The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-11-27

Now as to the denial o. the existence
Ct matter. I propose 10 prove by the
Masters words that he had no more re-
Spect fer matter than The Christian
Scientist. He never had a Kind thing to
say OF the flesh. / viii treat this qucs-
ton IN connection with DR.. Mavshail's
statement Christian Science teaches
that everything real is mind
hence there arc 40
Stars. no trees. no mountains. and We
have TO bodies" Such = view IS no more
acceptable to Christian Scientists than 20
cur reverend divine. and indeed IS not the
teaching OF this science. The abstract
statement that everything We see Is un-
real does not express The idea OF this
faith. which teaches that everything in
creation from the least 80 the creates. j.
actual. il being only the human material
concept Of Gods creation which Is de-
clared an Illusion. We believe that in our
present unspiritual condition we have a
wrong sense OF the universe. This wrong
perception Is not The creation itself, but
2 false sense OF it. and il is this false
sense, not the creation itself. which The
Christian Scientist believes to be unreal
II should &c understood here that the
basic statement Of this science is scrip
tural: God is a spirit" 1t is the spirit
that quickeneth: the flesh 6matterl profit
eth nothing Will our friend please eX-
plain what Jesus meant by the statement
that spirit alone animates the universe:
also this passage. In Him we live. and
move and nave our being" Will he also
note the words: The flesh profteth moth
ing" How much is nothing And whence
cometh this Improbable thing Did Goa
perpetrate an imposition upon mankind
Inv giving him SQnafhinp which iS nm
Iroftable? Flesh. or matter. under the
light of Christian Science is but the hu-
man, false concept of Gods creation which
is in reality spiritual. and all the dis
cords and sins OF earth are occasioned by
believing in and serving the false sense
named matter. or flesh. Christian science
does indeed teach that sin is only as real
as we make it by our Indulgence: but il
also inculcates that the sinner will never
be rid of sin until he stops SHINING. for
his very Indulgence makes evil real to
him.
1t is stated: Her (Mrs. Eddy's) teach
ings go further and insist that death is
only another false notion Of the mind. and
if the race would outgrow its belief in
death people would cease to die Here
again l would call upon our brother TO
interpret a bit of scripture. Jesus said.
If a man keep my saying. he shall never
taste OF death" Was this statement
meaningless? Is it possible to keep the
| saying of Jesus? We admit that in our
| present material state we are far from
that perfection which is necessary TO the
fulflllment of Jesus demands. and that
We grow sick, suffer and die because of
this. Nevertheless we know the sacred
| words are true: that the fulfllmcnt of
the same is within human possibility in
proportion as human will yields to the
divine. We also insist that Johns vision
will be eventually seen again though CEN
turtles may pass before that time: Il
saw a new heaven and a new earth,
wherein dwellcth righteousness Also
that prophecy: "And God shall wipe
away all tears from their eyes; and there
shall be no more death, neither sorrow
nor crying. neither shall there be any
more pain; for the former things are
passed away Jesus spoke of death as
sleep, and on one occasion He said: why
make We this ado, and weep? the damse.
is not doad h"t sleepeth." He also said
"Our friend Lazarus sleepeth." And after
having used this expression to the dis
comfiture of his followers who did no
understand its significance, then said Je,
sus INTO them plainly. Lazarus is dead
AS much as to say, Il do not consider
death as anything more than a dorman'
mental condition. but if you cannot unde-
stand my meaning l will use a tern
familiar to you, and will say plainly, Lag
arus is dead" Should Christian Scientist:
be criticised for taking the same view O
death which Jesus held?
To quote further from DR.. Marshall
Add to this the doctrine that Mrs. Eddy
herself is the highest expression of the
divine idea in the human form, SURPRISING
Jesus as he surpassed Moses, and yol
have in brief the doctrine of Christian
Science." This is as far from Christian
Science as night from day, and there i
nothing in the writings Of Mrs. Eddy t.
warrant such assumption. Mrs. Ed!
claims absolutely nothing for her person
atty except that she is the discOverer ant
founder Of Christian Science. and this on
friend will probably not deny. She tcache
in her textbook that Jesus was tn,
highest human concept of a perfec
man." that he was the way-shower; tina
we are to be saved not only in the flu
ture, but in the present through tn
practice of his teachings. Never is TIL
claim made that her textbook shout
take the place of the Bible, or that Chris
tianity should be s~upplanted by Christia
Science, but that Science and Health
reveal the spiritual significance OF tn
! scriptures and make Christianity NOR
practical.
Or friend seems to believe hat Chris
tian Scientists reject his sense of a per
sonal Cod. Of this it is difficult to b
sure, since he has not defined what h
means by the word personal. In Chris
tian Science we prefer not TO use tn
word personal as applied to Deity, sine
such a term is apt to perpetuate tn
puerile conception that God is a restrict
ed being with an outlined form. We be
lieve in the infinite individuality of Goo
that He is an all-wiSe, Self-cOnSciOuS, ia
tional Being, unlimited and eyerywher
present. We cannot accept any defini
ton of Cod which would limit Him j
any sense: and it should be remembers
that every statement of Christian Scienc
is a deduction from the premise that Go
is Spirit, Love, as the Bible teaches. In
Savior's mission was to overcome tn
, world, flesh, devil; to demonstrate tn
truth of Being in the presence of mortal
and to prove the truth Of his words: i
is the Spirit that quickeneth: the fes
prOfteth nothing" in order that mOrta
; might gain the true Science of Bein;
and thereby be able to obey the SCRIP
: tura1 a6mOnitiOn work out your OW