CHRISTIAN SCIENCE. The religion, or interpretation of the Christian religion, dis covered and founded by Mary Baker Eddy (q.v.). Christian Scientists regard it as the restoration and divinely promised fulfilment of the religion taught and practised by Christ Jesus. It is defined by Mrs. Eddy as °the law of God, the law of good, interpreting and dem onstrating the divine Principle and rule of uni versal harmony* ('Rudimental Divine Science,' P.
lo the question, What did Mrs. Eddy dis cover? Christian Scientists answer that she dis covered the law of God, the law of Life, Truth and Love, as well as the rule, the systematic method or practice, for demonstrating the Prin ciple of harmonious being. Besides this she added immeasurably to the world's knowledge of spiritual reality as distinguished from ma terial belief. Anyone who would understand Christian Science °must begin," says Mrs. Eddy. °by reckoning God as the divine Principle of all that really is" and Health with Key to the Scriptures,' p. 275). Whatever is the object or subject of thought, unless God made it, unless it expresses His being, it is illusive, destructible and unreal. This is the basis of Christian Science practice. On this basis the Christian Scientist works to purify human thought and to realize the truth of being.
The Christian Science definition of God is °incorporeal, divine, supreme, infinite Mind, Spirit, Soul, Principle, Life, Truth, Love' (
Since Christian Science is based on the teaching and example of Jesus, it has a definite and emphatic view of him and his mission. To begin with, it distinguishes between Jesus and the Christ as between what is human and what is divine. In the authorized literature of Chris tian Science the word °Jesus* usually refers to the person whom Christian Scientists regard as Teacher and Way-shower. The word °Christ" may refer to him, to his spiritual self hood, or to his office as the Messiah, Saviour or Christ. Usually, however, Christian Scien
tists use the word "Christ* .n an entirely im personal manner, as Saint Paul sometimes used IL Thus Mrs. Eddy defines "Christ" as "the divine manifestation of God, which comes to the flesh to destroy incarnate error" ((Science and Health,' p. 583). As for the mission of Jesus, Christian Science finds the index to it in his description of himself as the Teacher and the Way, His teaching and example showed the way of salvation for all men and made him the Way-shower as well as the Teacher or Master. Accordingly, the system which he taught was called the Way by the early Christians. This fact appears frequently in the historical Book of Acts (ix, 2; xvui, 25— 26; xix, 9, 23; xxii, 4; xxiv, 14, 22) and in some of the Epistles (Heb. x, 20; 2 Peter ii, 2). Originally, therefore, Christianity was, to quote modern translations of Hebrews and Second Peter, "the way which he (Jesus) dedi cated for us, a new and living way," "the way of the truth." Christian Science, utterly rejects the doctrine that Jesus, by his death, paid a ransom to the devil and thus wrought the deliverance of those who believed on him. Christian Science likewise rejects the doctrine that the righteousness of Jesus was accepted by the Father as a substitute for the righteousness of mankind lost through the fall, and that the death of Jesus was accepted by the Father as an equivalent of the punishment justly incurred by mankind; men being consequently released from punishinent, on condition of their accept ance through faith of his sacrifice. And of course Christian Science rejects the various re finements of these doctrines which have con tinued to the present day. Christi:it, Science finds the supremely efficacious service of Jesus in his life, including his overcoming of death, as he himself said, "Because I live, ye shall live also." The way which he showed or dedi cated was new, as distinguished from the sub stitutional sacrifices of the Old Testament. It was also living, for he overcame death with the full proof of life and immortality. Further more, he dedicated it for us; hence it is avail able to us, even as it was to him. So the per tinent tenet of Christian Science reads, We acknowledge Jesus' atonement as the evidence of divine, efficacious Love, unfolding man's unity with God through Christ Jesus the Way shower; and we acknowledge that man is saved through Christ, through Truth, Life and Love as demonstrated by the Galilean Prophet in healing the sick and overcoming sin and death" ((Science and Health,' p. 497).