Editorial October 18, 1930 Issue

Knowing and Controlling Self

Clifford P. Smith

If Christ Jesus taught a definite method for the mental practice which is required to obtain salvation from evil, the authors of the four Gospels did not record it at length. Nor did any speaker or writer in the New Testament explain this method in more than a general way. Therefore, an exceedingly important part of Christian Science is Mrs. Eddy's discernment and elucidation of the mental and spiritual practice by which divine law and power can be employed to avoid or destroy evil and to exclude its effects from human experience.

Christian Science begins to declare the Science of being by defining God as "the divine Principle of all that really is" (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy, p. 275). Therefore, God is the divine Principle of all real thought; infinite Mind is the only source of true thinking. Consistently with this beginning, this Science discloses that the only adversary—the only devil or evil—is nothing else than error in the guise of thought. Although error has no origin and no reality, it seems to be both collective and particular (Retrospection and Introspection, by Mrs. Eddy, p. 67). Thus, collective error seems to tempt man (individual consciousness) with particular errors in the guise of his own thoughts. To the extent that an individual detects and rejects such errors, he is free, joyful, and saved. To the extent that he accepts them, he is in trouble. "Evil thoughts," said the Master, according to Matthew 15:19, 20, and Mark 7:21-23, "these are the things which defile a man."

The Teacher also said to certain of his disciples privately (Mark 13:37), "What I say unto you I say unto all, Watch." This precept, with more meaning than is evident from its original context, Mrs. Eddy has put into the Christian Science tenets (Science and Health, p. 497; Church Manual, p. 16). One of these tenets, agreed to by all Christian Scientists, reads in part as follows: "And we solemnly promise to watch, and pray for that Mind to be in us which was also in Christ Jesus." The comma in this quoted sentence makes a complete clause of the first six words, "And we solemnly promise to watch," the meaning of which is elucidated by the rest of the sentence. In effect, also, this clause is amplified at many places in Mrs. Eddy's writings. For instances, see Science and Health 4:12-22; 234:9-27; "The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany" 213:15; 233:19-24. As the author has said at one of these places, "Watch your thoughts, and see whether they lead you to God and into harmony with His true followers."

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