On page 242 of "The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany," is to be found Mrs. Eddy's statement, "Christian Science is absolute; it is neither behind the point of perfection nor advancing towards it; it is at this point and must be practised therefrom."
Christian Science is based on the fact of God's eternal perfection and of man's perfection as the eternal image and likeness of God. That God is eternally perfect, and that He does not change on occasion and become imperfect, is believed generally by most religious thinkers; but the perfection of man, as God's image, is not so generally understood, because men have been taught to believe that man is both spiritual and material. The material evidence bears out this opinion until, through a desire for understanding, or through the stresses of daily living, one turns from material beliefs and looks for something better and higher than is found in human experience.
Mrs. Eddy continues in the paragraph quoted, "Unless you fully perceive that you are the child of God, hence perfect, you have no Principle to demonstrate and no rule for its demonstration." The true nature of God was revealed to Moses; it was glimpsed by the prophets; and it was taught and demonstrated by Jesus and his disciples. The Christ, as exemplified by Jesus, was revealed to Simon Peter. It was he who said to Jesus, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." It was on this occasion that Jesus said to Simon, "Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Peter was thus renamed because of his perception of the eternal Christ, Truth.
