Chapter XV - Genesis
Murder brings its curse
542:1
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.
542:14
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
542:18
"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.
542:27
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
542:29
The sinful misconception of Life as something less
The sinful misconception of Life as something less
543:1
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
543:8
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
543:17
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
543:31
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