Concepts

Annie M. Knott

In the prophecy of Isaiah we read this declaration: "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord." We thus have pointed out to us a great difference between what Mrs. Eddy calls "the human material concept," which she says is unreal, and "the divine concept or idea," which she says is spiritually real. To this she adds: "One is false, while the other is true. One is temporal, but the other is eternal" (Retrospection and Introspection, p.68). Outside of Christian Science we fail to find this disctinction made even by religious people. It is quite true that they make an entire separation between God and man, even between Christ Jesus and humanity; but the popular sense of man does not rise above the mortal material concept which has beginning and end and which is subject to sin, sickness, and death.

In turning again to the fifty-fifth chapter of Isaiah, already quoted, we find that when the divine idea is recognized and takes its place in human consciousness, it is expressed through the Word, which accomplishes the divine purpose and prospers in the doing of it. The result of this on the human plane is set forth as follows: "Ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands." It is therefore surely well worth our while to reach out for the divine idea in all our activities, that it may wholly govern out thoughts and enable us to hold a purely spiritual concept of God, man, and the universe.

The difference between an idea itself and the human concept of it, has always been recognized by the world's greatest thinkers, even although they have not presented their views in a spiritual and practical way as did Mrs. Eddy in all her writings; therefore their statements along this line were of no avail in restoring harmony where sickness and suffering seemed to prevail, or indeed in overcoming any of the discords of mortal experience. Professor Fiske wisely and wittily gave his views on this subject when he declared that spiritual ideas as humanly presented only expressed as much of truth as the individual had perceived. Thus he remarked that in Paul's writings we have a "Paulate of truth," and that the modern writer might give us a Brownate of truth or a Smithate of truth.

This putting of it may call forth a smile, but if we take a deeper view of the subject we shall find it expressed by our Leader on page 460 of Science and Health, where she says, "When the Science of Mind was fresh revelation to the author, she had to impart, while teaching its grand facts, the hue of spiritual ideas from her own spiritual condition." This is further explained in these words of the Master: "The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works." We thus find the clear distinction between Principle and idea which Mrs. Eddy has maintained in all her writings, but this by no means separates man from God; rather does it lift humanity above all mortal concepts and show the way to the realization of dominion over everything which is unlike God. It also reveals the path of true progress, wherein we shall not need to retrace our steps.

On the human plane we may behold the glittering splendor of a mountain top, and we may quickly pass in thought the intervening hills and valleys and rest a while on the lofty elevation. Again, the human sense may gaze entranced upon a scene of nature's rediant beauty, but only a great artist can even measurably reproduce his concept of this on canvas and with long and painstaking effort. Similarly the human sense muse put off its material beliefs and limitations in order to reflect the divine idea, which far transcends the human concept of it. We are however cheered in our efforts to do this, knowing that God knows all good to be possible, and we have Scriptural authority for it that He works is us "to will have to do of his good pleasure." John tells us that "whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world," and thus we have presented to the victory of the spiritual idea over all things, which is, as Paul puts it, "Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Annie M. Knott.

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