It is
quite amazing that we have easy access to the original "Defence of ChristianScience" article through http://www.JSH-Online.com. It is interesting to compare it with what we
have in No and Yes.
I got up
in the middle of the night to write: “All that overturning caused her to rise
ever higher in her understanding of God, Principle, and enabled her to
elucidate her ideal more clearly in the booklet and in revisions of Science
and Health with Key to the Scriptures.”
It's wonderful
that Mrs. Eddy could classify Christian Science as “that crystallized
expression”! (2.2) How well she knew her topic. (Crystallized: became crystal
clear and fully formed. Merriam-Webster)
It
would, perhaps, be a worthwhile exercise to compile a list of so-called
mind-healing systems which sprang up as the result of Mrs. Eddy's discovery of
the method of Scientific spiritual healing, and the publishing of its textbook;
systems, the roots of which can be found in the years following 1866. How many
of these are still operating to-day? Many have tried to use the ideas, but left
God out of the equation.
There is
so much of absolute Truth in this booklet that one finds every word a blessing
and a lesson in living, especially living Christian Science. On page
9 I found this: “Divinely defined, Science is the atmosphere of God;”
A
visitor to our Reading Room opened our conversation with, “Which is the most
prominent in Christian Science, the Science or the Christian?” My reply seemed
to satisfy him, “Christian Science is the Science of Christianity.” Earlier, I had been reading from the bound volumes of the Christian
Science periodicals, when the thought came: “What is the main purpose of the
Reading Room?” The answer, “To make Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures (by Mary Baker Eddy) available to the public.”
So, I
began at the beginning (page iii) and read aloud from that book – up to page 8.
I was about to close the Reading Room when my visitor entered. We had a helpful
talk and he was very interested in all the different editions of the textbook,
including the tiny one which he seemed to favour. However, he borrowed the
lovely paperback marble edition.
As I
look back at that definition of Science, I consider that on that occasion “the
atmosphere of God” was present to bless our meeting with Principle and Love.
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