Mankind may well rejoice in the revelation of Christian Science that evil of whatever name or nature is unreal, an illusion of mortal sense and not the truth of being. This fact, however, remains to be individually demonstrated.
Our great Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, says in "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 210), "Christian Science never healed a patient without proving with mathematical certainty that error, when found out, is two-thirds destroyed, and the remaining third kills itself." For error to be found out means that it can no longer hide its nothingness and masquerade as truth, for through the action of Truth it is proved to be without power, volition, or entity. The moment a problem, whatever its nature, is recognized as a belief and not an entity, its destruction and elimination are assured.
Shakespeare's words to the effect that adversity can have a salutary effect, quoted by Mrs. Eddy on page 66 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," are another way of saying that a problem may be an opportunity for progress. As road signs announce the sudden approach to hills, dangerous curves, and other conditions where caution is essential, so a problem points to some ignorance or erroneous thinking, some latent fear or sinful indulgence, which must be recognized before it can be cast out as unreal. Such warning symptoms serve the useful purpose of putting us on our guard if, perchance, we have carelessly neglected our watch against error and have fallen asleep.
