Members of Christian Science congregations understand that they are not gathered together to listen to mere human opinions. They come to hear spiritual facts pertaining to God and His perfect creation as set forth in the Bible and in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy. The following Explanatory Note, which is found on page ii of the Christian Science Quarterly, is always read by First Readers in Churches of Christ, Scientist, on Sunday, as the introduction to every sermon: "Friends: The Bible and the Christian Science textbook are our only preachers. We shall now read Scriptural texts, and their correlative passages from our denominational textbook; these comprise our sermon.
"The canonical writings, together with the word of our textbook, corroborating and explaining the Bible texts in their spiritual import and application to all ages, past, present, and future, constitute a sermon undivorced from truth, uncontaminated and unfettered by human hypotheses, and divinely authorized."
In the year 1895 Mrs. Eddy elevated the pastorate of the Christian Science denomination above and beyond the reach of all that is human: she ordained the Bible and Science and Health to be the pastor of the Church of Christ, Scientist. This was indeed a revolutionary and progressive step, resulting from her perception of the spiritual fact that human opinions cannot be satisfactorily substituted for God's revelation. Christian Scientists accept their Leader's estimate of her progressive step and thus gain a renewed impetus for consecrated study of our Lesson-Sermons and for fresh inspiration.
