THE true meaning of the word substance was brought very forcibly to the attention of the writer, a short time since, through the earnest appeal of a friend, a man of education, who was honestly and sincerely seeking to learn more about Science. He had, however, the common trouble of being unable to distinguish between sense and Soul, the material and the spiritual, and was greatly concerned to know why man's physical body, so plain to be seen, is not substance. He described the blending of different material elements, forming, as he expressed it, a "new substance" useful to man, and called attention to the fact that the "body may be and is analyzed into chemical elements common to all matter." He also claimed that the loss of the balance of the elements of the body results in sickness and death. Then he said:—
In the case of the inanimate compounds, a changing of the proportions, or the addition of other elements, may prevent the explosion or decay, and may bring a meritorious compound. Why is not this true of the purely physical of the man? When maladjustment of the component parts of the material human body comes, why is it not common sense, and why is it any violation of a man's duty to and proper belief in God, to bring about a readjustment of the elements, even by introducing the substance needed into the system, in other words, giving medicine? Or, when foreign substances have entered, as poison or the germs of the so-called germ diseases, why not give a tested antidote?
In answer to this attitude and line of inquiry, it may be said that we all see, hear, and feel through the material senses, and to these senses the only substance is material. They can comprehend nothing else as having form or being. We must therefore question whether these senses comprehend the substance or reality of things as they are, or whether they see, feel, and hear wrongly. Are they safe guides, or are they misleading us? This fundamental question we must settle if we are going to reach right conclusions; and one of the very first things learned in Christian Science is that these senses upon which we rely are themselves insubstantial and not of the nature of reality.
