Page:The Origin of Christian Science.djvu/190

182 things or thoughts exist in time, perfect ones exist in eternity.

Let it be fully appreciated that every conception involving the notion of time is according to Mrs. Eddy imperfect and does not belong to “immortal Mind.” This means that a host of mental acts such as imagination, memory, purpose, desire, faith, opinion, hope and reasoning are to be considered inferior states of mind and that too when they are in harmony with the facts of existence. We rise in the scale of being as we are freed from these mental states. They are human knowledge or activities of mortal mind.

This is the psychology of the Neoplatonists. Eternity has to do with the world that is; time with the world that is becoming but is not. The former is one, perfect and infinite, the other is plural, imperfect and finite.

Plotinus speaking of the intelligible world, or world of ideas, says: “Instead of time, however, eternity is there.” The meaning is that intellect or infinite mind has no idea of time. He says again: “The Sciences of intelligibles&emsp;*&emsp;*&emsp;*&emsp;understand indeed nothing sensible.” Proclus, following Plato closely, says: “Everything generated therefore is apprehended by opinion in conjunction with sense.” In Neoplatonism “generated things” are such as exist in time. Spinoza, following the Neoplatonists, contends that all