Page:The Origin of Christian Science.djvu/64

56 contrary to this, it does not prove that she does not teach this, which the quotations show that she does teach. It is not my business to harmonize her contradictions. Her followers may attempt that. But I am careful not to misrepresent her, however much she may misrepresent herself.

And now we turn to the specific human qualities that are denied to God.

The first in order relates to the character of the divine mind.

Mrs. Eddy teaches that God is a being without will. In opposing and rejecting theism she says: “Reason and will are human, God is divine. In academics and religion, it is patent that will is capable of use and of abuse, of right and wrong action, while God is incapable of evil.” I am aware that Mrs. Eddy says that will may designate a quality of the divine mind. She is forced to this confession since she finds the expression “will of God” in the Bible; but she explains, however, that the will of God means “the might and wisdom of God.” Thus she would extract all the meaning out of the will of God, as she does out of his personality. She will not let the word, when applied to God, mean what it means when English-speaking people and psychologists use it. She makes it mean the same as knowing or understanding and robs it of its main use, which is to express purpose. So Mrs. Eddy