ALL professing Christians are agreed that Christ Jesus is the Exemplar, the model for all his followers, and there are none who accept this proposition more heartily and unreservedly than do Christian Scientists. Respecting this our revered Leader says, in a remarkable article entitled "Vainglory," "Lives there a. man who can better define ethics, better elucidate the Principle of being, than he who 'spake as never man spake,' and whose precepts and example have a perpetual freshness in relation to human events?" (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 269). To this she adds: "Shall we depart from the example of the Master in Christian Science, Jesus of Nazareth,—than whom mankind hath no higher ideal? He who demonstrated his power over sin, disease, and death, is the master Metaphysician" (Ibid., p. 270). Throughout the entire article, as indeed in all her writings, the necessity for following the example of Christ Jesus is insisted upon, and the reason for so doing clearly shown, so that we are without excuse if we lapse from this high ideal.
Prior to Mrs. Eddy's discovery of Christian Science, Christian people admitted that we ought to follow closely the great Exemplar (and this he certainly required), but with strange inconsistency many of them declared that it was impossible to do so (especially in respect to healing), and even presumptuous to attempt to follow too closely— as if such a tiling were possible. Thus it came about that faith in Christ came to mean a belief that Jesus had lived in the world nearly two thousand years ago, and that he had done some wonderful works which no other need attempt, and this too in the face of his demand for even "greater works." Men failed to see that faith in Christ Jesus means that we must have the same faith in God which he had,—faith in the power of good to overcome all evil,—sin, disease, and death,—and that this faith is not so much belief about him, as belief in that glorious manifestation of divinity who said, "Lo, I am with you alway." It also means loving obedience to all his commands.
In that wonderful eighth chapter of Romans Paul says, "Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." He goes on to say that, if this Spirit dwell in us, even our mortal bodies will be quickened, and we shall know what it means to be indeed sons of God. Can any one doubt that if we have the Spirit of Christ we can and will heal the sick, reform the sinful, and raise the dead, as our Master did and commanded us to do. It of course goes without saying that this work could not be done by any who doubt or deny its possibility, or who fail to manifest the Christ-spirit; above all, by any who adopt any other standard than the Christ purity as the rule for thought, word, and deed.
