Editorial November 13, 1915 Issue

Law a Power

Annie M. Knott

Few people would be willing to deny the power of law, however understood, but there would doubtless be great diversity of opinion as to how this power could be proved. On the material plane the punishment of a criminal proves nothing more than a feeble attempt to assert the dignity of a law which has been broken by the wrong-doer. Some obey law because it is a necessary provision for human safety, even though they regard it as restrictive. This is, however, a long way behind the attitude of those who have come to realize that all just laws spring from the demands of divine Principle and that the recognition of law, rightly understood, is no less an integral part of human consciousness than is reason. All such can joyfully exclaim with the psalmist, "O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day."

The student of Christian Science gains new views of law as he studies its text-book, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," and Mrs. Eddy's other writings, especially the article "Spirit and Law" in "Miscellaneous Writings" (pp. 256–259), where she says: "The assertion that matter is a law, or a lawgiver, is anomalous. Wherever law is, Mind is." It soon becomes apparent that in spite of popular opinion disease has no law to support it, nor has sin, since both are the product not of intelligence but of ignorance. To prove this it is necessary to relate law to divine Mind, Spirit, God; then we have a concept of law as intelligent, powerful, and good. The understanding of law gained in Christian Science explains the so-called miracles of Jesus, and heals the sick today even as in the Master's time, but this law must be declared in order to annul the operation of the asserted law of disease or sin.

Now the Christian Scientist not only believes that divine law is power, but he applies his understanding of this truth to the varied experiences of daily living. Christian Science is constantly proving that fevers and diseases of all kinds are lawless, hence their powerlessness is shown when spiritual law is declared, as in the case of Peter's "wife's mother," who was healed by Christ Jesus. It is not, however, so generally known that the moral law, when spiritually understood and declared, rights wrongs of every name and nature. The writer knows of a number of instances in which stolen property was restored to the owner when no suspicious or condemnatory thought was directed toward any one, but where the first and the eighth commandments were declared daily by the one whose articles had been taken, until these were restored to the rightful owner.

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