IN depicting the rise and growth of a church whose marvelous advance is unique even among the wonders of modern progress, it is impossible to do more than touch upon its salient features, though Mrs. Eddy has epitomized the Christian Science movement in her spiritual definition of "Church," as given in the text-book, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 583): "The structure of Truth and Love; whatever rests upon and proceeds from divine Principle. The church is that institution, which affords proof of its utility and is found elevating the race, rousing the dormant understanding from material beliefs to the apprehension of spiritual ideas and the demonstration of divine Science, thereby casting out devils, or error, and healing the sick."
In the light of this definition it is easy to see that the unparalleled advance of The Church of Christ, Scientist, is not to be measured by the hundreds of branch churches whose imposing and beautiful edifices are to be found not only in the United States, but in many parts of the world, for these are but the outward expression, in a measure, of the transformation wrought in the lives of an unnumbered multitude,—the mental, moral, and physical uplift that is theirs through the practice of its teachings.
The years following Mrs. Eddy's discovery of the Principle of the Christ-healing, in 1866, were foundational in every sense of the word,— years of unremitting application to the task to which she had set herself, the formulation of that "law of God, the law of good, interpreting and demonstrating the divine Principle and rule of universal harmony" (Rudimental Divine Science, p.1), which was to find concrete expression in 1875 in the first edition of Science and Health. In the mean time she was demonstrating the practicability of her theory by works of healing, and gathering about her, one by one, a little band of students with whom, as a further test, she unselfishly sought to share the wonderful truth which had been revealed to her. The success which attended these first attempts at propagation was sufficient to warrant entrance upon the broader field to which her efforts were next directed.
