Prev TOC Next
[See page image]

Page 289

 

289 RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA Schwerin Science of such studies as natural science, logic, and moral philosophy. At an early age she wfote verses, which express thoughts akin to the teaching of Chris tian Science. Her inherent breadth of view was evidenced by the fact that when in her girlhood she joined the Congregational Church, she refused to subscribe to the doctrine of unconditional elec tion or predestination. In addition to her academic education, Mrs. Eddy had the advantage of instruc tion from a number of private teachers, among whom was her brother Albert Baker, a graduate of Dartmouth College and a distinguished lawyer, Mr. Corser of Sanbornton Bridge Academy, and Professor Dyer H. Sanborn. Her careful training, supplemented by years of research and study, bore fruitage in her writings, which were voluminous before she began her labors as a Christian Scientist. During her residence in the South as the wife of Major George W. Glover of Charleston, S. C., she wrote much for southern magazines. No one can study her writings without being impressed by the thorough familiarity with the best in literature therein displayed. An important forerunner of her discovery of Christian Science was Mrs. Eddy's study of homeopathy, which she entered upon in her early womanhood mainly for the purpose of im proving her health. Her aversion to the dissecting room prevented her from obtaining an expert knowledge of surgery and from completing her course, but her experiments in homeopathy were valuable in directing her attention to the proposi tion that all causation is mental. Regarding her discovery of Christian Science, Mrs. Eddy says in her book, Retrospection and In trospection: "It was in Massachusetts in February, 1866, that I discovered the Science of divine meta physical healing, which I afterwards named Chris tian Science. The discovery came to 2. The Dis- pass in this way. During twenty covery of years prior to my discovery, I had Christian Science. been trying to trace all physical effects to a mental cause; and in the latter part of 1866 I gained the scientific certainty that all causation was mind and every effect a mental phenomenon. My immediate recovery from the effects of an injury caused by an accident, an injury that neither medicine nor surgery could reach, was the falling apple that led me to the discovery." Mrs. Eddy spent the next three years in retirement, studying the Bible and finding there the principle and rule of her healing. She then tested her healing system practically in every possible way, and finally in 1875, after nine years of preliminary work, wrote the Christian Science text-book, Science and Health with lien to the Scriptures. Her literary output after that was tremendous, comprising books, sermons, essays, polemics, poems, magazine articles, editorials. Her chief books in addition to Science and Health are: Miscellaneous Writings (1896); Retrospection and Introspection (1892); Pulpit and Press (1898); Unity of Good (1891); Rudimental Dii-ine Science (1891); No and Yes (1891); Christian Science, versus Pantheism (1898); Christian Healing (1886); Peo ple's Idea of God (1886); Christ and Christmas (1897); Message to the Mother Church (1900); Our Leader's and Communion Messages (1901). Y: -19

In 1879, Mrs. Eddy organized in Boston, Massachusetts, The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and was ordained as its pastor. This body was composed of twenty-six members. In 1895, sixteen years later, the church, to accommodate its increased membership, erected a handsome edifice on the corner of Falmouth and Norway Streets,

3. Organ- seats about 1,200 people. In June, ization of 1906 a magnificent new structure, ad of the Church .owng this and having a seating car Christ, 1 scientist. pacity of 5,000, was completed. It cost about $2,000,000. The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston is known as the Mother Church of this denomination. The Chris tian Science denomination had, in Jan., 1911, 1,244 branch churches and societies, holding Sunday services. Chicago has nine large churches with five handsome edifices. Greater New York has twelve churches. In Greater New York there are eight church buildings, First Church edifice having cost over $1,150,000. Concord, N. H., has a strong or ganization and a beautiful granite church, a gift from Mrs. Eddy, which cost over $200,000. Mrs. Eddy located this church, bought the land, started the building, and paid for it, part of the money having been contributed to her for this especial purpose by Christian Scientists in all parts of the world, who wished to have a share in the work. There are influential Christian Science churches in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Oakland, San Josh, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Washington, Cleveland, St. Louis, Buffalo, Pitts burg, Cincinnati, Atlanta, Providence, Toronto, and, it may be said, in all the large cities of the United States and Canada. There are firmly es tablished churches in London, England, of which First has recently completed a fine edifice at Sloane Terrace, S. W. The organization in Manchester, England, has its own church edifice, as has that in Edinburgh, Scotland. There are organizations in Australia, Germany, France, Scandinavia, Holland, South Africa, South America, Mexico, Hawaii, The Philippines, and in many of the English Colonies.

The following incident, which occurred in Chicago, June 13, 1888, at the meeting of the National Christian Science Association, illustrates Mrs.

4. Xrs. dicates the vital importance of the Eddy°s message entrusted to her. Mrs. a TeacherWork as Eddy had been invited to this gather-

ing as a guest, and one of her stipulations on accepting the invitation had been that she should not be called upon to speak. The meeting was held in Central Music Hall, then the largest and best in the city. When Mrs. Eddy arrived at the hall, she not only found a great assembly, which occupied every seat and every foot of standing-room, extending out even into the corridors, but she was also astounded to learn that she was announced as the only speaker. Catching her theme as she walked from the entrance to the platform, she delivered extemporaneously the remarkable address, "Science and the Senses," which may be found in her Miscellaneous Writings. The effect of her words was so great that many authenticated cases of