Page:The Life of Mary Baker G. Eddy.djvu/224

182 faith, he will gain a complete understanding of the true science of life. This understanding will come through spiritual insight which “opens to view the capabilities of being, untrammelled by personal sense, explains the so-called miracles, and brings out the infinite possibilities of Soul, controlling matter, discern ing mind, and restoring man's inalienable birthright of do minion.”

When man shall have reached this summit of understanding he will be infallible, unable to make mistakes, for “Mistakes are impossible to understanding, and understanding is all the mind there is.”

In giving a religious foundation to her science, Mrs. Glover allowed herself a free hand, for here she was not restrained by the limits of Quimbyism. Quimby had not aimed to give his system a religious tone, but he dealt with the same problems that religion has tried to solve, and he believed that the severe doctrines of the churches overlooked the real solution of man's destiny, and did incalculable damage in the world by spreading fear and the belief that man was naturally born to sin. His own theory, it will be remembered, was that man had had these beliefs of sin and fear and disease so borne in upon him and impressed upon him that he was spiritually weakened and made impotent by an overruling conviction of his own unworthiness. Quimby's gospel was the gospel of healthy-mindedness. He assumed that the vivifying principle which pervaded the universe was absolutely good and that goodness was man's natural inheritance. Quimby also taught that the mission of Jesus Christ was to restore to man his birthright of goodness and happiness and health; to point the way, as he put it, to