The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-10-23
Statement Of Aims and
Remarkable Growth.
MARY B. EDDY'S WORK.
The Same Sermon on the Same
Sunday All the WOrli Over.
NON SCIENTISTS INTERESTED.

In recent issue of the Saturday Even
ing News an interesting story was told of
tho First Church OF Christ, Scientist, In
this city, with a brief sketch OF the aims,
| growth and present conditions Of the new
religion.
The following interesting and elaborate
story of Christisn Science. from the New
| York Sun, is believed to present the SUBJ
| joct from the standpoint OF intimate ac-
| quaintance and authority. 1t is reprinted
| in the belief that IL cannot fail to interest
| News readers, who are non scientists, as
we'll as those OF the Christian Science
| faith.
Never In the history OF Christian
| Science has the movement been so much
talked about as it is today. Those who
| understand it least discuss IL most for
the Christian Scientists themselves arc
workers, not takers The movement
| has become marked, not only in its
home, America, but all over the land.
When asked to give review OF the work
and character of tho founder. Mrs. Mary
Baker Eddy. and to tell something Of the
scientific and medical basis of the move
mcnt and of its religious work. a repre-
sentative Christian Scientist wrote the
following statement, stipulating that his
spelling and capitalization be retained,
since they mean everything to the Chris
tian Scientist:
To write of the great Influence OF
Christian Science upon the world Of re-
ligious thought and the revolution it is
steadily effectinR in medical practice
scientific thought, literature, business
methods, and in social conditions OF
necessity demands that the character, in
dividuality. and leadership of its Dis
ooverer and Founder be impartially re
viewed rs fitting preface to the presep-
tation Of tho practical operation Of the
system. While such review cannot give
but an imperfect outline of the interest
ing character and great work of Mary
Baker Eddy, it will serve in degree to
acquaint thought with unique and
wholly original and consecratcd career
lived for the uplifting of humanity the
alleviation OF human suffering in all its
forms, ana the rcstorntI0n OF the simple
and practical demonstruble religion of the
Teacher of Palestine.
Mrs. Eddy is n Purist in the larger
meaning of the word. She stands fore
most among Religious Teachers and Re-
formers for purity Of spiritual ethics,
language. presentation and works
Simplicity Of thought and teaching aud
the logic of Truth are her weapons of
peace.
Terse and powerful phraseoloQy charac-
terizes the arguments and illustrations
that she presents to confirm her dedrc-
tions. and perhaps her strongest point as
a Philosopher, keformer. and Religious
Teacher is the strong. elegant, and sim
pie language with which she clothes the
profound truths of Christian Idealism In
all its varied and practical applications
from the healing OF u cancer and the re-
formation OF hardened criminal up To
the lofty transoendeptaIism of the Bible
and Jesus teachings spiritually dis
ccrnod. he it the Interpretation of St
Johns fourth gospel OF the practical and
ideal relation of tho Sermon on the Mount
to our present civilization.
II brevIty is tho soul OF wit" 1t is
certainly the heart aud soul centre and
circumference of spiritual truth. All
great truths are simple. The teachings
of Jesus are universal, everlasting, and
constitute philosophy Of life yet con-
siderina them one continued Discourse
on an ascending scale it would take less
than two hours TO read all He taught as
recorded in tLo Gospels. Christian Science
is n threefold system religious. scientific.
curative, thus it applies to all phases of
human existence, yet the entire system Is
taught with irrefutab.e logic. spiritual
beauty and Scriptural truthfulness in less
than 400 pages in the published works Of
Mrs Eddy. OF these works "Science and
Health, With Key to the Soriptures'is chief
Is the recognized text book Of the body
and is now In its one hundred ana twenty
seventh edition Of thousand copies each
Mrs. Eddy Is OF Puritan ancestry and of
Scotch descent. among her ancestors be-
ing Sir John Macnciil, Scotch knight;
Gen. John Macneill OF Lundy's Lane
fame, Gen. Henry Knox of revolutionary
times, .ead Capt John Loyewell. active
IN Indian troubles.
Her teachings breathe the soulreviv-
ing gospel Of freedom in all that tLat
term means. freedom from dogma, liter
alism, elaborate organization, ceremony
and cold. barren ethical intellcctualiSm,
which, like an untimeiy iio :. Is n type
OF thought that has follower the reaction
against mysticism in religion. and has
frozen hard and fast in many natures the
swcet natufaIness OF spiritual thinking
and rational optimism. Mrs Eddy Is -
great lover and supporter OF our popular
institutions She teaches the divinity Of
popular government. she elevatcs the idea
OF unity In individuality. in state and
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