Editorial August 15, 1903 Issue

The Revised Church Manual

Fundamentally , all government must be based upon the desire of the governed for the common good, and with this in view, there is prompt and cheerful acquiescence in the laws and rules which have been found necessary to insure the orderly and dignified progress of nations.

In theory, voluntary organizations, whether religious, political, or social, are not in such great need of stringent laws as are nations, but in practice there is precisely the same necessity, and in this regard the Christian Science denomination is no exception. Fortunately, however, our people are law-abiding, through desire to be such, and wilful violations of the By-laws of the Mother Church are rare. That there are violations of these By-laws cannot be denied, but they usually occur through ignorance of any law on the subject, or by reason of an imperfect understanding of the law. The result, so far as confusion is concerned, is, however, the same in either case. The saying, "Ignorance of the law excuses no man," has become a maxim, and while courts are inclined to temper justice with mercy, it has become proverbial that "the law must take its course."

Such rules as have become necessary for the guidance of the members of the Mother Church have been prepared from time to time by our Leader and have been adopted by the proper authorities as the By-laws of the Mother Church. Mrs. Eddy has written the following in explanation of the origin and growth of By-laws.

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