Christian Science teaches that objects in the world of mortal sense and the so-called laws which seem to govern the phenomena relating to them, are but the products of mortal mind beliefs and that they are counterfeits of spiritual ideas and of the immutable laws through which divine activity is expressed. To one who had spent years in studying and teaching the so-called natural sciences, the uncompromising claim of Christian Science that there is but one true Science, that of infinite Mind, came somewhat as a shock. Laws of gravitation, acceleration of falling bodies, chemical reaction, et cetera, seemed to be absolute and invariable, and it was firmly believed that they were of divine origin. When, however, careful thought was given to the Biblical record of the ax head floating on the water at the word of the inspired prophet, and of Jesus walking on the waves and causing the ship to reach immediately the land toward which its course was directed, there seemed ample reason to doubt the infallibility of rules that seemed to govern weight, time, and space. Furthermore, it was evident that the operation of the seeming laws of physical science constantly resulted in decay, dissolution, destruction, and physical inharmony, and it seemed inconceivable that an all-wise God should create a universe which was governed by conflicting and inharmonious laws.
Even when this point was reached, the way was not at all clear, for, though on every hand conflicts and inharmonies indicated a reversal of perfect law, yet the more exact manifestations of seemingly invariable laws, from the undeviating movements of the planets to the growth of microscopic crystal faces with their definite mathematical relationships, seemed too wonderful to be lightly cast aside as false and fleeting." Through a careful study of the Bible and "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" the concept was gradually gained that, though one cannot see the perfect law of God in the beauties and wonders of nature, one may through spiritual understanding catch glorious glimpses of the reflection of that spiritual law, where the unillumined mortal mind sees only a blind force, which, like a will-o'-thewisp, ever recedes and evades the keenest scrutiny of worldly wisdom in search of its origin and mode of operation. Mrs. Eddy expresses this thought in Science and Health (p. 240), where she states, "Nature voices natural, spiritual law and divine Love, but human belief misinterprets nature."
The next step was the understanding that the so-called laws of gravitation, acceleration, crystallization, solution, and the like, stand on the same plane as mortal man. While the mortal can never be changed into the immortal, we know that ultimately, by growth in spiritual understanding, the immortal and real will become more and more apparent, and the mortal will fade away just as the physical body of Jesus disappeared at the time of his final exaltation, which is commonly referred to as the ascension. Even with a moderate degree of understanding we may in a measure discern the spiritual and eternal, reflected in loving acts and words, in expressions of hope, joy, and kindness, and we realize that such exalted qualities and acts have no part in the mortal, but are expressions of the real man, perfect and eternal, but unseen by the physical senses.
