It is possible that there are none outside of the Christian Science movement who are aware that all its activities are related in a most vital way to the church. It is even possible that a good many within the ranks do not readily recognize the significance of this fact, but it is bound to grow upon the student's thought as he advances along the line of demonstration. Those who were in Christian Science in the earlier years of its present-day unfoldment, know how unwilling people were to leave their churches, even after they had been healed in Christian Science, although they had been hopeless sufferers under their former religious teachings, so far as relief from the spiritual side was concerned. To leave these folds called for much cross bearing,—the opposition of relatives and friends,—besides the loss of the world's good opinion.
Few would admit, however, that such considerations held them back, and so error furnished the specious argument that the master Christian did not establish a church, or provide for it, both of which inferences are opposite to the Scripture records. In Matthew's gospel we read that as Peter recognized and acknowledged the Christ, the great Teacher responded by saying, "Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." After the Master's ascension we find the disciples working diligently for the manifestation of this church. We read that on the day of Pentecost three thousand were added to the church, also that numbers were added daily, and that the Christ-healing was coincident with this spiritual activity. Later we read of branch "churches of Christ" everywhere; sometimes greetings were sent to certain brethren and to the church "in their house."
All Christian Scientists are familiar with our Leader's words which so fittingly express the purpose of the Church of Christ, Scientist, in this age. On page 17 of our Manual these read as follows: "To organize a church designed to commemorate the word and works of our Master, which should reinstate primitive Christianity and its lost element of healing." Here it may be said that some beginners in this study have asked whether it would not have been possible for the Christian Science movement to have been established without having a church,—if the literature, including our revered Leader's writings, would not have done the work without the necessity for organizing churches and erecting edifices for religious worship. To this it may be answered that while a great deal of healing work was done in the earlier years of the movement, those who remained in their former churches were to a considerable extent influenced by the thoughts of their relatives and friends, hence they made little progress, and in most cases none at all after the great enthusiasm resultant from their healing had faded out. Although they had learned the unreality of disease and could readily see that God and His law were in no wise responsible for it, yet they were living in an atmosphere of belief the opposite to this, and responded to the fear of disease and other ills—which, put briefly, means that they failed to recognize the ever-presence and infinite protection of divine Love, as taught in Christian Science.
