The absolute nature of Christian Science distinguishes it from all other systems of religion and philosophy. Other systems theorize about Deity; Christian Science tells the truth about God. There is no uncertainty at all in the teachings of Christian Science about the Divine Being; these teachings are precise, certain, unequivocal, absolute. "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" are the words of the First Commandment, which Christian Science accepts unreservedly, because underlying its teachings is the understanding that God is One; that God alone exists and is the only source or cause of all that has real being. In Christian Science there is no longer uncertainty with regard to the nature of God. Christian Science reveals God as the divine Principle of being—so clearly, so unambiguously, that all who earnestly and honestly desire can become instructed in the knowledge of absolute Truth.
Sometimes the Christian Scientist comes in touch with those who fain would have him leave his absolute standpoint to wander once again in the devious bypaths of ancient or modern philosophy. Would it not be interesting, they perhaps say, to have Plato's endeavor to "ascertain and establish the objectivity of truth, a realm of knowledge that is independent of sensuous perception, that is immanent to thought," or Hegel's attempt to explain "the absolute" in terms of "process, explication of differences and antitheses," compared with Christian Science? But would such comparisons be of much value? They would very largely be a waste of time; because, be the study of these and other attempts of philosophy to solve the problem of Divine Being ever so interesting from the human point of view, they dwindle into insignificance when one becomes acquainted with the great fundamental truths of Christian Science. Moreover, what have these humanly evolved systems of thought done for the saving of the world? Has a single one of them shown how to heal the sick and the sinning as Jesus did in his day, and as Christian Science is doing in ours? And if not, then what men require more than anything else is positive knowledge of absolute Truth, which will enable them to heal themselves and to help others to do likewise; and that positive and absolute knowledge Christian Science alone can give.
On page 99 of "Miscellaneous Writings" the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, Mrs. Eddy, says: "Science is absolute and final. It is revolutionary in its very nature; for it upsets all that is not upright. It annuls false evidence, and saith to the five material senses, 'Having eyes ye see not, and ears ye hear not; neither can you understand.' To weave one thread of Science through the looms of time, is a miracle in itself." That is how Mrs. Eddy estimates Christian Science. It is absolute; it is revolutionary; it upsets all unrighteous thinking; it neutralizes false evidence by utterly denying the testimony of the five material senses; its demonstration is nothing short of miraculous, to human sense. Christian Science thus stands alone, by itself,—one with the spiritualized consciousness of patriarch and prophet of the distant past, one with the Christianity of Christ Jesus and the early Apostolic Church, bearing living witness in the world to-day to absolute Truth and its demonstration.
Occasionally, one hears the timid whisper that Christian Science is too radical; that its declarations of Truth are beyond the average person's ability to assimilate or put into practice. But in such weak protests, are we not simply discovering the attempt of the so-called human mind, with its perpetual leaning to the sensuous, to deny the reality of absolute Truth? The moment the truth of spiritual being is presented to mankind,—and it has to be remembered that every phase of Truth is absolute,—that instant it is denied by material sense. Christian Science, through the application of spiritual sense, is continually engaged in the destruction of material sense; hence the opposition of the latter to the declarations of divine Science.
Mrs. Eddy in her writings leaves one in no doubt as to where Christian Science stands. She gave Christian Science to the world as that system of religious thought which "is neither behind the point of perfection nor advancing towards it." In "The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany" (p. 242) she writes, "Christian Science is absolute; it is neither behind the point of perfection nor advancing towards it; it is at this point and must be practised therefrom;" and she adds, "In practising Christian Science you must state its Principle correctly, or you forfeit your ability to demonstrate it." No weak hesitancy there in stating the fact that Christian Science is revealing the perfect now, and that this perfect Principle can be demonstrated now. And what a warning is conveyed in these fearless words of hers: "In practising Christian Science you must state its Principle correctly, or you forfeit your ability to demonstrate it"! Let us, then, beware! There can be no compromise with absolute Truth. Whosoever does so is severing himself, in belief, from the power of Truth, with all its healing efficacy. "I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me." If the prophet could write so emphatically as that on the absoluteness of God, surely we of this age, who have the greatest revelation of God of all time, can do nothing less.
Now, Christian Science in demanding of its adherents that they deviate not at all from its absolute teachings is not asking anything unreasonable. Does any one feel it a hardship to adhere to the truth about the relationships existing between numbers? If one did so, and as a protest deviated from the rules of arithmetic, what would result when he added, subtracted, multiplied, or divided? The schoolboy can tell him. Just so it is with the one who departs from divine Principle and its rules. He will fail to demonstrate Principle in healing disease and sin or in solving any of the other problems of life. But let him be obedient to what he understands of God,—unswervingly obedient,—and he will not fail to prove the power of Truth to destroy the illusions of mortal mind.
Obedience to God, to Truth and Love, is not a hard thing to the spiritualized consciousness; but that consciousness has to be striven for by every one. Is not, however, God on our side? Is not divine Love omnipotent, and divine Truth omnipresent to destroy every false belief of material sense? That is what Christian Science teaches; and the students of Christian Science are demonstrating the truth of its teachings every day of their lives. Let us not seek, therefore, to depart from absolute Science in the slightest degree. Let us ever keep before us the words of our revered Leader, to be found in the Christian Science textbook. "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 2 74), "Divine Science is absolute, and permits no half-way position in learning its Principle and rule — establishing it by demonstration." Herein lies our safety, and the ultimate salvation of the whole human race.
