An essential of real and lasting government is that it functions with the consent of the governed. Mary Baker Eddy has written (The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany, p. 254): "The Magna Charta of Christian Science means much, multum in parvo,—all-in-one and one-in-all. It stands for the inalienable, universal rights of men. Essentially democratic, its government is administered by the common consent of the governed, wherein and whereby man governed by his creator is self-governed." This quoted statement applies to The Mother Church as well as to the branch churches.
God is the Principle of all real government. Invariable law is His mandate. Eternality, activity, power, authority, and supremacy characterize the government of God, and mankind approximates this government in the degree that divine law is understood and put into practice.
The word "democracy" comes from two Greek words, demos and kratein, meaning "the people" and "to rule." Hence a democracy is a form of government where the ultimate power rests with the people. It indicates that authority belongs not to one, but to many, and that equality is not for a few, but for all. This points to the mission of Jesus, which was to impress upon those of his day and future generations that all men are equal before God. He gave of his understanding to rich and poor alike, to sinner and saint. His gospel was one of spiritual equality.
