Article February 18, 1922 Issue

The "divine fiat"

ELEANORA BURDETT CARR

Mrs. Eddy, on page 155 of "Miscellaneous Writings," speaks of the "moral obligation" incumbent upon students of Christian Science "to furnish some reading-matter for our denominational organ," and in the same paragraph she says: "If my own students cannot spare time to write to God,—when they address me I shall be apt to forward their letters to Him as our common Parent, and by way of The Christian Science Journal." This thought is in line with all Mrs. Eddy's life and teaching. A Christian Scientist feels that he could recognize it anywhere as hers, because of that ever turning of thought to God, away from self and person, which is the heart of Christian Science healing and teaching. We may be very sure that when we do "write to God," he will answer us. Let us, therefore, fulfill our obligations, and from this obedience blessings will flow and our daily supplies of spiritual ideas, which mankind so sorely needs, will increase.

It may be seen that one who enrolls his name as a member of a Christian Science church, whether it be The Mother Church, a branch church, or both, thereby incurs certain moral obligations; and this is brought out clearly in many other of Mrs. Eddy's writings: for instance, on page 284 of "Miscellaneous Writings" she says: "I deprecate personal animosities and quarrels. But if one is intrusted with the rules of church government, to fulfil that trust those rules must be carried out; thus it is with all moral obligations." Also the Manual of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, contains the By-laws which Mrs. Eddy has provided, enumerating and elucidating the moral obligations that she required The Christian Science Board of Directors, the officers in her church, Christian Science teachers, and all Christian Scientists to fulfill. It is quite certain that she understood these rules and obligations to be the demand of divine Principle, not of person; but this does not relegate them to the realm of pure abstraction, for they are to be applied exactly as stated in the Foreword of the Manual, they are to deal with each human problem as the necessity arises. These By-laws are intrusted to human beings who understand that, in Mrs. Eddy's words as quoted above, "those rules must be carried out."

Does this word "must" seem to us a stern little word? How many of us like the sound of it? Perhaps it has rather an unpleasant ring to some of us, reminiscent of early tussles and rebellions,—stormy, tearful episodes of childish self-will and repentance. Then, alas! some of us have to confess to later struggles and more mature resistance to some "must," followed maybe by the bowing of the head to a seemingly inexorable decree of mortal mind, inherent in the material scheme of things to which we were in bondage. Will it surprise the student of Christian Science to learn that even in the path of freedom from material slavery which Christian Science offers there is still an inexorable "must," an irresistible compulsion which cannot be disobeyed?

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