Article November 1, 1922 Issue

Of man spiritually conceived and born, John writes thus...

Aaron E. Brandt, Committee on Publication for the State of Pennsylvania,

Wilkes-Barre Record

Of man spiritually conceived and born, John writes thus: "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." Of him not so born John said, "He that committeth sin is of the devil." On page 447 of the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, may be found the following: "A sinner is not reformed merely by assuring him that he cannot be a sinner because there is no sin. To put down the claim of sin, you must detect it, remove the mask, point out the illusion, and thus get the victory over sin and so prove its unreality." With reference to the nature of sin, its penalty and pardon, there should be no difficulty in understanding Christian Science teaching. In all of the editions of Science and Health, sin is shown to be a product of what Paul called the carnal mind, of the devil or evil, as the Bible also indicates. Sin, therefore, is not based on spiritual truth. It is the negative of good and the opposite of reality, or of the Mind which Paul said was in Christ Jesus. It is not pardoned until forsaken; and the penalty and suffering resulting from it last only so long as the sin continues.

Christian Science, being based upon the Scriptures, necessarily makes the same distinction as the Bible makes between the absolute nature of divine righteousness, untainted by sin and not subject to mortality, and what is comprised in erroneous human belief, a false concept of God, man, and creation. If this distinction is understood it is comparatively easy to reconcile any one statement of the Christian Science textbook with all others found therein and with the Bible. The unreality of evil, or the seeming reality and existence of that which has no real existence, is no harder to understand or explain than the following statement made by John: "He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life."

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