Editorial May 25, 1940 Issue

The Magna Charta of Christian Science

George Shaw Cook

Referring to what she terms "the Magna Charta of Christian Science," Mary Baker Eddy says on page 247 of "The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany": "It stands for the inalienable, universal rights of men. Essentially democratic, its government is administered by the common consent of the governed, wherein and whereby man governed by his creator is self-governed." And she continues, "The church is the mouthpiece of Christian Science,—its law and gospel are according to Christ Jesus; its rules are health, holiness, and immortality,—equal rights and privileges, equality of the sexes, rotation in office."

The inalienable rights of men are best safeguarded by those human governments which are administered with the consent of the governed, and under such governments men find the greatest opportunity to be guided by divine Principle rather than to be controlled by the will of persons or groups of persons, large or small. Among the rights claimed by free people is the right set forth in the American Declaration of Independence to worship God in accordance with the dictates of conscience.

Those who would not approve wars of conquest or wars waged for the extension of empire might find themselves willing to make great sacrifices to preserve freedom and independence for themselves and for posterity. Quite apart from the questions of whether it is right to wage destructive warfare for any purpose whatsoever, or whether willingness under any circumstances to destroy the lives and property of others is contrary to the teachings of Christianity, the fact remains that defensive warfare, humanly considered, is more nearly right than are wars of aggression. And Mrs. Eddy has said (Miscellany, p. 277): "Whatever weighs in the eternal scale of equity and mercy tips the beam on the right side, where the immortal words and deeds of men alone can settle all questions amicably and satisfactorily. But if our nation's rights or honor were seized, every citizen would be a soldier and woman would be armed with power girt for the hour."

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