Mary Baker Eddy recorded her discovery of Christian Science in the textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures." Her book has made a remarkable record. An eminent writer, William Dana Orcutt, says of it in his recent volume, "Mary Baker Eddy and Her Books," "The world acclaims great authors, but Mrs. Eddy's Science and Health achieved the distinction of outlasting any book ever written by any single author in the history of the world—a book which today, forty years after the passing of its writer, without a single alteration in the text since that day, is in greater demand than at any time during its seventy-five years of existence." Mr. Orcutt further says that with the exception of the Bible the Christian Science textbook holds all publishing and printing records.
The book contains the complete and final revelation of Truth. The benefits of reading and studying this book are many; but first to be considered is its healing power. Mrs. Eddy says of it (Science and Health, p. 152), "The author has endeavored to make this book the Æsculapius of mind as well as of body, that it may give hope to the sick and heal them, although they know not how the work is done." The physical healing, which is a natural effect of Christian Science, results from the operation of divine law. Christian Science is that law applied to human needs, that law whose unerring Principle is the eternal God. When Science and Health, which contains the full statement of divine law, is read and studied, there is a renewing of the mind. Material beliefs give place to spiritual understanding. Then the sick are healed, sinners are reformed, and Christianity is demonstrated.
Many years ago a woman seeking help for her little son turned to Christian Science. He was seven years old, and from birth almost his entire body had been covered with eczema. He had been taken to many doctors and specialists, but to no avail. The practitioner of Christian Science to whom the mother turned gave her a copy of Science and Health with the admonition to read and study it. This the mother endeavored to do, but since her schooling was very inadequate, she felt unable to accomplish much. After a few days she returned the book to the practitioner, saying she could neither read nor understand it.
