Page:The Origin of Christian Science.djvu/157

Rh Science trinity. The terms show that Mrs. Eddy does not follow the Neoplatonists verbally and also that they were not, at least in the first edition of Science and Health, selected with technical discrimination but her thought, which is easily apprehended, is an exact reproduction of theirs. Her trinity as explained more fully consists first of a thinking subject called principle; secondly, of its object of thought called an idea and corresponding to man and the universe; and, thirdly, of a mental act called the understanding by which subject and object or mind and its idea are united as one.

As to the three words which she claims give the best expression of the trinity, the first, life, has no special significance and is simply a synonym for God or mind. The second, truth, is well chosen as it is her common synonym for Christ, and as truth also implies two things, a thinking subject and an object of thought clearly discerned. The third word, love, is selected with fine discrimination, since it is with Mrs. Eddy and her masters not only a synonym for understanding or intelligence, by which the subject and object are united as one; but since it also suggests an affinity or mutual attraction between them by virtue of which they are eternally affianced and are essentially one. Mrs. Eddy, or someone who has given literary finish to her writings, is a workman in words that needeth not to be ashamed. In this instance she shares honors quite equally with Spinoza.