THE importance to the student of Christian Science of being rightly guided in taking the necessary mental footsteps to a complete understanding of true being is indicated in a chapter entitled "Footsteps of Truth," in the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," where Mary Baker Eddy has written (p. 241), "One's aim, a point beyond faith, should be to find the footsteps of Truth, the way to health and holiness."
Christian workers have frequently been compared to an army; and it should be remembered that the first training a soldier receives shows him how to maintain his place in the ranks by keeping step. The soldier soon discovers that disobedience is checked and corrected. He learns that the orders of the commanding officer and his subordinates must be faithfully and promptly obeyed, or the most intelligent leadership will prove unavailing. An army is effective proportionately as every one of its rank and file is doing his best.
The directing authority of the Christian soldier is the Christ, Truth, which was revealed by Jesus. Specific orders of our Master were to "love one another," to "heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils."
"The Christian Scientist has enlisted to lessen evil, disease, and death; and he will overcome them by understanding their nothingness and the allness of God, or good" (Science and Health, p. 450). The motive for enlistment should be the seeking after Truth for its own sake, since mercenary motives are foredoomed to failure. Human history tends to show that the employment of mercenaries seldom gave the best results, and that they rarely reached the usefulness of troops that served primarily for the cause itself. The problem before each student is how to advance as speedily as possible to some degree of demonstrable understanding of Truth, and how to continue making this demonstration as spiritual understanding is attained.
The primary requisites of a soldier are obedience, loyalty, trustworthiness, diligence, persistence, and alertness. The Christian Scientist will have convinced himself before enlistment of the worthiness of the Cause, and will obey orders accordingly, trusting in the ability and wisdom of the one Mind to lead him aright. He will be loyal to the army in which he is a unit, recognizing that if the worthy task for which it has been organized is to be accomplished all of its members must faithfully retain their proper places in the ranks. It is clear that such soldiers cannot be inactive, nor take a post in another army. It is evident that there can be no surrender to, nor compromise with, error, because error from its very nature will never keep faith with Truth. Necessary church work cannot be done by members remaining at home, when their place is at a church service or a business meeting, any more than an army could be fully effective with many of its soldiers absent from duty.
Christian Science shows that, as God is Truth, obedience to the truthful teaching of Christ Jesus is mandatory if salvation from evil is to be won, and the harmony of spiritual consciousness is to be experienced. Workers in the Christian endeavor to gain spiritual freedom have been successful in the exact degree that they followed this inspired teaching. The Master himself looked constantly to God for guidance, and obeyed the mandates of Truth exactly as they were revealed to him. 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." He healed the sick, raised the dead, and overcame every physical so-called law through strict obedience to God's commands. The followers of Jesus were instructed that a similar result would always follow the same loyal and obedient practice of the truth which he taught.
Mrs. Eddy restored to the world the lost element of Christianity— divine healing—by earnestly seeking and faithfully obeying the revelation of the Christ, which unfolded to her receptive thought through years of searching the Scriptures. This revelation is given to the world through her textbook and her other writings. The Christian Science movement is proving its divine source by healing the sick and casting out evil through the same divinely mental process which Jesus used. Mrs. Eddy claimed for herself nothing but the discovery of this truth, as may be seen by her admonition to her students, "Follow your Leader only so far as she follows Christ" (Message to The Mother Church for 1901, p. 34). All the activities of The Mother Church and its branches are the result of Mrs. Eddy's obedience to this divine revelation.
Christian Science is progressive, and is rapidly advancing toward its goal. Its followers must 'be active, and must continually grow in spiritual understanding, if they are to keep step with this advance. Students of Christian Science soon discover the need of daily studying the Bible and Mrs. Eddy's writings, and particularly the Lesson-Sermon in the Christian Science Quarterly. They find that added blessings are derived from subscribing to the authorized Christian Science periodicals and intelligently supporting them. Church members love to reap the reward of faithful and constant attendance at church services and business meetings. Officers of the churches rejoice in the added opportunity to attend committee meetings and all special activities in which it is their privilege to take part. Students welcome the opportunity to attend Christian Science lectures, and to take advantage of every opening that presents itself for increased proof of interest in this great Cause. The privilege of class instruction is a step to be eagerly welcomed at the proper time. Daily metaphysical work for the support of the Christian Science movement is another step that brings joy to the worker. The beginner may be able to take some of these footsteps, and as he progresses in spiritual understanding, greater opportunities unfold to him.
The divine order expressed by the spiritual universe reveals the need of unified action in human affairs under the direction of the one Mind. The discipline of learning to keep step in Christian Science and to coöperate lovingly with other workers, despite possible differences of taste and opinion, helps to prepare individual thought for increasing understanding of Truth. It is evident that disobedience and lack of coöperation are impossible in the heavenly harmony; and they are equally so in the demonstration of Christian Science. Inharmony vanishes as thought turns prayerfully to divine Mind for guidance. The order of advance is divine, and above human questioning. Christian Science is capable of proof, and this proof through demonstration silences all doubt. As the student puts Christian Science into practice, fear is displaced by firm confidence in the willingness and ability of Spirit, God, to supply all good to those that love Him. This confidence causes the Christian soldier to remain on guard, and not to slumber when there is work to be done. Aggressive mental suggestion finds no opening in the armor of the alert and active warrior.
Jesus was the ideal Christian warrior. He was always on guard, always kind, always fearless, and therefore always spiritually successful. He said, "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father."
