Page:The Quimby Manuscripts.djvu/229

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
CHRIST OR SCIENCE
225

depends on its reason. It reasons that life is in it and a part of it, and at the same time acknowledges that life is something that can be lost or saved, and reasons about it as one man reasons with another. Death reasons also with the idea that it is saving its life, and invents all sorts of diseases which destroy its state of self. It prays to be saved, it fasts and observes forms and ceremonies. It is very strict in its laws to protect its life. Knowledge is its destruction, so it fears God or Science. Its life is not destroyed but its opinions are, and its opinions are matter. The destroying of its opinions is death, but not annihilation of matter, but of error. The matter returns to its former condition ready to be formed into some other idea. These beliefs are from the knowledge of this world, and are the inventions of man; but the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God or Science. This world is made up of the above beliefs and is subject to a higher power.

The wisdom of God does not go into the clouds to call truth down, nor into the deep to call God up, but shows us that God is in us, even in our speech. It sees matter as a cloud or substance that has a sort of life (in the appearance). It sees it move around. It also sees commotion, like persons moving to and fro upon the earth. It can come into this state called “this world” and reason with its followers who are in this world, imprisoned by a belief. To be clear from this world is to know that an opinion is not knowledge, and when this is found out the opinion is destroyed and Science takes its place. I am now speaking of the wisdom of this world.

You see your friend walking about, and you talk with him. Finally he dies, as you would say. Now his identity with you is that he once lived, but is now dead. You do not know but he may live again, though this is only an opinion. You follow him with the same idea or belief. So you never enter into the world of Science, for flesh and blood cannot enter Truth, it cannot understand the separation from this world or belief.

Where do I stand? I know that all the above is the reasoning of matter, and when people learn the truth, they will make matter subject to Science. Then the wisdom of this world will become subject to the scientific world. This world calls the world of Science a “gift.” To call it a gift is to say that those who practise it for the benefit of man are either