The record-union., 1899-05-28
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE.
Whence 1t Came--How Tt Has
Grown--What 1t Means.

1ySpSpssltA Ii IL SuSxtG VI tuIllu, say
the Christian Scientists. There Isl much
else in their Beliefs but tits the mental
cure phase Of their teachings which
has gained than such prominence, has
caused the discussions which have fire.
quently ragged about their articles of
faith, and which have several times
brought followers of the faith anto con-
flict with the laws of lands.
This, however, DIS certain: The sect
has assumed a very considerable i'm
portance numerically Even before the
dedication of the Boston Church of
Christian Science In 1896 there were in
this country alone more than 800 Sc
cieties of the sect twenty-six teach
ing institutes" sixty-six headquarters
under control OF appointed disciples
who were healers,. a recorded member
ship of 100000, and twice that number
who pfofessed the teachings of Mrs.
Eddy.
Since then there has been "a rapid
growth of the movement i'm this coun-
try. especially in the large cities, and
a considerable development of it in
Europe.
Its followers are almost. altogether
among the well-to- do and theewell-edu-
Gated.
The whole subject involved has had
periods of unusual activity and, so far
as the public is concerned, of almost
total neglect; but it's present promi-
nence, starting with the arrest of4the
''curista' attending Harold Frederic
just before his death and eliminating
in the recent local events involving
followers of the faith, has never been
exceeded since the late Phineas Park
hurst Quimby called attention to it
more than half a century ago.
Mrs. Mary Mason Baker Glover Pat
terson Eddy was born near Concord,
N. H, about eighty years ago. She
was already nearly 40 years of age
when, then being Mrs. Patterson, she
was carried to Portland, Me, to be
treated by Dr. Quimby for what was
said to be some sort of spinal aff1ic-
tion AT that time DR.. Quimby was
attracting wide attention; indeed, he
caused much excitement throughout
New England for ten or fifteen years
before the war by his remarkable cures,
said to be effected without medicine.
From this time until 1866, when DIR.
Quimby died, Mrs. Eddy wrote and
lectured on the subject of his work.
Then she began the practice of mental
healing, at first without much stir or
many claims; but nine years later she
published the first edition of her now
very widely circulated Science and
Health, With Key to the Scriptures
The principles therein set forth the
author claimed to have been inspired"
but there arose at once a dispute, yet
active and unsettled, whether or not the
inspiration" did not come from some
of DR.. Quimby's unpublished writings,
access to which Mrs. Eddy had during
the four years when she was his most
active and seemingly brightest disci-
pie.
With that dispute this present article
has no concern. If she did not dis
cover the principles of her faith she
certainly founded" the sect which be-
lieves in them, and with that people
generally will be content to let the
matter rest, satisfied with the state
ment carved on her S25OO00 church
in Boston that she is THE Discoverer
and Founder of Christian Science
Her "bible," as the book she first
published is usually called, attracted
immediate attentions, not all of serious
or favorable kind, but as Gilbert sings
Of Tupper's books, they do sell, phil
osopher true until now her followers
have bought nearly 125,O00 of them at
very high prices. This is spoken of be-
cause the interesting fact is asserted
that more converts to Christian Science
have been made by this "bible" than
through all of Mrs. Fddy's other writ
ings, her lectures, sermons or the prose-
lyting work of her appointed disciples.
Her progress in public prominence
and wealth was now rapid. In 1881 she
moved from Lynn to Boston, where in q
few years she owned and occupied a
fine residence in the fashionable Back
Bay district, was President of her Met
aphysical College, owner and director
of the Christian Science Journal a
frequent publisher of new and widely
circulated writings on her faith and an
active promoter of the building of "The
Mother Church. a handsome granite
structure, now complete, in which texts
from her writings and her own por-
trait are incorporated in stained glass
windows
Societies of the church We're formed
in nearly every State in this country, in
England and in several North Europe
countries, where her mystical-idealistic
writings found favoring mental soil.
But, as has been said, 1t is in the
mental-cure phase of her teachings that
the unbelieving as we'll as the believing
are chiefly interested, and writing ON
that subject she is more easily under
stood. In chapter H., verse 2, of her
'.bible'' she says-or "reveals''-that
man is not structural. and argues: ITO
measure intellectual capacity by the
size of the brain and estimate strength
by the exercise of muscle is to subju-
gate intelligence, make mind mortal and
place this mind at the mercy of ma
terial organization and non-intelli-
gerce''
Obedience to the so-called physical
laws of health, she says, has not
checked sickness, and then goes fur
tier. saying: when there are fewer
doctors and less thought is given to
sanitary subjects there will be better
constitutions and less disease"
Disease, however, is not to be charged
wholly to prejudice in favor of sanita-
ton, to following doctors advice or
even to an observance of physical laws
of health, but to a. state of mind. Here
is her revelation on this important SUBJ
ject:
You say that indigestion, fatigue,
sleeplessness cause distressed stom-
achs and aching heads. Then you con-
suit your brain in order to remember
what has hurt you, when your remedy
lies in forgetting the whole thing; for
matter has no sensation, and the human
mind is all that can produce pain"
That this is intended to be taken lit