Article December 14, 1918 Issue

Alertness

CHARLES A. BLAKE

A Class of young men in a Christian Science Sunday school, ranging in age from eighteen up to twenty, were discussing the lesson of the day, when one of the number repeated a statement which he said was the spiritual interpretation of a Scripture text which had just been read and which was in the Christian Science Bible Lesson for that day. The teacher recognized that the quotation was not from any of Mrs. Eddy's writings, and on inquiring where the pupil had learned the statement in question was told that it was taken from a book which had been recommended as helpful and in line with correct Christian Science teaching. As the teacher knew nothing of the book or of the author, and as he also had a high regard for the one who was said to have recommended the book, he saw that here was a situation which called for wisdom in dealing with it. He was, however, mindful of the admonition contained in the by-law entitled "Alertness to Duty" in Article VIII, Section 6, of the Manual of The Mother Church, "It shall be the duty of every member of this Church to defend himself daily against aggressive mental suggestion, and not be made to forget nor to neglect his duty to God, to his Leader, and to mankind." He was equally sure that here was an error which must be handled.

The thought of the teacher was lifted to God for wisdom and guidance, and he gently pointed out that although the writer of a book might have a good understanding of the Scriptures, the Manual of The Mother Church contained the rules governing what should be taught in the Christian Science Sunday school, so that, regardless of the merit of any other books as helps in the study of the Scriptures, nothing but the Bible and the Christian Science textbook had any place in the Sunday school. The teacher then pointed out the fact that the truths taught in the Bible and in Mrs. Eddy's writings were not mere theories but had been demonstrated before they had been given to the world, and that every one could prove them for himself in the measure of his spiritual understanding of those teachings. He also showed how the authorized Christian Science literature could be likened to water direct from a spring, and that Mrs. Eddy had taken great pains to safeguard by every means in her power this genuine, operative Christian Science as revealed to her. The teacher also stated that in time of stress it had often been proved that nothing less than the absolute truth about God as contained in the Scriptures and stated clearly and consistently in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" was at all adequate to meet the needs of humanity. It was further stated that if the students in that class had not already done so, the time would come when they would find satisfaction in nothing but "the absolute Christian Science contained in their textbook" (Manual, Art. XX, Sect. 3), and they would then bless the wisdom of our Leader in providing the Sunday school and prescribing the method of teaching.

At the close of the Sunday school the pupil who had quoted the statement in question took pains to thank the teacher for pointing out the error, and said that he felt sure it would be a help to him to realize the truth pointed out, and the teacher rejoiced that he had not been made to neglect his duty "to God, to his Leader, and to mankind."

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