Editorial April 27, 1912 Issue

DOMINION

Annie M. Knott

Among other words, dominion is one which has come into prominence through the teaching of Christian Science. This word occurs many times in the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. In the first chapter of Genesis we read, "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion." This divine declaration of man's birthright is at once repeated, with a blessing, and the spiritual account of creation draws to a close; but again and again we read that the spiritual or ideal man's dominion extends from sea to sea and from age to age.

The author of the epistle to the Hebrews refers to the statements of man's divinely bestowed dignity, and quotes this passage from the Psalms: "Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet." He then adds, "But now we see not yet all things put under him." No, for as we read the history of mortal man, the one who believes man's origin to have been clay, and not Spirit, we find the belief of mankind ruled by men, rather than by God, infinite Mind. Following close upon the acceptance of a false belief as to man's origin and nature, we also find an almost hopeless subjection to fear,—fear of want, of sickness, of asserted material law, with an ever-brooding fear of death and of an unknown future, although the writer to the Hebrews says that the mission of Christ Jesus was to "deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage."

When the great Teacher announced that the knowing of the truth would end human bondage, his listeners were highly incensed, and said they had never been in bondage to any man. This was not, however, true in any sense, for at that very hour Rome was crushing out under its iron heel the autonomy of the nation. Worse still, the Jews, with all other mortals, were in bondage to the belief in the reality and necessity of sin, disease, and death. Like the men of today, they held to a fiction of dominion, but were unable to prove their right to it in the way shown by the Nazarene Prophet, who was "Lord and Master" because he understood spiritual law and refused to acknowledge as man that which is born of the flesh. There are many today who think that the material marvels of the present age are proofs of man's dominion, but we need only consider for a moment the crises of mortal experience to see how delusive is such a belief. Paul said of the one who lived unto God that "death hath no more dominion over him;" and to those who are alive to Truth he says, "Sin shall not have dominion over you." What an outlook for those who are no longer in bondage to sin and death!

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