Some five years ago Christian Science was brought to my attention in a very practical way. I was sick, but had not called upon the services of a doctor. A friend (a trained nurse) who was visiting us, insisted that I ought to take active measures to overcome the conditions and proffered her help in Christian Science, as I manifested some disinclination to take medical treatment. I accepted her offer that evening, but not very graciously I am afraid. The next morning the ailment had vanished. This opened the way to my inquiries as to what was the Principle of Christian Science.
I had never given much direct study to theology as such, but was a stanch member of my church as I understood its teachings. Using the ancient creeds and the Bible as standards of measurement, therefore, I proceeded to the best of my ability to see how Christian Science, as explained in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy, would measure up. I expected, I must admit, to come across a glaring inconsistency somewhere, because I had only heard it condemned or given but faint praise when referred to by others who should have known something of it, as I then thought. However, I found that so far as I was able to compare one statement with another, there was no essential discrepancy. The terminology was changed, and the perspective, so to speak, was different, because another view-point had been selected; but it stood the test of accounting for phenomena within my experience even better than the generally accepted explanation; besides which, it is logically consistent throughout.
I now find that in reality I have not had to give up any single good and right belief, but have gained a much wider and simpler view-point. Just as Galileo's mental masterpiece, in transferring the center of reference in the solar system from the earth to the sun, changed the concept from that of apparently unrelated and contradictory phenomena to the gradual unfoldment of perfect unity and harmony or law, so the gradual unfoldment of the import of Christian Science teaching, that the spiritual is the only real and that the material is only a false concept, is day by day leading to a better understanding in place of mere belief.
