Article February 19, 1916 Issue

A New Enrichment

REV. WILLIAM P. MC KENZIE

For a long time earnest students of Christian Science have gathered from Science and Health the coherent teaching of Mrs. Eddy on practical topics by the use of its full concordance, and from her other published works by means of partial indexes. The recent appearance of a complete concordance to these other writings is therefore a special occasion for gratitude and rejoicing, in that it renders the entire field of her published thought accessible to every one without the expenditure of much time or extended labor.

Mrs. Eddy's teaching, as contained in her books, we conceive to be the pure spring of living water for this age, for it draws from the eternal fountains revealed in days of old by prophets and seers and messengers of God, and offers its blessing universally. The apostle Peter, using the figure of light, speaks of prophecy as thus unfolding its blessing: "Whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts." He declares that the message of Scripture is not of private interpretation, indicating that it is not sectarian or divisive, but scientific and universal, and he goes on to say, "No prophecy ever came by the will of man: but men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Ghost." Thus the Revised Version clarifies an often quoted passage. These utterances of "holy men of God" in the past have, through the interpretation and demonstration of Christian Science, become present inspiration.

The consummation of prophecy, the interpretation of mystery, was found in the acts of Christ Jesus; yet he taught his disciples so to labor that their acts were acts of healing. Mrs. Eddy shows the universality of this teaching when she says, "Jesus gave his disciples (students) power over all manner of diseases; and the Bible was written in order that all peoples, in all ages, should have the same opportunity to become students of the Christ, Truth, and thus become God-endued with power (knowledge of divine law) and with 'signs following' (The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany, p. 190). Science and Health unfolds this opportunity because it has proved to be a "Key to the Scriptures" by opening the treasure-house that the doors of the past had shut off from men of today. And now indeed we have guidance additional, since in these other writings of Mrs. Eddy there are three hundred and sixty-five references in clarification of the Old Testament, and a thousand and thirty-one in exposition of the New.

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