Bondage or freedom?

Man’s conscious condition as regards bondage or freedom is determined by the sense entertained of the ruling Power of the universe. The varied beliefs as to its nature,—whether good or evil, one or many—have formed the basis of mythologies of the past, also of philosophies and religions of later date. In the light of the Science of Christ, we begin to see, what we shall completely understand, only when fully divested of mere opinions, all of which grow out of belief in the personality of God and man.

Christian Science comes as did Jesus in the spirit of fulfilment. It proves beyond doubt what has hitherto been but half believed. It makes clear the scientific and spiritual fact that man has a divine Principle of existence, of which he is the full and perfect expression; and that God (Good) is this Principle. Must not his true freedom consist, then, in perfect harmony with all that is included in his Principle,—Life, Truth, Love, Soul, Substance, and Intelligence? In Science this relation is indestructible.

Man’s freedom to exercise inalienable rights is established and maintained in Principle alone. The permanence of human affairs or institutions depends upon conformity to Principle. We cannot even conceive of existence without it. Civil law shadows forth this truth in its treatment of criminals. One accounted wholly unprincipled is either denied the right to exist at all, or he loses his freedom, through imprisonment, virtually—as to relations with society—ceasing to exist.

If everything that exists requires a principle of existence does that necessitate many principles? Human reason has never been able to reconcile its conflicting theories, because they were not based on apprehension of the unity of Truth. It has separated from their one, infinite Principle, its varied manifestations, and discord has resulted. Christian Science reveals this divine Principle as the ruling power of the universe and man. It makes clear that to admit anything can hinder man from manifesting perfectly the harmony of this government is to set up a power antagonistic to it. Admitting one Principle of existence the conception of another power becomes impossible.

Misunderstanding of this Truth is the only bondage. It is the contrary “beliefs of the human mind which rob and enslave it.”Science and Health.

Paul in his letter to the Galatians expresses the same thought: “Howbeit, at that time, not knowing God, ye were in bondage to them which by nature are no gods: but now that ye have come to know God, or rather to be known of God, how turn ye back again to the weak and beggarly rudiments (elements) whereunto ye desire to be in bondage over again?”

Since man is not self-existent, but co-existent with and manifests God, his Father, to know one is to know the other. Man, as the son of God, has always been free. The understanding of what this sonship means delivers from the supposed bondage of beliefs. It is our beliefs about God that enslave us. Lip service, tithes of our wealth, sevenths of our days are not offerings worthy of the God we worship. While God is conceived of as a tyrant with man for His slave, the greater the humility with which man prostrates himself before his master in worship, the more completely will he reflect this idea of God through tyranny over his weaker brethren. every wrong sense of God is manifested in wrong action. In the acknowledgment and understanding of God as Principle, Spirit, Truth,

Jesus said: “No longer do I call you servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth; but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard from my Father I have made known unto you”; and, “The bond-servant abideth not in the house forever; the son abideth forever. If therefore, the son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” The understanding of these words will destroy the false sense of God, and bring out the true.

Many look to political freedom as the means of salvation from the innumerable ills that oppress humanity. But Jesus ignored the political bondage of the people, and addressed himself directly to freeing them from belief in another power than God, Good. He made himself a living demonstration of the powerlessness of evil, and of the nature and relation of Father and Son, that they might learn their oneness with himself and the Father. Jesus never represented God as being other than all Good; he contradicted by word and deed the thought that He could be the Author of sickness, sin, or death, or that they existed by any divine law. They invariably disappeared before his presence and word.

To acknowledge the right of any power to rule by obeying its supposed laws, is to support it as a power, even though of itself it may be utterly devoid of power. It is thus that man has given power to sin, sickness, and death, and this general belief in their power and necessity is their only support. It is said in Science and Health that could the mention of disease be ruled out of all conversation and reading, and replaced by the ideas taught in Christian Science, a modern miracle would be manifested, in the marvellous change in the health of the people that would ensue.

The work has begun. The knowledge that disease is contrary to the law of God, and therefore not a human necessity, supports the hope of freedom from its bondage. Christian Science is defined as “the law of God, Good, which interprets the Principle and rule of universal harmony and demonstrates it.”…“The understanding of Spiritual truth magnifies the divine power in human apprehension, and makes evident the supremacy of Spirit and the powerlessness of matter to heal.”Science and Health.

There is no danger to a man who knows what life and death are. Jesus of Nazareth understood that Life is, and that death is not; he established the immortality of the one, and the unreality of the other by absolute proof. What is clearly understood as based on Science can be demonstrated. The shape of the earth, and the fact that there was another continent, may have been believed by others at the time of Columbus, but these facts had no practical value until they were proven by his faith and courage. Since the understanding has now come, that we may be free from the bondage of sin and sickness—the “beggarly elements” as Paul calls them—and that we can overcome evil with Good, why not hasten to acquaint ourselves with the scientific rule of demonstration, and so realize now our freedom from all that enslaves?

Odes to Freedom and invectives against Tyranny naturally kindle a desire to obtain the one and be rid of the other. But there can be neither tyranny nor bondage when we fully understand the Principle of Omnipotence and obediently identify ourselves therewith. There will be no wrongs to redress when once we appreciate and stand for our right: viz: entire freedom from all evil and destructive influences through the understanding that they are without principle or support. Christian Science presents mankind as the expression of the glory and likeness of Infinite Good, Divine Principle whose substance is Spirit, Mind; not in bondage to the illusions of materiality, sin, and death.

God is represented as saying to Ezekiel: “Son of Man, stand upon thy feet and I will speak to thee.” To hear the messages of Truth we must stand upright before every claim of bondage, and so honor and glorify our Maker.

Jesus declared against belief in another power than God (Good) in the words to the woman: “Thou art loosed from thine infirmity.” The belief that apparently deprived her of the sustaining power of Life, was found to be of none effect in the presence of the exponent of the true law, “And immediately she was made straight and glorified God.” He knew it was not as the result of his Father’s will that this woman was “bowed together so that she could not lift herself up.”

He finds no fault with her, convicts her of no transgression of law, but speaks of her to the ruler of the synagogue as “a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years,” and asks: “Should she not be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?” The case illustrates the fact that it is only the universal belief, in the power and reality of evil—Satan as opposed to Good,—that constitutes the infirmity of mortals, that is their bondage.

The text-book of Christian Science states that “a lie is the only Satan there is.” This statement is in perfect harmony with Jesus’ declaration that “he was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him,” and “when he speaketh a lie he speaketh of his own, for he is a liar and the father thereof.” If the time spent in trying to find the origin and foundation of evil and its necessity in the universe, were devoted to understanding the Source of good, and eradicating every claim not in harmony with that principle, the results would be more satisfactory. We know enough of the lie, when we understand how to destroy it with Truth. “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone” (Rev. xx. 10 ). Who will defend his cause?

The claims that would enthrone evil or Satan, and make him ruler over all, in Science are proven false, and his seeming subjects are set free. When there are no subjects over which to exercise power what becomes of the power? What has become of the institution of chattel slavery which seemed to have so firm a foothold in this country? There was issued a proclamation of freedom; and when slaves were slaves no longer, the seeming power of that institution to hold men in bondage ceased to exist as a power. Those who had compassion on the negro, deprived of his rights and bowed in bondage, spent little time in discussing the origin of the evil, or its necessity, or whether it might not be authorized by divine law. Those who courageously grappled with this monstrous claim, spent their time and energy solely in proving it wrong in both principle and practice, and demonstrated the rights of man to be a man to the full limit of his capabilities. When the evil was dethroned its ignoble origin was seen, and it is fast drifting into the oblivion of nothingness.

Christ came “anointed to preach good tidings to the poor, to proclaim release to the captive, recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.” Did not those who believed his word find freedom from their bondage to evil, whether in the form of disease or sin? The law of Life, Truth, and Love which be declared, abolished the supposed law of sickness, sin, and death.

How many to-day believe this glad tidings and follow the command to preach it to the poor; to heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons, and raise the dead? These are the signs that Jesus positively and without limitation of time or race, declared should be the proof of having believed and understood his words.

When we ask the question: “Why do you not prove the truth of Christ’s teaching?” the answer comes: “Sickness and sin are real masters and we can never in this world expect to be free from them—nor from death; all must submit to these masters!” Yes; so long as they are feared and served they will seem masters indeed. We, however, have the example of One who neither feared nor served them, but proved himself their master; before him they trembled and fled. This life is the accepted model of the Christian world; the early believers proved, as he had declared believers should, the truth he taught. Why do we continue in bondage? Because either we fail to discern our rightful liberty based on the Principle of Truth—or through fear dare not maintain it. “They have rights who dare maintain them.” To believe ourselves, in line with popular theological and medical teaching, helpless, will not destroy our sense of bondage. The sense of God or Good must replace the sense of evil. Good must become the all power and evil the powerless. If this view shakes theological creeds, they must be re-cast, and based upon Principle that cannot be shaken. One minister of the Episcopal faith, seeing more clearly than many, says: “The practical issue of all the present tendency of human life must be, that the best thought of the world will overcome the worst thought. There must come a natural selection of religious, a survival of the fittest among faiths.” The Principle and Science of Christianity will survive, and will awaken humanity to discern—and to maintain—rights which are God-given and inalienable. We need to understand our inherent right to express the divine character and individuality of Good; the right to be wholly governed by Principle whose law sustains health and harmony; the right to the liberty of the sons and daughters of God.

Jerusalem in bondage with her children is not the divine idea of motherhood. “But the Jerusalem that is above is free, which is our mother.” The Truth convinces us we are not the children of bondage. If free, shall we not enter into our inheritance? “With freedom did Christ set us free; stand fast therefore and be not entangled again in a yoke of bondage.” Understanding of the Principle and Science of Truth, as brought to light in Christian Science, delivers us from the bondage of fear and ignorance; it relieves us from service in the warfare that materia medica seems to wage against the government of the One Mind. When we decide whether to give our allegiance to good or evil, we shall no longer try to honor the living God through lip service in acceptance of theological doctrines neither understood nor believed. The human family is now being awakened from the dreams of modern mythologies, and sees its hope of deliverance in the interpretation of Divine Principle, the all-power of Good afforded by scientific Christianity.

When Christ sets us free, we have courage to refute the doctrine of the divine institution of slavery to sin and sickness, with the logic of Divine Love.