One of the dictionary definitions of the word "manual" is "handbook." Students of Christian Science have in the Manual of The Mother Church by Mary Baker Eddy a handbook which is indispensable to their proper growth. This book is unique in that its Rules and By-Laws unfailingly bless the one who obeys them, and it is restrictive in just one way—one cannot obey the Manual and at the same time be deluded by the false law of mortal mind. Mrs. Eddy understood that God, the divine Mind, or Principle, who imparted these By-Laws to her waiting thought, blesses the obedient heart in every age.
The Manual never limits us in doing good; its purpose is to guard, govern, and protect us from mistakenly following material sense testimony. One who is new in the study of Christian Science may ask: "In what way am I affected by the Manual? I am not a member of The Mother Church or of a branch church; so in what way am I blessed by the Rules in this book?"
Before answering these questions, let us consider for a moment some of the different ways in which one may have become interested in Christian Science. Perhaps a friend has invited him to attend a Christian Science lecture, a church service on Sunday, or a Wednesday testimony meeting. Or one may have heard on the radio or on television the program, "How Christian Science Heals." Possibly he has taken authorized Christian Science literature from a distribution box, or has visited a Christian Science Reading Room. Again, he may have been healed through the help of a practitioner. Prayerful study of the Manual reveals that its By-Laws, based upon unerring Principle, contain guidance for every situation.
