Part 21 (1/2)

Anthropomorphism

The Jewish tribal Jehovah was a man-projected G.o.d, 140:24 liable to wrath, repentance, and human changeableness.

The Christian Science G.o.d is universal, eter- nal, divine love, which changeth not and caus- 140:27 eth no evil, disease, nor death. It is indeed mournfully true that the older Scripture is reversed. In the begin- ing G.o.d created man in His, G.o.d's, image; but mor- 140:30 tals would procreate man, and make G.o.d in their own human image. What is the G.o.d of a mortal, but a mortal magnified?

More than profession required

141:1 This indicates the distance between the theological and ritualistic religion of the ages and the truth preached by 141:3 Jesus. More than profession is requisite for Christian demonstration. Few understand or adhere to Jesus' divine precepts for living and 141:6 healing. Why? Because his precepts require the disci- ple to cut off the right hand and pluck out the right eye, - that is, to set aside even the most cherished beliefs 141:9 and practices, to leave all for Christ.

No ecclesiastical monopoly

All revelation (such is the popular thought!) must come from the schools and along the line of scholarly and eccle- 141:12 siastical descent, as kings are crowned from a royal dynasty. In healing the sick and sinning, Jesus elaborated the fact that the healing effect 141:15 followed the understanding of the divine Principle and of the Christ-spirit which governed the corporeal Jesus.

For this Principle there is no dynasty, no ecclesiastical 141:18 monopoly. Its only crowned head is immortal sover- eignty. Its only priest is the spiritualized man. The Bible declares that all believers are made ”kings and 141:21 priests unto G.o.d.” The outsiders did not then, and do not now, understand this ruling of the Christ; there- fore they cannot demonstrate G.o.d's healing power.

141:24 Neither can this manifestation of Christ be com- prehended, until its divine Principle is scientifically understood.

A change demanded

141:27 The adoption of scientific religion and of divine heal- ing will ameliorate sin, sickness, and death. Let our pulpits do justice to Christian Science. Let 141:30 it have fair representation by the press. Give to it the place in our inst.i.tutions of learning now occu- pied by scholastic theology and physiology, and it will 142:1 eradicate sickness and sin in less time than the old systems, devised for subduing them, have required for self-estab- 142:3 lishment and propagation.

Two claims omitted

Anciently the followers of Christ, or Truth, measured Christianity by its power over sickness, sin, and death; 142:6 but modern religions generally omit all but one of these powers, - the power over sin. We must seek the undivided garment, the whole Christ, as our 142:9 first proof of Christianity, for Christ, Truth, alone can furnish us with absolute evidence.

Selfishness and loss

If the soft palm, upturned to a lordly salary, and archi- 142:12 tectural skill, making dome and spire tremulous with beauty, turn the poor and the stranger from the gate, they at the same time shut the door on 142:15 progress. In vain do the manger and the cross tell their story to pride and fustian. Sensuality palsies the right hand, and causes the left to let go its grasp on the divine.

Temple cleansed

142:18 As in Jesus' time, so to-day, tyranny and pride need to be whipped out of the temple, and humility and divine Sci- ence to be welcomed in. The strong cords of 142:21 scientific demonstration, as twisted and wielded by Jesus, are still needed to purge the temples of their vain traffic in worldly wors.h.i.+p and to make them meet 142:24 dwelling-places for the Most High.

MEDICINE

Question of precedence

Which was first, Mind or medicine? If Mind was 142:27 first and self-existent, then Mind, not matter, must have been the first medicine. G.o.d being All-in- all, He made medicine; but that medicine was 142:30 Mind. It could not have been matter, which departs from the nature and character of Mind, G.o.d. Truth 143:1 is G.o.d's remedy for error of every kind, and Truth de- stroys only what is untrue. Hence the fact that, to-day, 143:3 as yesterday, Christ casts out evils and heals the sick.

Methods rejected

It is plain that G.o.d does not employ drugs or hygiene, 143:6 nor provide them for human use; else Jesus would have recommended and employed them in his heal- ing. The sick are more deplorably lost than 143:9 the sinning, if the sick cannot rely on G.o.d for help and the sinning can. The divine Mind never called matter _medicine_, and matter required a material and human be- 143:12 lief before it could be considered as medicine.

Error not curative

Sometimes the human mind uses one error to medi- cine another. Driven to choose between two difficulties, 143:15 the human mind takes the lesser to relieve the greater. On this basis it saves from starva- tion by theft, and quiets pain with anodynes. You 143:18 admit that mind influences the body somewhat, but you conclude that the stomach, blood, nerves, bones, etc., hold the preponderance of power. Controlled by 143:21 this belief, you continue in the old routine. You lean on the inert and unintelligent, never discerning how this de- prives you of the available superiority of divine Mind.

143:24 The body is not controlled scientifically by a negative mind.

Impossible coalescence

Mind is the grand creator, and there can be no power 143:27 except that which is derived from Mind. If Mind was first chronologically, is first potentially, and must be first eternally, then give to Mind the 143:30 glory, honor, dominion, and power everlastingly due its holy name. Inferior and unspiritual methods of healing may try to make Mind and drugs coalesce, but the two will 144:1 not mingle scientifically. Why should we wish to make them do so, since no good can come of it?

144:3 If Mind is foremost and superior, let us rely upon Mind, which needs no cooperation from lower powers, even if these so-called powers are real.