Article June 15, 1918 Issue

The ancient Athenians were evidently inclined to be on...

The Christian Science Monitor

The ancient Athenians were evidently inclined to be on the safe side in religious affairs, so they erected an altar with the inscription, "TO THE UNKNOWN GOD." It is not to be wondered at that a man as zealous for Christianity as was Paul, was stirred by such a sentiment. We find him, therefore, standing "in the midst of Mars' hill," using the altar's inscription as the basis of his memorable speech, urging mankind "that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: for in him we live, and move, and have our being." It is very evident from all this that God must come into every one's life in the nature and after the manner of a discovery or a revelation. This, however, is only another way of saying that God can only be found or discovered in the things of God, the creations of Spirit. "It is also plain," to quote Mrs. Eddy (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 124), "that we should not seek and cannot find God in matter, or through material methods; neither do we love and obey Him by means of matter, or the flesh,—which warreth against Spirit, and will not be reconciled thereto."

It is safe to say, therefore, that nothing real or eternal has ever been discovered by means of the physical senses, nor has God ever been found in matter. Matter, of course, seems to be subordinate to certain laws, but these laws are not in nor of matter. Take, for instance, the law of numbers that enters so much into the material affairs of the world; do we not have to admit that even if the entire universe of matter were to disappear, and planets and suns were no more, the law of numbers might still remain and be the same eternally, thereby proving that law is not in matter nor dependent upon it? Of the law suggested to Newton by a falling apple, Mrs. Eddy says: "True, Newton named it gravitation, having learned so much; but Science, demanding more, pushes the question: Whence or what is the power back of gravitation,—the intelligence that manifests power?" (Miscellaneous Writings, pp. 22-23.) So the question: How is it possible to discover God or recognize the ideas that point Him out? can be answered in only one way, namely, that we can discover Him only by means of the law of Christian Science.

"Reason," to quote Mrs. Eddy again, "is the most active human faculty" (Science and Health, p. 327). And reason quite naturally refuses to be forever confined to the testimony of the physical senses; in fact, reason is constantly demanding liberty therefrom. So we find that reason always seeks Science and law. Now all Science and law, if they be worthy of the name, point to one harmonious source, and show unmistakably that God is their author and progenitor. Man never made law nor science, he can only discover them. Christian Science, or divine Science, is, therefore, of God, and is one with God. It cannot be separated from God nor considered apart from Spirit. Hence it unerringly points to God. Christian Science demands that this law, or divine Principle, be demonstrated, for only by demonstration can it be proved that we have found God and discovered infinite good. Mrs. Eddy, with the greatest sense of exactness, calls herself the Discoverer of Christian Science. The letter of this Science which she gives us in its textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," will help us to imbibe the Spirit thereof, so that in a certain sense we also shall become discoverers,—having found the Truth that is God.

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit

The ancient Athenians were evidently inclined to be on...

We'd love to hear from you!

Sign up for unlimited access