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Near the beginning of this sixth chapter
Mrs Eddy asks, "Is there more than one school of Christian Science?" Her answer
is not yes, or no, but "Christian Science is demonstrable." She goes on, "From
the infinite One in Christian Science comes one Principle and its infinite
idea, and with this infinitude come spiritual rules, laws, and their
demonstration, which, like the great Giver, are 'the same yesterday, and today,
and forever"' (112:3,16). Again: "In Science, Mind is one, including noumenon
and phenomena, God and His thoughts" (114:10). This focus on "the infinite One"
is essential, for in no other way can we resolve what appears as conflict or
opposites.
Now let us examine these tables of
translation:
| SCIENTIFIC TRANSLATION OF IMMORTAL MIND |
| |
| GOD:
|
Divine Principle, Life, Truth,
Love, Soul, Spirit, Mind. |
Divine
synonyms |
| MAN:
|
God's spiritual idea,
individual, perfect, eternal. |
Divine
image |
| IDEA:
|
An image in Mind; the immediate
object of understanding — Webster. |
Divine
reflection |
|
| |
| SCIENTIFIC TRANSLATION OF MORTAL MIND |
| |
| First Degree: Depravity. |
| PHYSICAL: |
Evil beliefs,
passions and appetites, fear, depraved will, self-justification, pride, envy,
deceit, hatred, revenge, sin, sickness, disease, death. |
Unreality
|
| |
| Second Degree: Evil beliefs disappearing |
| MORAL: |
Humanity, honesty,
affection, compassion, hope, faith, meekness, temperance. |
Transitional
qualities |
| |
| Third Degree: Understanding |
| SPIRITUAL: |
Wisdom, purity,
spiritual understanding, spiritual power, love, health, holiness. |
Reality |
| |
Both these tables are concerned with Mind
- understood as God it is immortal, perceived as separate from God it is
mortal. Next we observe that both these translations have three elements: in
the first is GOD, MAN, IDEA, and in the second there are three degrees. But
look at the marginal headings in the first: divine synonyms, divine image,
divine reflection. Clearly there is one common denominator, the divine. The
divine is God and is explained through synonyms;
God has an image, man; and the form of
that image is reflection. The marginal headings for the translation of mortal
mind are unreality, transitional qualities, reality. Again this is not really
three but one—this one is reality, and either it appears in transitional
qualities or if it is not comprehended, it appears unreal.
Each of these two tables is reduced to
one element: the divine and reality. From this it follows that the two tables
themselves are really one, revealing that the divine is the only reality.
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