The problem of present day religions is, how such a basis of agreement can be reached that the greatest good may be accomplished along moral and spiritual lines. No Christian can well question the tremendous possibilities of such agreement, for in the eighteenth chapter of Matthew we read that after Christ Jesus had discussed freely with his disciples the differences and offenses which were apt to arise among even his professed followers he said: "I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven." This very naturally led up to Peter's question, "Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?" We are all familiar with the answer which followed, that the forgiveness must extend beyond seven times, even "until seventy times seven." This very statement showed that until the absolute basis of Principle is reached, offenses and differences are likely to occur, and that these cannot be remedied except through a fuller understanding of the Master's teachings.
Again and again do we hear the cry of sincere Christians, "Back to Christ;" and there can be no question that until mortals turn to the teachings of the Master, which were not mere theories, but practical truth, they will be "carried about with every wind of doctrine," to quote St. Paul's words. It is a very hopeful sign of the times that many turn to the Sermon on the Mount with assurance that in it the essence of Jesus' teachings is to be found. One earnest thinker, himself a clergyman, has this to say: "Among all the creeds of Christendom the only one which has the authority of Christ himself is the Sermon on the Mount. When one reads the Creed which was given by Jesus, and the Creeds which have been made by Christians, he cannot fail to detect an immense difference. . . . They all have a family likeness to each other, and a family unlikeness to the Sermon on the Mount. They deal with different subjects, they move in a different atmosphere."
On page 174 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" Mrs. Eddy says, "The thunder of Sinai and the Sermon on the Mount are pursuing and will overtake the ages, rebuking in their course all error and proclaiming the kingdom of heaven on earth. Truth is revealed. It needs only to be practised." Here we may remind ourselves that Christian Science is not responsible for the differences of opinion which have prevailed among the professed followers of Christ Jesus since early in the first Christian century; and while to the material sense of things Mrs. Eddy's teachings seem to accentuate the differences which have arisen as to the teachings of Christ Jesus, they in fact point to the only real basis of agreement, and that is the proof by demonstration of what he actually taught.
