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Science THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
healing are recorded as having occurred m the audience. Modern thought, to which the term, "the effect of mind on the body," is a psychological and medical commonplace, finds it difficult to cOmPrehend the crassly materialistic conditions which confronted Mrs. Eddy when, in 1867, she taught her first student the elements of the theory and practise of Christian Science. As she claimed, and as her followers firmly believe, her new light on the Bible and on the sayings and teachings of Jesus Christ came as a divine revelation, as a result of which she was able to demonstrate through spiritual means only the truth of Jesus' statement, "These signs shall follow them that believe," by healing the sick, reforming the sinner, and even raising those pronounced dead by reputable mate medics practitioners. She had formulated a new system of religion, philosophy, and medicines system which annihilated the accepted belief in the reality and substantiality of matter; and she stood before the whole world its sole advocate. As soon as she found one individual willing to learn of her discovery, she began teaching, and from this humble beginning developed the educational system, which has made Christian Science an international propaganda. " The motive of my earliest labors has never changed," writes Mrs. Eddy in Retrospection. and Introspection. "It was to relieve the sufferings of humanity by a sanitary system that should include all moral and religious reform." In 1881, Mrs. Eddy obtained a charter from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts-the only one of the sort ever granted-and organized the Massachusetts Metaphysical College, in which during the eight succeeding years she taught over 4,000 persons. Many of these were indigent students, who received their tuition free. It was her custom to make it possible for all worthy applicants to avail themselves gratuitously of her personal instruction. In 1889, she closed the college, notwithstanding that hundreds of applicants were awaiting admission. Her purpose in doing this was to secure time to revise Science and Health and further to extend her field of labor. Later she established a board of education, based on the college, which board is now in active operation. Mrs. Eddy founded the Christian Science Journal in Apr-, 1883, and was for many years its editor as well as its chief contributor. She founded the Christian Science Qtaarterly in 1890, the Christian Science Sentinel in 1898, Der Christian Science Herold (in German) in 1902, and The Christian Science Monitor, a daily newspaper, in 1908. She gave these periodicals to her church together with the plant of the Christian Science Publishing Society. For many years her only income was from the sale of her books and the interest on her investments. She healed the sick and the sinner with-, out price. She contributed a large portion, of, her means to various charities and public, enterprises. She was also public-spirited and took an interest in the affairs of her state and in matters pertaining to the betterment of her own city. She was simple in her tastes and habits, punctual and systematic in her work.
The organization, nature, constitution, and government of the Mother Church, its tenets, its church
290 manual, and its special form of public service are all of Mrs. Eddy's devising. They are in most respects unique, without precedent in church ~y &e s 5. Mrs. economy, proofs of her wisdom, and Leader. evidence of her ability as a leader.While the business of the Church of Christ, Scientist, is conducted by a board of directors, the inspiration and fountain head of the aeries of remarkable steps, which have brought Christian Science to the fore so unswervingly and so rapidly, can be traced to this modest and unassuming, but strong and resourceful woman. It is impossible to investigate the far-reaching effects of the majority of her acts without coming to the inevitable conclusion that she was divinely directed. One can not study Mrs. Eddy's interpretation of the Lord's prayer as it is given in "Science and Health" without being strongly impressed by the
absolute absence of literalism m her exegesis of the Scripture, the spirituality, idealistic morality, and pure ethics of Christian Science. The First Church of Christ, Scientist, has no creed, but the funda-
mentals of Christian Science are stated in the form of church tenets, written by Mrs. Eddy, which every
person joining the Mother Church >s required to sign. These tenets are copyrighted and published in
Science and Health, from which they are reprinted with Mrs. Eddy's permission:
1. As adherents of Truth, we take the inspired Word of the Bible as our sufficient grade to eternal Life.
2. We acknowledge and adore one supreme and infinite God. We acknowledge His son one Christ; the Holy Ghost
or ,aivine Comforter; and man as God's image and likeness. 3. We acknowledge God's forgiveness of sin in the destruction of sin and the spiritual understanding that casts out evil as unreal. But the belief in sin is punished, so long as the belief leafs.
4. We acknowledge Jesus' atonement as the evidence of divine, efficacious Love, unfolding man's unity with God through Christ Jesus the Wayshower; and we acknowledge
that man is saved through Christ, through Truth. Life, and Love as demonstrated by the Galilean Prophet in the healing of the sick and overcoming of sin and death.
5. We acknowledge that the crucifixion of Jesus and hisresurrection served to uplift faith and understanding to understand eternal life, even the apneas of Soul, Spirit, and the nothingness of matter.
8. And we solemnly promise to watch and pray for that Mind to be in us which was also in Jesus Christ; to do unto others as we would have them do unto us; and to be merciful, just, and pure.
Christian Science churches have no pastors in the ordinary sense of the term and no personal preaching. In 1895, in order to secure uniformity in the statement of Christian Science, Mrs. Eddy ordained the Bible and Science and Health as the impersonal pastor of the denomination. The Sunday services are presided over by readers, usually chosen from among the members of the church, who serve a term of three years. These readers present a lesson-sermon, prepared by a committee appointed by the trustees of the Publishing Society, which consists of a compilation of Scriptural texts with correlative passages from the Christian Science text-book. In correspondence with the order in other churches, the re-
mainder of the service includes Scripture-reading, hym~s, prayer, and benediction. The Wednesday evening meeting is devoted to individual testimonies and experiences. The branch churches con-