Page:Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures.djvu/301

Rh to the world, because contrary to the world's religious sense. Men believed in God as a person, but not in the Divine Principle.

Science, as connected with Christianity, is an obsolete word. Mystery enshrouds religion, which is made a theory, rather than a practice.

All revelation (such is the popular thought) must come from the schools, and along the line of scholarly and ecclesiastical descent, as kings are crowned from a royal dynasty. The great Truth elaborated by Jesus, in healing the sick and sinful, was the Principle of the man, — the Christ, that governed the personal Jesus. Outsiders did not then, and do not now, understand this Principle, or Christ, and they cannot demonstrate its healing power. Neither can the person of Christ be understood, until its Principle is explained in Divine Science.

It is possible — it is the duty and privilege of every child, man, and woman — to follow in some degree the example of the Master. This is just what Christians claim to do; but do they follow him as they might? No! Hear these imperative commands: “Be ye perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect;” “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature;” “Heal the sick.”

Why have these demands so little inspiration to spur us to Christian effort? Because men are assured that these commands were addressed to only a select number of followers. This teaching is more pernicious than the old doctrine of foreordination, the election of a few to be saved in heaven, while the rest are damned in hell; and so it will be considered when the demands of Divine Science break this lethargy of mortal belief.