Chapter IV - Christian Science Versus Spiritualism
91:1
The Revelator tells us of "a new heaven and a
The Revelator tells us of "a new heaven and a
new earth." Have you ever pictured this heaven and
earth, inhabited by beings under the control of supreme
wisdom?
91:5
Let us rid ourselves of the belief that man is separated
Let us rid ourselves of the belief that man is separated
from God, and obey only the divine Principle, Life and
Love. Here is the great point of departure for all true
spiritual growth.
Man's genuine being
91:9
It is difficult for the sinner to accept divine Science,
It is difficult for the sinner to accept divine Science,
because Science exposes his nothingness; but the sooner
error is reduced to its native nothingness, the
sooner man's great reality will appear and his
genuine being will be understood. The destruction of
error is by no means the destruction of Truth or Life, but
is the acknowledgment of them.
91:16
Absorbed in material selfhood we discern and reflect
Absorbed in material selfhood we discern and reflect
but faintly the substance of Life or Mind. The denial of
material selfhood aids the discernment of man's spirit-
ual and eternal individuality, and destroys the erroneous
knowledge gained from matter or through what are termed
the material senses.
Erroneous postulates
91:22
Certain erroneous postulates should be here considered
Certain erroneous postulates should be here considered
in order that the spiritual facts may be better
apprehended.
91:25
The first erroneous postulate of belief is, that substance,
The first erroneous postulate of belief is, that substance,
life, and intelligence are something apart from God.
The second erroneous postulate is, that man is both
mental and material.
91:29
The third erroneous postulate is, that mind is both evil
The third erroneous postulate is, that mind is both evil
and good; whereas the real Mind cannot be evil nor the
medium of evil, for Mind is God.
91:32
The fourth erroneous postulate is, that matter is in-
The fourth erroneous postulate is, that matter is in-
92:1
telligent, and that man has a material body which is part
telligent, and that man has a material body which is part
of himself.
92:3
The fifth erroneous postulate is, that matter holds in
The fifth erroneous postulate is, that matter holds in
itself the issues of life and death, – that matter is not
only capable of experiencing pleasure and pain, but also
capable of imparting these sensations. From the illusion
implied in this last postulate arises the decomposition of
mortal bodies in what is termed death.
92:9
Mind is not an entity within the cranium with the power
Mind is not an entity within the cranium with the power
of sinning now and forever.
Knowledge of good and evil
92:11
In old Scriptural pictures we see a serpent coiled around
In old Scriptural pictures we see a serpent coiled around
the tree of knowledge and speaking to Adam and Eve.
This represents the serpent in the act of
commending to our first parents the knowl-
edge of good and evil, a knowledge gained from matter,
or evil, instead of from Spirit. The portrayal is still
graphically accurate, for the common conception of mor-
tal man – a burlesque of God's man – is an outgrowth
of human knowledge or sensuality, a mere offshoot of
material sense.
Opposing power
92:21
Uncover error, and it turns the lie upon you. Until
Uncover error, and it turns the lie upon you. Until
the fact concerning error – namely, its nothingness –
appears, the moral demand will not be met,
and the ability to make nothing of error will
be wanting. We should blush to call that real which is
only a mistake. The foundation of evil is laid on a belief
in something besides God. This belief tends to support
two opposite powers, instead of urging the claims of Truth
alone. The mistake of thinking that error can be real,
when it is merely the absence of truth, leads to belief in
the superiority of error.
The age's privilege
92:32
Do you say the time has not yet come in which to
Do you say the time has not yet come in which to