The first ray of Christian Science which penetrates the gloom of a human consciousness opens the way for an infinitude of rays. A never ending succession of illuminations awaits permission to enter and enlighten the dark places. Ideas thus admitted multiply and scintillate, are reproduced by reflection, bless, heal, redeem, and reconstruct. The individual who is showered upon by this celestial bounty is really learning more and more about God's creation already existent. He is beginning to go to school with Christ as the schoolmaster. There is no valid reason why this unfoldment which feeds human understanding with divine facts should not continue indefinitely and joyously, so that the Christian Scientist may keep at school under a schoolmaster who has always something more to teach.
There is never a moment when further development can cease for the open-minded. There is always new light on old problems, more spiritual strength available, and a higher interpretation; there is always some more metaphysical viewpoint to be reached, quicker healing to be accomplished, a compassion which is more Christly to be applied. Divine Science comes to meet the human need, thus proving itself to be Christian. Mrs. Eddy writes in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 486), "Earth's preparatory school must be improved to the utmost." This is the "preparatory school" which leads to the high school and higher criticism of the Christ, Truth. Paul wrote to the Galatians: "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster." Commenting on this Mrs. Eddy wrote (Retrospection and Introspection, p. 30): "St. Paul declared that the law was the schoolmaster, to bring him to Christ. Even so was I led into the mazes of divine metaphysics through the gospel of suffering, the providence of God, and the cross of Christ. No one else can drain the cup which I have drunk to the dregs as the Discoverer and teacher of Christian Science; neither can its inspiration be gained without tasting this cup."
This sort of schooling is quite different from that of the world's classification. There are schools of philosophy and medicine, schools of art and trade, which teach mortal mind about mortal mind's own beliefs, making clever adaptations of the conclusions of material sense, but drawing no line of demarcation between the real and the unreal. Those who go to school in Christian Science should realize that they "are no longer under a schoolmaster" of the old school, the school of sickness or of mortal law, but should go forward in their studies under the great schoolmaster, the Good Shepherd of the sheep. This is the school of spiritual Mind-healing wherein instruction is given concerning the nature of God and man and the universe, in which all real causation is revealed as good and every real effect as equally good. This new school interprets the Scriptures, explains the human footsteps of the patriarchs and prophets while they were learning of God, concealing nothing but proving error unreal. This school of Christ, Truth, sends its scholars to the bedside of the dying and bids them practice what they preach. It places on its books the crown and the cross and the text, "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons."
