For ages men believed that the earth was the center of the universe. Proceeding upon this assumption, they developed a theory of astronomy, known as the Ptolemaic, which argued that the moon, the sun, the fixed stars, and each of the planets were located in different "crystalline spheres" revolving at different rates of speed around the earth as a center. Thus they tried to account for the varying movements of the different heavenly bodies. Soon after this hypothesis was developed, the phenomenon known as the retrograde motion of the planets was observed. Trying to explain this, the supposition of "cycles and epicycles" was added to the theory, until the Ptolemaic astronomy became a maze of complexity, and failed even then, as admitted by its adherents, adequately to account for the observed phenomena of planetary motion.
At last it occurred to Copernicus and Galileo to cease regarding the earth as the center of the universe or of the solar system, and to fix upon the sun as the center. Very soon the fundamentals of our present system of astronomy were established, the Ptolemaic system was thrown away as worthless, to be regarded in the future as one of the curiosities of human belief. It was soon discovered that the so-called retrograde motion of the planets is only apparent; that the appearance results because we are viewing the planets not from the sun which is the center of their revolution, but from the earth, which is itself a planet revolving around the sun in a different orbit and at a different rate from all the rest. Thus the grotesque labyrinth of supposed crystalline spheres, cycles, and epicycles was wholly explained away and all the tangles of apparent motion were adequately accounted for.
For ages men have believed that sense testimony, other names for which are "self," "the carnal mind," "the flesh," is the prime center, or at least one of the important and authoritative means of gaining knowledge about the universe and about man. Proceeding upon this assumption, systems of philosophy and theology have been wrought out, which have become increasingly complex and contradictory and which are in many directions as far from an adequate explanation or solution of the problems of life as at the start. The problem of evil has vexed all the philosophers, even as the problem of the retrograde motion of the planets did the astronomers. Evils have multiplied and diseases and sins have increased in kind and number. Apparent gains in some directions have been, to a large extent, offset by losses in other directions. The whole process has not been much better than a treadmill performance, though it must be conceded that enough of the light of true Christianity has dawned upon the human race to result in some measure of progress. But by those who cling to sense testimony as one of the fundamental avenues to knowledge, nothing like an adequate theory of life has been evolved. Working from this basis, "he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow." Working from this standpoint men are "ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." This is because sense testimony, the carnal mind, "is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be;" because "the flesh lusteth against the Spirit [God], and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other." God is the sole creator and the sole governor of all, and sense testimony, which is enmity to Him, can of course give no true or reliable information about His universe or about His children.
"In the fulness of time" it was revealed to our Leader, Mrs. Eddy, to cease regarding sense testimony as a reliable source or avenue for gaining knowledge, and to fix upon God. Spirit, the divine Mind, as the sole center and source of knowledge. This revelation came to her through an accurate understanding of the teachings of the Bible, such as, for instance, the following words from Paul: "Eye [sense testimony] hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God." Working from this basis, a concept of man and the universe was reached which is perfectly clear and satisfactory to all those who once grasp it. It is the orderly setting forth, and logically consistent interpretation, of the teachings of Christ Jesus, and was most fittingly named Christian Science. Its teachings furnish an adequate method for the practical solution of the problem of evil, a philosophy and method which commands the absolute confidence of all those who come to understand it, and which has already proven itself to be efficacious in the conquest of those phases of evil known as sin and sickness, thus showing clearly and unmistakably that, with the added skill which the race will gain with continued practice of this method, the evils of death and matter will finally be completely overcome, so that the prophecy of John shall be fulfilled: "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth [the eternal spiritual heaven and earth, which are "new" merely to mortal man's advancing understanding]: for the first heaven and the first earth [the material sense of heaven and earth, "first" to the "natural man," but neither "first" nor last nor intermediary to God] were passed away. . . And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he [good] will dwell with them, and they shall be his people. . . . And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."
The retrograde motion of the planets is not real, but only apparent. So evil is not real, but only apparent. Evil appears to us, and thus the problem of evil presents itself for solution, simply because we do not view the universe from the standpoint of God, Spirit, who is its source and center, but because we view it from a supposed standpoint of matter and sense, a sense of substance and self separate and apart from God. This sense is not real or in any degree trustworthy, but is merely suppositional, like any other mistake. Adam stands for a false and unreal sense of the universe and man, a sense which is contrary to the true view, the perception of Him who alone occupies that true center of observation, from which all things are seen in the divine order; and when we come to see these things as they are, there will be no discord. In order to understand correctly the movements of the solar system, we are obliged to throw away the direct evidence of the senses, and through the use of reason theoretically project ourselves to the sun as a post of observation. Then all becomes plain and harmonious. In order to understand the true philosophy of life, we must likewise turn from the direct evidence of the senses, and through reason project ourselves from our eccentric point of view to the standpoint of God. Making Him sole premise or Principle from which to draw conclusions, we must reason out from His nature how things must be, thus "comparing spiritual things with spiritual."
The Copernican theory of the solar system was not at once understood by either the so-called learned men of that time or by the common people. Most men termed it rank nonsense; and the discoverer and early expounders of the theory were bitterly persecuted; but this theory is now universally accepted. Christian Science likewise is not at once understood by the most of the so-called learned men of this age, nor by most of the common people. It is regarded as foolishness by some, as was the truth in Paul's day, and its Discoverer and Founder is much misunderstood, misrepresented, and maligned, but Christian Science will in time be universally recognized as the only correct Science of Life and its manifold expressions.
