Part 52 (1/2)

How can a Christian, having the stronger evidence of Truth which contradicts the evidence of error, think of 353:9 the latter as real or true, either in the form of sickness or of sin? All must admit that Christ is ”the way, the truth, and the life,” and that omnipotent Truth certainly 353:12 does destroy error.

Superst.i.tion obsolete

The age has not wholly outlived the sense of ghostly beliefs. It still holds them more or less. Time has not 353:15 yet reached eternity, immortality, complete reality. All the real is eternal. Perfection underlies reality. Without perfection, nothing is wholly 353:18 real. All things will continue to disappear, until per- fection appears and reality is reached. We must give up the spectral at all points. We must not continue to admit 353:21 the somethingness of superst.i.tion, but we must yield up all belief in it and be wise. When we learn that error is not real, we shall be ready for progress, ”forgetting 353:24 those things which are behind.”

The grave does not banish the ghost of materiality.

So long as there are supposed limits to Mind, and those 353:27 limits are human, so long will ghosts seem to continue.

Mind is limitless. It never was material. The true idea of being is spiritual and immortal, and from this it follows 353:30 that whatever is laid off is the ghost, some unreal belief.

Mortal beliefs can neither demonstrate Christianity nor apprehend the reality of Life.

Christian warfare

354:1 Are the protests of Christian Science against the notion that there can be material life, substance, or mind ”utter 354:3 falsities and absurdities,” as some aver? Why then do Christians try to obey the Scriptures and war against ”the world, the flesh, and the devil”?

354:6 Why do they invoke the divine aid to enable them to leave all for Christ, Truth? Why do they use this phraseology, and yet deny Christian Science, when it teaches precisely 354:9 this thought? The words of divine Science find their immortality in deeds, for their Principle heals the sick and spiritualizes humanity.

Healing omitted

354:12 On the other hand, the Christian opponents of Chris- tian Science neither give nor offer any proofs that their Master's religion can heal the sick. Surely 354:15 it is not enough to cleave to barren and desul- tory dogmas, derived from the traditions of the elders who thereunto have set their seals.

Scientific consistency

354:18 Consistency is seen in example more than in precept.

Inconsistency is shown by words without deeds, which are like clouds without rain. If our words 354:21 fail to express our deeds, G.o.d will redeem that weakness, and out of the mouth of babes He will perfect praise. The night of materiality is far spent, and with 354:24 the dawn Truth will waken men spiritually to hear and to speak the new tongue.

Sin should become unreal to every one. It is in itself 354:27 inconsistent, a divided kingdom. Its supposed realism has no divine authority, and I rejoice in the apprehension of this grand verity.

Spiritual meaning

354:30 The opponents of divine Science must be charitable, if they would be Christian. If the letter of Christian Science appears inconsistent, they should 355:1 gain the spiritual meaning of Christian Science, and then the ambiguity will vanish.

Practical arguments

355:3 The charge of inconsistency in Christianly scientific methods of dealing with sin and disease is met by some- thing practical, - namely, the proof of the 355:6 utility of these methods; and proofs are better than mere verbal arguments or prayers which evince no spiritual power to heal.

355:9 As for sin and disease, Christian Science says, in the language of the Master, ”Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.” Let discord of every name and nature 355:12 be heard no more, and let the harmonious and true sense of Life and being take possession of human consciousness.

What is the relative value of the two conflicting the- 355:15 ories regarding Christian healing? One, according to the commands of our Master, heals the sick. The other, popular religion, declines to admit that Christ's religion 355:18 has exercised any systematic healing power since the first century.

Conditions of criticism

The statement that the teachings of Christian Sci- 355:21 ence in this work are ”absolutely false, and the most egregious fallacies ever offered for accept- ance,” is an opinion wholly due to a misap- 355:24 prehension both of the divine Principle and practice of Christian Science and to a consequent inability to demon- strate this Science. Without this understanding, no one 355:27 is capable of impartial or correct criticism, because demon- stration and spiritual understanding are G.o.d's immortal keynotes, proved to be such by our Master and evidenced 355:30 by the sick who are cured and by the sinners who are reformed.

Weakness of material theories

Strangely enough, we ask for material theories in sup- 356:1 port of spiritual and eternal truths, when the two are so antagonistic that the material thought must become spir- 356:3 itualized before the spiritual fact is attained.

So-called material existence affords no evidence of spiritual existence and immortality. Sin, 356:6 sickness, and death do not prove man's ent.i.ty or immor- tality. Discord can never establish the facts of harmony.

Matter is not the vestibule of Spirit.

Irreconciliable differences

356:9 Jesus reasoned on this subject practically, and con- trolled sickness, sin, and death on the basis of his spir- ituality. Understanding the nothingness of 356:12 material things, he spoke of flesh and Spirit as the two opposites, - as error and Truth, not contrib- uting in any way to each other's happiness and existence.