When John wrote, saying, "Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ," he was declaring clearly and emphatically the fact of Mind and its manifestation, revealing the absolute and that which is related to it. The fellowship of which he spoke brings out for us the true rule and the right practice in life, and inspires the Christian to be a worthy representative "of our Lord, and of his Christ."
Man's true relationship is with Principle, which is absolute good. When we speak of the absolute, we mean that which is absolved from any bond, loosed from all check or control, freed from every interference, and therefore complete, perfect, and supreme. Principle, then, is absolute or perfect Life, Truth, Love; and individual man, as manifestation of Principle, has his fellowship or right relationship with Principle, and with its whole "likeness"' and entire manifestation. Because of his recognition of relationship and unity with God, Jesus could say, "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father." Let us remember also how John says, "As he is, so are we in this world." The requirement of Christian Science is that man should think of himself in his true relationship to Principle. Indeed, Mrs. Eddy's teaching is (Miscellany, p. 242): "Unless you fully perceive that you are the child of God, hence perfect, you have no Principle to demonstrate and no rule for its demonstration. By this I do not mean that, mortals are the children of God,— far from it."
It confuses the issue to speak of the absolute as the spiritual and of the relative as the material, as is sometimes mistakenly done. It is then assumed that, while one may talk of the ideal of spiritual perfection, in practice he is so related to material beliefs as to be necessarily controlled by them. "The error of the ages is preaching without practice," as Mrs. Eddy says (Science and Health, p. 241). This high talk and poor performance is well described and well rebuked by Paul when writing to the Romans, where he says, "Thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?"
