Arizona republican., 1920-05-04

human consciousness of metaphysical truth through the medium of the writ ten word. Now a word is but the inVi- tation to entertain a definite idea. The invitation may be addressed to the hu- man mind through the medium of sound or through the organs of sight,
 and we speak of it as either the spoken or the written word but the actual pro cess in either case is wholly spiritual, for the obvious reason that idea can originate only in Mind, in fact, is the action of Mind. So the only way in which true idea can be, entertained or presented is through a spiritual pro- cess. What is ordinarily termed conversation between persons. or an
 exchange of true ideas between per son and a book, is of course mind being expressed, or if we call it the aware ness of ideas we have said the same thing precisely. Obviously neither party to a conversation to eX- change of right ideas, and there are in
 fact no others. creates the idea, he merely acknowledges it and by some token understood by all directs atten- tion thereto.
 Everybody comedies this in the realm of mathematics. which is the most nearly metaphysical of all human mental processes. No one believes himself to be the originator of an arith- metical fact. Even the most abstruse mathematical reasoning is seen to be merely consistent acknowledrm rment Of what already exists and needs only to be apprehended. not something 10 ne created by the mental effort of the in dividual. A person reciting the multi plication table. for instance. is not ere ating ideas: he is merely witness to them. Nor is person diScoUrSing upon the beauties of a sunset creating ideas;
 he is being a witness to their existence. Now suppose, for a moment that the multiplication table were being incor- rectly recited. it would still be the eff fort to present mathematical ideas, but the statement of them would be err
 roneous. On page PIT of .'Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures"
 Mrs. Eddy says, Matter is an error O. statement" May we not rightfuly conclude that it is the erroneous state ment about a sunset that makes it ap-
 pear to be matter? Is it not obviously an erroneous statement to say that 1t has an origin in some power other than the one infinite cause, God? But
 never could there be the justifiable conclusion that there was no actual phenomenon underlying the erroneous or material concept, As well say that there was no multiplication table be- cause it had been mistakenly recited! On page S7 of ''Miscellaneous Writ ings.' Mrs. Eddy is very explicit in this regard She says. ITO take all earths beauty into one gulp of vacuity and label beauty nothing, is ignorantly to caricature Gods creation. which is un- just to human sense and to the divine realism In our imma ture sense of spiritual things. let us say Of the beau ties of the sensuous universe: I love your promise. and shall know. some time the spiritual reality and substance
 of form, light. and color. of what now through you discern dimlv: and know inc this I shall ba tiSfipd 'i'
 This is exactly what John is saying in his first general epistle in the pass age read at the close of every Sunday service in Christian Science churches Beloved. now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we
 shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. This is sometimes read with such emphasis on the word ''shall" as to suggest that we will at some time be something differ ent from what we are at present. a meaning that cannot be intended by the writer. Emphasis properly be- longs on the word be- making the passage read, "and it doth not yet ap pear what we shall BE-" that is to say, what exactly, we shall be like, but i've know that when he shall appear we shall be like him." That this is the 1 true meaning follows from Gods state ment that he made man in His own image and likeness.
 Of course man is a synonym of 'the created" 'the creation. the uni verse, which must include multiplica tfon tables and sunsets well as all phenomena. for as Mrs. Eddy ayers on page 26 of Miscellaneous Writings" .'The only logical conclusion is that all is Mind and it's manifestation. from the rolling of worlds, in the most subtle ether, to 3 potato patch.
 Man will appear in his true likeness when he purifieth himself even as he is pure'' Here, too, the emphasis properly belongs on the word .IS,' for is it not self-evident that unless man is already pure he could not himself change his own nature, unless he were endowed with a power superior to that power which first formed him?
 When Christ Jesus, that master i lovicia0, commanded that man should be perfeee even as his Father in heaven $ perfect he was not setting up task impossible Of accomplishment nor as is sometimes imagine was he admon I