Article March 29, 1913 Issue

EXACTNESS IN STUDY

GRACE A. WILLIAMS.

The Concordance to "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy, is a necessity to the student who would be exact in his knowledge of this most important of all studies, since there is no more guesswork or rash conclusion in the study of Christian Science than in the study of mathematics. Hasty or perfunctory reading will bring no more correct results than the same process would in mathematics, like which the Science of Christianity is demonstrable, immutable, and unerring.

It follows, therefore, that we cannot be too careful in our study of the text-book, too careful in reaching conclusions, or too careful of our statements in regard to the subject. We should be able to prove our every dogmatic statement about this Science, just as students of mathematics are required to prove their statements. That which is probable must be unerring, else it cannot be proved; and Christian Science is provable. To illustrate: Let us suppose the case of a student of arithmetic who makes up his mind that twice two equals three and ninety-nine hundredths, instead of four. Either in ignorance or wilfulness, or from the vanity of wishing to be called clever, original, or independent, he proceeds to work out all his sums on this false basis. He finds the error growing more involved all the time, until the great amount of labor his cumbersome mistake is causing him, compels him to stop and inquire why it is that others who are using the simple and correct figures are accomplishing their work so much more swiftly and easily. He who is desirous of being thought superior to others finds himself in an ever-widening sea of difficulty, his trifling difference of opinion, as he chose to call it, not working out as he flattered himself it eventually would.

This little illustration teaches us that we have no right morally, spiritually, or logically to take any statement in Science and Health and twist it to suit ourselves. One slightest error leads to others, until finally we have but a confused sense of divine Science; and one who has a confused sense of the Science of Christianity can no more demonstrate it than the student of mathematics who holds incorrect concepts of that science can solve its problems. This is why the Concordance to Science and Health is so useful. When we hear a student of divine Science make an assertion about it which he believes to be scientific and to be corroborated by the text-book, and we are in doubt about his statement, if we own a Concordance we have only to turn to it, find the statement to which our fellow Scientist referred, then look it up in the text-book, and if we do not find it there, to reject it; or if it is given with a different meaning, discernible on careful reading, we are authorized to be reserved respecting it and to hold steadily to the statements of our text-book.

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