Page:The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany.djvu/372

344 can judge for yourself. I have even been spoken of as a Christ, but to my understanding of Christ that is impossible. If we say that the sun stands for God, then all his rays collectively stand for Christ, and each separate ray for men and women. God the Father is greater than Christ, but Christ is ‘one with the Father,’ and so the mystery is scientifically explained. There can be but one Christ.”

“And the soul of man?”

“It is not the spirit of God, inhabiting clay and then withdrawn from it, but God preserving individuality and personality to the end. I hold it absurd to say that when a man dies, the man will be at once better than he was before death. How can it be? The individuality of him must make gradual approaches to Soul's perfection.”

“Do you reject utterly the bacteria theory of the propagation of disease?”

“Oh,” with a prolonged inflection, “entirely. If I harbored that idea about a disease, I should think myself in danger of catching it.”

“Then as to the laws — the health laws of the States on the question of infectious and contagious diseases. How does Christian Science stand as to them?”

“I say, ‘Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's.’ We cannot force perfection on the world. Were vaccination of any avail, I should tremble for mankind; but, knowing it is not, and that the fear of catching smallpox is more dangerous than any material infection, I say: Where vaccination is compulsory, let your children