New-York tribune., 1911-01-01
ISAVES A DROWNING MAN FLOCK TO MRS. STETS0N
Her Belief in Mrs. Eddy's Reap
pearanCe Draws Adherents.
LETTERS, TOO, POUR IN
Wilmington Scientist Tells Of
Persecution" by Trustees
of Mother Church.

The announcement made 5y Mrs Augusta
T.. Stetson tvo days ago that she believed
| Mrs. Mary Baker Eddy would reappear on
earth in the flesh seemed likely from the
developments OF yesterday TO make sharp
and distinct line Of cleavage between two
! factions in the Christian Science Church
OF the country
! BY her declaration Mrs. Stetson aligned
with herself and against the Boston board
Of directors all those Scientists who believe
with her that Mrs. Ed1y's phrase "sin.
sickness and death" must be taken IN It's
/ entirety or not at all
! Since the announcement letters from the
Immortal faction in Christian Science
circles all over the country have been pour
| ing into tho silent house in west esth
street. and Mrs. stetson's most ardent sup
| porters in different parts of the country
have been sending word that they expect
| TO come On TO New York IN the near
! future.
/ Mrs. Ifettie +. Fennel OF Wilmington,
/ ~ g.. who came hero from that city yes
terday. is one Of those who feared ~ delay
/ a day lest she might miss what the i'm
mortal" faction believes will be the great
| est event in the worlds history since the
resurrection Of Jesus Christ.
! In contradiction Of the statements Of the
Boston hoard Of directors on friday that
| they were entirely unconcerned i'm the do
| ings or beliefs Of Mrs. Stetson. Mrs Fcn-
nell related tie history OF the Christian
Science Church ir Wilmington. which. she
said. was forced 10 close its doors early
| in November. 1910. under the orders OF that
hoard solely because its practitioners and
officials were stetson adherents.
Three days after that event. Mrs. Fennen
said, Miss Mary Bridgers. vino had been
one Of the organizers and most enthusiastic
workers in the Wilmington church, passed
away" Miss Bridgers had been student
Of Mrs. Stetson and had been instrumental
| in securing legislative recognition of Chris
tian Science In North Carolina.
Persecution Broke Her Heart
! Miss Bridgers succumbed because Of a
broken heart" said Mrs. Fennell yesterday.
and she declared that the trouble had beer
brought on solely because Of tho persecu-
ton Of the Wilmington church by the Bos-
/ ton board.
1 The correspondence leading up 20 the
20 ston boards order to close the Whining
1 ION church was sharp and singing The
| g,gt o, il was contained i'm this short list
of questions which were put 10 the WI.
Imington members Of the cult by Clifford -
Smith. the first reader Of the Mother Church
! In Boston:
Are YOU an adherent or follower Of Mrs.
/ Augusta +. Stetson?''
DO YOU believe that Mrs. Stetson wss
unjustly expelled from the Mother Church,
! do you regard Mrs. Stetson as the OBJ
| ject of persecution by the officers OF the
| Mother Church?"
do you believe her TO be a genuine and
! sincere Christian Scientist
The answers sent back by the Whining
| ton members convinced the Boston Board
! that Mrs Stetson's influence there was very
| affirmative TO all questions except the first,
| replying to that with the statement that
they were adherents and followers OF MIS-
| Eddy, and no other, and the order Tor clos
I ing the doors OF the wilmington church loI-
| lowed.
Mrs. Stetson's Position.
Mrs Stetson herself said two days ago
that she confidently expected the reappear-
ance of Mrs Eddy "in the flesh" She did
rot use the word resurrection because
sbo would not admit that Mrs. Eddy had
died" Those logically literal Christian
| Scientists who are fiocking 10 her standard
now believe that she has, by her stand on
this question. superseded in fact the Boston
Board Of Directors, who have announced to
the world that Mrs. Eddy is no longer OF II.
In the announcement Of her position Mrs.
| stetson was careful TO pia e no time limit
on the miracle she has prophesied, ana
when questioned on that point her answer
was:
1T may be to-day it may be tomorrow,
next week or next year"
! She did, however declare her belief that
when Mrs Eddy reappears she will be seen
| first by those who were and are closest to
her. and Mrs. Stetson held no doubt that
she herself would be among that number.
The immortal faction which is support
! ing her now believes its members 10 he the
only true followers of Mrs. Eddy. and, like
| Mrs. Stetson, they believe that their leader
will be first seen by themselves. before the
discoyerer Of Christian Science reveals her
| self TO the unbelievers or 10 those VINO
though protesting Christian Scientists, re-
fuse to believe that Mrs. Eddy can triumph
over death.
| Mrs. Eddys own words, that this age
ia too materialistic for a demonstration
over death" are cast aside by the argument
OF the Immortal" faction. which Is that
no one IN later age can hope 10 attah
to such degree of understanding 81 CHRIS
tian Science as the discoverer herself, ana
that therefore. If Christian Science Is ever
IN triumph over death. il must be through
the medium of Mrs. Eddy alone.
II she cannot do IT.. they intimate. though
they will not yet admit such a possibility,
then Christian Science can no longer can
unon the world TO believe that II can drive
out "sin and sickness" because Mrs houy
herself wrote without division the three
words. "sin sickness and death.' as mat
ter cououerable by her discovery