Article March 3, 1923 Issue

"To him that overcometh"

CYRUS A. POTTS

The book of Revelation begins with a message from "John to the seven churches which are in Asia," and closes with a vision of the holy city. In connection with this message very definite and wonderful promises are made "to him that overcometh." The Apocalypse, from beginning to end, deals with the thought of bringing together—congregating—right ideas, for the purpose of overcoming and blotting out wrong concepts; and the conflict between the forces of good and evil is termed, therein, the Armageddon. This conflict, as portrayed by John, is to be carried on by the churches; and the promises are made "to him that overcometh."

The term congregation may be defined as that which has come together into one mass or whole. When we refer to "the church" we have in thought all churches, and think of them as one mass or whole; that is, we congregate them. Each separate church is made up of individuals, and has its specific function; therefore, it will remain until the purpose for which it was organized has been fully accomplished. The Apocalypse, being revealed theology, contains only that which is to be understood by revelation; that is, by those who have "ears to hear." On this plane of experience, it is imperative that revelation coincide with divine reason; otherwise, theology would be speculative, instead of Christianly scientific.

Divine reason is the faculty which enables one to reduce revealed truth to a series of statements that together constitute a logical whole. This is what Mrs. Eddy has done for mankind. She has given to the world a systematic or scientific theology, which she has aptly termed Christian Science. The process of reducing revealed truth accurately and clearly to human apprehension required years of toil, as Mrs. Eddy found it necessary to demonstrate the verity of these statements before giving them to the world. In "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 110), she relates her experience along this line, and states: "In following these leadings of scientific revelation, the Bible was my only textbook. The Scriptures were illumined; reason and revelation were reconciled, and afterwards the truth of Christian Science was demonstrated." But it is not enough that our Leader should alone demonstrate the truths of Christian Science; each individual should do likewise. To assist her followers in making such demonstration, she established The Mother Church, The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts, which is leading the way to a full and final demonstration of the allness of good and the nothingness of evil.

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