Science and Health, with Key to the Scriptures Part 50

338:12 XXIX. The word _Adam_ is from the Hebrew _adamah_, signifying the _red color of the ground, dust, nothingness_.

Divide the name Adam into two syllables, 338:15 and it reads, _a dam_, or obstruction. This suggests the thought of something fluid, of mortal mind in solution. It further suggests the thought of that 338:18 "darkness ... upon the face of the deep," when mat- ter or dust was deemed the agent of Deity in creating man, - when matter, as that which is accursed, stood 338:21 opposed to Spirit. Here _a dam_ is not a mere play upon words; it stands for obstruction, error, even the sup- posed separation of man from G.o.d, and the obstacle 338:24 which the serpent, sin, would impose between man and his creator. The dissection and definition of words, aside from their metaphysical derivation, is not scien- 338:27 tific. Jehovah declared the ground was accursed; and from this ground, or matter, sprang Adam, notwith- standing G.o.d had blessed the earth "for man's sake."

338:30 From this it follows that Adam was not the ideal man for whom the earth was blessed. The ideal man was revealed in due time, and was known as Christ Jesus.

Divine pardon

339:1 x.x.x. The destruction of sin is the divine method of pardon. Divine Life destroys death, Truth destroys 339:3 error, and Love destroys hate. Being de- stroyed, sin needs no other form of forgiveness.

Does not G.o.d's pardon, destroying any one sin, prophesy 339:6 and involve the final destruction of all sin?

Evil not produced by G.o.d

x.x.xI. Since G.o.d is All, there is no room for His unlikeness. G.o.d, Spirit, alone created all, and called it 339:9 good. Therefore evil, being contrary to good, is unreal, and cannot be the product of G.o.d.

A sinner can receive no encouragement from the fact that 339:12 Science demonstrates the unreality of evil, for the sinner would make a reality of sin, - would make that real which is unreal, and thus heap up "wrath against the 339:15 day of wrath." He is joining in a conspiracy against himself, - against his own awakening to the awful un- reality by which he has been deceived. Only those, who 339:18 repent of sin and forsake the unreal, can fully understand the unreality of evil.

Basis of health and immortality

x.x.xII. As the mythology of pagan Rome has yielded 339:21 to a more spiritual idea of Deity, so will our material theories yield to spiritual ideas, until the finite gives place to the infinite, sickness to health, 339:24 sin to holiness, and G.o.d's kingdom comes "in earth, as it is in heaven." The basis of all health, sin- lessness, and immortality is the great fact that G.o.d is 339:27 the only Mind; and this Mind must be not merely be- lieved, but it must be understood. To get rid of sin through Science, is to divest sin of any supposed mind 339:30 or reality, and never to admit that sin can have intelli- gence or power, pain or pleasure. You conquer error by denying its verity. Our various theories will never lose 340:1 their imaginary power for good or evil, until we lose our faith in them and make life its own proof of harmony 340:3 and G.o.d.

This text in the book of Ecclesiastes conveys the Christian Science thought, especially when the word 340:6 _duty_, which is not in the original, is omitted: "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear G.o.d, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole 340:9 duty of man." In other words: Let us hear the con- clusion of the whole matter: love G.o.d and keep His commandments: for this is the whole of man in His 340:12 image and likeness. Divine Love is infinite. Therefore all that really exists is in and of G.o.d, and manifests His love.

340:15 "Thou shalt have no other G.o.ds before me." (Exodus xx. 3.) The First Commandment is my favorite text.

It demonstrates Christian Science. It inculcates the tri- 340:18 unity of G.o.d, Spirit, Mind; it signifies that man shall have no other spirit or mind but G.o.d, eternal good, and that all men shall have one Mind. The divine Principle 340:21 of the First Commandment bases the Science of being, by which man demonstrates health, holiness, and life eternal.

One infinite G.o.d, good, unifies men and nations; con- 340:24 st.i.tutes the brotherhood of man; ends wars; fulfils the Scripture, "Love thy neighbor as thyself;" annihilates pagan and Christian idolatry, - whatever is wrong in 340:27 social, civil, criminal, political, and religious codes; equalizes the s.e.xes; annuls the curse on man, and leaves nothing that can sin, suffer, be punished or destroyed.

CHAPTER XI - SOME OBJECTIONS ANSWERED

And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.

Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? - JESUS.

But if the spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His spirit that dwelleth in you. - PAUL.

341:1 THE strictures on this volume would condemn to oblivion the truth, which is raising up thousands 341:3 from helplessness to strength and elevating them from a theoretical to a practical Christianity. These criticisms are generally based on detached sentences or clauses sep- 341:6 arated from their context. Even the Scriptures, which grow in beauty and consistency from one grand root, ap- pear contradictory when subjected to such usage. Jesus 341:9 said, "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see G.o.d" [Truth].

Supported by facts

In Christian Science mere opinion is valueless. Proof 341:12 is essential to a due estimate of this subject. Sneers at the application of the word_ Science _to Chris- tianity cannot prevent that from being scien- 341:15 tific which is based on divine Principle, demonstrated ac- cording to a divine given rule, and subjected to proof.

The facts are so absolute and numerous in support of 341:18 Christian Science, that misrepresentation and denuncia- 342:1 tion cannot overthrow it. Paul alludes to "doubtful dis- putations." The hour has struck when proof and demon- 342:3 stration, instead of opinion and dogma, are summoned to the support of Christianity, "making wise the simple."

Commands of Jesus

In the result of some unqualified condemnations of 342:6 scientific Mind-healing, one may see with sorrow the sad effects on the sick of denying Truth. He that decries this Science does it presumptuously, 342:9 in the face of Bible history and in defiance of the direct command of Jesus, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel," to which command was added the promise 342:12 that his students should cast out evils and heal the sick.

He bade the seventy disciples, as well as the twelve, heal the sick in any town where they should be hospitably 342:15 received.

Christianity scientific

If Christianity is not scientific, and Science is not of G.o.d, then there is no invariable law, and truth becomes 342:18 an accident. Shall it be denied that a system which works according to the Scriptures has Scriptural authority?

Argument of good works

342:21 Christian Science awakens the sinner, reclaims the infidel, and raises from the couch of pain the helpless invalid. It speaks to the dumb the words of 342:24 Truth, and they answer with rejoicing. It causes the deaf to hear, the lame to walk, and the blind to see. Who would be the first to disown the Christli- 342:27 ness of good works, when our Master says, "By their fruits ye shall know them"?

If Christian Scientists were teaching or practising 342:30 pharmacy or obstetrics according to the common theo- ries, no denunciations would follow them, even if their treatment resulted in the death of a patient. The people 343:1 are taught in such cases to say, Amen. Shall I then be smitten for healing and for teaching Truth as the Prin- 343:3 ciple of healing, and for proving my word by my deed?

James said: "Show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works."

Personal experience

343:6 Is not finite mind ignorant of G.o.d's method? This makes it doubly unfair to impugn and misrepresent the facts, although, without this cross-bearing, 343:9 one might not be able to say with the apostle, "None of these things move me." The sick, the halt, and the blind look up to Christian Science with blessings, 343:12 and Truth will not be forever hidden by unjust parody from the quickened sense of the people.

Proof from miracles

Jesus strips all disguise from error, when his teachings 343:15 are fully understood. By parable and argument he ex- plains the impossibility of good producing evil; and he also scientifically demonstrates this great 343:18 fact, proving by what are wrongly called miracles, that sin, sickness, and death are beliefs - illusive errors - which he could and did destroy.

343:21 It would sometimes seem as if truth were rejected be- cause meekness and spirituality are the conditions of its acceptance, while Christendom generally demands so 343:24 much less.

Example of the disciples

Anciently those apostles who were Jesus' students, as well as Paul who was not one of his students, healed 343:27 the sick and reformed the sinner by their religion. Hence the mistake which allows words, rather than works, to follow such examples!

343:30 Whoever is the first meekly and conscientiously to press along the line of gospel-healing, is often accounted a heretic.

Strong position

344:1 It is objected to Christian Science that it claims G.o.d as the only absolute Life and Soul, and man to be His 344:3 idea, - that is, His image. It should be added that this is claimed to represent the normal, healthful, and sinless condition of man in divine 344:6 Science, and that this claim is made because the Scrip- tures say that G.o.d has created man in His own image and after His likeness. Is it sacrilegious to a.s.sume that 344:9 G.o.d's likeness is not found in matter, sin, sickness, and death?

Efficacy may be attested

Were it more fully understood that Truth heals and 344:12 that error causes disease, the opponents of a demonstrable Science would perhaps mercifully withhold their misrepresentations, which harm the sick; 344:15 and until the enemies of Christian Science test its efficacy according to the rules which disclose its merits or de- merits, it would be just to observe the Scriptural precept, 344:18 "Judge not."

The one divine method

There are various methods of treating disease, which are not included in the commonly accepted systems; but 344:21 there is only one which should be presented to the whole world, and that is the Christian Science which Jesus preached and practised and left to us 344:24 as his rich legacy.

Why should one refuse to investigate this method of treating disease? Why support the popular systems 344:27 of medicine, when the physician may perchance be an infidel and may lose ninety-and-nine patients, while Christian Science cures its hundred? Is it because 344:30 allopathy and h.o.m.oeopathy are more fashionable and less spiritual?

Omnipotence set forth

In the Bible the word _Spirit_ is so commonly applied 345:1 to Deity, that Spirit and G.o.d are often regarded as syn- onymous terms; and it is thus they are uniformly used 345:3 and understood in Christian Science. As it is evident that the likeness of Spirit cannot be material, does it not follow that G.o.d cannot be in His 345:6 unlikeness and work through drugs to heal the sick?

When the omnipotence of G.o.d is preached and His ab- soluteness is set forth, Christian sermons will heal the 345:9 sick.

Contradictions not found

It is sometimes said, in criticising Christian Science, that the mind which contradicts itself neither knows 345:12 itself nor what it is saying. It is indeed no small matter to know one's self; but in this volume of mine there are no contradictory 345:15 statements, - at least none which are apparent to those who understand its propositions well enough to pa.s.s judgment upon them. One who understands Christian 345:18 Science can heal the sick on the divine Principle of Chris- tian Science, and this practical proof is the only feasible evidence that one does understand this Science.

345:21 Anybody, who is able to perceive the incongruity be- tween G.o.d's idea and poor humanity, ought to be able to discern the distinction (made by Christian Science) 345:24 between G.o.d's man, made in His image, and the sinning race of Adam.

The apostle says: "For if a man think himself to be 345:27 something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself."

This thought of human, material nothingness, which Science inculcates, enrages the carnal mind and is the 345:30 main cause of the carnal mind's antagonism.