Supplanting flesh with Spirit, sense with Soul: “Healing is the lessening of the material sense of body” (Laura Sargent).

“That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:6).

This saying may be expressed metaphysically: “That which is born of nonexistence is nonexistent and that which is born of Spirit is Spirit” (note the capital S). Compare the King James Version translators’ rendering of the first letter of the word “spirit” in John 3:6 with Mrs. Eddy’s direct and bold statement on page 77 of the f1rst edition of Science and Health: “The final understanding that we are Spirit must come.” An appropriate metaphor for this affirmation of absolute oneness is the sun and the rays emanating from it. Thus, originating from Spirit, I express, through and through, the nature of Spirit, my one and only origin, just as a ray originating from the sun expresses, through and through, the nature of the sun only. And, as the sun is greater than any of its rays, so Jesus said, “My Father is greater than I.”

Again in the unveiled first edition, Mrs. Eddy insists: “That we are Spirit and Spirit is God, is undeniably true…” (page 155). And yet again: “We are Soul, Spirit and not matter…” (page 169). Likewise, the third edition, volume 2, affirms on page 58, “At present we know not what we are, but this is certain, that we shall be Love, Life and Truth.”

In Mrs. Eddy’s study of Job, he is healed, “born again”, by cursing the day (that is, the finite calendar day) he was born of materiality, blotting out the false sense of material birth. Job finally arrives at the understanding that he had never been born of the flesh to begin with, as a child of time, his true being having been begotten of Spirit, as a child of eternity.

“One day Mrs. Eddy touched Adam Dickey’s hand with her finger and asked him, ‘What is this?’ He replied, ‘Matter.’ She said, ‘It is not; it is Spirit.’ Then another time she looked at him and said, ‘You are Spirit.’ And he said, ‘No, Mother, I am spiritual.’ She said in a very emphatic way, ‘You are Spirit.’ And he said, ‘Mother, I do not see that.’ She said, ‘You are Spirit,’ the third time, but he said he could not see it. When he was going to his room he met Mrs. Sargent and told her of the conversation with Mrs. Eddy and she said, ‘Oh, Mr. Dickey, why did you say that! Mother was trying to give you her highest teaching'” (Collectanea).