The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-02-17
REPLY TO MARK TWAIN.
Mrs. Eddy Believes in But One
Mother Mary and Knows IN is
Not That One.

Concord, n. H., Friday.-In answer
to criticisms by Mark Twain, Mrs.
Mary Baker G. Eddy makes the fol-
lowing statement:
1t is a fact, well understood, that /
begged the students who first gave me
the endearing appellative mother
not to name me thus. But without my
consent that word spread like wild
fire. | still must think the name is
not applicable to me: 1 stand in rela-
ton to this century. as q Christian
discover, founder, and leader. l re-
gard Standardization as bl~asphemous;
I may be more loved, but am less
lauded. pampered, provided for. and
cheered, than others before me-and
wherefore? Because Christian Science
is not yet popular, and I refuse adu!a-
tor.
My first visit to the Mother Church
after it was built n dedicated
pleased me, and the situation was sat
isfactOry. The dear members wanted
to greet me with escort and the ring
ing of bells, but I declined, and went
alone in my carriage to the church, en-
tered it. and knelt in thanks upon the
steps Of it's altar. There the fOresplen-
dor of the beginnings Of truth fell
mysteriously upon my spirit. l be-
iieve in one Christ, teach n Chris,
know of but one Christ. I believe III
but n incarnation, one Mother Mary,
and know [ am not that one, n
never claimed to be. 1t suffices me to
learn the Science of the Scriptures re-
lative to this subject.
Christian Scientists have no quarrel
with Pr~otestants. Catholics, or any
other sect. They need to be under
stood as following the divine Principle
tod. LOVe-and not imagined to be
unscientific worshippers of a human
being.
In the aforesaid article, of which l
have seen only extracts, Mark Twain's
Wit was not wasted in certain direc-
vine rights In human beings. If tho
individual governed human conscious
ness, my statement of Christian
Science would be d%isproved, but to un-
derstand the spiritual idea is essen
tial to demonstrate Science and it's
pure monotheism,-One God, one
Christ, no idolatry. no human propa-
ganda. Jesus taught and proved tho
what feeds a few feeds all. His life
work subordinated the material to the
spiritual, and he left this legacy OF
truth to mankind. His metaphysics is
not the sport of philosophy, religion, or
Science, rather is it the pith and finale
of them all.
I have not the inspiration or aspira-
ton to be a first or second Virgin
Mother-her duplicate, antecedent, .!
! subsequent. What I am remains to
! be proved by the good / do. We need
much humility, wisdom and love to per
form the functions Of foreshadowi 1e
; and f~oretasting heaven within us. This
; glory is molten in the furnace of afflic-
tion.-The New York Herald
! Mark Twain'S greatest misfortune is
that he feels compelled to sustain his
! reputation as a wit, a humorfst, Il very
funny fellow. He must live, and tC
live he must make people laugh-fol
that is his profession. 1t is Mark
| Twain who writes, not Mir. Clemens.
Does any one suppose that the NORTH
! American Review would have paid
him for any serious article in refer,
ence to Christian Science-anythins
that woul calmly, charitably. and dis
pasSiOnately state the case and his
opinion of it after a serious investi-
cation of the facts? One need only
to read, side by side. In the Boston
Journal of the other day, extracts from
the magazine article written by Marx
bv Mrs. Eddy; the one fippant, incon'
sistent, so-called wit: the other digni'
fed, reverent, and patient, to form
very fair opinion concerning tn
spirituality of the two writer's.
If Christian Science has never cured
one single case of disease it's teaching:
to do right, to love and trust God, anc
to love ones neighbor as ones self ar.
sufficient to make a tremendous pOWe.
for good among us-to exempt it from
ill-mannered, snarling attacks, and t.
entitle it at least to tolerant welcome
if not to u actual support.-Bosto:
Morning Journal.