Chapter VI - Science, Theology, Medicine
John the Baptist, and the Messiah
132:1
Jesus returned an affirmative reply, recounting his works
Jesus returned an affirmative reply, recounting his works
instead of referring to his doctrine, confident that this
exhibition of the divine power to heal would fully an-
swer the question. Hence his reply: "Go and show
John again those things which ye do hear and see: the
blind receive their sight and the lame walk, the lepers
are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up,
and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And
blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me." In
other words, he gave his benediction to any one who
should not deny that such effects, coming from divine
Mind, prove the unity of God, – the divine Principle
which brings out all harmony.
Christ rejected
132:14
The Pharisees of old thrust the spiritual idea and the
The Pharisees of old thrust the spiritual idea and the
man who lived it out of their synagogues, and retained
their materialistic beliefs about God. Jesus'
system of healing received no aid nor approval
from other sanitary or religious systems, from doctrines
of physics or of divinity; and it has not yet been gener-
ally accepted. To-day, as of yore, unconscious of the
reappearing of the spiritual idea, blind belief shuts the
door upon it, and condemns the cure of the sick and sin-
ning if it is wrought on any but a material and a doctrinal
theory. Anticipating this rejection of idealism, of the
true idea of God, – this salvation from all error, physi-
cal and mental, – Jesus asked, "When the Son of man
cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?"
John's misgivings
132:28
Did the doctrines of John the Baptist confer healing
Did the doctrines of John the Baptist confer healing
power upon him, or endow him with the truest concep-
tion of the Christ? This righteous preacher
once pointed his disciples to Jesus as "the
Lamb of God;" yet afterwards he seriously questioned
133:1
the signs of the Messianic appearing, and sent the inquiry
the signs of the Messianic appearing, and sent the inquiry
to Jesus, "Art thou he that should come?"
Faith according to works
133:3
Was John's faith greater than that of the Samaritan
Was John's faith greater than that of the Samaritan
woman, who said, "Is not this the Christ?"
There was also a certain centurion of whose
faith Jesus himself declared, "I have not found so great
faith, no, not in Israel."
133:8
In Egypt, it was Mind which saved the Israelites from
In Egypt, it was Mind which saved the Israelites from
belief in the plagues. In the wilderness, streams flowed
from the rock, and manna fell from the sky. The Israelites
looked upon the brazen serpent, and straightway believed
that they were healed of the poisonous stings of vipers.
In national prosperity, miracles attended the successes of
the Hebrews; but when they departed from the true
idea, their demoralization began. Even in captivity
among foreign nations, the divine Principle wrought
wonders for the people of God in the fiery furnace and
in kings' palaces.
Judaism antipathetic
133:19
Judaism was the antithesis of Christianity, because
Judaism was the antithesis of Christianity, because
Judaism engendered the limited form of a national or
tribal religion. It was a finite and material
system, carried out in special theories concern-
ing God, man, sanitary methods, and a religious cultus.
That he made "himself equal with God," was one of the
Jewish accusations against him who planted Christianity
on the foundation of Spirit, who taught as he was in-
spired by the Father and would recognize no life, intelli-
gence, nor substance outside of God.
Priestly learning
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The Jewish conception of God, as Yawah, Jehovah,
The Jewish conception of God, as Yawah, Jehovah,
or only a mighty hero and king, has not quite
given place to the true knowledge of God.
Creeds and rituals have not cleansed their hands of