Article July 25, 1925 Issue

Exposure Necessary to the Destruction of Error

SAMUEL FREDERICK SWANTEES

In Revelation we read that the devil (evil) came to earth "having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time." Evidently the wrath of evil over its "short time" was caused by its fear of being exposed and so destroyed. Neither evil nor error can endure the light of Truth, which invariably destroys both by exposing their falsity, mythical nature, or nothingness; hence also, the exposure of error in human history has never been a pleasant task, for the victims of error, believing in the reality of sin and disease, resist the truth that would make them free. Nevertheless, though it take the courage of a saint to do so, the task of exposing the nature of evil is a necessary one, if freedom from error is to be secured permanently.

Truth being complete in itself exposes and destroys the falsity of error, even as light destroys darkness; but Truth has no sense of error, neither can Truth know error. Hence error can never obtain a hiding place in omnipresent Truth. Here again we may see the feebleness of error; for all that is necessary in order for error to be destroyed is its exposure by Truth; for as soon as error's falsity is perceived, it is impossible to maintain it in human consciousness. All error—and this, according to Christian Science, includes matter, sin, disease, and death—finds a place in belief only as long as its falsity is not detected. When once detected, error's place, even in belief, is lost forever. Herein we have the assurance of the final victory over all error.

Being necessary for the salvation of mankind, the exposure of error therefore becomes one standard by which our understanding and demonstration of Christianity must be judged. Where there is no exposure of the mythical nature of evil or error there logically can be no overcoming of evil,—of sin, disease, and death. The detection of error resulting from the activity of Truth in human consciousness must necessarily be exact, lawful, and scientific; hence, it is naturally the work of Christian Science. Mrs. Eddy describes this work accurately when she says in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 104), "Christian Science goes to the bottom of mental action, and reveals the theodicy which indicates the rightness of all divine action, as the emanation of divine Mind, and the consequent wrongness of the opposite so-called action,—evil, occultism, necromancy, mesmerism, animal magnetism, hypnotism."

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