Chapter 11 — Questions Answered

• Questions and Answers
• The Higher Criticism
• Class Teaching
• Instruction by Mrs. Eddy
• Mrs. Eddy’s Reply
• Take Notice

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1     QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

       Will the Bible, if read and practised, heal as effectually
3     as your book, “Science and Health with Key to the
       Scriptures”?

       THE exact degree of comparison between the effects
6     produced by reading the above-named books can
       only be determined by personal proof. Rightly to read
       and to practise the Scriptures, their spiritual sense must
9     be discerned, understood, and demonstrated. God being
       Spirit, His language and meaning are wholly spiritual.
       Uninspired knowledge of the translations of the Scriptures
12    has imparted little power to practise the Word. Hence
       the revelation, discovery, and presentation of Christian
       Science — the Christ Science, or “new tongue” of which
15    St. Mark prophesied — became requisite in the divine
       order. On the swift pinions of spiritual thought man
       rises above the letter, law, or morale of the inspired Word
18    to the spirit of Truth, whereby the Science is reached
       that demonstrates God. When the Bible is thus read
       and practised, there is no possibility of misinterpreta-
21    tion. God is understandable, knowable, and applicable
       to every human need. In this is the proof that Chris-
       tian Science is Science, for it demonstrates Life, not

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1     death; health, not disease; Truth, not error; Love, not
       hate. The Science of the Scriptures coexists with God;
3     and “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures”
       relegates Christianity to its primitive proof, wherein
       reason, revelation, the divine Principle, rules, and prac-
6     tice of Christianity acquaint the student with God. In
       the ratio that Christian Science is studied and under-
       stood, mankind will, as aforetime, imbibe the spirit and
9     prove the practicality, validity, and redemptive power of
       Christianity by healing all manner of disease, by over-
       coming sin and death.

12    Must mankind wait for the ultimate of the millennium —
       until every man and woman comes into the knowledge of
       Christ and all are taught of God and see their apparent
15    identity as one man and one woman — for God to be
       represented by His idea or image and likeness?

       God is one, and His idea, image, or likeness, man, is one.
18    But God is infinite and so includes all in one. Man is the
       generic term for men and women. Man, as the idea or
       image and likeness of the infinite God, is a compound, com-
21    plex idea or likeness of the infinite one, or one infinite,
       whose image is the reflection of all that is real and eternal
       in infinite identity. Gender means a kind. Hence man-
24    kind — in other words, a kind of man who is identi-
       fied by sex — is the material, so-called man born of the
       flesh, and is not the spiritual man, created by God,
27    Spirit, who made all that was made. The millennium
       is a state and stage of mental advancement, going
       on since ever time was. Its impetus, accelerated by
30    the advent of Christian Science, is marked, and will

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1     increase till all men shall know Him (divine Love) from
       the least to the greatest, and one God and the brother-
3     hood of man shall be known and acknowledged through-
       out the earth.

       THE HIGHER CRITICISM

6     An earnest student writes to me: “Would it be asking
       too much of you to explain more fully why you call Chris-
       tian Science the higher criticism?”

9     I called Christian Science the higher criticism in my
       dedicatory Message to The Mother Church, June 10,
       1906, when I said, “This Science is a law of divine Mind,
12    . . . an ever-present help. Its presence is felt, for it
       acts and acts wisely, always unfolding the highway of
       hope, faith, understanding.”

15    I now repeat another proof, namely, that Christian
       Science is the higher criticism because it criticizes evil,
       disease, and death — all that is unlike God, good — on a
18    Scriptural basis, and approves or disapproves according
       to the word of God. In the next edition of Science and
       Health I shall refer to this.

21    MARY BAKER EDDY

       CLASS TEACHING

       Mrs. Eddy thus replies, through her student, Mr.
24    Adam Dickey, to the question, Does Mrs. Eddy approve
       of class teaching: —

       Yes! She most assuredly does, when the teaching is
27    done by those who are duly qualified, who have received
       certificates from the Massachusetts Metaphysical
       College or the Board of Education, and who have the

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1     necessary moral and spiritual qualifications to perform
       this important work. Class teaching will not be abol-
3     ished until it has accomplished that for which it was
       established; viz., the elucidation of the Principle and
       rule of Christian Science through the higher meaning
6     of the Scriptures. Students who are ready for this
       step should beware the net that is craftily laid and cun-
       ningly concealed to prevent their advancement in this
9     direction.

       INSTRUCTION BY MRS. EDDY

       We are glad to have the privilege of publishing an ex-
12    tract from a letter to Mrs. Eddy, from a Christian Scien-
       tist in the West, and Mrs. Eddy’s reply thereto. The
       issue raised is an important one and one upon which
15    there should be absolute and correct teaching. Christian
       Scientists are fortunate to receive instruction from their
       Leader on this point. The question and Mrs. Eddy’s
18    reply follow.

       “Last evening I was catechized by a Christian Science
       practitioner because I referred to myself as an immortal
21    idea of the one divine Mind. The practitioner said that
       my statement was wrong, because I still lived in my
       flesh. I replied that I did not live in my flesh, that
24    my flesh lived or died according to the beliefs I enter-
       tained about it; but that, after coming to the light of
       Truth, I had found that I lived and moved and had
27    my being in God, and to obey Christ was not to know
       as real the beliefs of an earthly mortal. Please give the
       truth in the Sentinel, so that all may know it.”

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       Mrs. Eddy’s Reply

       You are scientifically correct in your statement about
3     yourself. You can never demonstrate spirituality until you
       declare yourself to be immortal and understand that
       you are so. Christian Science is absolute; it is neither
6     behind the point of perfection nor advancing towards
       it; it is at this point and must be practised therefrom.
       Unless you fully perceive that you are the child
9     of God, hence perfect, you have no Principle to demon-
       strate and no rule for its demonstration. By this I
       do not mean that mortals are the children of God, —
12    far from it. In practising Christian Science you must
       state its Principle correctly, or you forfeit your ability
       to demonstrate it.

       TAKE NOTICE

       I hereby announce to the Christian Science field that
       all inquiries or information relating to Christian Science
18    practice, to publication committee work, reading-room
       work, or to Mother Church membership, should be sent
       to the Christian Science Board of Directors of The
21    Mother Church; and I have requested my secretary
       not to make inquiries on these subjects, nor to reply to
       any received, but to leave these duties to the Clerk of
24    The Mother Church, to whom they belong.

       MARY BAKER EDDY

       September 28, 1910