CHRISTIAN SCIENCE.
Christian Science is the definitive name of the religious organization and movement which represents the life-work and teaching of Mary Baker G. Eddy. Respecting her discernment of Christian Science and the use of this term, she says : "In the year 1866, I discovered the Christ Science or divine laws of Life, Truth, and Love, and named my discovery Christian Science. I knew the Principle of all harmonious Mind action to be God, and that cures were produced in primitive Christian healing by holy. uplifting faith ; but I must know the Science of this heal ing, and I won my way to absolute conclusions through divine revelation, reason and demon stration" (Science and Health, pp. 107, tog). The term Christian Science or Divine Science also designates that apprehension and scientific statement of truth which embraces all right ideas, all that is good, beautiful, and true. It is the fullness of divine consciousness, the wis dom of God.
In keeping with the teaching of Christ Jesus, to which its unswerving loyalty is affirmed, Christian Science recognizes God as infinite Truth and Love. He is divine Principle, the only Cause and creator: and reasoning deduc tively therefrom, it declares that there is no real being, no liie intelligence, or substance apart from God. Says Mrs. Eddy, "Christian Science reveals incontrovertibly that Mind is ALL-IN-ALL, that the only realities are the divine Mind and idea" (Science and Health, p. tog).
That which especially differentiates Christian Science from all other systems of Christian thought is its insistence upon the logical se quences of the divine idealism of Christ Jesus, its denial of the reality of matter, sin, sickness, and death—all that is not in keeping with the divine nature and immediately traceable to the divine activity. Discarding the teaching that evil is an educational necessity and a divine provi sion, it declares it to be but the sequence of false material sense, the liar and the lie which is "an abomination unto the Lord." Identifying all substance and reality with Mind and its manifestations, and all unideality as false sense or illusion, Christian Science teaches that heal ing, escape from sin. sickness, and death, is to be realized by the attainment of the Mind "which was also in Christ Jesus." Drug medication is
therefore discarded as a relic of superstition, and reliance upon the declaration and demon stration of the truth of being is inculcated as the true remedy for all mortal ills.
Christian Science teaches that the real uni verse, including immortal man, is spiritual and perfect, because it is the constant going forth or phenomena of infinite Spirit, and that the so-called world .of matter, including the mortal. material man, whom St. Paul names "the carnal man," is an objectified false concept of that which is true.
The text-book of Christian Science, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," by Mrs. Eddy, was first published in 1875, and the subsequent phenomenal growth of the movement is distinctly traceable to the unnumbered heal ings from sin and all kinds of disease which have attended the apprehension of Scripture truth as it is interpreted in this book.
The first Christian Science church, known as The Mother Church, in Boston, Mass., was erected in 1894, at a cost of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. There are now (1907) seven hundred and fourteen organized churches and three hundred and ten societies, and very many splendid church buildings have been erected, including the impressive structure completed in 1906, at an expense of two million dollars, which is officially known as The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, The Mother Church. The total number of adherents of the move ment is unknown, but it may safely be estimated as many hundreds of thousands.
Mrs. Eddy has instituted and made effective all the varied activities of the Church life. Shc founded its periodicals, and for many years edited The Christian Science Journal. She established the Metaphysical College and the Board of Lectureship, instituted the Lesson Sermons, which have replaced the preaching service of other Christian churches, and, as sisted by a board of directors, she still retains her active leadership of the entire organization.
Christian Scientists believe in God, in the divinity of Christ, in the inspiration of the Scriptures, in unceasing prayer, in the highest morality of thought and conduct, and in the practical possibility of a present overcoming of sill and all its effects through spiritual appre hension of the Christ, Truth.