339:1 XXX. The destruction of sin is the divine method of
pardon. Divine Life destroys death, Truth destroys
339:3 error, and Love destroys hate. Being de-
stroyed, sin needs no other form of forgiveness.
Does not God's pardon, destroying any one sin, prophesy
339:6 and involve the final destruction of all sin?
Evil not produced by God
XXXI. Since God is All, there is no room for His
unlikeness. God, Spirit, alone created all, and called it
339:9 good. Therefore evil, being contrary to good,
is unreal, and cannot be the product of God.
A sinner can receive no encouragement from the fact that
339:12 Science demonstrates the unreality of evil, for the sinner
would make a reality of sin, - would make that real
which is unreal, and thus heap up "wrath against the
339:15 day of wrath." He is joining in a conspiracy against
himself, - against his own awakening to the awful un-
reality by which he has been deceived. Only those, who
339:18 repent of sin and forsake the unreal, can fully understand
the unreality of evil.
Basis of health and immortality
XXXII. As the mythology of pagan Rome has yielded
339:21 to a more spiritual idea of Deity, so will our material
theories yield to spiritual ideas, until the finite
gives place to the infinite, sickness to health,
339:24 sin to holiness, and God's kingdom comes "in
earth, as it is in heaven." The basis of all health, sin-
lessness, and immortality is the great fact that God is
339:27 the only Mind; and this Mind must be not merely be-
lieved, but it must be understood. To get rid of sin
through Science, is to divest sin of any supposed mind
339:30 or reality, and never to admit that sin can have intelli-
gence or power, pain or pleasure. You conquer error by
denying its verity. Our various theories will never lose
340:1 their imaginary power for good or evil, until we lose our
faith in them and make life its own proof of harmony
340:3 and God.
This text in the book of Ecclesiastes conveys the
Christian Science thought, especially when the word
340:6 /duty/, which is not in the original, is omitted: "Let
us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God,
and keep His commandments: for this is the whole
340:9 duty of man." In other words: Let us hear the con-
clusion of the whole matter: love God and keep His
commandments: for this is the whole of man in His
340:12 image and likeness. Divine Love is infinite. Therefore
all that really exists is in and of God, and manifests His
love.
340:15 "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." (Exodus
xx. 3.) The First Commandment is my favorite text.
It demonstrates Christian Science. It inculcates the tri-
340:18 unity of God, Spirit, Mind; it signifies that man shall
have no other spirit or mind but God, eternal good, and
that all men shall have one Mind. The divine Principle
340:21 of the First Commandment bases the Science of being, by
which man demonstrates health, holiness, and life eternal.
One infinite God, good, unifies men and nations; con-
340:24 stitutes the brotherhood of man; ends wars; fulfils the
Scripture, "Love thy neighbor as thyself;" annihilates
pagan and Christian idolatry, - whatever is wrong in
340:27 social, civil, criminal, political, and religious codes;
equalizes the sexes; annuls the curse on man, and leaves
nothing that can sin, suffer, be punished or destroyed.
CHAPTER XI - SOME OBJECTIONS ANSWERED
And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? - JESUS.
But if the spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His spirit that dwelleth in you. - PAUL.