It stands to reason that unless the instructions which our Leader, Mrs. Eddy, has given are carried out according to what she has written, the movement of Christian Science might seem to be torn away from her demonstration and become derelict. Christianly obedience to the Manual of The Mother Church is the means of drawing all Christian Scientists together in unity. Disobedience separates them. Paul gives a wonderful illustration of unity of action, or cooperation, when he says: "The body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members everyone of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet but one body." As each member of the so-called physical body is called upon to do its work, so is each member of the church called upon to bear witness to the truth, and thus prove the collective unity of the whole, one with each other in the support of all right ideas by the simple process of individually being and doing good.
"Goodness," says Mrs. Eddy in "The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany" (p. 165), "never fails to receive its reward, for goodness makes life a blessing. As an active portion of one stupendous whole, goodness identifies man with universal good. Thus may each member of this church rise above the oft-repeated inquiry, What am I? to the scientific response: I am able to impart truth, health, and happiness, and this is my rock of salvation and my reason for existing." This goodness may be made practical in all our church relationships. It is the individual right thinking and right acting of the many which alone makes possible the collective unity of the whole. An office, like an individual, is important only in so far as it functions for the good of all, not for the elevation of itself. A clearer vision of true cooperation dawns upon us to-day as our desires grow purer and we begin to understand and work for divine Principle, for the one God, and therefore for all good, rather than for personality.
The world argues for matter. Christian Science reasons for Spirit. And because Spirit is real, we have authority to deny the arguments of evil, which would keep the world in bondage to material beliefs. In its ignorance so-called mortal mind is running to violent excesses in these days, in order, so it thinks, to save itself or, at least, to palliate the effects of its own idiosyncrasies. Little by little, the human sophistries which offer temporary relief are being found wanting, and there is being evinced less desire to save the false sense of existence, and more desire to prove and hold to the true. The Christian Science church stands for law and order. No one ever rises above the need for law and order. In proportion as we understand divine Principle and spiritual being, our human and material concept of law and order may change, but not law and order themselves. They cannot change, because they are based on Principle.
In connection with the human thought of law and order, it is well to remember the Golden Rule. We must learn to love our neighbor as ourselves, and cannot afford to hold aloof or to attempt to dominate. The more we know of Truth, the more we see the necessity of organization at this time. Organization based on the understanding of Truth leads us gently into the apprehension of divine law by teaching consideration for others, patience, perseverance, cooperation, individual responsibility, and the meaning of true democracy. If we desire the protection of organization, we must be willing to support organization. Unless organization is supported, it loses its value to those who refuse to support it. Opposition to organization is at enmity with the present demonstration of Christian Science.
The Christian Science Monitor, being an intrinsic part of our organization, let us consider its mission in bringing before the thought of the world the general question of law and order. Look into the Monitor, and one looks as into a mirror at the best in world-thinking. Not only do we find what the world at its best is thinking, but our eyes are often opened to what we are thinking about the world. It brings before us an extraordinary opportunity to meet and master in our own thinking that which is negative or erroneous, as well as to cherish that which is progressive. Then an earnest desire very naturally comes into the heart to prove what God is knowing about His own creation. Thus we find the Monitor to be a trumpet-call. It awakens us to conditions as they appear to be and as they should be. Therefore, it is very true that to read the Monitor gives the Christian Scientists mental work to do, because it shows what is to be done to help mankind. And that is a wonderful feature of the Monitor. Reading through and between the lines, we distinguish many delicate touches of spiritual color, in God's love for man. The Monitor is not a political, but a moral factor, teaching us what there is to do for the world and helping us to do it.
If we do not pay attention to the things of to-day—resisting the devil, and holding to the truth in legislative work, for instance, as in all other activities which are still the legitimate way of world-government—is it not possible that we may be classed as unprofitable servants? In this great mission which we are called upon to perform, let each one of us bear witness to the fact that Christian Science makes a good citizen, a good brother or sister, a good husband or wife, a good friend; and as we think of government, let us remember what Isaiah says about it: "Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever." Then we shall understand our legislative work to be governed by Principle. We are supporting good government, not aggressively to proclaim ourselves, but to protect our Cause from the arrogance, selfishness, and fear of special interests. "Unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder!" This sense of government leads us to Principle, does it not?
In his Gettysburg address Lincoln said "that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom; and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." Wycliffe and Hereford in the Preface to their translation of the Bible, in the year 1384, make use of very much the same language: "The Bible is for the government of the people, by the people, and for the people." As we hold to this sense of government we are not, in legislative work, called upon to enter into any alliances with any set of people, except in so far as we are working for the same good end as they are. Wherever Christian Science goes in the interest of humanity it proves the government of God, and sets free the thought fettered by materiality. It is well to remember that the practice of Christian Science is the practice of religion; and the practice of religion should be free. National and state constitutions alike guarantee freedom to religious exercises. Our Federal Constitution declares that no state shall pass a law abridging the exercise of religion. It is the greed of special interests, the bigotry of preconceived ideas, the stubbornness of false theology, the lax habits of world-thinking, which often bring out in politics the worst forms of aggression. These phases of resistance and resentment are what Christian Scientists are endeavoring to meet and overcome by common consent and through action in obedience to divine Principle.
We know Christian Science to be the truth; therefore, it is our duty to defend it against attack. We say that the fundamental laws of the land, founded upon the Mosaic Decalogue and supported by our Federal Constitution, shall form the basis of our Bill of Rights; but that laws made in the support of special interests are unconstitutional, and therefore unrighteous. We declare that by standing for our own constitutional rights we are standing for the constitutional rights of all others. More laws are being enacted than ever before; yet the enforcement of law has seldom, if ever, been so lax. We have many laws upon our statute books which would never stand if they were judged by Abraham Lincoln's idea of government, much less by the standard set forth in the Sermon on the Mount.
It is the defiance of actual law, the perversion of it, which brings nations and peoples into a state of banditry, where each one takes the law into his own hands, so that the Golden Rule is forgotten in a jungle of selfishness. We must learn to have righteous respect for law and order; hence the necessity of the call to each one to do his or her duty in regard to the questions of voting, legislation, and government.
We are often led to take the line of least resistance by such subtle arguments as: "What's the good?" "A Christian Scientist should not be in politics,"' "One vote won't count." "Is it not more scientific to remain at home and do my mental work than to go out and vote?" "Let those who are interested in politics vote; I do not know anything about it." One and all of these are very apt to be but selfish arguments. The Christian Scientist is called upon to do his work where he is. He is called upon to do good work,—the work God requires of him,—to be a good citizen, and to help his brother. In "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 518) Mrs. Eddy says: "God gives the lesser idea of Himself for a link to the greater, and in return, the higher always protects the lower. The rich in spirit help the poor in one grand brotherhood, all having the same Principle, or Father; and blessed is that man who seeth his brother's need and supplieth it, seeking his own in another's good."
More than most people, Christian Scientists should be able to vote intelligently, for their love of God should lead them unselfishly to put forward an effort to see where the error is and to rectify it. If we stand aloof, are we meeting the error at all? or, in such a case, are we not really giving support to the enemy? We can enter what is called politics in a righteous manner, as we enter business or art, not to carry elections or to secure public offices, not to be one with party intrigues, political wire-pulling and trickery, but, with the spirit of God in our hearts, to deny that these wretched qualities of so-called mortal mind can longer victimize mankind, and with the living vision that our government is founded upon the government of Him "whom to know aright is Life eternal" (Science and Health, Pref. p, vii). Then, in spite of the seeming maelstrom of the supposititious resistance of evil, we shall be able to do our individual work as good citizens of our country.
The signs of the times promise good things in store for God's children, but let us keep our lamps well filled; let us not hide our talents; let us be worthy servants in the vineyard, so that when the Lord of the vineyard comes. He will say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant: ... enter thou into the joy of thy lord." Do not let us delay in making a beginning to support that which is nearest right. If we do nothing, waiting until things are better, are we doing our duty by either God or man? The mere fact that we support the best we see, will help that best to be better still. Our individual responsibility is being called into action; therefore the necessity of understanding Paul's words, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." Here let us turn to three profound statements which are to be found on what may be termed the dedication page of Science and Health. The first one is from John, "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free;" the second from Shakespeare, "There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so;" and the third from Mrs. Eddy:—
"Oh! Thou hast heard my prayer;
And I am blest!
This is Thy high behest:—
Thou here, and everywhere."
Jesus said, "Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's."
