Article July 4, 1914 Issue

Christ Jesus taught that God is Spirit

Norman E. John

Wilmington (Del.) Morning News

Christ Jesus taught that God is Spirit. Christian Science accepts this teaching, and emphasizes that God as Spirit is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. Most Christians believe that God is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, infinite Spirit. Then, according to Christian teaching, it remains for the Rev. Dr.—to carry the burden of proof to its ultimate and prove that God is not omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent; that matter is real, that it is eternal, and therefore that Spirit is not infinite and ever present. If he can tell what matter is, he can do more than any philosopher or theologian who ever attempted it.

The basis of matter has by the majority of thinkers rested for years upon the speculative hypothesis of the atomic theory. That has largely given way, and a new suppositional theory of ions has been advanced. Other thinkers analyze matter as a creative force. Huxley said, "All that we know today about matter is that it is the hypothetical substance of physical phenomena." If, therefore, there is nothing more tangible in defining matter, as to its reality and entity, than the evidence of the senses, we think there is considerable food for thought in the statement in Science and Health, as found on page 124: "Spirit is the life, substance, and continuity of all things. We tread on forces. Withdraw them, and creation must collapse. Human knowledge calls them forces of matter; but divine Science declares that they belong wholly to divine Mind, are inherent in this Mind, and so restores them to their rightful home and classification."

Mrs. Eddy, the Founder of the movement, defines Christian Science as "the law of God, the law of good, interpreting and demonstrating the divine Principle and rule of universal harmony" (Rudimental Divine Science, p. 1). Thus it will be noted that she has brought forth no invention or innovation, for she could not invent a new law of God. She has named the law—the eternal law of God—"Christian," because it manifests the Christ-nature, and "Science," because being capable of proof, having unchangeable cause and effect, it fulfils all the demands of the term "science." Further, because, as Job says, God is "in one mind, and who can turn him?" the eternal law of God is also the will of God. Christian Scientists love to use this larger definition of Principle to express the unchangeable nature of God, "with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."

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