God is Fixed Principle

Duncan Sinclair

How does it come about that the Christian Scientist is so certain of his position, so sure that his religious convictions are sound and well grounded, so convinced that these convictions will never be shaken by aught that men can say in the name of revelation and reason? The answer is that through Christian Science he has obtained an understanding of God as fixed, demonstrable Principle. The Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, writes in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 128): "Science relates to Mind, not matter. It rests on fixed Principle and not upon the judgment of false sensation." The Christian Scientist acknowledges these words of Mrs. Eddy to be true, and knows them to be true because he has been able to some extent to prove the truth which they set forth.

Uncertainty with regard to any question is always unsatisfactory and disconcerting; when the question pertains to God, uncertainty may become positively disastrous. And, unfortunately, uncertainty with regard to Deity is still one of the most tragic sources of the nightmares which torture the human race. Through many long centuries the prophets or spiritual seers of the race have gradually discovered the nature of God and His creation. But while the majority of men readily accept, ofttimes without the slightest misgiving, the findings or so-called discoveries of their fellow-men on questions pertaining to material phenomena, which they must know will soon be replaced by other discoveries, it has to be admitted that they tend to look askance at what should be of far greater interest to them, namely, the spiritual discoveries or revelations of God which prophet and seer have made. It is evident that these revelations have been made, crystallizing themselves, as it were, at certain more especially well-defined periods, through such men as Abraham, Moses, the prophets, and Christ Jesus, and in our own day through Mary Baker Eddy. The march has been progressive, until now the divine nature, God and His spiritual creation, can be studied and understood with absolute certainty through Christian Science.

"My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise. . . . For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds," sang the Psalmist, when God was but feebly understood by men compared with the knowledge of to-day. And yet, how great was the faith in the goodness of God of the writer just quoted! Centuries later, the great Apostle to the Gentiles wrote, "I am persudaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." The revelation of God made by Christ Jesus had convinced Paul that nothing could separate him from God, who is Love. Always, when men have lauded the goodness of God, they have been assured of His love; they have been certain of their knowledge of Him as the God of love and goodness.

Now, it is precisely this assurance or certainty of God's nature, but in far greater degree, which Christian Science gives to mankind. Christian Science has brought the final revelation of God to men with great clarity, showing them that not only is God infinite good and perfect Love, but that He is also fixed Principle. There is no variability, no changeableness in God; He is "the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever." It is only the beliefs of men that change, those feeble, unstable concepts of God which cause them to be sick, to suffer, and to die. But God is fixed Principle. And this fixed Principle is the cause of all real effect, the cause of creation,—the real spiritual creation; and God being infinite Spirit, there is no other real creation. Once let the truth be grasped that God is fixed Principle, and there opens up the way through Christian Science to learning the laws of this divine Principle and how to demonstrate them in the solution of the problems of life. For as our Leader says in Science and Health (pp. 112, 113): "God is the Principle of divine metaphysics. As there is but one God, there can be but one divine Principle of all Science; and there must be fixed rules for the demonstration of this divine Principle."

In a very pertinent sense, then, it can be said by the student of Christian Science, "My heart is fixed," because he understands something absolutely true about God as fixed Principle. And it can be as truthfully said that he does know God exactly as he understands Him as fixed Principle and is able to demonstrate the rules of divine Principle in healing sickness and sin. No other proof is needed of his knowledge of God as fixed Principle than that. It is of a truth written on page 174 of Science and Health: "The thunder of Sinai and the Sermon on the Mount are pursuing and will overtake the ages, rebuking in their course all error and proclaiming the kingdom of heaven on earth. Truth is revealed. It needs only to be practised."

Duncan Sinclair.

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