Chapter 3: 'Science and Health' by Mary Baker Glover

Chapter III - Spirit and Matter

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We should never ask after the condition, structure,

or economy of the body, but take no thought about it;

– Soul governs man better than sense, and for the

body to be sensationless is science. The compound

minerals or aggregate substances that compose the

earth, the relations constituent masses bear to each

other, or the magnitudes, distances, revolutions, etc.,

of the celestial bodies, are of no real importance,

for all this must give place to the spiritualized under-

standing, that matter is not substance, and when we

admit this, man will be found harmonious and eternal,

even the idea of God, that expresses the harmony of

being.

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Material substance, geological calculations, etc., will

be swallowed up in the infinite Spirit that comprehends

and evolves all idea, structure, form, coloring, etc., that

we now suppose are produced by matter. The spir-

itual perception of man and of the universe constitutes

the true idea of both. While Columbus was putting

down one of the errors of personal sense, and giving

freer breath to the globe, the hands of ignorance and

superstition were chaining the honest limbs of the brave

old navigator; starvation and disgrace looked him in

the face, but sterner still had been the fate of him

whom history has since immortalized, had his discovery

embraced a Principle, undermining sensuality. Age

nor accident interferes with the senses of Soul; the

body has no sensation; it cannot see, hear or feel, not-

withstanding the belief to the contrary. Understanding

this truth, the Master knew no loss of our faculties can

occur except to belief; therefore he knew how to han-

dle personal sense, by putting it under his feet, which

163:1
enabled him to restore sight to the blind, hearing to the

deaf, and speech to the dumb.

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If it be true that sensation is in nerves, hearing in

the ear, sight in the eye, etc.; when these organs are

lost our faculties are gone, therefore they cannot be

immortal in Spirit, when the reality is they are immor-

tal only thus; personal sense returns to dust, and gives

place to spiritual sense, wherein we find not a faculty

lost, and nothing gone except sin and suffering. Be-

cause the so-called personal senses are mortal we must

admit them error, a belief, and not the Truth of man.

163:12
What we call laws of nature are as able to destroy

the immortality of Soul, as body, or take from man

one jot of what God hath given. "To the unknown

God, whom therefore ye ignorantly worship," be these

laws inscribed. Idolatry keeps pace with civilization,

when instead of wood or stone we bow to drugs, flesh-

brush, flannel, etc., etc. Thou shalt have no other

gods before Me, is the command of Wisdom; no Intel-

ligence in matter, no imaginary physical law, but the

one supreme spiritual law of being, namely, the Truth

of Soul and body.

163:23
Discord and suffering proceed not from God, from

Soul, but sense; should man obey Intelligence alone,

happiness and harmony would be universal. In the

days of Jesus and his students, Truth healed the sick;

and would to-day do this, and make man perfect; if we ad-

mitted the Truth, there is but one Intelligence, and

this, God, governing man, yea, Spirit triumphing over

matter. Man worships material forms of religion, crin-

ges to popular favor, delves deeper into matter, strain-

ing at gnats and swallowing camels; popular humbug