Deification Of Personality
Notwithstanding the rapid sale already of two editions
of “Christ and Christmas,” and many orders on hand, I
have thought best to stop its publication.
In this revolutionary religious period, the increasing [15]
inquiry of mankind as to Christianity and its unity—
and above all, God's love opening the eyes of the blind—is
fast fitting all minds for the proper reception of
Christian Science healing.
But I must stand on this absolute basis of Christian [20]
Science; namely, Cast not pearls before the unprepared
thought. Idolatry is an easily-besetting sin of all peoples.
The apostle saith, “Little children, keep yourselves from
idols.”
The illustrations were not intended for a golden calf, [25]
at which the sick may look and be healed. Christian
Scientists should beware of unseen snares, and adhere
to the divine Principle and rules for demonstration.
They must guard against the deification of finite personality.
Every human thought must turn instinctively to [30]
the divine Mind as its sole centre and intelligence. Until [1]
this be done, man will never be found harmonious and
immortal.
Whosoever looks to me personally for his health or
holiness, mistakes. He that by reason of human love or [5]
hatred or any other cause clings to my material per-
sonality, greatly errs, stops his own progress, and loses
the path to health, happiness, and heaven. The Scrip-
tures and Christian Science reveal “the way,” and per-
sonal revelators will take their proper place in history, [10]
but will not be deified.
Advanced scientific students are ready for “Christ
and Christmas;” but those are a minority of its readers,
and even they know its practicality only by healing
the sick on its divine Principle. In the words of the [15]
prophet, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one
Lord.”
Friends, strangers, and Christian Scientists, I thank
you, each and all, for your liberal patronage and scholarly,
artistic, and scientific notices of my book. This little [20]
messenger has done its work, fulfilled its mission, retired
with honor (and mayhap taught me more than it has
others), only to reappear in due season. The knowledge
that I have gleaned from its fruitage is, that intensely
contemplating personality impedes spiritual growth; even [25]
as holding in mind the consciousness of disease prevents
the recovery of the sick.
Christian Science is taught through its divine Prin-
ciple, which is invisible to corporeal sense. A material
human likeness is the antipode of man in the image and [30]
likeness of God. Hence, a finite person is not the model
for a metaphysician. I earnestly advise all Christian
Scientists to remove from their observation or study
the personal sense of any one, and not to dwell in thought [1]
upon their own or others' corporeality, either as good or
evil.
According to Christian Science, material personality is
an error in premise, and must result in erroneous con- [5]
clusions. All will agree with me that material portraiture
often fails to express even mortal man, and this declares
its unfitness for fable or fact to build upon.
The face of Jesus has uniformly been so unnaturally
delineated that it has turned many from the true con- [10]
templation of his character. He advances most in divine
Science who meditates most on infinite spiritual sub-
stance and intelligence. Experience proves this true.
Pondering on the finite personality of Jesus, the son of
man, is not the channel through which we reach the [15]
Christ, or Son of God, the true idea of man's divine
Principle.
I warn students against falling into the error of anti-
Christ. The consciousness of corporeality, and what-
ever is connected therewith, must be outgrown. Corporeal [20]
falsities include all obstacles to health, holiness, and
heaven. Man's individual life is infinitely above a
bodily form of existence, and the human concept an-
tagonizes the divine. “Science and Health with Key
to the Scriptures,” on page 229, third and fourth para- [25]
graphs, elucidates this topic.[5]
My Christmas poem and its illustrations are not a text-
book. Scientists sometimes take things too intensely.
Let them soberly adhere to the Bible and Science and
Health, which contain all and much more than they [30]
have yet learned. We should prohibit ourselves the
childish pleasure of studying Truth through the senses, [1]
for this is neither the intent of my works nor possible
in Science.
Even the teachings of Jesus would be misused by sub-
stituting personality for the Christ, or the impersonal [5]
form of Truth, amplified in this age by the discovery of
Christian Science. To impersonalize scientifically the
material sense of existence—rather than cling to per-
sonality—is the lesson of to-day.