Chapter III - Spirit and Matter
166:1
profession. The Principle of being that makes man
profession. The Principle of being that makes man
harmonious we cannot reach through material rites or
the worship of a personal God. The one scientific
statement of being, is that neither man nor matter has
substance, Life or Intelligence. There is a wide differ-
ence between the interpretation belief and opinions
give of Christianity, and that which the science of Life
demonstrates. Jesus and his students healed the sick,
because of their spirituality: they healed with Christ,
Truth, and not in the name of Christ, but in the prac-
166:11
tice thereof. We have no need of creeds and church
tice thereof. We have no need of creeds and church
organizations to sustain or explain a demonstrable
platform, that defines itself in healing the sick, and
casting out error. The uselessness of drugs, the emp-
tiness of knowledge that puffeth up, and the imaginary
laws of matter are very apparent to those who are
rising to the more glorious demonstration of their God‑
being.
166:19
The mistake the disciples of Jesus made to found
The mistake the disciples of Jesus made to found
religious organizations and church rites, if indeed they
did this, was one the Master did not make; but the
mistake church members make to employ drugs to heal
the sick, was not made by the students of Jesus.
Christ's church was Truth, "I am Truth and Life,"
the temple for the worshippers of Truth is Spirit and
not matter, even the Principle of man and the universe
that calls on those professing godliness, to understand
God, and to be absent from the body to be present with
Him, and to claim their right of membership by destroy-
ing sickness, sin, and death. Is there any higher Chris-
tianity than this?
166:32
No time was lost by our Master in organizations, rites,
No time was lost by our Master in organizations, rites,
167:1
and ceremonies, or in proselyting for certain forms of
and ceremonies, or in proselyting for certain forms of
belief: members of his church must answer to them-
selves, in the secret sanctuary of Soul, questions of the
most solemn import. First, am I surely gaining a vic-
tory over matter, and present with Spirit, present with
Love and Truth, supping with them and they with
me, gaining this oneness with God, of which Jesus
spake, thus rising superior to personal sense, and con-
quering sickness, sin and death; am I caring less and
less for earthly pleasures or pains, and getting out with
the sinner and in with the saint? The true answer to
these inquiries will set us all right; they are the only
signs significant of the burial of the body with Christ,
and its resurrection with God, Truth, compared with
which rites and ceremonies sink into insignificance.
We have no record that forms of church worship were
instituted by our great spiritual teacher, Jesus of
Nazareth, and we learn the improbability of this, in
the science of God, that he taught and demonstrated.
Said he, "The time now is when they that worship
the Father should worship him in Spirit, and no longer
in Jerusalem," (the wealth and learning) "of our tem-
ples"; a magnificent edifice was not the sign of Christ's
Church.
167:25
Anciently the followers of Christ, Truth, measured
Anciently the followers of Christ, Truth, measured
their Christianity by the control it gave them over
sickness, sin and death; whereas the more modern
forms of religion leave out the first proof, and substi-
tute observances for a test of the latter; but we are
learning slowly, as the centuries pass, to leave forms
and doctrines, and require the primitive tests of Chris-
tianity. If we accept the mere letter of moral and spir-