ALL who so desire may subscribe for and read the Christian Science periodicals. In addition to this privilege, the members of the Christian Science churches have the added privilege of giving their moral, spiritual, and financial support to the advancement of the periodicals and to The Christian Science Publishing Society. Each member may well ask himself: What is my moral obligation to this department of our church activity? What is God's requirement of me in behalf of the periodicals? To render the loving service and support that are due them, that is, to subscribe for, read, and distribute them; to help the periodicals reach the goal Mrs. Eddy designed for them—all this may be estimated as a just balance, the liability of each member. The wise man has written in Proverbs, "A false balance is abomination to the Lord: but a just weight is his delight;" and also, "A false balance is not good."
Subscribing for the periodicals may be accomplished with ease by many persons, while for others this may seem more difficult. Yet there are those who at first thought they could not afford to subscribe for them, but who through their consecrated and continued study of Christian Science have learned something of God's infinite bounty; and this has opened up ways and means for them to do so. As the success and vitality of the periodicals and their expansion depend upon the loving support of all Christian Scientists, Mrs. Eddy has given in the Manual of The Mother Church instructive rules lest they forget or neglect, under any circumstance, their privilege and duty. In the rule "Alertness to Duty" (Art. VIII, Sect. 6) they are shown the great need of daily protective activity, not only for themselves but for the Cause. We read there: "It shall be the duty of every member of this Church to defend himself daily against aggressive mental suggestion, and not be made to forget nor to neglect his duty to God, to his Leader, and to mankind. By his works he shall be judged,—and justified or condemned."
Our Leader wished all her followers to read the periodicals. She said (Manual, Art. VIII, Sect. 14),"It shall be the privilege and duty of every member, who can afford it, to subscribe for the periodicals which are the organs of this Church; and it shall be the duty of the Directors to see that these periodicals are ably edited and kept abreast of the times." Some may ask: Is there not danger of being overzealous in our estimate of the Christian Science periodicals? And how do they stand in relation to the writings of Mary Baker Eddy? It is well understood by all Christian Scientists that Mrs. Eddy has given to the world in her writings the full and final revelation of Truth, and that her writings, along with the Bible, are to be intensively studied as textbooks. The periodicals, which show the practical application of this teaching, stimulate and increase the reader's interest in the Bible and Mrs. Eddy's writings. They are designed to help the reader and encourage him more earnestly to love and apply the great spiritual truths of Christian Science.
