, you can alter this wrong belief and action without hindrance from 253:24 the body.
Do not believe in any supposed necessity for sin, dis- ease, or death, knowing (as you ought to know) that G.o.d 253:27 never requires obedience to a so-called material law, for no such law exists. The belief in sin and death is de- stroyed by the law of G.o.d, which is the law of Life in- 253:30 stead of death, of harmony instead of discord, of Spirit instead of the flesh.
Patience and final perfection
The divine demand, "Be ye therefore perfect," is sci- 254:1 entific, and the human footsteps leading to perfection are indispensable. Individuals are consistent who, watching 254:3 and praying, can "run, and not be weary; ...
walk, and not faint," who gain good rapidly and hold their position, or attain slowly and 254:6 yield not to discouragement. G.o.d requires perfection, but not until the battle between Spirit and flesh is fought and the victory won. To stop eating, drinking, or being 254:9 clothed materially before the spiritual facts of existence are gained step by step, is not legitimate. When we wait patiently on G.o.d and seek Truth righteously, He directs 254:12 our path. Imperfect mortals grasp the ultimate of spir- itual perfection slowly; but to _begin_ aright and to con- tinue the strife of demonstrating the great problem of 254:15 being, is doing much.
During the sensual ages, absolute Christian Science may not be achieved prior to the change called death, 254:18 for we have not the power to demonstrate what we do not understand. But the human self must be evangel- ized. This task G.o.d demands us to accept lovingly 254:21 to-day, and to abandon so fast as practical the material, and to work out the spiritual which determines the out- ward and actual.
254:24 If you venture upon the quiet surface of error and are in sympathy with error, what is there to disturb the waters?
What is there to strip off error"s disguise?
The cross and crown
254:27 If you launch your bark upon the ever-agitated but healthful waters of truth, you will encounter storms.
Your good will be evil spoken of. This is the 254:30 cross. Take it up and bear it, for through it you win and wear the crown. Pilgrim on earth, thy home is heaven; stranger, thou art the guest of G.o.d.
CHAPTER IX - CREATION