The Delta independent., 1915-11-12

able to succeed In the struggle eNlsttHct
believing themselves to be the victims OF
! environment and circumstances resulting in
poverty and distress. are now finding theiI
condition greatly improved because Chris
tian Science has given them new outlook
! on the world and insight into spiritual
truth. He will find those who glad to
/ acknowledge that Christian Science has
| shown them how to be honest. just,
( humble loving considerate-in a word, less
| selfish-than formerly. He will be told that
the depressing atmosphere of discourage
ment and doubt has for many been trans
formed into an invigorating sense of cour-
age and confidence.
| MEANS OF DELIVERANCE
If the investigator were to inquire how
/ all this had come to pass, and could have
a concrete answer from all the Christian
Scientists earth, that answer would be,
lit is because have come to know that
God is good" simple answer, is it not
And yet more simple, and scarcely less
profound than than the declaration of the
apostle John that God is love" u John
iv 81 If as John says God is love" then
God must also be infinitely good, for if we
agree that God is infinite Love, surely We
shall agree that infinite, universal, divine
Love is identical with all that is good.
Christian Science teaches that God is not
both good and evil, but that He is good only.
Therefore. God, understood in Christian
Science. is all good and always good. He
is anything else than good, ever
anything less than infinite So basis
for discussion of Christian Science in
of its phases, have the funda-
mental proposition that God is good, not
merely in relative sense. but always and
forever immutably and perfectly good.
God is also described with equal correct
ness by the terms Spirit, Life, Truth. and
by the word already used, Love. Likewise.
we may properly refer to God as infinite
Mind or Principle. Each of these terms con-
veys different shade of meaning. All
taken together serve to enlarge our concep-
tion of Deity. 1t will be seen that that
which is infinitely good is also loving, ten
der. steadfast. merciful and "unutterabIy
kind" miscellaneous Writings, p. 312J
That which is Love itself must be not only
loving and good. but impartial, universal,
changeless and enduring. That which is
Life, the one creative Principle, is not only
good and loving. but also eternal, inde-
structible incorruptible, self existent That
which is infinite Truth, Spirit, or Mind is
not only good, loving and eternal, but must
also be conscious active. omnipotent and
and omniscient. Thus through using some
of these definitions of God and of his quail
tiles and attributes, we find that we have
greatly ampified our sense of God. Not
that words can adequately describe the in
finite and eternal, not that the employment
of terms phrases change God: but
the proper of these terms help US
better to comprehend the divine nature.
GOD is INFINITE
According to Christian Science this infin-
tta God tufp I al ifa t,<u. 4
Spirit or Mind. is the first and only cause
or creator. Since there is but one cause,
which is infinite and good. there can be
but kind of effect or manifestation
which must also be good and infinite. AS
the effect, manifestation, of creator
that is infinite Spirit. Mind, we can have
as creation nothing less than the sum total
OF those spiritual ideas that express their
divine origin. Therefore, we learn in Chris
tian Science that the oniy real. en-
during. indestructible universe is mental or
spiritual and exists the result or effect
of the one infinitely good cause. This throws
new light on the Scriptural declarations
that God made all that was made" John
1. 81 and God saw everything that he had
made. and. behold. it very good
(Gen. /. 31).
The universal. complete expression OF di-
vine Mind. comprising all that exists by
way of creation. necessarily includes indi-
vidual spiritual man. This man reflects
perfectly the infinite being called God. And
this statement accords with the description
OF creation in the first chapter of Genesis.
which says that God made man in His own
image and after His likeness. II God made
man in His image it is certain that man
must be exactly like his creator. When
recall that the one only cause is divine
Mind, Spirit Life, Love. then we see that
man in the image of his creator must be
spiritual, eternal, loving and good like his
divine Principle.
Reviewing discussion from this point
we see that we have. first. perfectly good
God who is infinite Spirit. Mind. Next,
we have a perfectly good universe which Is
spiritual mental. and consists of those
ideas that are good and true. Then we
have a perfectly good man included in this
spiritual universe as the reflection or image
OF his infinite Father Mother, divine Mind.
But. you say what of a material universe
and mortal man? What of the existence
into which mortals seem to have been born
and out of which they appear to pass into
an uncertain and indefinite future state =?
What of sin and suffering and sickness and
death. What of evil, and matter? We
shall not ignore them. although have
already seen why in the best sense they
cannot be real for the simple reason that
they are not good. We have begun with a
good cause. which made all that was
made" Effect must be like cause. Evil
is not like good Matter is not like Spirit
Therefore evil and matter. they cannot rea-
sonably be attributed to the good. spir-
itual cause.
| UNHEALTHY OF EVIL
Christian Science, in explaining the un-
real nature of evil first declares that mat
/ ter being nom n-intelligent. cannot be conscious
of evil. 1t cannot of itself sin have tn,
| impulse OF sim 1t cannot be hateful dis
| hnnnst or afraid What then slns Coz