Page:The Life of Mary Baker G. Eddy.djvu/221

Rh from which she had taught his doctrines. But in the elaboration and amplification of the Quimby theory, Mrs. Glover introduced some totally new propositions and added many an ingenious ornament.

On its metaphysical side Mrs. Glover's science went a step beyond the conclusions of the idealistic philosophers—that we can have no absolute knowledge of matter, but only a sense impression of its existence; she asserted that there is no matter and that we have no senses. The five senses being non-existent, Mrs. Glover pointed out that "all evidence obtained therefrom" is non-existent also. "All material life is a self-evident falsehood." But while denying the existence of matter, Mrs. Glover gave it a sort of compulsory recognition by calling it "mortality." And as such it assumes formidable proportions. It is error, evil, a belief, an illusion, discord, a false claim, dark ness, devil, sin, sickness, and death; and all these are nonexistent. Her denials include all the physical world and mankind, and all that mankind has accomplished by means of his reason and intelligence. "Doctrines, opinions, and beliefs, the so-called laws of nature, remedies for soul and body, materia medica, etc., are error," Mrs. Glover declared; but she tempered the blow by adding: "This may seem severe, but is said with honest convictions of its Truth, with reverence for God and love for man."

In Mrs. Glover's system all that exists is an immortal Principle which is defined as Spirit, God, Intelligence, Mind, Soul, Truth, Life, etc., and is the basis of all things real. This universal Principle is altogether good. In it there is no evil, darkness, pain, sickness, or other forms of what Mrs.