"A word spoken in due season how good it is."— Proverbs xv. 23.
All close, earnest students of Christian Science must have observed that, as mortal mind and its conditions are more and more stirred by the onward march of truth, it becomes more aggressive. Those who have attained merely higher attenuations of mortal mind have become more self-contained and even boastful of their achievements, of the lofty positions reached by them, and their understanding of what they claim, and perhaps believe, to be Truth.
Of the persons included in this classification I shall only refer in this essay to those who have been correctly and thoroughly taught this science by its discoverer and founder, Rev. Mary B. G. Eddy; those who, after apparently accepting the truth taught, and while claiming to be Christian Scientists, and professing to be loyal to these teachings, have for some strange reason withdrawn from the organizations established for the propagation of the pure Science of Mind-healing, and from the unity and brotherhood of its disciples.
The answer most frequently made by them, when asked why they have taken this inconsistent position is this, in one or another form: "We have demonstrated over personality." This answer we wish to examine in the light of Christian Science.
Now, the question naturally arises, "What is personality, and what is meant by demonstrating over it?" In a scientific sense the term personality would mean the Supreme Individuality. So we will assume that they mean it in its lowest sense— personality in the flesh,— and proceed to treat the question from that point of view.
The sacred Scriptures and Science and Health, the only text-books for Divine Science, teach that God is Love and Truth, the only Mind or intelligence, the only Divine Spirit, and the only source of life, power, and goodness.
The mortal mind, or as the apostle puts it, the carnal mind, of which personality in the flesh is the highest expression, sets up a claim to Life, Substance and Intelligence, will, affection, and power, with all their derivatives, namely: the power to create, and the power to execute, with a capacity to love, and the ability to be good and appreciate goodness. Mortal mind claims all these attributes as apart from and independent of God, who, as before stated, is the only infinite source of all Good, all Truth, all Love, all Life, all power and intelligence. Hence we find that this mortal or carnal mind claims all that is embraced in the infinite Mind, not as a derived power, and with acknowledgment of that Mind, but it stands forth an independent factor and self-constituted creator and substitute for Deity. Shut off by its own choice and deed from the only and infinite Life, Love, and Truth, it follows that it cannot hold aught of God or the divine qualities. Because it does not, it again follows that what it does apparently embrace and manifest must be the opposite and absence of the divine, hence, it is the erring, dying, and mortal; it is evil in all its seeming manifold expressions.
Now, as personality in the flesh is the highest expression and embodiment of this so-called mind, "the mind that minds the flesh," it embodies and expresses all evil— that is, every evil— from the least to the greatest, from the lowest to the highest forms of it, including sin and death, "the last enemy to be overcome." Viewing the question from this standpoint, we find that to have demonstrated over personality really means to have demonstrated over the entire question of evil, "sin, sickness, and death." To be a little more explicit, it means to have conquered all sense of evil, trampled under foot all envy, jealousy, hatred, revenge, pride, ingratitude, ambition, strife, covetousness; to have crucified all self-righteousness, self-justification, self-love, pride of intellect, and malice, together with a long list more, which can all be summed up in the term selfishness.
Christian Science teaches that to master the greatest and highest evil— which includes all other evils— requires the clear perception and understanding of the greatest and highest good, which is God— the divine principle of man. This alone can enable one to work through, out of and above "the mist that went up from the earth," and which Christian Science interprets as meaning the carnal and fleshly sense of being. Now, have those who cry out "personality," or has any one reached, this divine altitude of spiritual understanding? If they have, then they have rent the veil of the temple (the flesh) and have already entered into the holy of holies, in consciousness. Again, if they have reached the solution of this great problem, the ultimate of all things, has the one who first taught them the principle and rule whereby to solve it been standing still or retrograding, whilst they, under her leadership and help, have been making such magnificent strides toward this glorious consummation? Would not she first have to solve this great problem before she could teach others how to solve it?
These are practical questions we shall do well to consider, and here is another in line with them. Is not the claim, "We have demonstrated over personality," a direct or indirect claim to have reached the same plane of thought, power, and understanding, in consciousness, which our Lord and Master had reached at the end of His divine mission on earth? Pause and think a moment, and see if you, dear reader, can understand how any honest, earnest student of Truth can look upon such a claim as anything less than blasphemy, since it is not supported by the works and signs which we are promised shall follow those that believe and do His will.
Ignoring the instruction of one's former teacher and friend, and even slandering her character, are quite another thing from "demonstrating over personality," and we must not make the serious mistake of taking the former for the latter. But we have already shown that this whole claim of "demonstrating over personality" is utterly baseless, and the arguments used to sustain the claim are the merest sophistry.
We are, therefore, in all candor, forced to conclude that the persons or factions taking this stand, are either ignorant of the nature of the pretension on which they have based their practice and teaching, or that they are wilfully holding a position they know to be untenable. In either case, in the interest of truth and justice, and in behalf of the many who are liable to be misled for a season, it becomes our painful duty to write them down as "blind guides, leading the blind."
The solemn duty of the exponents of Truth is two-fold: First, to expose what they know to be error. Second, to do all in their power to eliminate it. But the exposition of error, to be productive of good, must be made in the spirit of love, love— of Principle, not person— and accompanied with the fervent wish and thought, "Father, forgive them; they know not what they do."
True humility is the stepping-stone to spirituality. It should humble us in the very dust, to have to admit that the highest attainment of even the most loyal student of Divine Science is a perception, and not a complete understanding that this so-called personality in the flesh is not the real man or woman, and does not stand for the "truth of being." Before the actualities of being can appear, this false claimant, or claim to life, intelligence and power, must be destroyed by the clear understanding of Truth and Love, which can alone destroy all ignorance and evil.
This perception of the falsity of personality in the flesh is but the first step toward its destruction. To demonstrate over it, requires vastly more, and is a work of time and growth toward the spiritual, which understood, is Life eternal.
My friends, our lives, works, and conduct, and not our professions, nor yet our assumptions, reveal what we have gained in this line of development. Christian Science demands proofs, hence the less we profess, the more likely we are to be honest with ourselves and others.
Humility never boasts: "Charity is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, but gives place to others." In fact, we find that the modes and methods of Christ have not changed in the nineteenth century. Meekness, charity, and love are still the "path of His testimony and the footsteps of His flock."
In all ages of the world Truth has always had its witnesses, and it has to-day. Further, we believe that these witnesses are as divinely appointed to-day as in the times of Moses, the prophets, and finally Jesus the Christ. These divinely-appointed ambassadors have always come to herald a higher revelation of divine Truth, than was known or understood by the people or nation to which they came. Among the people there have always been some who heard, and gladly accepted, in part, the truth or message the servants or teachers of God proclaimed. There were also some who heard, derided, and rejected them. History, in this respect, is repeating itself. Christian Science and its Discoverer are meeting in our day the same reception which divine Truth and its revelators have ever received at the hands of the world and its devotees. It would not be Truth were it otherwise, for the world receives and loves its own.
Now, let us see if we cannot learn a lesson from the past. As you are aware, when Jesus came the Jewish people were expecting him. This expectation was based upon their belief of their scriptures and prophets, who had foretold his coming; even noting how and whence he should appear. But, owing seemingly to their misapprehension of the Scriptures, and their inability to appreciate the Christ, or divine character and works, they reviled and rejected Jesus. They had, perhaps unconsciously, formed their own concepts of how the Messiah would come, and what he would do for them, and apparently because these expectations were not met they did not, with the exception of a few faithful, loving women, and simple unlettered men, receive him. Think of it—they would not receive the Son of Righteousness, who had come into the world in all meekness, lowliness, and love, to bless the human family and bestow the priceless gift of eternal life.
The high priests, scribes, and Pharisees, themselves teachers, and spiritual guides, especially scoffed at and sought to kill him, and thus, as they in their ignorance hoped, to destroy the effect of his teaching among the people. But he said, "My word shall not pass away." And again he said, "A little while and ye shall not see me, and again a little while and ye shall see me." Now, this "me" he refers to is the spirit of Truth expressed in spiritual being.
If then, as we believe, and therefore declare, Christian Science is Truth, Christ, whose divine Love is again appearing to human vision, we must also declare that our Teacher, the author of "Science and Health," is the one chosen to proclaim it to this age on this plane of personality or consciousness. If we accept this much, we must admit the rest, namely, that she was divinely called for this special purpose; for you will admit with me, that it belongs to the province of divine Love alone to reveal Truth to humanity— the Truth that shall set them free from the bondage of belief in material law, the fruits of which are sin, sorrow, and death. Hence, the choice of messengers belongs to God, and not to man. Infinite Intelligence, whose rule of action is love, never places the standard of Truth and liberty in the hands of the unworthy.
As Christian Scientists, we believe that apostles as well as disciples of our Lord and Master are ever appearing on this plane of consciousness, and they will continue to appear so long as there is seeming error "for Truth to destroy."
Now an apostle is also a disciple, but a disciple is not necessarily an apostle. An apostle is one divinely called to a special mission, with his course mapped out for him by one in authority, as in the case of the twelve sent forth by Jesus, and years later in the case of St. Paul. The apostle's part is to hearken and obey, for he is doing, not his own will, but that of another and a higher. Hence we find that an apostle cannot be self-constituted or appointed, and apostleship resting on such claims cannot be genuine, whatever the guise under which it presents itself. May not such apostles belong to the class that Jesus said would come to him "in that day, and say: Master, Master, have we not taught in thy name, and in thy name expelled demons, and in thy name performed many wonders? And then I will plainly declare to them, I never approved of you. Depart from me, you who practice iniquity." Matthew vii., 22, 23 (The Emphatic Diaglott). Among the many things Jesus said to the twelve we find this: "He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth Him that sent me." He also predicted what would befall them that would not receive those whom he had appointed and sent out on his mission. Now, this rule is as true to-day as then, for there is no time in infinite Love, and His word and law are alike unchangeable.
We pause here to ask the question: Is there not, then, more than a possibility that those who reject, denounce, scoff at, and betray Christian Science, and its Discoverer and Revelator to this age, may be making the same mistake the Jews and Judas made in the time of Jesus the Christ and his apostles? And for the same reason, namely, from a misconception and misunderstanding of the modes and methods of infinite Love?
God's ways are higher than the ways of mortal man. If the way in Divine Science is straight and narrow, is the Discoverer or Teacher to blame? Should she be persecuted and reviled because there is not an easier and broader way? What did the Master say about those who sought to climb up some other way? Let us be wise in season. How fruitless for us to attempt to thwart immutable law; how vain to think we can meet with any permanent success, or make any progress in the line of spiritual development, if we have not accepted, and are not working in harmony with, the divine order. A clear perception of what is the divine order is the one thing needful in this hour; and that in which we need guidance by one capable to lead. That a clear perception of the divine order of being has been attained by the Discoverer of Christian Science, we cannot doubt. Her works declare it, and we have every reason to believe, from experience in higher classes, that she will yet give to those students who are loyal to God, the Principle of the Science, thoughts that cannot be written in books or given to the multitude. Their value to this age can only be measured by a prophet. All students of Truth should feel the responsibility resting upon them to work in harmony with the spiritual law, in order to be ready for the higher revelation. To this end let us become more familiar with our text-books —the Bible and Science and Health. Let us be sure we get a clear conception of what Christian Science really is, and the Divine order of receiving and propagating it for "the healing of the nations." Then indeed shall His "word be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path" in Divine Science, leading us to dwell consciously in the secret place of the Most High, where only he who really has overcome the world, the flesh, and the evil, may enter and abide.
Let us watch and pray that we be not deceived by the subtleties and sophistries of human reason. "Let us fight the good fight," let us "keep the faith," to the end.
