The Manual of The Mother Church, by Mary Baker Eddy, which is largely a collection of By–Laws, is an essential part of divine revelation. A by-law is a special law. It is not, therefore, unimportant or secondary, but is to be considered as especially important in relation to the subject with which it deals. The Manual By-Laws embody the law of Principle, applicable to church services, Sunday school, lectures, the periodicals, Christian Science practice, teaching, and all the other activities of The Mother Church.
The By-Laws of the Manual always present the right idea or thought about something, the right idea of conduct for church members, Readers, Sunday school teachers, practitioners, teachers, lecturers, and so on. Each church member is to recognize and express these true ideas as related to his own function or office in the Church of Christ, Scientist.
The inspiration that, through Mrs. Eddy, has given us the true idea of God and man in the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," has given us, through her also, the true concept of the Church of Christ, Scientist, conveyed in the Manual. The Mother Church expresses the highest form of government, for it exemplifies government by divine law as conveyed through inspired By-Laws. Our Leader says in "Retrospection and Introspection" (pp. 44, 45), "Adding to its ranks and influence, this spiritually organized Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, still goes on." She also says in "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 316), "The Mother Church must be self-sustained by God."
Jesus recognized that the church should be the humanly expressed mouthpiece of divine law. This is shown in his declaration to Peter, "Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." The primitive Christian church was formed, but because its members had not a clear enough understanding of Jesus' demonstration, error crept into the church through differing human opinions and beliefs. This finally resulted in its breaking up into numerous sects. In the present age, through the discovery of Christian Science by Mrs. Eddy, the primitive Christianity taught and demonstrated by Christ Jesus has, as a means of expression, the Church of Christ, Scientist, with the Manual as its guiding law. Just as the Christian Science textbook contains the complete explanation of Jesus' demonstration, so the Manual of The Mother Church is a complete statement of church law. Our Leader says in "The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany" (p. 230) that "eternity awaits our Church Manual."
If a stage of progress had been reached requiring disorganization of The Mother Church, Mrs. Eddy, who was far in advance of others, would have foreseen the necessity for it, and would have acted accordingly. But, as a matter of fact, almost at the end of her earthly experience she urged, perhaps more emphatically than before, the continuation of The Mother Church under the Manual; and she admonished Christian Scientists in no uncertain terms to uphold it in every way, and to support The Christian Science Board of Directors in the performance of their duties as defined by the Manual.
The last edition of the Manual expresses our Leader's clear consciousness of divine law. The revisions of the Manual reflected her advancing thought; and the final revision was the expression of a consciousness closer to God than any other human consciousness in this age. Therefore, to obey the Manual By-Laws is to live, in the measure of our obedience, according to this high concept of divine law. This means taking the footsteps our Leader took from matter to Spirit, footsteps which everyone must eventually take. Obedience to the Manual By-Laws is not following a person. The Manual provides for government by the revelation to human consciousness of divine law. Mrs. Eddy is, however, our Leader in the highest sense of the word, and there can be no successor to her. Her function and office remain unique.
As one gets closer to God in his thought, the value of and the necessity for the Manual become clearer. Instead of progress being impeded or in any way restricted by the provisions of the By-Laws, it is greatly accelerated. One with a right understanding will never think of leaving the Church of Christ, Scientist. At every step he will find the Church of Christ, Scientist, a help, and never a hindrance, to his spiritual advancement. Mrs. Eddy's experience proves this; and so she urged Christian Scientists to adhere to the Manual and obey its By-Laws.
Christian Science reveals divine law to this age, just as Moses brought the moral law to his age. The Ten Commandments were all that age could bear. Jesus' teaching and demonstration, resulting in the Christian dispensation, were as much as his age could bear, although he saw the goal ahead. The Christian Science dispensation, which includes the Christian Science textbook and the Manual of The Mother Church, completes the revelation of divine law to human consciousness, so fulfilling both the law and the gospel. The work remaining to be done is the universal demonstration of the spiritual fact that man is always perfectly governed by divine law.
