0.0 – Christian Science – 16 Books by Mary Baker Eddy – Bk 6 – Retrospection and Introspection – Chpt 24 – Sin – Sinner and Ecclesiasticism

           SIN, SINNER, AND ECCLESIASTICISM 

 1	    Why do Christian Scientists say God and His idea
  	are the only realities, and then insist on the need
 3	of healing sickness and sin? Because Christian Science
  	heals sin as it heals sickness, by establishing the recogni-
  	tion that God is All, and there is none beside Him, — that
 6	all is good, and there is in reality no evil, neither sickness
  	nor sin. We attack the sinner's belief in the pleasure of
  	sin, alias the reality of sin, which makes him a sinner, in
 9	order to destroy this belief and save him from sin; and
  	we attack the belief of the sick in the reality of sickness,
  	in order to heal them. When we deny the authority of
12	sin, we begin to sap it; for this denunciation must precede
  	its destruction. 
  	    God is good, hence goodness is something, for it rep-
15	resents God, the Life of man. Its opposite, nothing,
  	named evil, is nothing but a conspiracy against man's
  	Life and goodness. Do you not  feel bound to expose this
18	conspiracy, and so to save man from it? Whosoever
  	covers iniquity becomes accessory to it. Sin, as a claim,
  	is more dangerous than sickness, more subtle, more diffi-
21	cult to heal. 
  	    St. Augustine once said, "The devil is but the ape of
  	God." Sin is worse than sickness; but recollect that it
24	encourages sin to say, "There is no sin," and leave the
  	subject there. 
 

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 1	    Sin ultimates in sinner, and in this sense they are one. 
  	You cannot separate sin from the sinner, nor the sinner
 3	from his sin. The sin is the sinner, and vice versa, for
  	such is the unity of evil; and together both sinner and sin
  	will be destroyed by the supremacy of good. This, how-
 6	ever, does not annihilate man, for to efface sin, alias the
  	sinner, brings to light, makes apparent, the real man,
  	even God's "image and likeness." Need it be said that
 9	any opposite theory is heterodox to divine Science, which
  	teaches that good is equally one and all, even as the oppo-
  	site claim of evil is one. 
12	    In Christian Science the fact is made obvious that the
  	sinner and the sin are alike simply nothingness; and this
  	view is supported by the Scripture, where the Psalmist
15	saith: "He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they
  	shall never see light.  Man that is in honor, and under-
  	standeth not, is like the beasts that perish." God's ways
18	and works and thoughts have never changed, either in
  	Principle or practice. 
  	    Since there is in belief an illusion termed sin, which
21	must be met and mastered, we classify sin, sickness, and
  	death as illusions. They are supposititious claims of
  	error; and error being a false claim, they are no claims
24	at all. It is scientific to abide in conscious harmony, in
  	health-giving, deathless Truth and Love. To do this,
  	mortals must first open their eyes to all the illusive forms,
27	methods, and subtlety of error, in order that the illusion,
  	error, may be destroyed; if this is not done, mortals will
  	become the victims of error. 
30	    If evangelical churches refuse fellowship with the
 
                                                                                                       
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 1	Church of Christ, Scientist, or with Christian Science,
  	they must rest their opinions of Truth and Love on
 3	the evidences of the physical senses, rather than on
  	the teaching and practice of Jesus, or the works of the
  	Spirit. 
 6	    Ritualism and dogma lead to self-righteousness and
  	bigotry, which freeze out the spiritual element. Pharisa-
  	ism killeth; Spirit giveth Life. The odors of persecution,
 9	tobacco, and alcohol are not the sweet-smelling savor of
  	Truth and Love. Feasting the senses, gratification of
  	appetite and passion, have no warrant in the gospel or
12	the Decalogue. Mortals must take up the cross if they
  	would follow Christ, and worship the Father "in spirit
  	and in truth." 
15	    The Jewish religion was not spiritual; hence Jesus
  	denounced it. If the religion of to-day is constituted of
  	such elements as of old ruled Christ out of the synagogues,
18	it will continue to avoid whatever follows the example of
  	our Lord and prefers Christ to creed. Christian Science
  	is the pure evangelic truth. It accords with the trend and
21	tenor of Christ's teaching and example, while it demon-
  	strates the power of Christ as taught in the four Gospels. 
  	Truth, casting out evils and healing the sick; Love, ful-
24	filling the law and keeping man unspotted from the world,
  	 — these practical manifestations of Christianity constitute
  	the only evangelism, and they need no creed. 
27	    As well expect to determine, without a telescope, the
  	magnitude and distance of the stars, as to expect to obtain
  	health, harmony, and holiness through an unspiritual and
30	unhealing religion. Christianity reveals God as ever-
 
                                                                      
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 1	present Truth and Love, to be utilized in healing the sick,
  	in casting out error, in raising the dead. 
 3	    Christian Science gives vitality to religion, which is no
  	longer buried in materiality. It raises men from a material
  	sense into the spiritual understanding and scientific demon-
 6	stration of God.SHOW ALL