Science and Health, with Key to the Scriptures Part 74

521:18 The reader will naturally ask if there is nothing more about creation in the book of Genesis. Indeed there is, but the continued account is mortal and material.

521:21 _Genesis_ ii. 6. But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.

The story of error

The Science and truth of the divine creation have been 521:24 presented in the verses already considered, and now the opposite error, a material view of creation, is to be set forth. The second chapter of Gene- 521:27 sis contains a statement of this material view of G.o.d and the universe, a statement which is the exact opposite of scientific truth as before recorded. The history of error 521:30 or matter, if veritable, would set aside the omnipotence 522:1 of Spirit; but it is the false history in contradistinction to the true.

The two records

522:3 The Science of the first record proves the falsity of the second. If one is true, the other is false, for they are antagonistic. The first record a.s.signs all 522:6 might and government to G.o.d, and endows man out of G.o.d's perfection and power. The second record chronicles man as mutable and mortal, - as hav- 522:9 ing broken away from Deity and as revolving in an orbit of his own. Existence, separate from divinity, Science explains as impossible.

522:12 This second record unmistakably gives the history of error in its externalized forms, called life and intelli- gence in matter. It records pantheism, opposed to the 522:15 supremacy of divine Spirit; but this state of things is declared to be temporary and this man to be mortal, - dust returning to dust.

Erroneous representation

522:18 In this erroneous theory, matter takes the place of Spirit.

Matter is represented as the life-giving principle of the earth. Spirit is represented as entering mat- 522:21 ter in order to create man. G.o.d's glowing denunciations of man when not found in His image, the likeness of Spirit, convince reason and coincide 522:24 with revelation in declaring this material creation false.

Hypothetical reversal

This latter part of the second chapter of Genesis, which portrays Spirit as supposedly cooperating with matter in 522:27 constructing the universe, is based on some hypothesis of error, for the Scripture just pre- ceding declares G.o.d's work to be finished. Does Life, 522:30 Truth, and Love produce death, error, and hatred? Does the creator condemn His own creation? Does the un- erring Principle of divine law change or repent? It can- 523:1 not be so. Yet one might so judge from an unintelligent perusal of the Scriptural account now under comment.

Mist, or false claim

523:3 Because of its false basis, the mist of obscurity evolved by error deepens the false claim, and finally declares that G.o.d knows error and that error can improve 523:6 His creation. Although presenting the exact opposite of Truth, the lie claims to be truth. The crea- tions of matter arise from a mist or false claim, or from 523:9 mystification, and not from the firmament, or under- standing, which G.o.d erects between the true and false.

In error everything comes from beneath, not from above.

523:12 All is material myth, instead of the reflection of Spirit.

Distinct doc.u.ments

It may be worth while here to remark that, according 523:15 to the best scholars, there are clear evidences of two dis- tinct doc.u.ments in the early part of the book of Genesis. One is called the Elohistic, because 523:18 the Supreme Being is therein called Elohim. The other doc.u.ment is called the Jehovistic, because Deity therein is always called Jehovah, - or Lord G.o.d, as our common 523:21 version translates it.

Jehovah or Elohim

Throughout the first chapter of Genesis and in three verses of the second, - in what we understand to be the 523:24 spiritually scientific account of creation, - it is Elohim (G.o.d) who creates. From the fourth verse of chapter two to chapter five, the creator is called 523:27 Jehovah, or the Lord. The different accounts become more and more closely intertwined to the end of chapter twelve, after which the distinction is not definitely trace- 523:30 able. In the historic parts of the Old Testament, it is usually Jehovah, peculiarly the divine sovereign of the Hebrew people, who is referred to.

G.o.ds of the heathen

524:1 The idolatry which followed this material mythology is seen in the Phoenician wors.h.i.+p of Baal, in the Moabitish 524:3 G.o.d Chemosh, in the Moloch of the Amorites, in the Hindoo Vishnu, in the Greek Aphro- dite, and in a thousand other so-called deities.

Jehovah a tribal deity

524:6 It was also found among the Israelites, who constantly went after "strange G.o.ds." They called the Supreme Being by the national name of Jehovah. In 524:9 that name of Jehovah, the true idea of G.o.d seems almost lost. G.o.d becomes "a man of war," a tribal G.o.d to be wors.h.i.+pped, rather than Love, the divine 524:12 Principle to be lived and loved.

_Genesis_ ii. 7. And the Lord G.o.d [Jehovah] formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils 524:15 the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Creation reversed

Did the divine and infinite Principle become a finite deity, that he should now be called Jehovah? With 524:18 a single command, Mind had made man, both male and female. How then could a material organization become the basis of man? How 524:21 could the non-intelligent become the medium of Mind, and error be the enunciator of Truth? Matter is not the reflection of Spirit, yet G.o.d is reflected in all His 524:24 creation. Is this addition to His creation real or un- real? Is it the truth, or is it a lie concerning man and G.o.d?

524:27 It must be a lie, for G.o.d presently curses the ground.

Could Spirit evolve its opposite, matter, and give matter ability to sin and suffer? Is Spirit, G.o.d, injected into 524:30 dust, and eventually ejected at the demand of matter?

Does Spirit enter dust, and lose therein the divine nature 525:1 and omnipotence? Does Mind, G.o.d, enter matter to be- come there a mortal sinner, animated by the breath of 525:3 G.o.d? In this narrative, the validity of matter is opposed, not the validity of Spirit or Spirit's creations. Man re- flects G.o.d; _mankind_ represents the Adamic race, and is 525:6 a human, not a divine, creation.

Definitions of man

The following are some of the equivalents of the term _man_ in different languages. In the Saxon, _mankind, a 525:9 _woman, any one_; in the Welsh, _that which rises up_, - the primary sense being _image, form_; in the Hebrew, _image, similitude_; in the Icelandic, _mind_.

525:12 The following translation is from the Icelandic: -

And G.o.d said, Let us make man after our mind and our likeness; and G.o.d shaped man after His mind; after 525:15 G.o.d's mind shaped He Him; and He shaped them male and female.

No baneful creation

In the Gospel of John, it is declared that all things were 525:18 made through the Word of G.o.d, "and without Him [the _logos_, or _word_] was not anything made that was made." Everything good or worthy, G.o.d 525:21 made. Whatever is valueless or baneful, He did not make, - hence its unreality. In the Science of Genesis we read that He saw everything which He had made, 525:24 "and, behold, it was very good." The corporeal senses declare otherwise; and if we give the same heed to the history of error as to the records of truth, the Scriptural 525:27 record of sin and death favors the false conclusion of the material senses. Sin, sickness, and death must be deemed as devoid of reality as they are of good, G.o.d.

525:30 _Genesis_ ii. 9. And out of the ground made the Lord G.o.d [Jehovah] to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, 526:1 and good for food; the tree of life also, in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Contradicting first creation

526:3 The previous and more scientific record of creation declares that G.o.d made "every plant of the field be- fore it was in the earth." This opposite 526:6 declaration, this statement that life issues from matter, contradicts the teaching of the first chap- ter, - namely, that all Life is G.o.d. Belief is less than 526:9 understanding. Belief involves theories of material hear- ing, sight, touch, taste, and smell, termed the five senses.

The appet.i.tes and pa.s.sions, sin, sickness, and death, 526:12 follow in the train of this error of a belief in intelligent matter.

Record of error

The first mention of evil is in the legendary Scriptural 526:15 text in the second chapter of Genesis. G.o.d p.r.o.nounced good all that He created, and the Scriptures declare that He created all. The "tree of 526:18 life" stands for the idea of Truth, and the sword which guards it is the type of divine Science. The "tree of knowledge" stands for the erroneous doctrine that the 526:21 knowledge of evil is as real, hence as G.o.d-bestowed, as the knowledge of good. Was evil inst.i.tuted through G.o.d, Love? Did He create this fruit-bearer of sin in contra- 526:24 diction of the first creation? This second biblical account is a picture of error throughout.

_Genesis_ ii. 15. And the Lord G.o.d [Jehovah] took the 526:27 man, and put him into the garden of Eden, to dress it and to keep it.

Garden of Eden

The name Eden, according to Cruden, means _pleasure_, 526:30 _delight._ In this text Eden stands for the mortal, mate- 527:1 rial body. G.o.d could not put Mind into matter nor in- finite Spirit into finite form to dress it and 527:3 keep it, - to make it beautiful or to cause it to live and grow. Man is G.o.d's reflection, needing no cultivation, but ever beautiful and complete.

527:6 _Genesis_ ii. 16, 17. And the Lord G.o.d [Jehovah] com- manded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good 527:9 and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

No temptation from G.o.d

Here the metaphor represents G.o.d, Love, as tempting 527:12 man, but the Apostle James says: "G.o.d cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man." It is true that a knowledge of evil would 527:15 make man mortal. It is plain also that mate- rial perception, gathered from the corporeal senses, consti- tutes evil and mortal knowledge. But is it true that G.o.d, 527:18 good, made "the tree of life" to be the tree of death to His own creation? Has evil the reality of good? Evil is un- real because it is a lie, - false in every statement.

527:21 _Genesis_ ii. 19. And out of the ground the Lord G.o.d [Jehovah] formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he 527:24 would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.

Creation's counterfeit

Here the lie represents G.o.d as repeating creation, but 527:27 doing so materially, not spiritually, and ask- ing a prospective sinner to help Him. Is the Supreme Being retrograding, and is man giving up his 527:30 dignity? Was it requisite for the formation of man 528:1 that dust should become sentient, when all being is the reflection of the eternal Mind, and the record declares 528:3 that G.o.d has already created man, both male and female? That Adam gave the name and nature of animals, is solely mythological and material. It can- 528:6 not be true that man was ordered to create man anew in partners.h.i.+p with G.o.d; this supposition was a dream, a myth.

528:9 _Genesis_ ii. 21, 22. And the Lord G.o.d [Jehovah, Yawah]

caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead 528:12 thereof; and the rib, which the Lord G.o.d [Jehovah] had taken from man, made He a woman, and brought her unto the man.