In all of Mrs. Eddy's writings, instinct as they are with energy and purpose, there are few statements more heart-stirring and inspiring than that which she makes on page vii of the Preface to "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," namely, "The time for thinkers has come." Thus at the very outset our Leader defined the essential qualification of a Christian Scientist, and announced that the hour had struck when men and women should begin intelligently to think their way out of the mists and mazes of material sense into the kingdom of heaven, which Jesus declared to be at hand. In the same Preface the author goes on to say (p, x), "No intellectual proficiency is requisite in the learner, but sound morals are most desirable." The thinking which is demanded of the Christian Scientist is, therefore, nothing less than that incisive spiritual investigation which is to bring to light the real status of man's being, and not the merely intellectual ability to search out and memorize the confusing intricacies of the so-called sciences, philosophies, ologies, and isms which the world calls wisdom but which nevertheless are "foolishness with God."
Learning of the right sort naturally leads to better conditions; but the mere mental capacity to explore matter, to discover and analyze its secrets, to invent new and ingenious combinations of the phenomena of mortal mind, or to acquire a knowledge of its counterfeit sciences is not to be compared with the spiritual activity required by those who are engaged in reasoning their way into an understanding of the Science of Mind. Real thinking is the conscious and intelligent application of the truth to the solution of each problem in daily experience; it is the expressing or bringing to light of the Christ man. To think aright is to reflect Mind, God, intelligence. One who does not think for himself is obviously not reflecting God, and in so far as he does not reflect God, that is, in so far as he does not think scientifically, he is without God or Mind.
In this connection it is interesting to know that the words "mind" and "man" are both said to have their origin in the same root,—the Sanskrit word man, meaning to think. In line with this origin of the word "man" is a text from Ecclesiastes, which reads, "Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." Therefore to keep God's commandments, that is, to express or to reflect Mind in the spiritual activity which we call thinking, constitutes man's being. Jesus explained this perfectly when he said, "The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise."
