Article December 2, 1922 Issue

No Compromise

HERBERT W. BECK

In his second epistle to the Corinthians, Paul asks, "What communion hath light with darkness?" manifestly indicating by the form of his question that there is no communion, not even a twilight zone of agreement between them. The true meaning of the question appears in another immediately following: "And what concord hath Christ with Belial?" Paul here draws a distinct line between good and evil.

Mortals, however, have always attempted to hold to something of evil while accepting something of good; in other words, to compromise both in thinking and acting, in the attempt to find a middle ground by making friends with both. This viewpoint is sometimes considered as broad, indeed, as expressive of a wide mental horizon; and, as suggestion, it often speaks to the Christian for the purpose of making him forget or neglect the narrow way, which Jesus counseled all to follow. On this very subject we read in "The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany" (p. 41), "So we see that Christian Science makes no compromise with evil, sin, wrong, or imperfection, but maintains the perfect standard of truth and righteousness and joy." The complete separation between these two contraries is quickly stated: good can never know evil, nor can evil know good. Material illustrations may seem to contradict this statement; but, whatever the arguments, sooner or later that upon which they are based falls into its own category. Reality, God's goodness, can never be turned into evil; nor can so-called evil ever be improved into His goodness. As Mrs. Eddy says in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 113): "Life, God, omnipotent good, deny death, evil, sin, disease. Disease, sin, evil, death, deny good, omnipotent God, Life."

For instance, one would hesitate to insist that a wrong addition of two and two could be improved. Two and two are always four, never five. If you had five for an answer, would you try for a compromise between the four and the five, and be content with four and one half? It is readily admitted that the right answer can never be other than it is; and that a wrong addition cannot be partly changed or improved to become the right answer. The addition is wholly right or it is completely wrong. This same exactness holds in relation to the perfection of man and the universe. The absolute condition of perfection cannot be added to or taken from the spiritual man, God's image and likeness. If we remember the example in addition in this connection, it will aid us to see that the perfection God creates never changes. Man dwells in perfection, neither leaving it, returning to it, increasing, or improving it. The perfection of man and his well-being are fixed facts; and man is now surrounded and blessed with the infinite love of divine Mind. Since he already possesses God's blessings, he has in reality need of nothing. This sums up briefly the absolute, unchanging condition of man.

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