Chapter IV - Christian Science Versus Spiritualism
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telligent, and that man has a material body which is part
telligent, and that man has a material body which is part
of himself.
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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Do you say the time has not yet come in which to
Do you say the time has not yet come in which to
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recognize Soul as substantial and able to control the
recognize Soul as substantial and able to control the
body? Remember Jesus, who nearly nineteen centuries
ago demonstrated the power of Spirit and said,
"He that believeth on me, the works that I
do shall he do also," and who also said, "But the hour
cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall
worship the Father in spirit and in truth." "Behold,
now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of sal-
vation," said Paul.
Logic and revelation
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Divine logic and revelation coincide. If we believe
Divine logic and revelation coincide. If we believe
otherwise, we may be sure that either our
logic is at fault or that we have misinterpreted
revelation. Good never causes evil, nor creates aught
that can cause evil.
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Good does not create a mind susceptible of causing
Good does not create a mind susceptible of causing
evil, for evil is the opposing error and not the truth of
creation. Destructive electricity is not the offspring of in-
finite good. Whatever contradicts the real nature of the
divine Esse, though human faith may clothe it with angelic
vestments, is without foundation.
Derivatives of spirit
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The belief that Spirit is finite as well as infinite has
The belief that Spirit is finite as well as infinite has
darkened all history. In Christian Science, Spirit, as a
proper noun, is the name of the Supreme Being.
It means quantity and quality, and applies ex-
clusively to God. The modifying derivatives of the word
spirit refer only to quality, not to God. Man is spiritual.
He is not God, Spirit. If man were Spirit, then men
would be spirits, gods. Finite spirit would be mortal,
and this is the error embodied in the belief that the infi-
nite can be contained in the finite. This belief tends to
becloud our apprehension of the kingdom of heaven and
of the reign of harmony in the Science of being.