Page:The Origin of Christian Science.djvu/191

Rh knowledge of things in relation to time comes to us by means of the imagination and not by means of the intellect.

One is much surprised when he first studies Christian Science to discover that Mrs. Eddy minimizes faith. The Bible makes faith a necessary condition of mind for salvation. It is not so in Christian Science in which understanding procures salvation. Mrs. Eddy is consistent in this and is working out her system; for salvation with her means something wholly different from what it means in the Bible, as will be shown later. But here we are concerned with the psychological parallel only.

Mrs. Eddy says: “If Christian Science dishonors human belief, it honors spiritual understanding;” “Belief is less than understanding. Belief involves theories of material hearing, sight, touch, taste, and smell, termed the five senses;” “Spirit is all-knowing; this precludes the need of believing&emsp;*&emsp;*&emsp;*&emsp;The believer and belief are one and are mortal;” “Error is the basis of all belief. We need instead a true idea, based on the understanding of God;” “Belief constitutes mistakes, understanding never errs.”

Notice in the above quotations these points: beliefs or faith is inferior to understanding; it