| Give us the understanding of God, |
| And Truth will destroy sickness, sin, and death, as it destroys the belief of intelligent matter, |
| And lead man into Soul, and deliver him from personal sense, |
| For God is Truth, Life, and Love forever.[1] |
When Science and Health was first published, Mrs. Glover believed that church organisations, church buildings, and "creeds, rites, and doctrines," were obstructions to spiritual growth. "We have no need of creeds and church organisations." "The mistake the disciples of Jesus made to found religious organisations and church rites, if indeed they did this, was one the Master did not make." "No time was lost by our Master in organisations, rites, and ceremonies, or in proselyting for certain forms of belief." "We have no record that forms of church worship were instituted by our great spiritual teacher, Jesus of Nazareth, . . . a magnificent edifice was not the sign of Christ's church." "Church rites and ceremonies have nothing to do with Christianity . . . they draw us toward material things . . . away from spiritual Truth." "Worshipping in temples made with hands . . . is not the true worship." "The soft palm upturned to a lordly salary, and architectural power—making dome and spire tremulous with
- ↑
This prayer has been re-interpreted in the successive editions of Science and Health, and in the last edition (1909) it reads as follows, the lines alternating with the Lord's Prayer as given in the New Testament:
Our Father which art in heaven, Our Father-Mother God, all-harmonious, Hallowed be Thy name, Adorable One, Thy kingdom come, Thy kingdom is come; Thou art ever-present. Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Enable us to know,—as in Heaven, so on earth,—God is omnipotent, supreme. Give us this day our daily bread; Give us grace for to-day; feed the famished affections; And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors; And Love is reflected in love; And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; And God leadeth us not into temptation, but delivereth us from sin, disease, and death. For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. For God is infinite, all-power, all Life, Truth, Love, over all, and All.
