Chapter IV - Creation
251:1
literal acceptation of this quotation implies malice,
literal acceptation of this quotation implies malice,
withholding from man the opportunity to reform, lest
he should become better; but this is not our God, and
so contrary to Love and Wisdom, we must accept it
only as the pagan opinions of those re-writing the in-
spired word. The true interpretation of this scripture
is its spiritual sense. Beginning in person instead of
Principle, to explain God, we express him after the
manner of man, the nature of personal sense and on the
basis of error instead of Truth, drawing all our conclu-
sions from a material, instead of a spiritual standpoint,
hence the discord, theoretically and practically, that fol-
lows the belief of intelligent matter. "Behold, the
man is become as one of us." Error and not the Truth
of being, said that; man is not God, therefore he did
not become as one of "Us." Intelligence is not in
matter, therefore it is not personal sense; Spirit in mat-
ter would make God mortal man, and Intelligence and
Life, person instead of Principle, and body instead of
Soul. That this error be not reckoned Truth, or as
one of "Us," and claim the prerogative of Intelligence,
God said, let all that produces sickness, sin, and death,
"till the ground;" i.e., be understood as proceeding
from a material, and not a spiritual basis, and therefore
an error that returns to dust, primitive nothingness.
Let material things be understood forever, as apart
from the spiritual; think not to blend matter and Spirit,
for this is not the science of being, and will result in
discord and death. From the sweat of the brow to de-
rive Life or happiness, started with Adam, error; it was
from the "tree of knowledge," so unlike the harmony
and immortality of man created by Spirit. Lay not up
252:1
for yourselves treasures on earth, is the better under-
for yourselves treasures on earth, is the better under-
standing of Life. Whatsoever proceedeth from Spirit,
is harmonious and immortal, deriving all it is from God;
but what cometh from matter, is mortal, dependent on
sense instead of Soul. Material man, and a world of
matter, reverse the science of being, and are utterly
false; nothing is right about them; their starting point
is error, illusion, therefore sin and sense are at home
in this world, and mortal error stalks boldly forth on
firm footing until the waiting hand of science shall
strike it down. Truth has literally no foothold on
such an earth, and with such views, for they accord
neither place nor privilege to God. Error "tills" the
entire ground here, working on a material platform,
therefore Wisdom said, let Adam, error, that is not the
image and likeness of God, not the immortal mind re-
flecting harmonious Intelligence, but a belief of Life
and Intelligence in matter, be set apart from the immor-
tal, i.e., the idea of Truth, for this is the science of
being, that Spirit and matter, which is Truth and error,
never blend. Instead of the Life, Truth, etc., that
make man harmonious and immortal, the belief or
error, named Adam, depends on personality and pardon,
like a vain child that demands to be blessed when it
must be punished, because it knows not the terms on
which a blessing is gained, but in its blindness expects
from matter and personality the good that comes from
Spirit and Truth. If God had made Adam and sin, they
must have been "good," for "all was good that He
made." The translators of that record, wrote it in the
error of being, to wit, the belief of Life and Intelli-
gence in matter, hence their misinterpretations; they