Page:The Origin of Christian Science.djvu/82



is theory as to the world, and by world is meant the entire universe.

Naturally we begin this discussion with Mrs. Eddy's teaching as to matter. The two doctrines most pronounced in Christian Science are those relative to God and to matter. We have smooth sailing after we get the bearings that her theories on these subjects furnish us with.

It hardly needs to be stated that Mrs. Eddy teaches the unreality of matter. No idea is more baldly thrust at us and more doggedly reiterated. The divine mind and its ideas only are real; all else is unreal. She says: “All that really exists is the divine Mind and its idea.” Recall what was said as to Mrs. Eddy's doctrine of emanation. All reality is related to the divine mind as light is related to the sun. Matter is to God as darkness is to light. Do not forget this illustration. No other language throws so much light on Neoplatonism and Christian Science. Darkness is the negation or absence of light. Matter accordingly is the absence of or opposite of God or reality. It is simply non-being or in other words it is nothing. The least acquaintance with