Every sincere student of Christian Science eventually becomes somewhat of an etymologist; that is to say, he becomes interested in the history and original meaning of certain words, if not of all words, because he has discovered that such study helps in many instances to bring out the deep spiritual significance of much that might otherwise be passed over as obscure or unimportant, both in the Bible and in Science and Health.
As the habit of critical analysis of words thus develops, one of the first conclusions that thrusts itself upon the student is that the tendency of common usage is to limit, in some instances to such an extent that the broad and varied application of a word or phrase is all but lost. Take, for example, the expression "immaculate conception." Webster gives among the definitions of immaculate: "1. Without stain or blemish; spotless; undefiled; pure; 2. Without flaw, fault, or error." Among the definitions of conception the same authority gives: "The power or function of forming abstract and universal ideas; also the process of forming such ideas; the image, idea, or notion of any action or thing which is formed in the mind;" and the synonyms given are: "Idea, notion, apprehension, comprehension." With these definitions in thought, the Virgin Mary's immaculate conception of the Christ is perceived to be as high above the commonly accepted application "as the heaven is high above the earth." On page 29 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" Mrs. Eddy writes: "The illumination of Mary's spiritual sense put to silence material law and its order of generation, and brought forth her child by the revelation of Truth, demonstrating God as the Father of men. The Holy Ghost, or divine Spirit, overshadowed the pure sense of the Virgin-mother with the full recognition that being is Spirit. The Christ dwelt forever an idea in the bosom of God, the divine Principle of the man Jesus, and woman perceived this spiritual idea, though at first faintly developed."
Conception, then, is synonymous with perception or comprehension. And the term "immaculate conception" in connection with the advent of Jesus surely signifies that Mary, as a result of much consecrated thinking and prayerful longing, became vividly aware of the presence of the Christ. Her perception of this truth was "flawless, undefiled, pure;" therefore it was not the human Jesus which she perceived, but his "divine Principle." Now, although the light which dawned upon her was so pure, it was still faint, so that the idea was to her as a babe to be carried secretly, hidden in her thoughts until sufficiently developed to be produced and shared with mankind. She had not, however, risen above the prevalent belief among the Jews that the Savior, the Redeemer of their nation, would be born of a woman of the house of David, though not "of the will of man, but of God." She had no doubt heard, too, that the Christ would be born of a virgin; and we can imagine the trembling hope which so filled her with awe that it was at first rejected as impossible, but which returning again and again finally gave place to the certainty that magnified the Lord and caused her to exclaim with conviction, "From henceforth all generations shall call me blessed." True; all generations shall call her blessed; for she accepted in all its perfection and made manifest the idea of the fatherhood of God, the developing of which had been recognized by the prophets of old and the full appearing of which had been foreseen by the patriarch Abraham; for Christ Jesus said, "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad."
