Often in talking with those who have a misconceived sense of Christian Science rather than an understanding of it, the remark is heard, "I believe in the power of mind over matter, just as you do." Further inquiry as to just what the speaker means by this brings out the information that "will," a characteristic of the human mind, has been considered and that this has been regarded as the cardinal point or worth while element of Christian Science. This has been added to other views and the resultant has been considered "better than" or "just as good as" the genuine doctrine.

Now if a person is desirous of learning of the tropics and the flora peculiar to them, he does not inform himself of definitions foreign to the subject nor travel in the polar regions. Just so, one should not study into the suppositional vagaries of the human mind or the machinations of the human will and expect to get a comprehensive grasp of what Mrs. Eddy discovered and gave to the world, but he should travel in the country of he Christian Science literature and study its flora and not the flora of a country that is entirely opposite. On page 295 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" we read, "The theoretical mind is matter, named brain, or material consciousness, the exact opposite of real Mind, or Spirit," and again on page 144 of the same book, "Human will-power is not Science." Now this endeavor to identify the divine Mind with the human mind, and to counterfeit the expression of infinite intelligence with will power may seem modern, yet it has been a problem for centuries. Hume, reaching out for its solution, said that mind, and in fact all that man was, amounted to but the association and relation of ideas gained from matter through the five physical senses. Following him to a logical conclusion ends in skepticism.

To refute this argument, his more spiritually minded opponents began at its other end, as it were. They claimed that matter itself was but an idea, though of course, idea of the human mind. This leads us to no higher plane. It is like two men traveling in the same circle but in different directions. Sometimes they seem far apart, yet sooner or later, materialist or idealist, they arrive at the same point; for the human mind's belief and matter are one and the same thing. But, it may be said, mind and matter are so unlike they cannot possibly be the same thing. In a superficial sense this seems true, so it may be clearer to say they are different forms of the same thing. A good illustration of this is that by application of heat to water it becomes steam, by cold it becomes ice, and by electricity it becomes two colorless gases, hydrogen and oxygen. It is not difficult to see that the steam and ice, though dissimilar, are but different forms of water. Yet hydrogen and oxygen, though quite unrecognizable as water and possessing properties at variance with water,—as, for example, when they are united under proper conditions and ignited they produce a tremendous heat,—are but the original in different forms. So with the evidence of these seeming facts before us, is it too much to say that mind and matter, though unrecognizably alike, are but different forms of the same thing?

Upon reflection, are we not all familiar with the case of the human mind showing itself in forms of matter when the predominating thought has been hate, jealousy, revenge, or perhaps some hereditary trait? This, you may say, is in itself a proof of the power of mind over matter; but is it not a proof beyond all doubt that the seeming mental conditions have but passed over into the physical, or, in other words, that the qualities of mind and matter are interchangeable and are the same thing but in different form? We also have cases of a belief of disease appearing as a so-called physical condition and then also as a so-called mental condition. But does it not all point to the one fact, that to accept the doctrine of he power of Mind over matter, one must look higher than mortal mentality? One must indeed. There is but one Mind, that is, God. The acceptance of this truth not only shows mortal mind and matter to be one, and thus eliminates the suppositional power of mortal mind, but it leads to a clear understanding that there can be but one supreme intelligence and that "there is none else beside him."

When this position is taken, one's spiritual understanding gradually unfolds and leads to the replacement of the multitude of false conceptions, whether disease of body or mind, of social or business life, disease of every kind, with the one universal idea of harmonious action. Just here, however, is a seeming snare of which the student of Christian Science must early learn to beware. The temptation may come and an attempt may be made to use this power of Mind for the gratification of the material senses. This brings obscurity and temporary loss until the student awakens to the great truth and necessity in the admonition, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." This is like all other truths; it cannot be reversed. God and His righteousness cannot be placed second. These must always be first, and any attempt to change the order may easily lead into the condition pointed out as quite opposite to the power of Mind over matter.

The Scriptures prove to us that man's realization of the perfectly harmonious state—or the supremacy of Mind, God, omnipotent and omnipresent—is not a mere dream, but a demonstrable fact. Our attention is called to it on page 139 of Science and Health. There we read: "From beginning to end, the Scriptures are full of accounts of the triumph of Spirit, Mind, over matter. Moses proved the power of Mind by what men called miracles; so did Joshua, Elijah, and Elisha. The Christian era was ushered in with signs and wonders." These signs and wonders are evident to us to-day in proportion to our recognition and comprehension of the power of Mind over matter.