Editorial May 10, 1924 Issue

Spirit's Faculties are Indestructible

Duncan Sinclair

In the Glossary of the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 594), Mrs. Eddy defines Spirit thus: "Spirit. Divine substance; Mind; divine Principle; all that is good; God; that only which is perfect, everlasting, omnipresent, omnipotent, infinite." A truly wonderful definition it is, and one which will repay the most careful study of every earnest student of Christian Science. Among other things, it brings out the facts that Spirit is the only real substance; that Spirit is permanent; and that Spirit is Mind.

Now, the spiritually unenlightened so-called human mind disputes these truths. It argues for the reality and substantiality of matter. It sweeps its material eye around and says it beholds innumerable material objects. It listens with its material ear and says it hears sounds which have a material cause. It puts out its material hand and touches with its material fingers, and gains what it believes to be a knowledge of material form. In this manner do the physical senses seem to equip mortals to argue for the reality of matter, creating for them a material creation. It is true that these same physical senses testify to change, decay, and imperfection, qualities having no status in Divine Being; but such may not even hint to the materialist that physical sense testimony is altogether unreliable.

The majority of people remain under the belief that matter is real until Christian Science enlightens them to the contrary. And when it does, then there begins the warfare in consciousness between spiritual truth and material belief. It is the battle of the ages, although many are ignorant of the fact. It began when the first spark of reflected Love lit the dark recesses of the human mind, making mankind alive to moral duty. It has been going on ever since, waxing stronger with each progressive revelation of Truth. The teachings of Christ Jesus, with their declarations of the healing power of Truth and Love and their denunciation of material sensuousness, but added to the intensity of the warfare, while they brought untold comfort to the Christian warrior. And in these latter days, has not Christian Science with its affirmation of the allness, the reality, the permanence of Spirit or Mind, and its absolute denial of physical sense testimony, or matter, accentuated the battle, until now it is waged as never before in human history?

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