Page:The Origin of Christian Science.djvu/53

Rh That the third proposition is also true in Neoplatonism is evident from certain quotations from Proclus already given, but I add this other from Plotinus: “All things are in their origin inasmuch as they may all be traced back to their source.”

So it is clear that Christian Science and Neoplatonism view creation as both a proceeding from and an abiding in the creator, and use the sun and its rays as a means of explaining their conceptions. It is perhaps the best possible illustration for them, inasmuch as the rays of light proceed from the sun and at the same time retain also the essential quality of the sun, namely, light. When we are thinking of quality, not quantity, as in this case, to say that the sun is in the ray is the same as to say the ray is in the sun. The importance of this illustration in aiding us to understand both systems should be emphasized. Windelband, seeing how important it is in Neoplatonism, says: “To express this relation (between God and the universe) in figurative form, Plotinus employs the analogy of light, — an analogy which in turn has also an influence in determining his conception.”

I wish at this point to remind the reader once for all that I am not leading him into subtleties. It is Mrs. Eddy and her masters that are doing it, whom we are undertaking to follow in order to see