For many years the subject of temperance has been in the forefront of public and private discussion in some countries. As an aftermath of recent legislation in the United States, prominence is being given, in certain quarters, to the view that temperance means the moderate use of intoxicants. The word "temperance" is partly defined as "habitual moderation in the indulgence of the appetites and passions;" and in a specific sense, "moderation in, or sometimes, narrowly, abstinence from, the use of intoxicants."

Mrs. Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, infused her message to the world with rich meaning through the power of revelation. Concerning this, she states (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 117), "God's essential language is spoken of in the last chapter of Mark's Gospel as the new tongue, the spiritual meaning of which is attained through 'signs following.'" Knowing that Spirit alone is real, the student of Christian Science continually seeks to translate every phenomenon of human experience into spiritual terms—into the "new tongue," the truth about all things.

What, then, is the truth about temperance? Surely it can have no connection with appetites or passions, which Christian Science rightly brands as material, hence unreal. Temperance is derived from the Latin temperare, meaning to observe proper measure. It, therefore, may be truly construed as a state of thought resulting from careful and wellmeasured right thinking. Such a mental attitude is the serene reflection of divine Mind. In this broader aspect the temperate man is by no means one who permits himself a measure of sin, for that would be wrong measure, the result of false belief. He is, rather, one whose every action is governed by carefully considered right thinking. What a potent vehicle for good is such a one! He truly reflects qualities proceeding directly from God, "who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span."

In her remarkable "Scientific Translation of Mortal Mind" (Science and Health, pp. 115, 116)Mrs. Eddy describes three mental stages. The "First Degree: Depravity," or "Unreality," consists of "physical" attributes, and includes "evil beliefs, passions and appetites," as well as many other types of error. The "Second Degree: Evil beliefs disappearing," or "moral," consists of "transitional qualities." These are "humanity, honesty, affection, compassion, hope, faith, meekness, temperance." The "Third Degree: Understanding," or "reality," comprises those qualities which are purely "spiritual." These are "wisdom, purity, spiritual understanding, spiritual power, love, health, holiness."

The "transitional qualities" occupy the middle ground. A most assiduous and meticulous cultivation of this ground may well be the means by which the individual is enabled to eradicate all forms of depravity and gain the very threshold of spiritual reality. This, however, can be accomplished only in the measure that, through "humanity, honesty, affection, compassion, hope, faith, meekness, temperance," the purely spiritual qualities of "wisdom, purity, spiritual understanding, spiritual power, love, health, holiness," are made manifest. If his labors among humankind and the fruits thereof give evidence of an understanding of God's wisdom, power, and love, then shall he experience the fulfillment of Jesus' promise, "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom." On the other hand, a careless cultivation of the human soil in which these "transitional qualities" are planted, due to a lack of perception of the precious nature of the seed, may result in a scanty crop, thereby making room for tares of "evil beliefs, passions and appetites," and other erroneous physical attributes to reënter the field for a season.

Temperance, like the other "transitional qualities," must be cultivated to the point where it is always expressed by the individual in its spiritual, not carnal, significance, before he is qualified to apprehend fully that his perpetual homeland is the spiritual universe, the consciousness which is reality. As the spiritual alone is real, every thought and action of the truly temperate man must manifest wisdom, love, and purity—spiritual qualities. Only the thought which is not careful and well-measured regarding temperance could indulge, even to a limited extent, physical passions and appetites, which are falsehoods about purity.

Referring specifically to drinking (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 289), our Leader states the Christian Scientist's postion in no uncertain language: "Strong drink is unquestionably an evil, and evil cannot be used temperately: its slightest use is abuse; hence the only temperance is total abstinence." The course which may appear narrow to limited material vision often leads to the grandest spiritual views. Jesus said, "Broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, ... narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life." The narrow way out of mortal sense is the broad way to Soul, and temperance travels this road; for right thinking distributes an abundant measure, not of evil beliefs, but of spiritual understanding; not of passion, but of love; not of sin, sickness, and death, but of purity, health, and holiness.