Editorial May 26, 1923 Issue

"Radical reliance on Truth"

Duncan Sinclair

Many a time in her writings Mrs. Eddy points out how necessary it is to have full confidence in God, or to place entire reliance on Truth, if one would experience healing through Christian Science. For example, on page 167 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" she writes, "Only through radical reliance on Truth can scientific healing power be realized." Her words bear a marked similarity to those of Christ Jesus, uttered after he had declared himself to be "the light of the world": "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." Freedom through the truth now, as when the Master spake, follows on radical reliance upon and continuity in Truth.

One thing is common to almost all before they take up the study of Christian Science: they believe in the reality of matter, of a material universe and a material body. In some cases it is even held that matter is the only substance in existence. In others it is maintained that both matter and Spirit are real. But not until Christian Science reveals to the student the spiritual fact that God, Spirit, is infinite, is the belief in the reality of matter seen to be a fallacy of so-called mortal mind, a fallacy which must be overcome. Mortal mind is the supposititious opposite of divine Mind. It is synonymous with material sense,—all material sensuousness; and "the flesh" is one of its seeming products. Thus the flesh, with all so-called nerve action and bodily function, belongs entirely to a realm that has no existence in reality, no basis in spiritual fact,—which, in other words, is unreal.

The discovery that matter in every form is unreal is revolutionizing thought to-day; or it might be said that the understanding of the fact of Spirit's allness is radically changing thought, with a rapidity far greater than is generally supposed, from faith in so-called matter to reliance on Spirit. Once let the infinite nature of Spirit be clearly perceived, and faith in matter or material sense begins to wane, while confidence and trust in God increase with every demonstration of the power of Truth. The flesh appears to be in continual opposition to Spirit; and it seems as if a constant battle were being waged between them. The situation must be scientifically discerned; and when it is, the warfare is seen to be but a hypothetical one between Truth and error. Writing in Science and Health (p. 167), Mrs. Eddy says: "The 'flesh lusteth against the Spirit.' The flesh and Spirit can no more unite in action, than good can coincide with evil." And she straightway adds: "It is not wise to take a halting and half-way position or to expect to work equally with Spirit and matter, Truth and error. There is but one way—namely, God and His idea—which leads to spiritual being."

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