Putting on record insights into the practice of Christian Science.
Editorials
Hourly , Christian Science is blotting out false impressions and establishing true ones in the consciousness of its active students. The appearing of the true man in God's image hastens the disappearing of the material misconception of man, and this appearing is accompanied by healing and regeneration.
It may be said that the Manual of The Mother Church, by Mary Baker Eddy, is the basic law of that Church, The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts, of which all other Christian Science churches in the world are branches. It stands unchanged and inviolate as Mrs.
The method of Christian Science healing is scientific. That is to say, the Christian Scientist heals sickness and overcomes sin, or any other inharmonious condition, by an understanding of the divine Principle which sustains creation, and of the rules which enable one to come under the law of Principle—spiritual law.
From a letter dated 1898. My heart's desire and prayer is that the time be not far distant when all mankind will have one God, be of one mind, and the brotherhood of man be established throughout the earth.
The surest and quickest way— indeed, the only way—to obtain release from the limitation, the suffering, the sin, sickness, and death which attend a material or corporeal sense of existence is to attain that understanding of man's true spiritual existence to which Mary Baker Eddy refers, when she writes on page 13 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures": "Because of human ignorance of the divine Principle, Love, the Father of all is represented as a corporeal creator; hence men recognize themselves as merely physical, and are ignorant of man as God's image or reflection and of man's eternal incorporeal existence. " It must be evident to all who have given the question serious consideration that the pains as well as the so-called pleasures of mortal existence are due to the belief that man is a corporeal person, rather than an incorporeal idea.
Throughout the Scriptures there are examples of the practical power of spiritual apprehension in human experience. The glimpses which Noah, Abraham, Joseph, had of spiritual reality gave them dominion over untoward circumstances.
" Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he" ( Proverbs 29:18 ). "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord" ( Psalms 33:12 ).
From a letter dated 1894. Finally, brethren, I thank you for the evidence you bestow that so many among you desire to deal justly and love mercy.
God , good, is the sole premise of power. Primarily and everlastingly power is wholly good because God, good, is All-in-all.
A Concise but comprehensive definition of substance is given by Mary Baker Eddy on page 468 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," as follows: "Substance is that which is eternal and incapable of discord and decay. " Since no form of matter is eternal, and since all forms of matter are subject to discord and decay, it is obvious that matter is not substance.