| Man--to understand
himself--must
know how he stands in society,
for public opinion is the standard of all our acts. ~ Phineas Parkhurst Quimby |
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THE SCIENTIFIC MAN
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tecnh
"DR. QUIMBY'S DISCOURSE"SOCIETYMan
- to understand himself - must know how he stands in society, for public opinion is the standard of all our acts. Now suppose that I am a very good man and a pattern in society - kind in my manners, possessed of every quality that belongs to a good man of this world. There
are two
classes:
one the Scientific and the other the Aristocratic (or Ignorant). Each professes to believe in me - and as they can't agree - it is left for me to decide. So I decide in this way: All
you that believe in me as a
"Scientific Musician" (or a Christ) and understand the Science shall do as I do - and all you that don't understand but believe that I - the man P. P. Q. - have a power that you acknowledge, shall be called "Followers" of me. So you undertake to follow me by acting as I do and trying to imitate my character, while those who are the "Disciples" of my theory care nothing about my character, except as a secondary thing. § I will give you the true position of your character. There are two characters. Perhaps it will be necessary to state what I mean by a "character." I mean the position that one person stands in relation to another or to society. Society is the standard by which to judge all acts (or characters). If society is "bad" to one set of persons, they set up their standard of "character" and judge the others. The "good" set up their standard to judge the "bad" and each tries to gain the ascendancy. This keeps the world in a quarrel between the two elements of Matter and under the control of Error and Ignorance. Ignorance sees no reason for Law and thinks all persons are the same. Error sees the faults of Ignorance and takes the advantage and sets up standards of "right" and "wrong" to judge the world by. All this is the wisdom of this world. §
Look at any religious society
and you will find that the individuals cannot all agree in belief. So those who do agree are Slaves to those whose authority they admit as their Rulers. A
church has its Pastor,
its Deacons and other officers, also its forms to which its members must subscribe, and they - being numerous, and each having an opinion of themselves - are either led (or ruled) into submission by the Pastor. This sometimes makes the yoke grievous to be borne, for the burdens are heavy, while they who bind them are happy - for they rule - and their power is their happiness. This
Kingdom,
being all over the world, it rules its subjects, so when the Son of Science encounters it, a decree goes forth to put everyone to death. Therefore
it is necessary that a secret society should spring up in order to undermine it whose passwords cannot be understood by the "king" of this world. § The
man who is rich
in this world's goods - to the exclusion of some scientific capital - cannot travel in the World of Science with his money. To have money and no Wisdom is to be like the rich man in the Bible spoken of by Jesus.... He had been to work and got rich, and his crops were so large that he said to himself, I will tear down my old house and barn and build me a more expensive establishment (or I will dress up and go into more educated society among the literary world) and enjoy myself. But
Science says to him,
This night shalt thou be satisfied that all thy riches will not make thee a Man of Science. So you must lose all that foolish pride that impels the "rulers" of the world - for when Science comes - Riches take to themselves wings and fly away into the Wilderness of Darkness. When these two characters lie down together, they are received into society just according to their worth (or talent). For money is not Wisdom. So
as Life is out of the earth
(or animal matter) there is a natural grade, so that every person can tell his place in society if he only has the wit to acknowledge it - and if he won't - the intelligence of the world will place him where he belongs! § I have proved
that
I can create
the odour
of any kind of fruit and make a mesmerized person taste and smell it.... The ignorance of this principle prevents man from investigating into the operation of the human mind. Such
course would change
the whole mode of our reasoning. It would destroy society as it is now and replace it on another basis. In
the place of
Hypocrisy, Aristocracy and Democracy - the three original elements of society - Science, Progress and Freedom would be introduced. In
his ignorant state,
man belongs to the lowest of the Aristocracy, but as he becomes Scientific, he subdues this element - and then the others are not needed to sustain it. His
Science works out Patience,
his Patience--Perseverance and Perseverance Wisdom and the fruits are religion. Now
the religion of today
contains the elements of society - and they run through all its roots and branches and poison its fruit. Science
makes war upon this Trinity -
and the war will continue until it is crushed. Then
Democracy
will be subject to Science,
and Hypocrisy will not appear in the leaders. Then
will come a
New Heaven (or dispensation) based on Eternal Truths - and man will be rewarded for what he knows... not for what he thinks he knows. § To
be popular in religion -
praise the institutions of the Sabbath and the Church. Say what you please in the street about priestcraft and fear of man - only mention that your family go to church, and you will be considered sound. To
be unpopular -
be honest in every act, treat others with respect, mind your own affairs, and permit others to do the same. Then - like an old-fashioned person - you are out of society, and no one cares for you. To
be independent -
speak the truth on all subjects without fear or vanity, condemn Error wherever it is popular, - treat others as you wish to be treated - and let your religion be shown in your acts. Such
a man will be
envied by Aristocracy, respected by the Wise, hated by Hypocrites and listened to by the thinking classes. He is--at the same time--popular and not popular. His style pleases the people, therefore the Aristocracy will be forced to admire him in order that they may retain their power over him, for their rule is: "Keep as near a kicking horse as possible." (They will extol such a man in some things and condemn him in others and thereby neutralize his effect on Democracy.) § Now
the Science to be established is to give a theory based on a truth which can be applied to a false mode of reasoning - which not only can destroy it - but can bring about a more perfect and better state of society and sweep away the lies that - like the locusts of Egypt - are devouring our lives and happiness. This
cannot be done
by any philosophy known to the world, for the present mode of reasoning is based on the very errors the coming Science is to destroy. If
"Satan cast out Satan" then his Kingdom is divided against itself. But if Wisdom cast out Error, then the True Science will stand. I base my reasoning on a Stone which the builders of Error have rejected. Wisdom is banished
from the society of the world and Error - like a raging lion - goes about devouring all whom it can. Freedom
is the Child of Science - Error (or Aristocracy) is its opponent - and is the casket (or earth) which holds the Child till it is able to take care of itself. Man
- as a nation - has both these principles: Freedom and Aristocracy. The
working of Error
to keep Freedom bound creates revolution. These revolutions must take place - and will - till Error is destroyed. There
is a
species of rebellion that is a "sin against the Holy Ghost" (or Science).... It
has been said that
revolutions never go backwards - but "revolution" is only another name for a rebellion to destroy some Error. It
is true that rebellion
is the natural working of the mind and is--in some cases--right. "Rebellions that
go backward"
are "evils" - for they not only destroy themselves - but they do much damage to society... ...but still they work out a Greater Truth. |
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