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The
Scientific System of
Healing
The term Christian Science
designates the scientific system
of healing sin and disease as
discovered by Mary
Baker Eddy in 1866. She
writes of this discovery in the
Christian Science textbook,
Science and
Health with Key to the
Scriptures, "In the year
1866, I discovered the Christ
Science or divine laws of Life,
Truth, and Love, and named my
discovery Christian Science. God
had been graciously preparing me
during many years for the
reception of this final
revelation of the absolute divine
Principle of scientific mental
healing." (p. 107)
Mrs. Eddy writes further on
the same page, "Through Christian
Science, religion and medicine
are inspired with a diviner
nature and essence; fresh pinions
are given to faith and
understanding, and thoughts
acquaint themselves intelligently
with God."
Is Christian Science
Christian?
What is it to be
Christian? to be Christ-like? Is
it not to imitate Christ
Jesus? What did he do in his
brief ministry of three years? He
taught, he loved, he patiently
endured bitter persecution, he
healed all manner of disease. He
cast out devils, he destroyed sin
and triumphed over death and the
grave. To do as he did is to be
Christ-like, to be Christian. He
commanded his disciples to follow
him in these demonstrations,
saying, If ye believe in me the
same works that I do ye shall do
also. For this is the way of
Life; the healing of the body was
not the end, but the means to the
end, the way of learning and
proving the omnipotence and
naturalness of Good, Life, and
Love.
Thus he showed us how to work
out for ourselves the problem of
celestial being, gaining through
tears, struggles, trials, the
triumphant victory at last, of
unity with Good—God—the
omnipresent, divine
consciousness. This struggle and
progressive attainment brings out
the fruits of Spirit: peace, joy,
health, harmony, heaven, here and
now.
Christian Science is based on
the teachings and demonstrations
of Christ Jesus and Christian
Scienctists (adherents of this
religion) turn to the
Bible as their daily
companion and guide to eternal
Life. The first tenent of
Christian Scientists reads: "As
adherents of Truth, we take the
inspired Word of the Bible as our
sufficient guide to eternal
Life." (Science and Health, p.
407)
Why the Term
Science?
For centuries the word science
has been so appropriated by
materialists, and claimed to have
relation only to physical causes,
and their phenomena, that quite a
shock was felt when it was first
applied to religion. The term
science is properly applicable to
anything that shows the relations
between laws, principles, and
systematized facts, whether
material or immaterial. Webster
defines it as: "(1) Ascertained
Truth; (2) Accumulated and
ascertained knowledge which has
been formulated and systematized
with reference to the discovery
of truths by the operation of
laws; (3) A collection of the
general principles, or leading
truths, relating to any subject
arranged in systematic
order."
Pure Science is built upon
self-evident truths. Exact
Science is knowledge, so arranged
that prediction and verrification
by experiment are possible.
Applied Science is a knowledge of
phenomena as explained, accounted
for, or produced by means of
powers, causes, or laws.
Christian Science fulfils
every demand of these definitions
— it is a provable or
demonstrable truth.
The Divine Laws of Life
and Love
Christian Scientists take the
“Scriptures for their guide
to eternal life.” (Science
and Health, p. 497) As recorded
in the Bible, David repeatedly
prayed “to understand Thy
law;” “I meditate on
Thy law;” “Make me to
see wondrous things out of Thy
law,” evidently recognizing
it as something to be spiritually
discerned. As above and beyond
the so-called physical law Jesus
said: “I came not to
destroy, but to fulfil the
law.” To complete the
demonstration of the immortal law
of endless life, Paul said:
“The law of the Spirit of
Life in Christ Jesus hath made me
free from the law of sin and
death.” Also: “The
carnal mind is not subject to the
law of God, neither indeed can
be.” Since God's law is a
law of infinite Spirit, this
carnal mind is outside the
infinite Reality of the divine
law of life and love.
John said: “Sin is
lawlessness.” Therefore, sin
is outside the Reality of the
infinite law of God or Good,
where Spirit is supreme.
This brings us to the Reality
of the law of Good, of Life and
Love, and thus we see that
Christianity as a revelation and
demonstration of divine law is
not Christianity unless it is
Scientific.
Revealed to a
Woman
It is, perhaps, a surprise to
many that this Science of
Sciences should have come through
a woman — a woman meek and
mighty, strong in the strength of
spirit, brave with the courage of
a God-bestowed evangel. But upon
diligent examination and study,
this is not in the least bit
strange.
Truth is not a tower of Babel,
a structure of material
hypotheses and theories, reaching
Heaven on a material basis. It is
a revelation, descending from
God, out of Heaven. It is
spiritually discerned by the pure
in heart. The transparency of a
purified affection, a selfless
glorified life of love and
tenderness were the
requisites.
Woman first proved the divine
fatherhood of God. First at the
sepulchre, she saw the
immortality of man proven and
rise superior to fleshly
conditions and material laws, and
now woman has given us the
Science of Infinite Being,
revealing the limitless
possibilities of man, as heir
through divine birthright of all
good, eternal life and
perfection.
Click
here to read more about the
Discoverer and Founder of
Christian Science, Mary
Baker Eddy and the
experiences that led her to
establish this system of divine
healing as a worldwide and
respected religion.
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