TO grasp fully the immense scope and God-given completeness of Mary Baker Eddy's mission, it is necessary that one acknowledge the Biblical authority of Christian Science, perceive increasingly the spiritual nature of eternal Truth, and accept understanding the manner of Truth's appearing to human consciousness.
The discovery of Christian Science was an event fraught with tremendous meaning for mankind. Such an event, comparable only to the birth of Christ Jesus, did not come to earth unforeseen by the spiritually minded. The coming of the "Spirit of truth," or Comforter, of which Jesus spoke, is part of Biblical prophecy found in both Old and New Testaments. Nor does the unfolding of Biblical prophecy pause at this stage of ascending thought, but continues ever upward to the foreknowledge of the ultimate destruction of material consciousness and all belief in the reality of matter.
Christ, Truth, apparent in this age as Christian Science, is of God. Its slightest perception in individual consciousness heals and purifies. And only a consciousness pure and close to God, as was Mrs. Eddy's, could so transparently express the pure and unadulterated Word of God to this and succeeding ages. The work of the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science demanded much more than the demonstration of freedom from the limitations of human belief. It also involved the specific perception and acceptance of God's direction and power.
The whole of Mrs. Eddy's mission is not compassed in her discovery of Christian Science and her presentation to the world of the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures." In furtherance of her work, she also founded and established in perpetuity the Church of Christ, Scientist, and gave to the world, from her pen, the Manual of The Mother Church.
In recognition of the fullness and completeness of the revelation and establishment of Christian Science in human consciousness and in fulfillment of her mission, Mrs. Eddy, through her writings and her works, is known as the Leader of the Cause of Christian Science.
The recognition of Mrs. Eddy's threefold relationship to the Cause of Christian Science as Discoverer, Founder, and Leader is of tremendous importance to every individual student of Science today and always. As the spiritual progress of mankind reveals with increasing clarity the great importance of Christian Science to the world, the relationship of Mrs. Eddy to the Church which she established needs to be more generally and clearly understood. To understand this relationship is to see more clearly the greatness and completeness of our Leader's work.
To comprehend and accept fully Mrs. Eddy's threefold relationship to her Church and to her teaching is essential in the advancing demonstration of every Christian Scientist. Error in thought leads to error in demonstration, and an erroneous sense or incomplete understanding of our Leader's mission, her place in religious history, and her completed work leads to darkness, doubt, and temporary loss of the individual's spiritual understanding of Christian Science.
Appreciating Mrs. Eddy's place as the Leader of the Cause of Christian Science is important to the one who desires to grow in the understanding of the truths given in our textbook and to benefit from the requirements of our Church Manual. To reject or to seek to modify these teachings and their God-inspired requirements or the terminology in which they have been given to us is to fail to comprehend our Leader's place in religious history and her relationship to her Church.
This lack of appreciation stems from an ignorance of Christ, Truth, and the manner of its divine unfolding. The revelation of Truth in human consciousness and the form of its appearing cannot be separated. This fact, understood, is requisite to an expanding and continuing demonstration of Christian Science, for it involves a correct apprehension of Truth and Truth's appearing.
Christian Scientists, like all Christians, consider Christ Jesus to be the Exemplar, the Way-shower. Jesus' own words were (John 14:6), "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
The revelation of Christian Science has made it possible for all mankind to follow the example of Christ Jesus, the Way-shower. The task of the individual Christian Scientist is to take up the cross of allegiance to Truth and to walk in the footsteps of the master Christian through demonstration of the truths of Christian Science. The God-given ways and means of Truth are sufficient for the salvation of each of us.
Our Leader has written in Science and Health (p. 326): "If we wish to follow Christ, Truth, it must be in the way of God's appointing. Jesus said, 'He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also.' He, who would reach the source and find the divine remedy for every ill, must not try to climb the hill of Science by some other road."
To rise higher in demonstration, daily and hourly, is the demand of God upon us. This is possible only through increasing spiritual growth, gained by our walking in the pathway of God's appointing. In so doing, we fulfill the requirement given us in these words from Section 6 of Article VIII of the Church Manual: "It shall be the duty of every member of this Church to defend himself daily against aggressive mental suggestion, and not be made to forget nor to neglect his duty to God, to his Leader, and to mankind."
The devotion of the Christian Scientist to the word and spirit of the Christian Science textbook and the Church Manual demands more than faith; it requires thought rising through reason, revelation, and demonstration to the understanding of Love's eternal purpose.
The perception and acceptance of God's direction are themselves God-impelled and God-sustained. Thus the oneness of Principle and its idea is demonstrated, and thus the discovery of Christian Science and the establishment and continuance of the Church of Christ, Scientist, are today and will continue to be God-protected and Love-enfolded.
