Page:The Origin of Christian Science.djvu/158

150 The Christian Science trinity may be called the psychological trinity or the trinity of nature when nature is conceived ideally. It is also good form for a pantheism that would have a semblance, without the substance, of the Christian religion.

This naturalistic and idealistic trinity is easily traced back through Hegel and Spinoza to the Neoplatonists. Hegel, as we have before pointed out, used the words thesis, antithesis and synthesis for his high development and attenuation of the doctrine.

The following sentences from Spinoza identify the naturalistic trinity and theological trinity in language as definite though not so detailed as Mrs. Eddy's. He says: “The infinite intellect, which we named the son of God, must from all eternity be in nature;” “With regard to the Eternal Son of God, that is the Eternal Wisdom of God, which has manifested itself in all things and especially in the human mind, and above all in Christ Jesus, the case is far otherwise.” Notice in these sentences that Spinoza conceives of Christ as a wisdom or a truth or a principle that is manifest in nature and in men, as it was preeminently in him who is known as Christ Jesus. That is, Christ is a manifestation of wisdom or understanding and not a person. Notice also that in this connection Spinoza has the order of the words, Christ Jesus, which Mrs. Eddy says that