There is satisfying spiritual joy which no human vicissitude can take away. The rule for experiencing this joy was set forth clearly by Christ Jesus in the words, "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment" (John 7: 24). Humanity either did not understand his admonition or considered it impractical, since for hundreds of years thereafter men in general continued to accept material sense testimony as the basis of thought and action.
It remained for the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, in her revelation of the law of God as applicable to human needs, to restate this basic, scientific teaching of the Master's. In "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," the textbook of Christian Science, she elucidates the modus operandi for judging righteous judgment as follows (p. 428): "To divest thought of false trusts and material evidences in order that the spiritual facts of being may appear,—this is the great attainment by means of which we shall sweep away the false and give place to the true."
The joy of righteous or spiritual judgment as contrasted with the depressing conclusions derived from material sense testimony was experienced by a Christian Scientist who received a call for help from one in great distress. Thoughtfully the Scientist opened the textbook, and the first statement to claim her attention was (p. 329), "There is no hypocrisy in Science." Knowing something of the sterling character of the one from whom the call had come, it hardly seemed that this citation had any bearing upon the case. However, experience had shown her that when turning to the Bible and to our Leader's writings in the prayerful attitude of divine affirmation, it was well to heed the message thus revealed. Accordingly the Scientist asked herself, "Am I clear as to the original meaning of the word hypocrisy?"
