Article January 18, 1919 Issue

Truth the Basis of True Knowledge

MARY E. SIMPSON

To heal according to Christian Science, a spiritual understanding of the Bible is necessary,—a spiritual understanding of God and man's relation to Him, a spiritual understanding of creation,—and this can be gained only by earnest, prayerful study of the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy. Through the study of this book and Mrs. Eddy's other writings, we lose the belief in matter as substance, and find it to be simply "another name for mortal mind" (Science and Health, p. 591). A sick patient is apt to regard a diseased member of his body, not as thought externalized, but as something separate from his thought of it; and this begets fear, which is the worst foe of the body, and causes the disease to appear aggravated to mortal sense. Then more fear arises. This seeming action and reaction will cease when the patient comes to know that mortal mind and mortal body are not separate; so that when looking at a diseased condition of body, mortal mind is only beholding its own objectified state, and by realizing the truth of being one can annul the erroneous belief and its externalization.

A drowsy kitten upon a rug beheld a moving object and attempted to catch it, but the object eluded its teeth and claws. Presently all that could be seen was an angry, whirling mass, until the offending object was seized; and then with a cry of self-inflicted pain, the kitten found it was only its own tail which had disconcerted it. This homely illustration well portrays the self-deception of mortal mind about itself. When the writer first read in Science and Health (p. 177): "Mortal mind and body are one. Neither exists without the other, and both must be destroyed by immortal Mind," she thought the statement so radical that for long afterwards she always turned that leaf over quickly and read on the next page, until she attained in some degree the understanding which sets one free from the mesmerism of mortal mind and body. Mortal mind is the counterfeit of divine Mind, matter the unreal opposite of Spirit as substance. These tares and wheat grow side by side until the full effulgence of the infinite light destroys the supposititious opposite. The understanding of the Christ presence and power applied to so-called mortal mind must drive out the false belief which mortal mind calls matter, even as light introduced into a dark room dispels darkness, which can nowhere be found, however much searched for.

When a student commences his studies in mathematics he may be discouraged by the extent of what is, to him, the unknown, but as his understanding unfolds, he is less conscious of the unknown, or his ignorance. Although often tempted to delay in order to ascertain the why and wherefore of two and two not being five, he realizes that only by dealing with that which is sustained and governed by its laws can knowledge unfold, for this alone can dispel ignorance. When his studies are completed, it will be difficult for him to say what has become of the not known. He will know that ignorance is not transmuted into wisdom; but with the unfolding of wisdom, ignorance disappears as darkness before light. It is clear to Christian Scientists that evil never develops into good; nor does matter merge into Spirit. This Jesus showed by the parable of the tares and wheat.

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