America

America, spiritually understood, is the outward evidence of man’s individual oneness with God.

America, in that sense, is not a nation defined by territorial boundaries but is the spiritual idea of Mind everywhere present.

America typifies the yearning of the heart for spiritual reality, “whose branches run over the wall.” (Gen. 49:22) “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.” (Ps. 42:1)

The “Pilgrim Fathers” were the “Separatists” who separated themselves entirely from bondage to ecclesiastical and political formulas and founded what is called America, as Abraham founded Israel by going out from his “father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee,” (Gen. 12:1) forsaking all for the highest sense of good.

It is …the Pilgrims who are the real “fathers” of America. “Come out from among them, and be ye separate,” (2 Cor. 6:17) expresses America as the spiritual idea of Mind.

America is synonymous with individualism. Had individualism not been the objective of the Pilgrims, they would soon have been forced to admit that there is no freedom and success without it, as the following historical data show.

At first, the Pilgrims felt that community interest, rather than individual interest, in crops would better serve their ends, for the moment. But they quickly learned, as Governor Bradford records in his “History,” that collectivism was doomed to failure. Complete individuality was essential for true spirituality and prosperity — as it always must be.

Beardsley, in his work, “The Builders of a Nation,” brings this out clearly on page 265:

“Until the spring of 1623, Plymouth Colony had been upon a communistic basis. The houses of the settlers were individual property but the crops were raised in common for their general consumption. The results, however, did not justify the continuance of the scheme. ‘At length,’ wrote Bradford, ‘after much debate of things, the Governor (with the advice of the chiefest amongst them) gave way that they should set corn every man for his own particular, and in that regard trust to themselves; in all others things to go in the general way as before …. This had very good success; for it made all hands very industrious so as much more corn was planted than otherwise would have been by any means the Governor or any other could use, and saved him a great deal of trouble, and gave far better content. The women now went willingly into the field, and took their little ones with them to set corn, which before would allege weakness, and inability; whom, to have compelled would have been thought great tyranny and oppression!’

The Plymouth governor moralizes upon the failure of a scheme which, in theory, had seemed so attractive, but which in the end had militated not only against self-interest but self-respect; ‘The experience that was had in this common course and condition, tried sundry years, and that amongst godly and sober men, may well evince the vanity of that conceit of Plato’s and other ancients, applauded by some of later times;—that the taking away of property, and bringing in community into a commonwealth, would make them happy and flourishing; as if they were wiser than God. For this community (so far as it was) was found to breed much confusion and discontent, and retard much employment that would have been to their benefit and comfort …. Upon the point of all being to have alike, and all to do alike, they thought themselves in the like conditions, and one as good as another; and so, if it did not cut off those relations that God hath set amongst men, yet it did much diminish and take off the mutual respects that should be preserved amongst them. And would have been worse if they had been men of another condition. Let none object this is men’s corruption, and nothing to the course itself. I answer, seeing all men have this corruption in them, God in his wisdom saw another course fitter for them.’”

Man, as God’s idea, is necessarily individual.

America, negatively interpreted, in other words, viewed materially, is the final expression of this individualism seen as human government.

The negative is as individual as is that which is negatives and cannot be changed. The attempt of evil to change America from individualism to collectivism, and all that goes with that theory, is destined to failure. The breath of America is freedom, which means individualism.

To surrender its Pilgrim heritage, would be to sell the birthright of America. But this can never be done, for it is America.

Mrs. Eddy emphasizes individualism thus: “Is not a man metaphysically and mathematically number one, a unit, and therefore whole number, governed and protected by his divine Principle, God?” (Pul. 4: 7)

This individualism, this oneness is America.

All forms of government ownership are subtle attempts of evil to thwart this individualism. Government, like Principle, exists because of its citizen, or idea. It does not and cannot exist alone. Then government’s ownership, possession and being must be shown forth as the owning, possessing and being of its man, its citizen.

If government owned and man did not, there could be no ownership expressed and government would fall.

Man, individually, owns all as idea. He does not own it collectively any more than he owns the multiplication table collectively. This in no way interferes with the inevitable combination or merger of like businesses — expressing the one business in which all can be owners, but only as individuals, never as government ownership.

Government has no place in business, as such, any more than God is in man.

Man is the business of God and shows forth God’s business in individual ownership, expression and unfoldment.

He needs no interfering with, and will brook none.

Man’s diadem is his eternal individuality as the expression of the one infinite Mind. America means this and Christian Science, as exemplified in Science and Health, declares it, and so epitomizes spiritual America, epitomizes the culmination of all the good that has gone before.

The true sense of what the Pilgrim Fathers, America — Christian Science — really means, may be expressed, “unto me every knee shall bow.” (Isa. 45:23) “And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.” (Isa. 60:3) “And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it.” (Rev. 21:24)