Article March 18, 1933 Issue

Baptism

[Original article in French]

GERMAINE DESNOS

IN the Glossary of the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 581), Mrs. Eddy gives to "baptism" the exalted definition, "Purification by Spirit; submergence in Spirit." Perhaps the student may not at once grasp the full value of this; but later he sees that true baptism is no less than the realization of the spiritual status of man. He sees that the understanding of Spirit is the only baptismal font in which thought can be submerged, that is, wholly immersed or spiritualized, and so saved from materiality. Who is the baptized one? He who, step by step, rejects all that is contrary to the sinless nature of Spirit and becomes one with it.

On page 241 of Science and Health Mrs. Eddy writes, "The baptism of Spirit, washing the body of all the impurities of flesh, signifies that the pure in heart see God and are approaching spiritual Life and its demonstration." Here, then, is the only baptism giving humanity the spiritual awakening which reveals the kingdom of heaven within purified consciousness. To rid one's thought of all materiality, in order to reflect God and His inherent purity—can there be any other way than this to yield to the Life divine? No, there can be no other. It will never be possible to commune with God save by reflecting Him, by expressing the grace of His qualities, His holiness.

As an aid to this end, we have the revelation of Christian Science, telling us that the real man is now and forever at one with God, even as a drop of water is at one with the ocean. The sincere affirmation that this spiritual submergence of man in God, Spirit, is an eternal fact, which requires neither time, struggle, nor effort for its accomplishment, is a specific and ever present help, cleansing human thought of the false belief that spiritual man can be touched by matter. And this true sense of baptism lifts thought above the erroneous doctrines relative to baptism.

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