Authorized Christian Science Literature

FRANZ FRIEDRICH BURY

One of the most important means for the spiritual growth of a Christian Scientist is the Christian Science literature. It is of the greatest importance that the seeker after Truth should find a sign clearly pointing out to him the way to heaven; and this he has in the authorized Christian Science literature.

What does it mean for the Christian Science literature to be authorized? Mary Baker Eddy gave to the Trustees under her will the sole right to publish the works on Christian Science of which she was the author. She also gave to The Christian Science Publishing Society the sole right to publish the Christian Science periodicals founded by her. No other organization has, therefore, a right to publish the above-mentioned literature or extracts therefrom. It can be readily understood that the purpose of this arrangement is to protect; and a moment of honest reflection will impel us to give more weight to the term "authorized" than is sometimes done.

The revelation of Truth which leads the wise men of to-day to the recognition of their spiritual kingdom, as did the star in the East the wise men of nineteen centuries ago, must be kept free from mortal tower building such as that of Babel, in order that confusion may be avoided, which estranges workers from unity in their thinking and acting.

The beginner in Christian Science sometimes seems indifferent as to whether he reads authorized Christian Science literature or literature published under the name of Christian Science by unauthorized houses. In doing so he thereby forgets our Master's parable of the one who built his house upon a rock and of the other who built his house on sand. Mrs. Eddy gives us revelation in her writings, and that which is contained in the regularly published periodicals is the result of the operation of this revelation in the consciousness of men. Only he who strives after Mrs. Eddy's revelation, without looking either sideways or backward, is able to say with the conviction of Simon Peter, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."

One of the reasons advanced for reading literature not authorized is that it may be understood "more easily than the authorized literature." At this point it should be remembered that to be authorized means not merely to be conformed to legal formality, but also that authorized Christian Science articles are those which render the thought given by the divine Mind. The truth is spoken to the writers through their understanding, even as it was spoken of old to the children of Israel. It should be clear that if we would preserve the blessings of pure truth, we must not garble it in order to make it more palatable; we must rather strive, through watching and praying, to understand truth as it has been revealed and therefore authorized by God.

A spring is clearest as it comes out of the ground; and divine Truth is seen most clearly when we most faithfully use the means for its unfoldment appointed by Mrs. Eddy. We are all called upon to see that, as Mrs. Eddy says in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 367), "this salt lose not its saltness," that the understanding of the one divine Principle, which our Leader elucidates in her works, is not darkened by thinking which is not based on Principle and therefore not authorized by God. Christ Jesus said, "No man cometh unto the Father, but by me;" the correlative of which may be found in these words of Mrs. Eddy (ibid., p. 326): "He, who would reach the source and find the divine remedy for every ill, must not try to climb the hill of Science by some other road."

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