qualities are eliminated. The two names, Jesus and Christ, give us two conceptions of the Savior, the latter being the true one and symbolizing his eternal, spiritual and perfect nature; the former being the human conception of him as having a mortal nature and temporal relations, which all ceased with his ascension. But in this case the ideal man or the Christ was not limited or rendered imperfect by the mortal man, Jesus.[1] A very common synonym for Christ is truth, which she uses not figuratively of Christ but as describing literally his nature. Her conception is that Christ, the ideal and true man, is not a person. He is simply an idea which she contends any and every real man is. So then in Jesus Christ we have the example of one who possessed, or attained finally to, perfect understanding, in whom intuitive consciousness reigned, who exhibited the kingly power of mind, who knew only reality and eternity and who had no sense of time, limitation, suffering, sin, sickness, or death. Jesus Christ is the way-shower, “only this and nothing more.”
Mrs. Eddy says: “Christ the true idea of God;”[2] “The Christ dwelt forever an idea in the bosom of God, the divine Principle of the man Jesus;”[3] “Christ is the ideal Truth, that comes to
- ↑ There is proof, however, that Mrs. Eddy believed that Jesus came by degrees to that perfection of character which was attained by the complete reign of the Christ in him. Cf. S. and H. pp. 30, 32, and 53. But her inconsistencies are many. Some, it may be, she did not see but some, the most, it seems, are the necessary result of her false premises.
- ↑ S. and H. p. 54. cf. p. 50.
- ↑ S. and H. p. 29. cf. p. 331.
