Chapter XV - Genesis
Fear comes of error
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himself was one of nakedness and shame. Had he lost
himself was one of nakedness and shame. Had he lost
man's rich inheritance and God's behest, dominion over
all the earth? No! This had never been bestowed on
Adam.
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Genesis iii. 11, 12. And He said, Who told thee that
Genesis iii. 11, 12. And He said, Who told thee that
thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I
commanded thee that thou shouldst not eat? And the man
said, The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave
me of the tree, and I did eat.
The beguiling first lie
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Here there is an attempt to trace all human errors
Here there is an attempt to trace all human errors
directly or indirectly to God, or good, as if He were the
creator of evil. The allegory shows that the
snake-talker utters the first voluble lie, which
beguiles the woman and demoralizes the man. Adam,
alias mortal error, charges God and woman with his own
dereliction, saying, "The woman, whom Thou gavest
me, is responsible." According to this belief, the rib taken
from Adam's side has grown into an evil mind, named
woman, who aids man to make sinners more rapidly than
he can alone. Is this an help meet for man?
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Materiality, so obnoxious to God, is already found in the
Materiality, so obnoxious to God, is already found in the
rapid deterioration of the bone and flesh which came from
Adam to form Eve. The belief in material life and in-
telligence is growing worse at every step, but error has its
suppositional day and multiplies until the end thereof.
False womanhood
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Truth, cross-questioning man as to His knowledge of
Truth, cross-questioning man as to His knowledge of
error, finds woman the first to confess her fault. She
says, "The serpent beguiled me, and I did
eat;" as much as to say in meek penitence,
"Neither man nor God shall father my fault." She has
already learned that corporeal sense is the serpent. Hence
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she is first to abandon the belief in the material origin of
she is first to abandon the belief in the material origin of
man and to discern spiritual creation. This hereafter
enabled woman to be the mother of Jesus and to behold
at the sepulchre the risen Saviour, who was soon to mani-
fest the deathless man of God's creating. This enabled
woman to be first to interpret the Scriptures in their true
sense, which reveals the spiritual origin of man.
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Genesis iii. 14, 15. And the Lord God [Jehovah] said
Genesis iii. 14, 15. And the Lord God [Jehovah] said
unto the serpent, . . . I will put enmity between thee and
the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall
bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Spirit and flesh
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This prophecy has been fulfilled. The Son of the Virgin‑
This prophecy has been fulfilled. The Son of the Virgin‑
mother unfolded the remedy for Adam, or error; and the
Apostle Paul explains this warfare between the
idea of divine power, which Jesus presented,
and mythological material intelligence called energy and
opposed to Spirit.
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Paul says in his epistle to the Romans: "The carnal
Paul says in his epistle to the Romans: "The carnal
mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the
law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that
are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the
flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the spirit of God dwell
in you."
Bruising sin's head
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There will be greater mental opposition to the spirit-
There will be greater mental opposition to the spirit-
ual, scientific meaning of the Scriptures than there has
ever been since the Christian era began. The
serpent, material sense, will bite the heel of
the woman, – will struggle to destroy the spiritual idea
of Love; and the woman, this idea, will bruise the head
of lust. The spiritual idea has given the understanding
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a foothold in Christian Science. The seed of Truth and
a foothold in Christian Science. The seed of Truth and
the seed of error, of belief and of understanding, – yea,
the seed of Spirit and the seed of matter, – are the wheat
and tares which time will separate, the one to be burned,
the other to be garnered into heavenly places.
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Genesis iii. 16. Unto the woman He said, I will greatly
Genesis iii. 16. Unto the woman He said, I will greatly
multiply thy sorrow and thy conception: in sorrow thou
shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy
husband, and he shall rule over thee.
Judgment on error
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Divine Science deals its chief blow at the supposed ma-
Divine Science deals its chief blow at the supposed ma-
terial foundations of life and intelligence. It dooms idol-
atry. A belief in other gods, other creators,
and other creations must go down before Chris-
tian Science. It unveils the results of sin as shown in
sickness and death. When will man pass through the
open gate of Christian Science into the heaven of Soul,
into the heritage of the first born among men? Truth is
indeed "the way."
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Genesis iii. 17-19. And unto Adam He said, Because
Genesis iii. 17-19. And unto Adam He said, Because
thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast
eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou
shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in
sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life: thorns
also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt
eat the herb of the field: in the sweat of thy face shalt thou
eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it
wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt
thou return.
New earth and no more sea
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In the first chapter of Genesis we read: "And God
In the first chapter of Genesis we read: "And God
called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together
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of the waters called He Seas." In the Apocalypse it is
of the waters called He Seas." In the Apocalypse it is
written: "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for
the first heaven and the first earth were passed
away; and there was no more sea." In St.
John's vision, heaven and earth stand for spir-
itual ideas, and the sea, as a symbol of tempest-tossed
human concepts advancing and receding, is represented
as having passed away. The divine understanding reigns,
is all and there is no other consciousness.
The fall of error
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The way of error is awful to contemplate. The illu-
The way of error is awful to contemplate. The illu-
sion of sin is without hope or God. If man's spiritual
gravitation and attraction to one Father, in
whom we "live, and move, and have our be-
ing," should be lost, and if man should be governed by
corporeality instead of divine Principle, by body instead
of by Soul, man would be annihilated. Created by flesh
instead of by Spirit, starting from matter instead of from
God, mortal man would be governed by himself. The
blind leading the blind, both would fall.
True attainment
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Passions and appetites must end in pain. They are
Passions and appetites must end in pain. They are
"of few days, and full of trouble." Their supposed joys
are cheats. Their narrow limits belittle their gratifica-
tions, and hedge about their achievements with thorns.
Mortal mind accepts the erroneous, material concep-
tion of life and joy, but the true idea is gained from the
immortal side. Through toil, struggle, and sor-
row, what do mortals attain? They give up
their belief in perishable life and happiness; the mortal
and material return to dust, and the immortal is reached.
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Genesis iii. 22-24. And the Lord God [Jehovah] said,
Genesis iii. 22-24. And the Lord God [Jehovah] said,
Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good
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and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take
and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take
also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever; therefore
the Lord God [Jehovah] sent him forth from the garden
of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.
So He drove out the man: and He placed at the east
of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword
which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of
life.
Justice and recompense
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A knowledge of evil was never the essence of divin-
A knowledge of evil was never the essence of divin-
ity or manhood. In the first chapter of Genesis, evil
has no local habitation nor name. Crea-
tion is there represented as spiritual, entire,
and good. "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he
also reap." Error excludes itself from harmony. Sin
is its own punishment. Truth guards the gateway
to harmony. Error tills its own barren soil and buries
itself in the ground, since ground and dust stand for
nothingness.
Inspired interpretation
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No one can reasonably doubt that the purpose of this
No one can reasonably doubt that the purpose of this
allegory – this second account in Genesis – is to depict
the falsity of error and the effects of error.
Subsequent Bible revelation is coordinate
with the Science of creation recorded in the
first chapter of Genesis. Inspired writers interpret the
Word spiritually, while the ordinary historian interprets
it literally. Literally taken, the text is made to appear
contradictory in some places, and divine Love, which
blessed the earth and gave it to man for a possession, is
represented as changeable. The literal meaning would
imply that God withheld from man the opportunity to
reform, lest man should improve it and become better;
but this is not the nature of God, who is Love always, –
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Love infinitely wise and altogether lovely, who "seeketh
Love infinitely wise and altogether lovely, who "seeketh
not her own."
Spiritual gateway
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Truth should, and does, drive error out of all selfhood.
Truth should, and does, drive error out of all selfhood.
Truth is a two-edged sword, guarding and guiding.
Truth places the cherub wisdom at the gate
of understanding to note the proper guests.
Radiant with mercy and justice, the sword of Truth
gleams afar and indicates the infinite distance between
Truth and error, between the material and spiritual, –
the unreal and the real.
Contrasted testimony
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The sun, giving light and heat to the earth, is a figure
The sun, giving light and heat to the earth, is a figure
of divine Life and Love, enlightening and sustaining the
universe. The "tree of life" is significant of
eternal reality or being. The "tree of knowl-
edge" typifies unreality. The testimony of the serpent is
significant of the illusion of error, of the false claims that
misrepresent God, good. Sin, sickness, and death have
no record in the Elohistic introduction of Genesis, in which
God creates the heavens, earth, and man. Until that
which contradicts the truth of being enters into the arena,
evil has no history, and evil is brought into view only as
the unreal in contradistinction to the real and eternal.
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Genesis iv. 1. And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she
Genesis iv. 1. And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she
conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man
from the Lord [Jehovah].
Erroneous conception
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This account is given, not of immortal man, but of mor-
This account is given, not of immortal man, but of mor-
tal man, and of sin which is temporal. As both mortal
man and sin have a beginning, they must
consequently have an end, while the sinless,
real man is eternal. Eve's declaration, "I have gotten
a man from the Lord," supposes God to be the author
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of sin and sin's progeny. This false sense of existence
of sin and sin's progeny. This false sense of existence
is fratricidal. In the words of Jesus, it (evil, devil) is
"a murderer from the beginning." Error begins by
reckoning life as separate from Spirit, thus sapping the
foundations of immortality, as if life and immortality
were something which matter can both give and take
away.
Only one standard
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What can be the standard of good, of Spirit, of Life,
What can be the standard of good, of Spirit, of Life,
or of Truth, if they produce their opposites, such as evil,
matter, error, and death? God could never
impart an element of evil, and man possesses
nothing which he has not derived from God. How then
has man a basis for wrong-doing? Whence does he
obtain the propensity or power to do evil? Has Spirit
resigned to matter the government of the universe?
A type of falsehood
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The Scriptures declare that God condemned this lie as
The Scriptures declare that God condemned this lie as
to man's origin and character by condemning its symbol,
the serpent, to grovel beneath all the beasts
of the field. It is false to say that Truth and
error commingle in creation. In parable and argument,
this falsity is exposed by our Master as self-evidently
wrong. Disputing these points with the Pharisees and
arguing for the Science of creation, Jesus said: "Do men
gather grapes of thorns?" Paul asked: "What com-
munion hath light with darkness? And what concord
hath Christ with Belial?"
Scientific offspring
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The divine origin of Jesus gave him more than human
The divine origin of Jesus gave him more than human
power to expound the facts of creation, and demonstrate
the one Mind which makes and governs man
and the universe. The Science of creation,
so conspicuous in the birth of Jesus inspired his wisest
and least-understood sayings, and was the basis of his
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marvellous demonstrations. Christ is the offspring of
marvellous demonstrations. Christ is the offspring of
Spirit, and spiritual existence shows that Spirit creates
neither a wicked nor a mortal man, lapsing into sin, sick-
ness, and death.
Cleansing upheaval
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In Isaiah we read: "I make peace, and create evil. I
In Isaiah we read: "I make peace, and create evil. I
the Lord do all these things;" but the prophet referred to
divine law as stirring up the belief in evil to its
utmost, when bringing it to the surface and re-
ducing it to its common denominator, nothingness. The
muddy river-bed must be stirred in order to purify the
stream. In moral chemicalization, when the symptoms
of evil, illusion, are aggravated, we may think in our igno-
rance that the Lord hath wrought an evil; but we ought
to know that God's law uncovers so-called sin and its
effects, only that Truth may annihilate all sense of evil
and all power to sin.
Allegiance to Spirit
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Science renders "unto Caesar the things which are
Science renders "unto Caesar the things which are
Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's." It
saith to the human sense of sin, sickness, and
death, "God never made you, and you are a
false sense which hath no knowledge of God." The pur-
pose of the Hebrew allegory, representing error as assum-
ing a divine character, is to teach mortals never to believe
a lie.
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Genesis iv. 3, 4. Cain brought of the fruit of the ground
Genesis iv. 3, 4. Cain brought of the fruit of the ground
an offering unto the Lord [Jehovah]. And Abel, he also
brought of the firstlings of his flock, and of the fat thereof.
Spiritual and material
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Cain is the type of mortal and material man, conceived
Cain is the type of mortal and material man, conceived
in sin and "shapen in iniquity;" he is not the
type of Truth and Love. Material in origin
and sense, he brings a material offering to God. Abel
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takes his offering from the firstlings of the flock. A lamb
takes his offering from the firstlings of the flock. A lamb
is a more animate form of existence, and more nearly re-
sembles a mind-offering than does Cain's fruit. Jealous
of his brother's gift, Cain seeks Abel's life, instead of mak-
ing his own gift a higher tribute to the Most High.
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Genesis iv. 4, 5. And the Lord [Jehovah] had respect
Genesis iv. 4, 5. And the Lord [Jehovah] had respect
unto Abel, and to his offering: but unto Cain, and to his
offering, He had not respect.
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Had God more respect for the homage bestowed through
Had God more respect for the homage bestowed through
a gentle animal than for the worship expressed by Cain's
fruit? No; but the lamb was a more spiritual type of
even the human concept of Love than the herbs of the
ground could be.
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Genesis iv. 8. Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and
Genesis iv. 8. Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and
slew him.
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The erroneous belief that life, substance, and intelli-
The erroneous belief that life, substance, and intelli-
gence can be material ruptures the life and brotherhood
of man at the very outset.
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Genesis iv. 9. And the Lord [Jehovah] said unto Cain,
Genesis iv. 9. And the Lord [Jehovah] said unto Cain,
Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am
I my brother's keeper?
Brotherhood repudiated
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Here the serpentine lie invents new forms. At first it
Here the serpentine lie invents new forms. At first it
usurps divine power. It is supposed to say
in the first instance, "Ye shall be as gods."
Now it repudiates even the human duty of man towards
his brother.
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Genesis iv. 10, 11. And He [Jehovah] said, . . . The
Genesis iv. 10, 11. And He [Jehovah] said, . . . The
voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto Me from the ground.
And now art thou cursed from the earth.
Murder brings its curse
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The belief of life in matter sins at every step. It in-
The belief of life in matter sins at every step. It in-
curs divine displeasure, and it would kill Jesus that it
might be rid of troublesome Truth. Material
beliefs would slay the spiritual idea when-
ever and wherever it appears. Though error hides
behind a lie and excuses guilt, error cannot forever be
concealed. Truth, through her eternal laws, unveils
error. Truth causes sin to betray itself, and sets upon
error the mark of the beast. Even the disposition to
excuse guilt or to conceal it is punished. The avoidance
of justice and the denial of truth tend to perpetuate sin,
invoke crime, jeopardize self-control, and mock divine
mercy.
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Genesis iv. 15. And the Lord [Jehovah] said unto him
Genesis iv. 15. And the Lord [Jehovah] said unto him
Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken
on him sevenfold. And the Lord [Jehovah] set a mark
upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.
Retribution and remorse
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"They that take the sword shall perish with the
"They that take the sword shall perish with the
sword." Let Truth uncover and destroy error in God's
own way, and let human justice pattern the
divine. Sin will receive its full penalty, both
for what it is and for what it does. Justice marks
the sinner, and teaches mortals not to remove the
waymarks of God. To envy's own hell, justice con-
signs the lie which, to advance itself, breaks God's
commandments.
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Genesis iv. 16. And Cain went out from the presence of
Genesis iv. 16. And Cain went out from the presence of
the Lord [Jehovah], and dwelt in the land of Nod.
Climax of suffering
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The sinful misconception of Life as something less
The sinful misconception of Life as something less
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than God, having no truth to support it, falls back upon
than God, having no truth to support it, falls back upon
itself. This error, after reaching the climax of suffering,
yields to Truth and returns to dust; but it
is only mortal man and not the real man,
who dies. The image of Spirit cannot be effaced, since it
is the idea of Truth and changes not, but becomes more
beautifully apparent at error's demise.
Dwelling in dreamland
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In divine Science, the material man is shut out from
In divine Science, the material man is shut out from
the presence of God. The five corporeal senses cannot
take cognizance of Spirit. They cannot come
into His presence, and must dwell in dream‑
land, until mortals arrive at the understanding that ma-
terial life, with all its sin, sickness, and death, is an illu-
sion, against which divine Science is engaged in a warfare
of extermination. The great verities of existence are
never excluded by falsity.
Man springs from Mind
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All error proceeds from the evidence before the mate-
All error proceeds from the evidence before the mate-
rial senses. If man is material and originates in an
egg, who shall say that he is not primarily
dust? May not Darwin be right in think-
ing that apehood preceded mortal manhood? Minerals
and vegetables are found, according to divine Science,
to be the creations of erroneous thought, not of matter.
Did man, whom God created with a word, originate
in an egg? When Spirit made all, did it leave aught
for matter to create? Ideas of Truth alone are reflected
in the myriad manifestations of Life, and thus it is
seen that man springs solely from Mind. The belief
that matter supports life would make Life, or God,
mortal.
Material inception
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The text, "In the day that the Lord God [Jehovah
The text, "In the day that the Lord God [Jehovah
God] made the earth and the heavens," introduces the
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record of a material creation which followed the spiritual,
record of a material creation which followed the spiritual,
– a creation so wholly apart from God's, that Spirit
had no participation in it. In God's creation
ideas became productive, obedient to Mind.
There was no rain and "not a man to till the ground."
Mind, instead of matter, being the producer, Life was
self-sustained. Birth, decay, and death arise from the
material sense of things, not from the spiritual, for in
the latter Life consisteth not of the things which a man
eateth. Matter cannot change the eternal fact that
man exists because God exists. Nothing is new to the
infinite Mind.
First evil suggestion
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In Science, Mind neither produces matter nor does
In Science, Mind neither produces matter nor does
matter produce mind. No mortal mind has the might
or right or wisdom to create or to destroy.
All is under the control of the one Mind,
even God. The first statement about evil, – the first
suggestion of more than the one Mind, – is in the fable
of the serpent. The facts of creation, as previously re-
corded, include nothing of the kind.
Material personality
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The serpent is supposed to say, "Ye shall be as gods,"
The serpent is supposed to say, "Ye shall be as gods,"
but these gods must be evolved from materiality and be
the very antipodes of immortal and spiritual
being. Man is the likeness of Spirit, but a
material personality is not this likeness. Therefore man,
in this allegory, is neither a lesser god nor the image and
likeness of the one God.
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Material, erroneous belief reverses understanding and
Material, erroneous belief reverses understanding and
truth. It declares mind to be in and of matter, so-called
mortal life to be Life, infinity to enter man's nostrils
so that matter becomes spiritual. Error begins with
corporeality as the producer instead of divine Prin-
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ciple, and explains Deity through mortal and finite con-
ciple, and explains Deity through mortal and finite con-
ceptions.
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"Behold, the man is become as one of us." This could
"Behold, the man is become as one of us." This could
not be the utterance of Truth or Science, for according
to the record, material man was fast degenerating and
never had been divinely conceived.
Mental tillage
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The condemnation of mortals to till the ground means
The condemnation of mortals to till the ground means
this, – that mortals should so improve material belief
by thought tending spiritually upward as to
destroy materiality. Man, created by God,
was given dominion over the whole earth. The notion
of a material universe is utterly opposed to the theory
of man as evolved from Mind. Such fundamental errors
send falsity into all human doctrines and conclusions,
and do not accord infinity to Deity. Error tills the
whole ground in this material theory, which is entirely a
false view, destructive to existence and happiness. Out-
side of Christian Science all is vague and hypothetical, the
opposite of Truth; yet this opposite, in its false view of
God and man, impudently demands a blessing.
Erroneous standpoint
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The translators of this record of scientific creation
The translators of this record of scientific creation
entertained a false sense of being. They believed in
the existence of matter, its propagation and
power. From that standpoint of error, they
could not apprehend the nature and operation of Spirit.
Hence the seeming contradiction in that Scripture, which
is so glorious in its spiritual signification. Truth has
but one reply to all error, – to sin, sickness, and death:
"Dust [nothingness] thou art, and unto dust [nothingness]
shalt thou return."
Mortality mythical
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"As in Adam [error] all die, even so in Christ [Truth]
"As in Adam [error] all die, even so in Christ [Truth]
shall all be made alive." The mortality of man is a
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myth, for man is immortal. The false belief that spirit is
myth, for man is immortal. The false belief that spirit is
now submerged in matter, at some future time to be eman-
cipated from it, – this belief alone is mortal.
Spirit, God, never germinates, but is "the same
yesterday, and to-day, and forever." If Mind, God, cre-
ates error, that error must exist in the divine Mind, and
this assumption of error would dethrone the perfection
of Deity.
No truth from a material basis
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Is Christian Science contradictory? Is the divine
Is Christian Science contradictory? Is the divine
Principle of creation misstated? Has God no Science to
declare Mind, while matter is governed by un-
erring intelligence? "There went up a mist
from the earth." This represents error as
starting from an idea of good on a material basis. It
supposes God and man to be manifested only through
the corporeal senses, although the material senses can
take no cognizance of Spirit or the spiritual idea.
Genesis and the Apocalypse seem more obscure than
other portions of the Scripture, because they cannot
possibly be interpreted from a material standpoint. To
the author, they are transparent, for they contain the deep
divinity of the Bible.
Dawning of spiritual facts
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Christian Science is dawning upon a material age.
Christian Science is dawning upon a material age.
The great spiritual facts of being, like rays of light, shine
in the darkness, though the darkness, com-
prehending them not, may deny their reality.
The proof that the system stated in this book is Chris-
tianly scientific resides in the good this system accom-
plishes, for it cures on a divine demonstrable Principle
which all may understand.
Proof given in healing
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If mathematics should present a thousand different
If mathematics should present a thousand different
examples of one rule, the proving of one example would
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authenticate all the others. A simple statement of Chris-
authenticate all the others. A simple statement of Chris-
tian Science, if demonstrated by healing, contains the
proof of all here said of Christian Science. If
one of the statements in this book is true, every
one must be true, for not one departs from the stated sys-
tem and rule. You can prove for yourself, dear reader,
the Science of healing, and so ascertain if the author has
given you the correct interpretation of Scripture.
Embryonic evolution
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The late Louis Agassiz, by his microscopic examination
The late Louis Agassiz, by his microscopic examination
of a vulture's ovum, strengthens the thinker's conclusions
as to the scientific theory of creation. Agassiz
was able to see in the egg the earth's atmos-
phere, the gathering clouds, the moon and stars, while the
germinating speck of so-called embryonic life seemed a
small sun. In its history of mortality, Darwin's theory
of evolution from a material basis is more consistent than
most theories. Briefly, this is Darwin's theory, – that
Mind produces its opposite, matter, and endues matter
with power to recreate the universe, including man. Ma-
terial evolution implies that the great First Cause must
become material, and afterwards must either return to
Mind or go down into dust and nothingness.
True theory of the universe
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The Scriptures are very sacred. Our aim must be to
The Scriptures are very sacred. Our aim must be to
have them understood spiritually, for only by this under-
standing can truth be gained. The true the-
ory of the universe, including man, is not in
material history but in spiritual development.
Inspired thought relinquishes a material, sensual, and
mortal theory of the universe, and adopts the spiritual and
immortal.
Scriptural perception
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It is this spiritual perception of Scripture, which lifts
It is this spiritual perception of Scripture, which lifts
humanity out of disease and death and inspires faith.
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"The Spirit and the bride say, Come! . . . and whoso-
"The Spirit and the bride say, Come! . . . and whoso-
ever will, let him take the water of life freely." Christian
Science separates error from truth, and breathes
through the sacred pages the spiritual sense of
life, substance, and intelligence. In this Science, we dis-
cover man in the image and likeness of God. We see that
man has never lost his spiritual estate and his eternal
harmony.
The clouds dissolving
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How little light or heat reach our earth when clouds
How little light or heat reach our earth when clouds
cover the sun's face! So Christian Science can be seen
only as the clouds of corporeal sense roll away.
Earth has little light or joy for mortals before
Life is spiritually learned. Every agony of mortal error
helps error to destroy error, and so aids the apprehension
of immortal Truth. This is the new birth going on
hourly, by which men may entertain angels, the true
ideas of God, the spiritual sense of being.
Prediction of a naturalist
548:18
Speaking of the origin of mortals, a famous naturalist
Speaking of the origin of mortals, a famous naturalist
says: "It is very possible that many general statements
now current, about birth and generation, will
be changed with the progress of information."
Had the naturalist, through his tireless researches, gained
the diviner side in Christian Science, – so far apart from
his material sense of animal growth and organization, –
he would have blessed the human race more abundantly.
Methods of reproduction
548:26
Natural history is richly endowed by the labors and
Natural history is richly endowed by the labors and
genius of great men. Modern discoveries have brought
to light important facts in regard to so-called
embryonic life. Agassiz declares ("Methods
of Study in Natural History,") "Certain ani-
mals, besides the ordinary process of generation, also
increase their numbers naturally and constantly by self‑
549:1
division." This discovery is corroborative of the Science
division." This discovery is corroborative of the Science
of Mind, for this discovery shows that the multiplication
of certain animals takes place apart from sexual condi-
tions. The supposition that life germinates in eggs and
must decay after it has grown to maturity, if not before,
is shown by divine metaphysics to be a mistake, – a
blunder which will finally give place to higher theories
and demonstrations.
The three processes
549:9
Creatures of lower forms of organism are supposed
Creatures of lower forms of organism are supposed
to have, as classes, three different methods of reproduc-
tion and to multiply their species sometimes
through eggs, sometimes through buds, and
sometimes through self-division. According to recent
lore, successive generations do not begin with the birth of
new individuals, or personalities, but with the formation
of the nucleus, or egg, from which one or more individu-
alities subsequently emerge; and we must therefore look
upon the simple ovum as the germ, the starting-point, of
the most complicated corporeal structures, including those
which we call human. Here these material researches
culminate in such vague hypotheses as must necessarily
attend false systems, which rely upon physics and are de-
void of metaphysics.
Deference to material law
549:24
In one instance a celebrated naturalist, Agassiz, dis-
In one instance a celebrated naturalist, Agassiz, dis-
covers the pathway leading to divine Science, and beards
the lion of materialism in its den. At that
point, however, even this great observer mis-
takes nature, forsakes Spirit as the divine origin of
creative Truth, and allows matter and material law to
usurp the prerogatives of omnipotence. He absolutely
drops from his summit, coming down to a belief in the
material origin of man, for he virtually affirms that