NO one need be disturbed over the fact that the Christian Science religion is scientific: this detracts nothing whatever from its sanctity. It removes, rather, the speculative and mystical, in order that the understandable and demonstrable may be revealed. The effect is to inspire faith in God where none has been before, and to strengthen the former faith by giving it a reason for its hope.
Outside of religion, humanity has learned to think increasingly in terms of science, and in adjusting its thought to scientific religion much of this may be turned to account by way of helpful illustration. This is indicated on page 195 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," the textbook of Christian Science, where Mary Baker Eddy states: "Whatever furnishes the semblance of an idea governed by its Principle, furnishes food for thought. Through astronomy, natural history, chemistry, music, mathematics, thought passes naturally from effect back to cause." In her writings Mrs. Eddy has drawn upon these sciences for familiar illustrative facts in order to help the student better to understand the true nature and relationship of God, man, and the universe, as revealed in Christian Science.
Perhaps mathematics is found most useful in this respect because of the understanding of this subject, in some degree, by many who undertake the study of Christian Science. Everyone knows, for instance, that opinions count not at all in mathematics, whose fundamental laws and rules are exact and invariable. Hence mathematicians are not found disputing the subject. One either knows or does not know a rule. If he knows it, he can prove it; and this proof speaks for itself. If he cannot prove it, he does not fully know the rule. This leaves the mathematician nothing to say, and nothing to do but to strive until he does know it and can prove it.
