Jules Cern, C.S., of Scarsdale, N.Y.
Member of the Board of Lectureship of The
Mother Church,
The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts
The lecturer spoke substantially as follows:
There is a story of a small boy who never spoke a word if he could possibly avoid doing so. He was happy and quite normal, but he just seemed to prefer remaining silent, even with his own parents. Then one evening at dinner they served him some turnips. He pushed his plate aside, then declared, "I don't want any turnips. I don't like turnips. I never have liked turnips, and I never will like turnips. I'll be glad to eat anything except turnips." When his torrent of words had subsided, his mother joyfully exclaimed, "Why, Junior, it's wonderful to hear you say so much at one time. Why haven't you done so before?" Junior calmly replied, "Well, up to now, everything was going just fine."
Now this is not a dissertation against turnips. But for the purpose of the point, the human race seems to have been somewhat like Junior. With few exceptions, it has silently accepted material good and material bad, material life and material death, as part of its daily dish. But now a dish has been placed upon the table of the world, which the human race has found to be even more distasteful than turnips were to Junior.
It seems that one concept of matter, called atomic fusion, is threatening to destroy another concept of matter, called a human race. Atomic fusion has resulted in human confusion. Human thought is obviously frightened.
We can all thank God that the
solution exists right now, right here, and that we can use that solution right
now, right here. Human plight, or human fright, is completely dispelled by
divine light. Dominion over the atom and dominion over the fear of the atom is
fully achieved through the spiritual understanding of what God really is, and
of what actually constitutes His creation. Christian Science provides this
complete understanding and complete dominion.
With the inspired Word of the Scriptures as its foundation, Christian Science reveals that God is infinite Spirit, the only Mind, boundless Soul, ever-present Love, perfect Life, unrivaled Truth, omnipotent Principle. Each of these seven synonyms for God helps to define the other six. For example, infinite Spirit is the only Mind, the only Soul, the only Love, the only Life, the only Truth, and only Principle, the ONE All-in-all.
That which is All must be all right now, right here, everywhere, always. Thus we see that God is not in the process of becoming all. God IS All. That which is All just does not have an opposite, visible or invisible. Accordingly, infinite Spirit never had a visible opposite, called matter, nor an invisible opposite, called an atom. Infinite Mind never had a visible opposite, called a human brain, nor an invisible opposite, called mortal mind. Infinite Soul never had a visible opposite, called a mortal body, nor an invisible opposite, called a mortal soul. Infinite Love never had a visible opposite, called evil, nor an invisible opposite, called a devil. Infinite Truth never had a visible opposite, called material reality, nor an invisible opposite, called a false belief. Infinite Principle never had a visible opposite, called physical power, nor an invisible opposite, called physical law. Infinite Life never had a visible opposite, called uncertain life, nor an invisible opposite, called certain death. Consequently, the thought that there is something unlike or besides God should be rejected with the same finality with which those turnips were rejected.
The Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, perceived the true import of God's allness as no one else has since Christ Jesus. In the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Mrs. Eddy writes (p. 335), "Spirit, God, has created all in and of Himself. Spirit never created matter." And she continues, "Spirit is the only substance, the invisible and indivisible infinite God." The more we understand the unqualified allness of Spirit, the more we understand the unqualified nothingness of matter.
Right here one might say, "Wait a minute! If you're trying to tell me that matter is nothing, I can't accept that! For instance, suppose I were sitting at a table. I could pound it with my fist. That would be solid matter. The chair I would be sitting in would be solid matter. The food at the table would be matter. Even my physical body is matter. And you're telling me that it is all nothing?"
To help pave the way to the answer to this question, let us first consider the statement of a leading physical scientist, Dr. Warren Weaver, who has served as Chairman of the Board of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. It appears that he anticipated the question just presented. He has written ("Can a Scientist Believe in God?"), "A table, viewed with the precise tools of the atomic physicist, is a shadowy, swirling set of electric charges" (in other words, atomic particles), "these electrical charges themselves being vague and elusive." And Dr. Weaver continues, "So viewed, the table loses its large-scale illusion of solidity."
Dr. Weaver proceeds to explain that all material objects, including the physical body, regardless of size and appearance of solidity, are but swirling sets of electric charges, vague and elusive; thereby losing their large-scale illusion of solidity. This shows that, even according to physical science, we might think we are inviting a friend to have a seat at the table, but in atomic language, we are literally saying, "Pull up that swirling set of electric charges, and seat your large-scale illusion of solidity."
Let us make one point very clear. Christian Science does not belittle physical scientists. It has utmost respect, admiration, and appreciation for the intelligence, integrity, and achievements of physical scientists. Christian Science encourages the advancement of human thought and invention, because human progress indicates the possibility of throwing off all the limitations based on human concepts.
Since physical science affirms that visible matter is a "large-scale illusion" of the material senses, why should this exempt atoms, or invisible matter, from being an illusion of the material senses? Matter, visible or invisible, is nothing but an illusion, or false thought, that there is something besides God, infinite Spirit. Therefore, matter is seen as a quality of mentality, instead of a condition of mortality.
Christian Science shows that matter, reduced to its basic element is not some "vague and elusive" phase of mortality, but a delusive phase of mortal mentality. In other words, the thought that there is mortality is all there is to there being mortality. The thought that creation is atomic is all there is to its being atomic. The thought that there is something besides God is all there is to there being something besides God, infinite Spirit. In "Unity of Good" (pp. 35, 36) Mrs. Eddy writes, "A molecule, as matter, is not formed by Spirit; for Spirit is spiritual consciousness alone." She also states, "The material atom is an outlined falsity of consciousness, which can gather additional evidence of consciousness and life only as it adds lie to lie." And she continues, "From the beginning this lie was the false witness against the fact that Spirit is All, beside which there is no other existence."
Thus we see that mortality, visible or invisible, atomic or anatomic, is only a false thought that there is something or someone besides or unlike God, infinite Spirit. This false thought that there is mortality Christian Science calls "mortal mind." Therefore, mortal mind is simply a false thought that there is anyone or anything mortal. Hence, matter in any form is but mortal thought. And mortal thought cannot be traced, it can only be erased. Mrs. Eddy makes this very clear in "Unity of Good," where she writes (p. 35), "Reduced to its proper denomination, matter is mortal mind; yet, strictly speaking, there is no mortal mind, for Mind is immortal, and is not matter, but Spirit."
Physical science has reduced matter to the invisible, called atoms. Whereas, Christian Science reduces matter to the impossible, called nothingness.
Now the nothingness of matter or physicality does not imply that man is nothing. It implies that man is nothing physical. The Bible tells us that God made man in His own image. Since God is infinite Spirit, All, this means that man, the image of infinite Spirit, is all-spiritual, not physical at all. The Apostle Paul surely implies this when he writes (Gal. 6:3), "If a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself." Now God made man, and whatever God makes cannot be classified as "nothing." So Paul's words plainly indicate that, "If a man think himself to be something" physical, "when he is nothing" physical, "he deceiveth himself." Actually, then, physicality is a false state of thought, not a true state of man. One's thought that he is physical or mortal is all there is to his being physical or mortal. A physical body only exists in one's thought. Thought does not exist in a physical body.
God is the only Life. Then man, Life's image, is not a separate, mortal life, but an inseparable, spiritual likeness of the one and only Life. God is the only Mind. Then man, Mind's image, is not a separate mortal mind, but an inseparable, spiritual idea of the one and only Mind.
At this point one might say, "Well, all of that may be true in some future heaven, but what good does it do right now, when we are faced with human problems?" Let us see.
During World War II, a young student of Christian Science was going through the rigors of training camp. He had been placed under the command of one of those specimens called a tough sergeant. Apparently, this sergeant was exceptionally ruthless, and even sadistic.
The Christian Scientist tried to apply the teachings of Christian Science to the situation, but his prayers and affirmations of Truth seemed to be of no avail. Several times each day he would affirm that the sergeant was a spiritual idea of God, the perfect image and likeness of divine Love. But the more he prayed, the tougher the sergeant became.
Finally, in desperation, the young man sought the help of a Christian Science practitioner. After relating the circumstances to the practitioner, and telling in detail how he was praying, it became evident to the practitioner why the young soldier’s prayers were ineffectual. He had been trying to see a mortal as God's spiritual idea. Whereas, he needed to see God's spiritual idea instead of a mortal. He had been trying to see the sergeant as the image and likeness of God. Whereas, he needed to see the image and likeness of God instead of a sergeant. He had been trying to change a bad mortal into a good mortal. Whereas, he needed to change his own thought from believing that identity is mortal, good or bad. He had been believing that he was a mortal among mortals, being abused by another mortal. Whereas, he needed to realize that he was a spiritual idea among spiritual ideas, in the omnipresence of Spirit, in the atmosphere of divine Love, under the loving command of God, the only Mind there is. He had been trying to love a mortal, which is not man. Whereas, he needed to love God's completely spiritual idea, which is man. He had been trying to eliminate discordant mortality. Whereas, he needed to eliminate the belief that there is any mortality, discordant or otherwise.
True prayer is not praying for God's, Spirit's, allness to heal a material situation. It is the humble acceptance of Spirit's perfect allness and man's completely perfect, spiritual identity, instead of a material situation. The tendency is to pray for material results, but the effectual prayer is the acknowledgment of God's ever-present allness and perfection, which produces the results.
After the practitioner had explained some of the preceding points, the young soldier returned to his barracks with renewed confidence and understanding.
The following morning, the sergeant started off just as brutally as ever. But the student of Christian Science was mentally untouched. He knew that mortality, good or bad, could not tell him anything about man's true identity. He had resolved that he could not be fooled into believing that identity is physical, even if the sergeant reversed his tactics, and offered the trainees ice cream and cake. So even though the sergeant began the day with his customary diabolical orders, the Christian Scientist persisted in thanking God for filling that very place and all place with unopposed Love.
Then something happened which had never occurred during his Army experience. For the first time, a high-ranking officer observed how the sergeant was abusing the trainees. He immediately ordered a halt to it, and gave the sergeant a loud and vigorous reprimand. And the next day — they had a new sergeant.
What a comfort it is to realize that Christian Science does not ignore what appears to be a human need. Just because it exposes the unreality of mortal mind, matter, or physicality, it does not ignore the errors and discords resulting from believing that there is mortal mind, matter, or physicality.
It was the necessity of meeting a human need which led Mary Baker Eddy to the discovery of Christian Science. According to medical diagnosis, Mrs. Eddy was supposed to die within a few days following a critical injury which she had sustained. Faced with what was predicted to be certain death, Mrs. Eddy turned to God, as she had always done from childhood. But this time she did not pray to be healed, or to be saved from death. She simply turned to God for more spiritual understanding. She knew that Jesus was able to accomplish all that he had done without the use of a single material aid. He used no medication, no surgical operations, no drugs, no massage or manipulation, and, above all, he used no human will. It was so evident that he met every human need through his awareness, or spiritual understanding, of God. Jesus said (John 14:12), "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do." Here is the assurance that whoever understands God as Jesus understood Him will demonstrate the power of God. It is also an assurance that it is possible to understand God, just as Jesus did.
Consequently, as Mrs. Eddy humbly pondered the Biblical account of Jesus' healing a man of palsy, an influx of divine revelation unfolded to her receptive thought. Her thought was transformed from a false sense of life in matter to the spiritual sense of Life as All, instead of matter. God is Life; He does not only give all Life, He is all Life. The awareness of God as all Life means Life as being unconfined, unbounded, and unhounded by physicality in any form. No matter in Life means nothing the matter with Life.
Mrs. Eddy was instantly healed. Why? Because the instant enlightenment of her thought resulted in the instant enlivening of what was thought to be a physical body. Is it any wonder that Mrs. Eddy was inspired to write in Science and Health (p. 14), "Become conscious for a single moment that Life and intelligence are purely spiritual, — neither in nor of matter, — and the body will then utter no complaints. If suffering from a belief in sickness, you will find yourself suddenly well."
This was demonstrated in the case of a student of Christian Science who had been suffering for many months with what was believed to be an alarming organic ailment, which at times threatened him with death. It might have been medically diagnosed as a disease of any of the so-called vital organs of the body, as it seemed to affect all of them. But the alert Christian Scientist does not submit to a medical diagnosis. Christian Science shows that disease is never a condition of mortality, but a quality of mentality, a false belief of a so-called mortal mind. Mrs. Eddy states it in these words in Science and Health (p. 370), "A physical diagnosis of disease — since mortal mind must be the cause of disease — tends to induce disease." Clearly, if disease is magnified in one's thought, it might be magnified in one's experience. Disease is not disintegrated matter. It is degenerated thought. It is basically a false thought that man is a mortal in the first place, to sin, suffer, and die, in the second place. Therefore, it is never physicality which needs healing, but mentality.
Conclusively, it is not physicality which needs to be diagnosed, but mentality. It is never a clearer concept of disease which is needed. The need is a clearer concept of God, and of man as God’s perfect, non-physical, wholly spiritual idea. Christ Jesus stated it concisely in these words (Matt. 16:25), "Whosoever will save his life shall lose it; and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." That is, whosever believes that there is mortal life to save, will believe that there is mortal life to lose. But whosoever relinquishes his false, mortal sense of life for the Christ, the perfect, spiritual idea of Life, shall have it.
Now the Christian Scientist had been struggling to heal himself of a physical condition. However, the suffering and incapacity had persisted. Then one day it came to him so clearly that he had not gone quite far enough with his acceptance of the truth of being. He thought he had accepted God as infinite Spirit, without a single element of matter or physicality. But he had not accepted his own true identity as being without a single element of matter or physicality. He had acknowledged infinite Spirit as being All, except right where a physical concept of himself seemed to be. He had been saying that he was God's spiritual idea, but had been believing that he was physical. He had been believing that physicality could be the image of Spirit. He had been believing that he could be an exception to Spirit's being ALL. But then he realized that there are no exceptions to Spirit's allness, and no exceptions to man's being wholly spiritual. Thus he saw that he must mentally let go of physicality, good or bad, as a concept of his identity. This did not imply a loss of identity, but freedom from a false concept of identity. When this unfettered and unconfined awareness of Spirit's allness unfolded, he joyously declared aloud, "Dear God, thank You for being so completely infinite Spirit. I'm going to acknowledge that right here, right where I seem to have a physical body, there is nothing but Spirit — even if it kills me." Well, it didn't kill him. It cured him.
He had left no place for an unlikeness in his thought. So there could be no place for an unlikeness of God in his experience. He had wholeheartedly accepted his true identity as a perfect spiritual idea of divine Mind, instead of clinging to an imperfect, physical concept of mortal mind. Many years have passed since that healing, and he has enjoyed continuous harmony and vigorous activity ever since.
Mrs. Eddy gives us the following inspired statement in Science and Health (p. 337), "The visible universe and material man are the poor counterfeits of the invisible universe and spiritual man. Eternal things (verities) are God's thoughts as they exist in the spiritual realm of the real. Temporal things are the thoughts of mortals and are the unreal, being the opposite of the real or the spiritual and eternal."
Accordingly, we do not have to be saved from matter, but only from the false thought that there is matter. We do not have to be saved from atoms, but only from a false thought that there are atoms. We do not have to be saved from disease, but only from a false thought that there is disease. We are never contending with something besides God, but only with a false thought that there is something besides God. We are never contending with mortal mind, but only with a false thought that there is mortal mind. We are never contending with another power, but only with a false thought that there is another power.
Right here one might question, "But how can you say that there is no other power besides God? Who else but the devil causes all the evil and sin in the world?" Perhaps this can be answered by asking another question. Just because there seem to be so many mathematical errors in the world, would you suggest that there is a mathematical devil, operating against the law of mathematics? Of course not! Mathematical errors are the result of ignorance of, or deviation from, mathematical principle. The principle of mathematics only blesses the mathematician. It never punishes him, nor does it forsake him, even though he may seem to be engulfed in mathematical discord. Mathematical discords are never the result of a mathematical devil opposing mathematical law. There is no such thing.
Similarly, what appear to be human discords, evil, sin, disease, and death, are not the result of another power operating against the power of God. Nor are they the will of God. God only blesses. He never punishes man, nor does He ever forsake him, even though our false sense of man may seem to be engulfed with discord. Human sufferings are the result of ignorance of, or deviation from, divine Principle. They are never the result of another power or evil influence. They are only the result of believing that there is another power or evil influence.
This was illustrated in the experience of a Christian Science Sunday School teacher. She had a class of young boys, but one of them seemed to be an unruly troublemaker. He showed no interest in Christian Science, fought with the other boys, and tried to quit Sunday School. The teacher prayed and worked earnestly to help the boy, but all of her loving efforts seemed to be futile. It became evident to her that more consecration on her part was needed. She resolutely devoted every spare moment to more prayerful study of the Bible and the writings of Mrs. Eddy. She declined all social engagements for a while, in order to give herself more time to so fill her thought with the allness and omnipresence of divine Mind, that no suggestion of another mind, juvenile or adult, could possibly deceive her.
Then one Sunday morning she began the Sunday School session by saying, "Boys, today we are going to talk only about God." Instantly, the troublemaker interrupted her with, "Oh! No! I want to talk about the devil!" The teacher replied, "All right, Buster, let's talk about the devil. He has no hands, no legs, no mouth, no body, and no intelligence. But if you believe there is a devil, then your devil uses your hands to hit others. He uses your legs to kick others. He uses your mouth to speak badly about others. But, worst of all, he uses your intelligence to give him existence. But — if you are not willing to believe there is a devil, then that is the end of the devil." The teacher was overjoyed to see Buster's reaction. Not only because, for the first time, he showed interest in what she had to say, but because, for the first time, he had nothing to say. Her unselfish, consecrated study was bearing fruit. Buster remained in the class, but his role as troublemaker ended that day.
So we see that the devil, or evil, is not a bad mortal mind corrupting a good mortal mind. It is the false belief that there is any mortal mind, good or bad. Evil is not good matter degenerating into bad matter. It is the false belief that there is any matter, good or bad, to generate or degenerate.
Evil has no more reality than the physicality it is supposed to victimize. It has no more power than the mortal mind it is supposed to hypnotize. It has no more place than the matter it is supposed to atomize. The Bible states it clearly and beautifully in these words (Deut. 4:39), "Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the Lord he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else."
In "No and Yes" Mrs. Eddy writes (p. 16), "The subjective states of evil, called mortal mind or matter, are negatives destitute of time and space; for there is none beside God or Spirit and the idea of Spirit."
At this point someone might exclaim, "But there seems to be so much that is wrong in the world, so many problems to be solved. It is hard to determine which problem to tackle first!"
Perhaps this will help: A few years ago a forest fire was raging near a small city in Nova Scotia. All efforts to halt the fire appeared to be futile. When it reached the outskirts of the city, the fire department was able to run hose lines to a nearby river and pump water to the encroaching blazes. Even though they had several hose lines, there were so many trees ablaze they hardly knew which ones to tackle first. With all of their efforts, the fire continued to rage.
Finally, the firemen were ordered to change the nozzles they were using from the high-pressure, hard-stream types, to ones known as "fog nozzles." These nozzles sent clouds of dense, misty spray over the fire. They produced such a thick blanket of moisture it cut off the oxygen from the flames, and the fire was extinguished.
How does this apply to a seeming multiplicity of individual and world problems? If we believe that there is one unlikeness of God, we are apt to believe that there are many unlikenesses of God. If we believe that there is one place where there is something besides God, we are apt to believe that there are many places where there is something besides God. One false belief kindles another false belief, until we hardly know which false belief to tackle first. Mrs. Eddy emphasizes this point in "Christian Healing" where she writes (p. 9), "Contending for the reality of what should disappear is like furnishing fuel for the flames." Accordingly, we must not approach each individual or universal problem as if it were some part of God's creation which has gone wrong. We do not have to aim hard streams of spiritual thinking at each individual belief that there is matter.
God's allness does not come in narrow streams, nor in limited quantities. The truth of being does not have to be pumped or projected. It is all, boundless, unlimited, and unopposed, right now, right here, everywhere, always. Then our acceptance of God's allness must be boundless and unlimited, right now, right here. Our entire mortal or atomic concept of the universe must be blanketed with the omnipresence of infinite Spirit, the only Life. The suggestion that there is any mortal or mortal mind to be the cause of, or to be the victim of, hatred or suffering, must be blanketed with the all-pervading ever-presence of divine Love. We must blanket all sense of mortality, good or bad, sick or well, with God's allness. That which has no place in God's allness can have no place in man’s experience.
The alert Christian Scientist does not shelve or ignore specific false beliefs. But only on the basis of the divine Principle of being, God's allness, can he effectually dispel such beliefs.
But here one might say, "Those are nice-sounding words, but what good will they do if we are faced with a nuclear attack? How can we be saved from certain death?" This question brings us to the heart of our subject, that is, the complete dominion which Christian Science gives over every belief that we live under the threat of atomic annihilation instead of divine preservation.
So-called nuclear attacks are not limited to bombs and missiles. Since all that seems to be matter is supposed to be composed of the nuclei of atoms, then every time one believes that there is matter in any form, he is subjecting himself to a nuclear attack. He is believing that man and the universe are atomic instead of spiritual. What is called an atom is but another name for a false belief that there is something besides God, infinite Spirit. A nuclear bomb is just as much false belief that there is something unlike God as a nuclear man. Regardless of how frightening a false belief may seem to be, it never attains reality. A nightmare is never any more real than a pleasant dream. A belief in destructive matter is never anymore real than a belief in harmless matter. What is thought to be certain death in matter is never any more real than what is thought to be uncertain life in matter.
The Bible has many inspiring accounts of those who disproved human concepts of life and nullified human laws of certain death.
Moses and his followers faced the certainty of being slaughtered by an army at the Red Sea, but they weren't. Daniel faced the certainty of being eaten alive in a den of hungry lions, but he wasn't. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego faced the certainty of being consumed in a roaring furnace, but they weren't. Jesus faced the certainty of having his life end at the cross, but it didn't.
Another army did not come to the rescue of Moses and his followers. Daniel was not rescued by the timely arrival of a lion-tamer with a load of meat. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were not saved by the local fire department. And Jesus certainly received no human aid, no blood transfusion or surgical operation.
How clearly the Apostle Paul explains such nullifications of mortal or atomic laws of life. He writes (II Cor. 10:4,5), "The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." It may be noted that Paul did not say to bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Jesus, but to the obedience of Christ. Let us see what this means.
Jesus was called Jesus Christ or Christ Jesus, but he was not christened Jesus Christ, or Christ Jesus. The name Christ does not identify his physicality, it defines the quality of his mentality. The body of Jesus was humanlike, but the thought, or mentality of Jesus, was Christlike; that is, Godlike. All that is like God is the Christ, the truth of being. Man is like God, completely spiritual. This is the truth regarding man's identity. Creation is like God, completely spiritual. This is the truth concerning creation. Therefore the Christ is all that is true about man and creation. It is all that is like God, it is all that reflects God. The Christ is the spiritual quality, the spiritual identity, and the spiritual condition of man and the universe. Accordingly, to bring "into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ," is to vanquish every thought that is unlike Christ, Truth.
Thus we may appreciate how those in ancient Bible times, and above all Christ Jesus, subdued and vanquished every thought of mortality or physicality with the Christ, or truth of being. They refused to panic before the suggestion that there is any life but divine Life, any mind but divine Mind, any place but omnipresent Spirit, any atmosphere but all-encompassing Love, or any identity but eternal, indestructible, spiritual identity. They were assailed just as much in those days by the stigma of the world's belief in domination, slavery, and destruction. But they were not fair-weather worshipers of God: believing in God's allness provided matter appeared to be harmonious, but doubting His allness if matter appeared to be frightening. Not for one moment did they accept the suggestion that there is any such thing as a godless place or a godless man.
Even though we seem to be confronted with a new model of destruction, it is still the same old belief that there is a power apart from God. But there is no power apart from God. The same law of God's allness, omnipresence, and love exists and prevails today. Let us not lose sight of the fact that we are never confronted with matter, mortal mind, or another power, in any form, but only with a false belief that there is matter, mortal mind, or another power. All that dispels a false belief is the truth, or divine reality of being.
It is therefore our blessed privilege to rejoice in this truth of being. How grateful we can be that God is infinite Spirit, all, right now. Thank God that infinite Spirit constitutes the only universe there is, and it has no material opposite or counterfeit. Thank God that He is infinite Mind, the only Mind, and therefore there is no other mind or intelligence to act or react. Right where we may believe there is a belligerent mind or a diabolical system trying to rule the world, that very place and all space is already filled with the ever-presence of divine Mind. Divine Mind does not encompass mortal mind or minds many; it exists instead of mortal mind or minds many.
Thank God that divine Principle is the only government, the only lawmaker, so there cannot be a lesser principle or lawbreaker. The atmosphere of divine Love is the only atmosphere there is, and nothing unlike or foreign to Love exists to contaminate it. How comforting is the truth of being that man is forever in the shelter of omnipresent Soul, and there is nothing physical, visible, or invisible to menace him. Man is the spiritual reflection of divine Love, not a human target or perpetrator of hatred and fear. God's kingdom is the only kingdom there is, unrivaled and undivided. Thank God that the only place is infinite Spirit, the only condition is infinite perfection. God has complete control over His allness, and nothing exists to deny it. All identity exists forever in His allness, because all identity is like God, completely spiritual, completely perfect, right now, right here, everywhere, and forever.
Mrs. Eddy saw this blessed truth so clearly, and she has summarized it beautifully in these words from Science and Health (pp. 470, 471), "The relations of God and man, divine Principle and idea, are indestructible in Science; and Science knows no lapse from nor return to harmony, but holds the divine order or spiritual law, in which God and all that He creates are perfect and eternal, to have remained unchanged in its eternal history."