HAD it been recognized from the beginning of mortal history that the situation in which Adam found himself was no part of true being, neither caused nor sanctioned by God, the effort to reconcile Truth with error would have been less persistent and prolonged. In all ages there have been those who were spiritually-minded enough to overcome evil through faith in God; yet the authority of so-called mortal mind to claim partnership with the divine Mind, and the fable that a mortal is the offspring of Deity as well as of dust, remained practically unchallenged until the coming of Christ Jesus. How often, in the Old Testament, we find the light of faith and inspiration piercing the darkness and then fading again as mortal belief, attentive as was Eve to the argument of the serpent, sought security and success in disobeying, rather than obeying, the divine commands!
And if we analyze the reason for mankind's repeated failure to withstand evil, despite the example of those who, withstanding, have proved it powerless, we find it in this conclusion, instinctive or deduced through a priori argument, that evil is a force oftentimes greater than good which, capable of injuring and even destroying men, must be reckoned with, feared, and obeyed. Yet we may search in vain through the wanderings of the children of Israel for any example of disaster when they hearkened to the voice of God; as we may search likewise in vain for success when, desiring to placate their false gods of avarice, ingratitude, and fear, they turned to evil, supposing that through it they would get good.
Isaiah, prophesying for all time the destruction of that policy which seeks alliance with Egypt (materiality) rather than with God, ceased not to warn and exhort his people: "Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin: that walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt! Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion."
