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The structure of divine Science that Mary Baker Eddy had perceived and documented in a form reduced for general comprehension, which she called Christian Science, is now coming to light as a foundation on which this higher superstructure, which may be named the Key of David, can be built. Thus, in order for one to be able to understand the structure and its superstructure, it becomes necessary to begin with an exploration of the foundation on which both are built. This is, what the second chapter of this book is intended to accomplish.
Since a subject with such an extensive nature can hardly be compressed into the space of a few pages, the presentation in this chapter will be necessarily incomplete. It is presented in the nature of a high level overview, rather than as a deep and exhaustive study on the subject. This high level overview is intended to focus on the most fundamental aspects of Christian Science, the kind of aspects that are essential for dealing with the outline of the structure for the Key of David in an understandable manner. The subsequent more detailed application of what has been outlined by Mary Baker Eddy, will inevitably involve a far deeper investigation of Christian Science than a merely high-level investigation of the subject can reveal.
The history of Christian Science.
The history of Christian Science, apart from its earlier representation in the works of Christ Jesus, the prophets, and that of the apostles, begins in 1821, the year in which Mary Baker Eddy was born. Her father, Mark Baker, was a New England farmer; a deeply religious man. The family operated a homestead high in the uplands of Bow, New Hampshire, overlooking the broad Merrimack valley. Here, in the 'back country' the Puritan ideals of New England were still interwoven into everyday life, with the Bible occupying a central place in the home. In this atmosphere Mary Baker Eddy grew up. The early years were also marked by powerful conflicting ideals, such as the rise of the Calvinist doctrine on one hand, and the rise of the new age of scientific investigation on the other hand, unfolding with a strong focus on learning and logical investigation. Mary Baker Eddy was caught up in the middle of it.
Also, Mary Baker was not blessed with strong health before her discovery of Christian Science. At the age of 46, her health had deteriorated to a point that caused her to investigate various forms of treatment, including homoeopathy, and later some form of mental treatment offered by a Dr. Quimby who held the position that disease is both, caused and cured, by the human mind. Under Dr. Quimby's treatments, her health improved dramatically, so much so that she embraced Quimby's idea, while inwardly she protested against it out of the background of her puritan upbringing, for Jesus said: "It is the spirit that quickeneth."*(John 6:63)
Three years later, the Quimby idealism fell apart for her in a period of personal crisis and disintegrating marriage, overshadowed by the death of Dr. Quimby himself. Little did she realize at out of these dark hours, only three weeks later, a new light would dawn that would itself be born out of a still deeper crisis.
On February. 2nd, 1866, Mary Patterson, as she was then called, fell on an icy street in Lynn, Massachusetts. She was taken unconscious and in spasms to the house of a nearby physician. As was previously pointed out, a severe spinal injury was diagnosed, for which there was only the faintest hope for a recovery. When she regained consciousness the next morning, she asked to be taken home, which she was on the following day. On the third day, the local clergyman stopped by to see her before his Sunday morning service. He felt it necessary to prepare her for the worst. It was during the hours that followed, when hope appeared to vanish, that she turned to her Bible as a final resort. She read in the Gospels the familiar stories of Christ Jesus' marvelous, effortless healing. One account stood out, which furnished an up-welling spiritual light in which, at an instant, a full recovery took place. She suddenly found herself well! She got out of bed fully healed, as if the previous hours had been but a dream.
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