Mary Baker Eddy startled human thought when, in the year 1875, she published the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures." In the Preface to this textbook she says (p. vii), "The time for thinkers has come." When this statement was made, human thought was demanding something more spiritual than is afforded by physical science, doctrinal codes, or material force; and the demand for clear thinking is imperative today.
The present world conditions demand that every individual determine what is the nature or substance of that which is real, as opposed to that which seems to be but is not. Whether they deal with the individual or extend to world affairs, the problems that occupy human thought can be solved only as material concepts are rejected and replaced with the spiritual. To accomplish this, the right idea regarding the conditions in question must be recognized, and accepted in human thought.
A dictionary defines "substance" in part as "that which underlies all outward manifestations; that which is real in distinction from that which is apparent; that which constitutes a thing what it is." We read in the Christian Science textbook (p. 468), "Spirit, the synonym of Mind, Soul, or God, is the only real substance;" and (p. 469), "What is termed matter is unknown to Spirit, which includes in itself all substance and is Life eternal."
Thought is externalized, whether it be of good or of evil. Christian Science draws a line of distinction between Truth and error, the real and the unreal. Truth is God, whereas error or evil is a lie about Truth. Therefore one must pursue the truth if one would demonstrate real substance. Material sense recognizes a kind of man created by and of the flesh, who looks to matter for his supply of health, wealth, and satisfaction. An understanding of the facts of being, as explained in Christian Science, corrects false material beliefs by replacing them with the spiritual understanding of life, substance, and intelligence—all good—as in and of Spirit.
The majority of religious thinkers agree that God, Spirit or Mind, is the first and only cause. Then we may conclude that Spirit, or Mind, is primordial substance. Mind is expressed only in ideas; and since Love is God, real substance is divine Love, expressed in right ideas, and, when these are admitted into human consciousness, they meet the human need. The right idea of God and man brings the realization of true substance into consciousness and improves body, business, home, church—all activity, relationship, government.
Christ Jesus explained to his disciples the spiritual facts of being. He turned their thought away from a material sense of need to their need of spiritual understanding. And he supplied the rule for our human application when he said, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness." What is the promise to those who first seek God and His righteousness? All the things that they have been so troubled about, right things they have worked for, struggled for, "shall be added unto" them. Jesus' rule requires more than seeking God merely for the things one desires added unto him; it demands that one seek to be righteous and to do righteously. Seeking God means striving for the qualities which express Godlikeness, in order that righteousness may be attained.
Spiritual sense sees man as idea, created by Mind to glorify God. Man, sinless and pure, born of Spirit, is conscious of the ever-present substance of good; and the study and application of Christian Science give one the understanding to demonstrate good in one's present human experience. Since man is the idea or image of God, his needs are already supplied through Mind. Personal sense would limit our every God-given capacity. Mind being the sole substance of its idea, man's opportunities are not limited to the environment and restrictions of family, location, or investment.
Man is the expression of God's purpose, the expression of God's knowing. Man, the compound idea of Mind, includes all the ideas of being and the ability and power to express them. Man, "the full representation of Mind" (Science and Health, p. 591), has infinite capacity, infinite ability, for man expresses infinity. To comprehend the realities of being, one must claim them for one's own. Christ Jesus took possession of his heritage of health, freedom, and power. The son of God is always conscious that what the Father has is his—not merely a portion of the kingdom of heaven, but all of good. All that the Father-Mother Love possesses, belongs to man by reflection.
Christ Jesus laid no claim to material possessions, but he possessed the consciousness of real substance, the realization of Love, Love which is Life itself. The Christ bequeaths to men priceless gifts—power over all flesh, the conscious understanding of God and man, the true knowledge of man's pre-existence. Through Christ we gain the realization of man's nature and substance, of home, of church, as well as the joy of right relationship therein.
In the seventeenth chapter of John's Gospel we have Jesus' words, "All mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them." He sealed the bonds of real relationship when he said, "Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are." With what depth of love he asked the Father not to take out of the world those who accept the truth, but to keep them from the evil! Christ gives us the right, the opportunity, and the power to demonstrate, overcome the world, as Jesus did. The application of the Science of Christ offers us the opportunity to prove our sonship with God here and now. As Jesus was sanctified in the truth, so are we sanctified through the truth. That is not all. Jesus prayed the Father that we might realize our unity with God and behold the glory that God gave us before the world was. Therefore, the love wherewith the Father loved him in us, as the truth is in us. Can we claim too much, when Jesus so intimately prayed the Father in our behalf?
Mrs. Eddy accepted this heritage of Love, and, through her application of the law of Love, was able to give humanity the rich legacy, the Christ Science revealed and set forth in her textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures." This revelation gives mankind risen power to demonstrate dominion over every evil belief. Surely each may trust infinite Love to care for him throughout his spiritual unfoldment. If fear should seem to overtake one—fear of loss, disappointment, lack, disease, or sin—one may immediately change one's thought by knowing that this false mental state does not originate in one's own consciousness, and is but a suggestion of evil which is outside of man and wholly foreign to his nature. Evil is never real; therefore it cannot control one who reflects naught but good. Evil suggestions, however, should not be ignored, but should be definitely overcome and conquered with Truth in each individual consciousness. A careful study of the Christian Science textbook and consistent obedience to its teachings will uncover and destroy the false belief of evil in whatever form it may appear.
In the present economic crisis, gross commercialism is slowly but steadily losing its attraction. Enlightened thought is beginning to recognize it as one of the decoys that would deceive the human mind, while underneath it all pagan materialism boldly strides into view. Christian Scientists are not faced with the task of changing false material conditions, but of promoting the right thinking which destroys ignorance, and of overcoming the false desires or needs that obsess mankind. They are assured that as human thinking is governed by spiritual truth false material manifestations will disappear.
Christian Science teaches that the supply for every human need is already here and available; the only real need is for spiritualization of thought, that humanity may be able to recognize the true method of unfoldment. Then mankind will lay hold of God's precious substance provided in His law of love, and thereby demonstrate the one and law of divine economy.
