Section 1

The Bible

1Psalms 100:1, 3 (to ;), 5

1Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.

3Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves;

5For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

2Psalms 119:12, 27, 30

12Blessed art thou, O Lord: teach me thy statutes.

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27Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works.

30I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me.

3Psalms 89:14

14Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.

4Jeremiah 5:3 (to ?)

3O Lord, are not thine eyes upon the truth?

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Science and Health with Key to the Scripturesby Mary Baker Eddy

1223:14–18

The question
of the ages

The question, “What is Truth,” convulses the world. Many are ready to meet this inquiry with the assurance which comes of understanding; but more are blinded by their old illusions, and try to “give it pause.”

2312:17–19

Mortals try to believe without understanding Truth; yet God is Truth.

3127:4

Science and
Christianity

If God, the All-in-all, be the creator of the spiritual universe, including man, then everything entitled to a classification as truth, or Science, must be comprised in a knowledge or understanding of God, for there can be nothing beyond illimitable divinity.

4275:17

No wisdom is wise but His wisdom; no truth is true, no love is lovely, no life is Life but the divine; no good is, but the good God bestows.

5465:14

The attributes of God are justice, mercy, wisdom, goodness, and so on.

6293:28

Christian Science brings to light Truth and its supremacy, universal harmony, the entireness of God, good, and the nothingness of evil.

Section 2

The Bible

5Psalms 9:1, 4

1I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.

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4For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; thou satest in the throne judging right.

6Psalms 119:142

142Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth.

7Numbers 26:33 (to :)

33And Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters:

8Numbers 27:2, 3 (to ;), 4–7

2And they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying,

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3Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not in the company of them that gathered themselves together against the Lord in the company of Korah;

4Why should the name of our father be done away from among his family, because he hath no son? Give unto us therefore a possession among the brethren of our father.

5And Moses brought their cause before the Lord.

6And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

7The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: thou shalt surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father’s brethren; and thou shalt cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto them.

9Psalms 98:1 (to ;), 9 with

1O sing unto the Lord a new song;

9with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.

Science and Health

7183:14

Truth never made error necessary, nor devised a law to perpetuate error.

863:12, 23

The rights
of woman

Civil law establishes very unfair differences between the rights of the two sexes. Christian Science furnishes no precedent for such injustice, and civilization mitigates it in some measure. Still, it is a marvel why usage should accord woman less rights than does either Christian Science or civilization.

A feasible as well as rational means of improvement at present is the elevation of society in general and the achievement of a nobler race for legislation, — a race having higher aims and motives.

9226:14

Cramping
systems

God has built a higher platform of human rights, and He has built it on diviner claims. These claims are not made through code or creed, but in demonstration of “on earth peace, good-will toward men.” Human codes, scholastic theology, material medicine and hygiene, fetter faith and spiritual understanding. Divine Science rends asunder these fetters, and man’s birthright of sole allegiance to his Maker asserts itself.

10340:23

One infinite God, good, unifies men and nations; constitutes the brotherhood of man; ends wars; fulfils the Scripture, “Love thy neighbor as thyself;” annihilates pagan and Christian idolatry, — whatever is wrong in social, civil, criminal, political, and religious codes; equalizes the sexes; annuls the curse on man, and leaves nothing that can sin, suffer, be punished or destroyed.

11515:21 Man

Man is the family name for all ideas, — the sons and daughters of God. All that God imparts moves in accord with Him, reflecting goodness and power.

Section 3

The Bible

10Psalms 103:6, 7

6The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.

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7He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.

11John 1:17

17For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

12Luke 13:11–17

11And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.

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12And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.

13And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.

14And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.

15The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?

16And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?

17And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.

13II John 1:3

3Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

Science and Health

1267:23

Grace and Truth are potent beyond all other means and methods.

13473:10–15

Christ is the ideal Truth, that comes to heal sickness and sin through Christian Science, and attributes all power to God. Jesus is the name of the man who, more than all other men, has presented Christ, the true idea of God, healing the sick and the sinning and destroying the power of death.

1438:24–26, 30

Jesus mapped out the path for others. He unveiled the Christ, the spiritual idea of divine Love.

He taught that the material senses shut out Truth and its healing power.

15390:12

Unnecessary
prostration

When the first symptoms of disease appear, dispute the testimony of the material senses with divine Science. Let your higher sense of justice destroy the false process of mortal opinions which you name law, and then you will not be confined to a sick-room nor laid upon a bed of suffering in payment of the last farthing, the last penalty demanded by error. “Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him.” Suffer no claim of sin or of sickness to grow upon the thought. Dismiss it with an abiding conviction that it is illegitimate, because you know that God is no more the author of sickness than He is of sin. You have no law of His to support the necessity either of sin or sickness, but you have divine authority for denying that necessity and healing the sick.

16391:17–19, 24

Justice is the moral signification of law. Injustice declares the absence of law. When the body is supposed to say, “I am sick,” never plead guilty.

Disease has no intelligence to declare itself something and announce its name. Mortal mind alone sentences itself. Therefore make your own terms with sickness, and be just to yourself and to others.

17418:22

By the truthful arguments you employ, and especially by the spirit of Truth and Love which you entertain, you will heal the sick.

Section 4

The Bible

14Isaiah 56:1

1Thus saith the Lord, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed.

15Proverbs 14:22

22Do they not err that devise evil? but mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good.

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16Ecclesiastes 5:8

8If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they.

17Isaiah 33:10 (to 2^nd ;), 13, 15, 16 (to 1^st :), 22

10Now will I rise, saith the Lord; now will I be exalted;

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13Hear, ye that are far off, what I have done; and, ye that are near, acknowledge my might.

15He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;

16He shall dwell on high:

22For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he will save us.

18Isaiah 9:6 (to 2^nd :), 7

6For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder:

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7Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

Science and Health

18106:7

Proper self-
government

God has endowed man with inalienable rights, among which are self-government, reason, and conscience. Man is properly self-governed only when he is guided rightly and governed by his Maker, divine Truth and Love.

19239:12–13

Let it be understood that success in error is defeat in Truth.

20542:5–8, 10, 19–21

Though error hides behind a lie and excuses guilt, error cannot forever be concealed. Truth, through her eternal laws, unveils error.

The avoidance of justice and the denial of truth tend to perpetuate sin, invoke crime, jeopardize self-control, and mock divine mercy.

Retribution
and remorse

Let Truth uncover and destroy error in God’s own way, and let human justice pattern the divine.

21223:28–32

Heralds of
Science

Marvels, calamities, and sin will much more abound as truth urges upon mortals its resisted claims; but the awful daring of sin destroys sin, and foreshadows the triumph of truth. God will overturn, until “He come whose right it is.”

22565:13–18

The impersonation of the spiritual idea had a brief history in the earthly life of our Master; but “of his kingdom there shall be no end,” for Christ, God’s idea, will eventually rule all nations and peoples — imperatively, absolutely, finally — with divine Science.

Section 5

The Bible

19John 8:31, 32

31Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

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32And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

20John 5:1 there, 5, 8, 9 (to :)

1there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

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5And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.

8Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

9And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked:

21Psalms 119:33, 45

33Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end.

45And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts.

Science and Health

23227:21–26

Standard
of liberty

Christian Science raises the standard of liberty and cries: “Follow me! Escape from the bondage of sickness, sin, and death!” Jesus marked out the way. Citizens of the world, accept the “glorious liberty of the children of God,” and be free! This is your divine right.

24381:2–4, 15–16, 28

Ignorance
of our rights

Ignorant of our God-given rights, we submit to unjust decrees, and the bias of education enforces this slavery.

God is the lawmaker, but He is not the author of barbarous codes.

It is man’s moral right to annul an unjust sentence, a sentence never inflicted by divine authority.

25183:26–29

Truth casts out all evils and materialistic methods with the actual spiritual law, — the law which gives sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, voice to the dumb, feet to the lame.

26390:32

Rise in the conscious strength of the spirit of Truth to overthrow the plea of mortal mind, alias matter, arrayed against the supremacy of Spirit. Blot out the images of mortal thought and its beliefs in sickness and sin. Then, when thou art delivered to the judgment of Truth, Christ, the judge will say, “Thou art whole!”

Section 6

The Bible

22II Thessalonians 3:1

1Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:

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23II Corinthians 13:8

8For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.

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24Acts 5:12 (to ;), 16–21, 25, 27 (to :), 34, 35, 38–40 (to :)

12And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people;

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16There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.

17Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation,

18And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison.

19But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said,

20Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.

21And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.

25Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people.

27And when they had brought them, they set them before the council:

34Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space;

35And said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men.

38And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought:

39But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.

40And to him they agreed:

25Galatians 5:7 who, 13 (to ;)

7who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?

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13For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty;

Science and Health

27227:14–15, 17–19 All

Discerning the rights of man, we cannot fail to foresee the doom of all oppression.

Native
freedom

All men should be free. “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”

2897:22, 32

It requires courage to utter truth; for the higher Truth lifts her voice, the louder will error scream, until its inarticulate sound is forever silenced in oblivion.

Earth has no repayment for the persecutions which attend a new step in Christianity; but the spiritual recompense of the persecuted is assured in the elevation of existence above mortal discord and in the gift of divine Love.

29224:22–25

A higher and more practical Christianity, demonstrating justice and meeting the needs of mortals in sickness and in health, stands at the door of this age, knocking for admission.

30326:20

Working and praying with true motives, your Father will open the way. “Who did hinder you, that ye should not obey the truth?”

31225:3

Truth makes man free.