Christian Science is the most practical religion that has appeared in the world since the days of the Master. That may seem at first to be a very broad statement. But it is reasonably certain that anyone who will study the subject with an open mind will arrive at the same conclusion. The Christian religion has traveled a long, winding road from Bethlehem. Let us pause for a moment at a few of the milestones and look around.
Jesus taught his followers a simple, individual, and practical consecration to a spiritual ideal. "The kingdom of God is within you" was his theme (Luke 17:21), and he assured his listeners that they too could perform wonderful healings, both for themselves and for others. He showed them the way. It was to understand the spiritual doctrine of man's oneness, or unity, with God and then through enlightened faith to put it into practice. This spiritually mental approach for solving their daily problems was something entirely new to the people, but all who tried it found that it worked just as he said it would. And so the Master was the first metaphysician to present to mankind the revolutionary idea that man and the universe are eternally one with God as His expression—one in Spirit, one in Love, one in Truth, one in Mind, one in All. And he proved conclusively, as did many of his followers, that the consecrated living of this simple doctrine of oneness could heal every human ill.
For about three hundred years following Jesus' ascension his way of harmonious living was practiced successfully by Christians, and great were the mighty works accomplished. But this progress Godward came to a halt under the drive of materialism, and finally ritual and dogma, like a mammoth blanket, smothered and almost extinguished the healing light revealed by the Way-shower. The Reformation brought a partial return to the sturdy simplicity and spirituality of the early Christians and gave mankind new hope and a joyous freedom. But through the years the universal error of materialism persisted.
