Page:The Origin of Christian Science.djvu/129

Rh Comparing the language of Mrs. Eddy carefully with that of the Neoplatonists it is clear that they have identical conceptions of the relation of time and eternity, namely, that they have nothing in common; eternity is not infinite time as we are in the habit of thinking. There is in eternity no past nor future, that is, no succession. Notice that they are compelled to have this view as time or succession belongs to the world of matter and the sense of time arises from the body. Time has to do with unrealities. Therefore eternity which measures the existence of realities only has no relation to time. Here as always it is not an accidental parallel that we trace but one that belongs to the genius of the two systems.

And now we are prepared to see how it is possible for them to agree in identifying life with eternity or explaining one by means of the other. This is such a peculiar and curious parallel that it should of itself convict Mrs. Eddy of dependence on the Neoplatonists. We see also how they can identify life with mind, understanding, being, or reality. They must do this, as they both teach that all is mind. Life therefore must be mind or nothing.

We have come again upon a group of identical ideas: life, mind, reality, eternity. And we shall still have more of them. Mrs. Eddy and the Neoplatonists have a tendency to explain everything that has existence in terms of the one great reality, mind. If we cannot reduce it to this it has no existence. The Neoplatonists might