Sometimes the beginner in Christian Science will ask the more experienced Christian Scientist how one should start to solve one's problem. He, the beginner, may be sick or a victim of sin, and be desirous of gaining his freedom—yes, be yearning for release; or perhaps he is finding himself under the spell of business depression, with little or nothing to do and proportionately little to meet his human needs. People with all kinds of problems come to Christian Science for help, inquiring as to how they should begin the study of the subject with the view of obtaining a solution of them. It is right that it should be this way. Beginners in any subject are naturally inquirers. What, then, could be more reasonable than that those who are taking the first steps in divine Science should seek the guidance of those whose understanding of it is greater than theirs?

The Christian Science practitioner never hesitates to direct beginners to the Christian Science textbooks, the Bible and "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, since there the truth is revealed which, when understood and applied, will meet every difficulty—the truth about God and man and divine law. The practitioner knows the value of Science and Health, knows that it is inspired throughout, and that it unfolds healing for the woes of mankind. He remembers this when he directs anyone to it, whether he may say so or not. Indeed, it is characteristic of the Christian Science practitioner that he possesses complete confidence in Science and Health, unshakable reliance on the spiritual truth it reveals.

Now in Science and Health, from beginning to end, the omnipresence, and omniscience of God are declared—even the allness of God. At the same time, and as a deduction from the fact of God's allness, the unreality of evil —that which appears to exist as the opposite of good—is taught. It is essential for the beginner to realize in some measure the truth of the allness of God as Truth, Life, Love, Principle; for thus does he make a start in comprehending the nothingness of evil, that which he is desirous of getting rid of in some form. Mrs. Eddy writes in Science and Health (p. 351), "We cannot bring out the practical proof of Christianity, which Jesus required, while error seems as potent and real to us as Truth, and while we make a personal devil and an anthropomorphic God our starting-points,—especially if we consider Satan as a being coequal in power with Deity, if not superior to Him." We must, indeed, be whole-heartedly on the side of Truth, even as was the Psalmist when he wrote, "God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God."

The difficulty often is that many who come to Christian Science seem to be obsessed with their problems, so much so as to be almost unable, apparently, to see the truth and acknowledge it. The mesmerism of material sense claims to be so strong that they are incapable of overcoming it unaided—such is the belief. The Christian Science practitioner is aware of this, but he is not deluded by the mesmeric suggestions which seem to bind those who seek his aid. He can see through the illusions of material sense and by the aid of spiritual sense behold man as perfect, as entirely free from all error, thus helping to liberate those who seek his aid. At the same time he can direct them to passages—and there are many such—in Science and Health which will lead the thought to good and away from the contemplation of supposititious evil. What, for example, could better help those under the belief that evil is real and powerful than these words on page 275 of Science and Health: "The starting-point of divine Science is that God, Spirit, is All-in-all, and that there is no other might nor Mind,—that God is Love, and therefore He is divine Principle;" and also, "All substance, intelligence, wisdom, being, immortality, cause, and effect belong to God"?

The great need is for the patient's thought to be reconciled to God, good. With this in view he must be directed rightly. The true nature of God must be pointed out to him, as well as the unreal nature of a personal devil, Satan or evil, for then he will see the possibilities for himself in a radically changed outlook, an outlook no longer fixed on evil as real, but one focused understandingly on omnipotent good. And with the change of spiritual outlook there will be brought about a corresponding change for the better in his condition.

It is highly important to start correctly as a student of Christian Science. If this be done, and the study wisely continued, the result will be that the student will not fail to acquire the aptitude of turning at once to the truth about the perfection of God and of the real man, whatever the difficulty in which he may find himself, thereby denying error and casting it out of his consciousness.

In the forty-fifth chapter of Isaiah are the words, "I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me." Happy is he who can acknowledge the truth of them.

Duncan Sinclair