These words of Mrs. Eddy's recorded in "Miscellaneous Writings" (pp. 313, 314): "Humbly, and, as I believe, divinely directed, I hereby ordain the Bible, and 'Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,' to be hereafter the only pastor of The Church of Christ, Scientist, throughout our land and in other lands." And on page 322 of the same book she says, "Your dual and impersonal pastor, the Bible, and 'Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,' is with you; and the Life these give, the Truth they illustrate, the Love they demonstrate, is the great Shepherd that feedeth my flock, and leadeth them 'beside the still waters.'"
A woman entered a Christian Science church for the first time. Although the Readers and practically all the members of the congregation were strangers to her, she was so impressed by the harmony, peace, and the presence of the Christ, that she felt a real sense of home and heaven, both of which had seemed far removed from her. Later on, the healing atmosphere of the services and the truths read from the Bible and from Science and Health by Mrs. Eddy, together with the testimonies given at the Wednesday testimony meetings, gave her inspiration, courage, and guidance from week to week to work out her problems. Instead of looking to a personal pastor, she turned more and more to the impersonal and permanent pastor and found guidance and help.
The Lesson-Sermons, which are given in the Quarterly, and which are read from the Bible and Science and Health in all Christian Science churches on Sundays, are divinely authorized. These sermons are thus purely spiritual and free from human opinion. They present the Word of God, the pure Christ, Truth.
The Bible contains the truth of creation, of reality, of true being. It declares what God is and who man is as the image and likeness of God. And in the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes we have a standard of life. Paul wrote to Timothy (II Tim. 3:15, 16): "From a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness."
Many who have read and loved the Bible through the centuries have longed to understand it better and to know how its promises may be fulfilled in human experience. Mrs. Eddy had such a longing, and her deep search for God led her to experience a beautiful healing. Through reading the account of the healing of the palsied man, as recorded in Matthew (9: 2–7), she was raised from what was thought to be her deathbed. Then her great love for all mankind caused her to continue her search in the Bible for the complete revelation of Truth. Finding this revelation and testing it by many remarkable healings, she recorded it in Science and Health. This revelation brings the spiritual meaning of the Bible to life for the student of Christian Science. It illumines God's perfect creation as revealed in the first chapter of Genesis. It heals the sick and the sinful by making the Christ, Truth, available and practical in human experience.
Just as Mrs. Eddy received the truth through spiritual discernment and divine revelation, so do we. When I turned to Christian Science as a last resort for a physical healing, I found myself striving humanly for an intellectual understanding of Christian Science in order to bring about the healing. After quite some time Science and Health still remained uncomprehended. At last, in the depths of discouragement and despair because I had not been healed, I decided to study Science and Health to see if I could find God and gain my peace of mind before passing on.
With this desire came a great feeling of God's love and ever-presence. Everything I read was alive with freshness and meaning. The spiritual revelation was so inspiring and uplifting that I wanted to read the book day and night. Physical healing followed immediately, and I found peace of mind. I began to understand God as ever-present Life and Love.
The Bible and Science and Health provide guidance in every discordant situation, comfort for every troubled heart, healing for every ill. The Principle, applied, enables one to work out complete salvation. In these books we can find ourselves, our health, happiness, freedom, yes, the reality of all things.
It is essential that we dig deep in our everyday study of Christian Science and find our God-given inheritance of spiritual understanding to demonstrate the Christ, Truth, and prove our dominion over all evil.
In "The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany" Mrs. Eddy writes (p. 149): "We know Principle only through Science. The Principle of Christ is divine Love, resistless Life and Truth. Then the Science of the Principle must be Christlike, or Christian Science. More than regal is the majesty of the meekness of the Christ-principle; and its might is the ever-flowing tides of truth that sweep the universe, create and govern it; and its radiant stores of knowledge are the mysteries of exhaustless being."Then she adds, "Seek ye these till you make their treasures yours."
