Rapidity of a.s.similation
Systematic teaching and the student"s spiritual growth and experience in practice are requisite for a thorough 462:1 comprehension of Christian Science. Some individu- als a.s.similate truth more readily than others, but any 462:3 student, who adheres to the divine rules of Christian Science and imbibes the spirit of Christ, can demonstrate Christian Science, cast out 462:6 error, heal the sick, and add continually to his store of spiritual understanding, potency, enlightenment, and success.
Divided loyalty
462:9 If the student goes away to practise Truth"s teach- ings only in part, dividing his interests between G.o.d and mammon and subst.i.tuting his own views for 462:12 Truth, he will inevitably reap the error he sows.
Whoever would demonstrate the healing of Christian Science must abide strictly by its rules, heed every state- 462:15 ment, and advance from the rudiments laid down. There is nothing difficult nor toilsome in this task, when the way is pointed out; but self-denial, sincerity, Christianity, and 462:18 persistence alone win the prize, as they usually do in every department of life.
Anatomy defined
Anatomy, when conceived of spiritually, is mental self- 462:21 knowledge, and consists in the dissection of thoughts to discover their quality, quant.i.ty, and origin.
Are thoughts divine or human? That is the 462:24 important question. This branch of study is indispen- sable to the excision of error. The anatomy of Christian Science teaches when and how to probe the self-in- 462:27 flicted wounds of selfishness, malice, envy, and hate. It teaches the control of mad ambition. It unfolds the hallowed influences of unselfishness, philanthropy, spir- 462:30 itual love. It urges the government of the body both in health and in sickness. The Christian Scientist, through understanding mental anatomy, discerns and 463:1 deals with the real cause of disease. The material physi- cian gropes among phenomena, which fluctuate every in- 463:3 stant under influences not embraced in his diagnosis, and so he may stumble and fall in the darkness.
Scientific obstetrics
Teacher and student should also be familiar with the 463:6 obstetrics taught by this Science. To attend properly the birth of the new child, or divine idea, you should so detach mortal thought from its 463:9 material conceptions, that the birth will be natural and safe. Though gathering new energy, this idea cannot injure its useful surroundings in the travail of spiritual 463:12 birth. A spiritual idea has not a single element of error, and this truth removes properly whatever is offensive.
The new idea, conceived and born of Truth and Love, is 463:15 clad in white garments. Its beginning will be meek, its growth st.u.r.dy, and its maturity undecaying. When this new birth takes place, the Christian Science infant 463:18 is born of the Spirit, born of G.o.d, and can cause the mother no more suffering. By this we know that Truth is here and has fulfilled its perfect work.
Unhesitating decision
463:21 To decide quickly as to the proper treatment of error - whether error is manifested in forms of sickness, sin, or death - is the first step towards destroy- 463:24 ing error. Our Master treated error through Mind. He never enjoined obedience to the laws of nature, if by these are meant laws of matter, nor did he use drugs.
463:27 There is a law of G.o.d applicable to healing, and it is a spiritual law instead of material. The sick are not healed by inanimate matter or drugs, as they believe that they 463:30 are. Such seeming medical effect or action is that of so- called mortal mind.
Seclusion of the author
It has been said to the author, "The world is bene- 464:1 fited by you, but it feels your influence without seeing you. Why do you not make yourself more widely 464:3 known?" Could her friends know how little time the author has had, in which to make herself outwardly known except through her laborious 464:6 publications, - and how much time and toil are still re- quired to establish the stately operations of Christian Science, - they would understand why she is so secluded.
464:9 Others could not take her place, even if willing so to do.
She therefore remains unseen at her post, seeking no self- aggrandizement but praying, watching, and working for 464:12 the redemption of mankind.
If from an injury or from any cause, a Christian Scien- tist were seized with pain so violent that he could not 464:15 treat himself mentally, - and the Scientists had failed to relieve him, - the sufferer could call a surgeon, who would give him a hypodermic injection, then, when the 464:18 belief of pain was lulled, he could handle his own case mentally. Thus it is that we "prove all things; [and]
hold fast that which is good."
The right motive and its reward
464:21 In founding a pathological system of Christianity, the author has labored to expound divine Principle, and not to exalt personality. The weapons of bigotry, 464:24 ignorance, envy, fall before an honest heart.
Adulterating Christian Science, makes it void.
Falsity has no foundation. "The hireling fleeth, because 464:27 he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep." Neither dishonesty nor ignorance ever founded, nor can they over- throw a scientific system of ethics.
CHAPTER XIV - RECAPITULATION
For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little. - ISAIAH.
465:1 THIS chapter is from the first edition of the author"s cla.s.s-book, copyrighted in 1870. After much labor 465:3 and increased spiritual understanding, she revised that treatise for this volume in 1875. Absolute Christian Science pervades its statements, to elucidate scientific 465:6 metaphysics.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
_Question_. - What is G.o.d?
465:9 _Answer_. - G.o.d is incorporeal, divine, supreme, infinite Mind, Spirit, Soul, Principle, Life, Truth, Love.
_Question_. - Are these terms synonymous?
465:12 _Answer_. - They are. They refer to one absolute G.o.d.
They are also intended to express the nature, essence, and wholeness of Deity. The attributes of G.o.d are justice, 465:15 mercy, wisdom, goodness, and so on.
_Question_. - Is there more than one G.o.d or Principle?
_Answer_. - There is not. Principle and its idea is one, 465:18 and this one is G.o.d, omnipotent, omniscient, and omni- 466:1 present Being, and His reflection is man and the universe.
_Omni_ is adopted from the Latin adjective signifying _all_.
466:3 Hence G.o.d combines all-power or potency, all-science or true knowledge, all-presence. The varied manifesta- tions of Christian Science indicate Mind, never matter, 466:6 and have one Principle.
Real _versus_ unreal
_Question_. - What are spirits and souls?
_Answer_. - To human belief, they are personalities 466:9 const.i.tuted of mind and matter, life and death, truth and error, good and evil; but these contrasting pairs of terms represent contraries, as Chris- 466:12 tian Science reveals, which neither dwell together nor a.s.similate. Truth is immortal; error is mortal. Truth is limitless; error is limited. Truth is intelligent; error 466:15 is non-intelligent. Moreover, Truth is real, and error is unreal. This last statement contains the point you will most reluctantly admit, although first and last it is the 466:18 most important to understand.
Mankind redeemed
The term _souls_ or _spirits_ is as improper as the term _G.o.ds_. Soul or Spirit signifies Deity and nothing else.
466:21 There is no finite soul nor spirit. Soul or Spirit means only one Mind, and cannot be rendered in the plural. Heathen mythology and Jewish 466:24 theology have perpetuated the fallacy that intelligence, soul, and life can be in matter; and idolatry and ritualism are the outcome of all man-made beliefs. The Science 466:27 of Christianity comes with fan in hand to separate the chaff from the wheat. Science will declare G.o.d aright, and Christianity will demonstrate this declaration and 466:30 its divine Principle, making mankind better physically, morally, and spiritually.
Two chief commands
467:1 _Question_. - What are the demands of the Science of Soul?
467:3 _Answer_. - The first demand of this Science is, "Thou shalt have no other G.o.ds before me." This _me_ is Spirit.
Therefore the command means this: Thou shalt 467:6 have no intelligence, no life, no substance, no truth, no love, but that which is spiritual. The second is like unto it, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."
467:9 It should be thoroughly understood that all men have one Mind, one G.o.d and Father, one Life, Truth, and Love.
Mankind will become perfect in proportion as this fact 467:12 becomes apparent, war will cease and the true brother- hood of man will be established. Having no other G.o.ds, turning to no other but the one perfect Mind to guide 467:15 him, man is the likeness of G.o.d, pure and eternal, hav- ing that Mind which was also in Christ.
Soul not confined in body
Science reveals Spirit, Soul, as not in the body, and 467:18 G.o.d as not in man but as reflected by man. The greater cannot be in the lesser. The belief that the greater can be in the lesser is an error that 467:21 works ill. This is a leading point in the Science of Soul, that Principle is not in its idea. Spirit, Soul, is not confined in man, and is never in matter. We reason im- 467:24 perfectly from effect to cause, when we conclude that matter is the effect of Spirit; but _a priori_ reasoning shows material existence to be enigmatical. Spirit gives 467:27 the true mental idea. We cannot interpret Spirit, Mind, through matter. Matter neither sees, hears, nor feels.
Sinlessness of Mind, Soul
Reasoning from cause to effect in the Science of Mind, 467:30 we begin with Mind, which must be under- stood through the idea which expresses it and cannot be learned from its opposite, matter. Thus we 468:1 arrive at Truth, or intelligence, which evolves its own unerring idea and never can be coordinate with human 468:3 illusions. If Soul sinned, it would be mortal, for sin is mortality"s self, because it kills itself. If Truth is im- mortal, error must be mortal, because error is unlike 468:6 Truth. Because Soul is immortal, Soul cannot sin, for sin is not the eternal verity of being.
_Question_. - What is the scientific statement of being?
468:9 _Answer_. - There is no life, truth, intelligence, nor sub- stance in matter. All is infinite Mind and its infinite manifestation, for G.o.d is All-in-all. Spirit is immortal 468:12 Truth; matter is mortal error. Spirit is the real and eternal; matter is the unreal and temporal. Spirit is G.o.d, and man is His image and likeness. Therefore 468:15 man is not material; he is spiritual.
Spiritual synonyms
_Question_. - What is substance?
_Answer_. - Substance is that which is eternal and inca- 468:18 pable of discord and decay. Truth, Life, and Love are substance, as the Scriptures use this word in Hebrews: "The substance of things hoped 468:21 for, the evidence of things not seen." Spirit, the synonym of Mind, Soul, or G.o.d, is the only real substance. The spiritual universe, including individual man, is a com- 468:24 pound idea, reflecting the divine substance of Spirit.
Eternity of Life
_Question_. - What is Life?
_Answer_. - Life is divine Principle, Mind, Soul, Spirit.