Article December 16, 1922 Issue

"Watch"

A. HERVEY-BATHURST

How frequently one hears Christian Scientists emphasize the necessity of obeying Jesus' important and valuable advice, "What I say unto you I say unto all, Watch." Undoubtedly, the most important phase of a Christian Scientist's "watching" is to see that he is not made "to forget nor to neglect his duty to God, to his Leader, and to mankind" (Church Manual, Art. VIII, Sect. 6). The "duty" of a Christian Scientist with respect to his Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, clearly is, not merely to obey the letter of the By-laws of the Church Manual, but to fulfill or carry out as thoroughly and completely as possible every injunction, and to follow every word of advice given by her as closely as possible. At the present moment, there is a special need for every member of The Mother Church to be sure that he is obeying the above-mentioned By-law by complying with our Leader's "desire," clearly set forth on pages 352 and 353 of "The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany."

Might it not be justly said that the Christian Scientist may be tempted to go to sleep or to be put off guard in such a way as to make him least effective, least active in helping mankind to recognize Truth or reality, whereby it may learn to free itself from the fetters of materiality? Our Leader has, perhaps, never emphasized anything more forcibly than the necessity for obedience; and it is certain that no Christian Scientist would consciously or willingly disobey Mrs. Eddy. The remarkable thing, however, is that, at the moment of writing, by no means every Christian Scientist subscribes to The Christian Science Monitor. Yet Mrs. Eddy sent a message to the Christian Scientists, and at the same time to the world, which is recorded on pages 352 and 353 of Miscellany, where she says, "My desire is that every Christian Scientist, and as many others as possible, subscribe for and read our daily newspaper."

Why does our Leader's desire go unheeded to so great an extent? Would it not be reasonable to ask whether, if unable to see the necessity and importance of obedience in one instance, we can be certain that we are obedient in other instances, —that is, with respect to the other words of advice and guidance that Mrs. Eddy has given us, many of them less plainly stated than the "desire" referred to above?

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