How important is a right premise! It is helpful in forming human opinions. It is necessary in classes of logic and courts of law. And it is absolutely vital to the successful practice of Christian Science.

One derivation of the word "premise" is from a word meaning "to place ahead," and the definition of "premise" in line with this is "a proposition antecedently supposed or proved: a basis of argument." Mrs. Eddy writes, "To begin rightly is to end rightly."^{Science and Health, p. 262;} How do we begin with a right premise? By beginning with God. By beginning with the premise that God is perfect and that He is the only creator of the universe including man. And reasoning correctly, we come to the conclusion that creation is perfect.

Christ Jesus held steadfastly to the fact of perfection and as a result accomplished many marvelous healings. He never went along with the premise of incurable disease, inherited evil, unforgivable sin, or certain death. He did not credit matter with having power or reality. Mrs. Eddy writes, "The master Metaphysician understood omnipotence to be All-power: because Spirit was to him All-in-all, matter was palpably an error of premise and conclusion, while God was the only substance, Life, and intelligence of man."^{Miscellaneous Writings, p. 200;}

When one accepts matter in the premise of his reasoning, he cannot arrive at spiritual perfection, for there is no perfect matter. Spirit alone is perfect, and matter cannot be a factor in a spiritual premise or conclusion. Christian Science does not operate on a material basis. It rests unequivocally on infinite Spirit. The Christian Scientist, understanding that all is spiritual, has a sure basis for his premise that all is perfect. The fact of spiritual perfection held to—even in the face of material sense testimony to the contrary—will result in a change of evidence from discord to harmony. The moment of one's acceptance of the fact of spiritual perfection, perfect God and perfect man, is the actual moment of healing.

A familiar and beloved verse in Psalms reads, "Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace."^{Ps. 37:37;} Here is indicated a perfect starting point and a perfect conclusion. The injunction is to mark, to observe, to take note of man's perfection as God's child rather than to ponder the failings and imperfections of mortals. If one faithfully follows this admonition, the result is peace rather than disturbance.

To agree with or support matter is no way to demonstrate Spirit. If, in a Christian Science treatment, we were to begin with the premise that man is sick mortal, a tired mortal, an aged mortal, a poverty-stricken mortal, a sinful mortal, or an unhappy mortal, we should inevitably end with the conclusion that our patient is a mortal subject to the recurrence of all of these ills. If, on the other hand, we begin with the premise that man is a perfect spiritual idea, the infinite and eternal manifestation of God, good, we shall be able to demonstrate that this truth applies to our patient's experience and that he is free from evil in any form.

"Ye shall know the truth," declared the Master, "and the truth shall make you free." ^{John 8:32;} We are not knowing the truth unless we are reasoning from the basis of perfection. As Mrs. Eddy writes, "Truth is ever truthful, and can tolerate no error in premise or conclusion."^{Science and Health, p. 129.}

As disciples of Truth, let us never tolerate error in our premises. Let us begin rightly, and then the result will be right. Let us daily, hourly, momentarily, begin with and proceed from the premise of perfection.

The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

Romans 13:12