In Science and Health Church is defined as "The structure of Truth and Love; whatever rests upon and proceeds from Principle." In studying the Bible Lessons of the past winter, we find almost startling applications to our present state of thought in reference to the Church. We see plainly that the true Church is founded on "the supremacy of Spirit;" and that the process of building is the "purification of sense and self," the putting off "the old man with his deeds," and the "putting on of the new." Science and Health tells us how to do this. What is the result of this process? The thought is built up in purity and strength, because of the acknowledgment in the daily life that "God is all."
We build up, by first tearing down the old structural thought of Church, the old thought of creed or ritual, the old thought of Mind in matter, Soul in body, Good and evil combined. As these thoughts disappear the spiritual thought appears. As we "all are of one body," and are all working to bring Love, Life, and Truth into daily demonstration, we are going, as it were, "as one man to Jerusalem," to build God's temple; the highest concept we have of Spirit.
Obedience to the one Law, spiritual law, alone will build our thought pure and loving to all mankind. We are looking to the building of the Mother Church in Boston; shall we look at it as material? Mrs. Eddy in an article to the students speaks of it as our prayer in brick." The "Mother Church" expresses the spiritual idea in such a way that all may comprehend it. Solomon's temple was a more material concept than the "latter house," which latter house Malachi tells us, "exceeded the glory of the former." Why? Because it was a purer, higher concept, though less glorious to material sense. They learned to build better by becoming obedient to God. Our temple will become manifest to the world when we bring out loving, truthful, obedient lives.
