Travelers throughout the United States cannot help noticing how in this country the finest building in a village or town will often be the public school. Love for children and a wish for their advantage certainly express the right mode of progress. As time goes on, we find that instead of the fathers shall be the children, and from generation to generation, with proper education, superstitions wane and traditional hates lessen, and by clearer vision and kindlier motive, the world should become new.
A Christian Science church is in a manner a school, founded by wise-working Christian Scientists, including, according to a By-Law of the Manual, an accredited practitioner. It reveals a new way of social living. The early Christians were spoken of as disciples or exemplars of "the way." Since Jesus so emphatically said, "I am the way," the service of Christian Scientists in the world is once more to express discipleship. The Leader of the movement went directly to Jesus, his works, his life, and his example, and has interpreted to us the manifestation of the Father through the son. Our movement is made strong by the fellowship throughout the world of branch churches. At a time when factions had appeared, Mrs. Eddy placed the By-Law in the Manual requiring that churches seeking recognition should acknowledge all other churches being advertised in the Journal. It is evident that the goodwill required for a card to be accepted shall continue as long as it appears. Those tempted to be severe in judgment can be healed by remembering Mrs. Eddy's words. They are (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 210), "Jesus healed sickness and sin by one and the same metaphysical process." With this in thought, they will deal with sin metaphysically rather than theologically, and work out healing for the sinner rather than become satisfied with excommunication of the person. It is to be remembered that the motto taken for the Journal is that the weapons in our warfare are not carnal. A clear statement is found in the textbook (p. 450), "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."
Peter as a Jew had affection for the Judaic methods. In the experience with Cornelius, he found that Gentiles could receive the ministry of divine Spirit which he had thought of as peculiar to the Jews. Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, was abhorred by the Jews, who would have murdered him in Jerusalem but for the Roman police, who rescued him and sent him to Caesarea. In the world many churches have been built to St. Peter and many to St. Paul, but it should be remembered that Mrs. Eddy founded the Church of Christ, Scientist, "on the Rock, Christ" (see Manual, p. 19).
