Science and Health, with Key to the Scriptures Part 40

CHAPTER X - SCIENCE OF BEING

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life, ...

That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellows.h.i.+p with us: and truly our fellows.h.i.+p is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.

- JOHN, First Epistle.

Here I stand. I can do no otherwise; so help me G.o.d! Amen!

- MARTIN LUTHER.

Materialistic challenge

268:1 In the material world, thought has brought to light with great rapidity many useful wonders. With 268:3 like activity have thought's swift pinions been rising towards the realm of the real, to the spiritual cause of those lower things which give im- 268:6 pulse to inquiry. Belief in a material basis, from which may be deduced all rationality, is slowly yielding to the idea of a metaphysical basis, looking away from 268:9 matter to Mind as the cause of every effect. Material- istic hypotheses challenge metaphysics to meet in final combat. In this revolutionary period, like the shep- 268:12 herd-boy with his sling, woman goes forth to battle with Goliath.

Confusion confounded

In this final struggle for supremacy, semi-metaphysi- 268:15 cal systems afford no substantial aid to scientific meta- physics, for their arguments are based on the false testimony of the material senses as 268:18 well as on the facts of Mind. These semi-metaphysical 269:1 systems are one and all pantheistic, and savor of Pan- demonium, a house divided against itself.

269:3 From first to last the supposed coexistence of Mind and matter and the mingling of good and evil have re- sulted from the philosophy of the serpent. Jesus' demon- 269:6 strations sift the chaff from the wheat, and unfold the unity and the reality of good, the unreality, the nothing- ness, of evil.

Divine metaphysics

269:9 Human philosophy has made G.o.d manlike. Christian Science makes man G.o.dlike. The first is error; the latter is truth. Metaphysics is above physics, and 269:12 matter does not enter into metaphysical prem- ises or conclusions. The categories of metaphysics rest on one basis, the divine Mind. Metaphysics resolves 269:15 things into thoughts, and exchanges the objects of sense for the ideas of Soul.

These ideas are perfectly real and tangible to spiritual 269:18 consciousness, and they have this advantage over the ob- jects and thoughts of material sense, - they are good and eternal.

Biblical foundations

269:21 The testimony of the material senses is neither abso- lute nor divine. I therefore plant myself unreservedly on the teachings of Jesus, of his apostles, of 269:24 the prophets, and on the testimony of the Science of Mind. Other foundations there are none.

All other systems - systems based wholly or partly on 269:27 knowledge gained through the material senses - are reeds shaken by the wind, not houses built on the rock.

Rejected theories

The theories I combat are these: (1) that all is matter; 269:30 (2) that matter originates in Mind, and is as real as Mind, possessing intelligence and life.

The first theory, that matter is everything, is quite as 270:1 reasonable as the second, that Mind and matter coexist and cooperate. One only of the following statements can 270:3 be true: (1) that everything is matter; (2) that every- thing is Mind. Which one is it?

Matter and Mind are opposites. One is contrary to 270:6 the other in its very nature and essence; hence both can- not be real. If one is real, the other must be unreal. Only by understanding that there is but one power, - not two 270:9 powers, matter and Mind, - are scientific and logical conclusions reached. Few deny the hypothesis that in- telligence, apart from man and matter, governs the uni- 270:12 verse; and it is generally admitted that this intelligence is the eternal Mind or divine principle, Love.

Prophetic ignorance

The prophets of old looked for something higher than 270:15 the systems of their times; hence their fore- sight of the new dispensation of Truth. But they knew not what would be the precise nature of the 270:18 teaching and demonstration of G.o.d, divine Mind, in His more infinite meanings, - the demonstration which was to destroy sin, sickness, and death, establish the definition 270:21 of omnipotence, and maintain the Science of Spirit.

The pride of priesthood is the prince of this world. It has nothing in Christ. Meekness and charity have divine 270:24 authority. Mortals think wickedly; consequently they are wicked. They think sickly thoughts, and so become sick. If sin makes sinners, Truth and Love alone can 270:27 unmake them. If a sense of disease produces suffering and a sense of ease antidotes suffering, disease is mental, not material. Hence the fact that the human mind alone 270:30 suffers, is sick, and that the divine Mind alone heals.

The life of Christ Jesus was not miraculous, but it was indigenous to his spirituality, - the good soil wherein the 271:1 seed of Truth springs up and bears much fruit. Christ's Christianity is the chain of scientific being reappearing 271:3 in all ages, maintaining its obvious correspondence with the Scriptures and uniting all periods in the design of G.o.d. Neither emasculation, illusion, nor insubordination 271:6 exists in divine Science.

Jesus instructed his disciples whereby to heal the sick through Mind instead of matter. He knew that the phi- 271:9 losophy, Science, and proof of Christianity were in Truth, casting out all inharmony.

Studious disciples

In Latin the word rendered _disciple_ signifies student; 271:12 and the word indicates that the power of healing was not a supernatural gift to those learners, but the result of their cultivated spiritual understand- 271:15 ing of the divine Science, which their Master demonstrated by healing the sick and sinning. Hence the universal ap- plication of his saying: "Neither pray I for these alone, 271:18 but for them also which shall believe on me [understand me] through their word."

New Testament basis

Our Master said, "But the Comforter ... shall 271:21 teach you all things." When the Science of Christianity appears, it will lead you into all truth. The Sermon on the Mount is the essence of this 271:24 Science, and the eternal life, not the death of Jesus, is its outcome.

Modern evangel

Those, who are willing to leave their nets or to cast 271:27 them on the right side for Truth, have the opportunity now, as aforetime, to learn and to practise Christian healing. The Scriptures contain it.

271:30 The spiritual import of the Word imparts this power.

But, as Paul says, "How shall they hear without a preacher? and how shall they preach, except they be 272:1 sent?" If sent, how shall they preach, convert, and heal mult.i.tudes, except the people hear?

Spirituality of Scripture

272:3 The spiritual sense of truth must be gained before Truth can be understood. This sense is a.s.similated only as we are honest, unselfish, loving, and meek.

272:6 In the soil of an "honest and good heart" the seed must be sown; else it beareth not much fruit, for the swinish element in human nature uproots it. Jesus said: 272:9 "Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures." The spiritual sense of the Scriptures brings out the scientific sense, and is the new tongue referred to in the last chapter of Mark's 272:12 Gospel.

Jesus' parable of "the sower" shows the care our Master took not to impart to dull ears and gross hearts 272:15 the spiritual teachings which dulness and grossness could not accept. Reading the thoughts of the people, he said: "Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast 272:18 ye your pearls before swine."

Unspiritual contrasts

It is the spiritualization of thought and Christianization of daily life, in contrast with the results of the ghastly farce 272:21 of material existence; it is chast.i.ty and purity, in contrast with the downward tendencies and earthward gravitation of sensualism and impurity, 272:24 which really attest the divine origin and operation of Chris- tian Science. The triumphs of Christian Science are re- corded in the destruction of error and evil, from which are 272:27 propagated the dismal beliefs of sin, sickness, and death.

G.o.d the Principle of all

The divine Principle of the universe must interpret the universe. G.o.d is the divine Principle of all that repre- 272:30 sents Him and of all that really exists. Chris- tian Science, as demonstrated by Jesus, alone reveals the natural, divine Principle of Science.

273:1 Matter and its claims of sin, sickness, and death are contrary to G.o.d, and cannot emanate from Him. There 273:3 is no _material_ truth. The physical senses can take no cognizance of G.o.d and spiritual Truth. Human belief has sought out many inventions, but not one of them 273:6 can solve the problem of being without the divine Prin- ciple of divine Science. Deductions from material hy- potheses are not scientific. They differ from real Science 273:9 because they are not based on the divine law.

Science _versus_ sense

Divine Science reverses the false testimony of the ma- terial senses, and thus tears away the foun- 273:12 dations of error. Hence the enmity between Science and the senses, and the impossibility of attaining perfect understanding till the errors of sense 273:15 are eliminated.

The so-called laws of matter and of medical science have never made mortals whole, harmonious, and immortal.

273:18 Man is harmonious when governed by Soul. Hence the importance of understanding the truth of being, which reveals the laws of spiritual existence.

Spiritual law the only law

273:21 G.o.d never ordained a material law to annul the spiritual law. If there were such a material law, it would oppose the supremacy of Spirit, G.o.d, and impugn the 273:24 wisdom of the creator. Jesus walked on the waves, fed the mult.i.tude, healed the sick, and raised the dead in direct opposition to material laws. His acts were 273:27 the demonstration of Science, overcoming the false claims of material sense or law.

Material knowledge illusive

Science shows that material, conflicting mortal opin- 273:30 ions and beliefs emit the effects of error at all times, but this atmosphere of mortal mind cannot be destructive to morals and health when it is opposed promptly and per- 274:1 sistently by Christian Science. Truth and Love antidote this mental miasma, and thus invigorate and sustain ex- 274:3 istence. Unnecessary knowledge gained from the five senses is only temporal, - the concep- tion of mortal mind, the offspring of sense, not 274:6 of Soul, Spirit, - and symbolizes all that is evil and perishable. _Natural science_, as it is commonly called, is not really natural nor scientific, because it is deduced from 274:9 the evidence of the material senses. Ideas, on the con- trary, are born of Spirit, and are not mere inferences drawn from material premises.

Five senses deceptive

274:12 The senses of Spirit abide in Love, and they demon- strate Truth and Life. Hence Christianity and the Sci- ence which expounds it are based on spiritual 274:15 understanding, and they supersede the so- called laws of matter. Jesus demonstrated this great verity. When what we erroneously term the five physical 274:18 senses are misdirected, they are simply the manifested beliefs of mortal mind, which affirm that life, substance, and intelligence are material, instead of spiritual. These 274:21 false beliefs and their products const.i.tute the flesh, and the flesh wars against Spirit.

Impossible partners.h.i.+p

Divine Science is absolute, and permits no half-way 274:24 position in learning its Principle and rule - establis.h.i.+ng it by demonstration. The conventional firm, called matter and mind, G.o.d never formed.