Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-09-24

throughout all the ages, and it was
understood by Jesus more clearly
than by any of his predecessors.
MARY BAKER EDDY'S TASK
Mary Baker Eddy's Task
Apparently lost for centuries, the
Science whereby it could be put into
operation as a tangible, practical, US
able, workable agency, was redis-
covered by Mary Baker Eddy. Her
great task, the greatest that woman
has ever been called upon to perform,
was to proclaim and demonstrate con-
vincingly to a doubling world her
marvellous revelation. In her OWN
simple but beautiful language she
tells US when and how each of her
steps was taken. Those acquainted
with her writings are familiar with
the story. She left nothing to mere
assertion. She proved by demonstra-
ton every declaration which she set
down in writing. In the year 1866,
she tells US, she discovered the Christ
Science or divine laws Of Life, Truth
and Love, and named this discovery
Christian Science; but her first PAM
phlet on the subject, although copy
righted in 1870, did not appear in print
until 1876, or ten years after her d.
vine revelation, "as she had learned,
to use her own words, chat this
Science must be demonstrated by heal
ing before work on the subject could
be profitably studied. She was in no
hurry to launch her discovery upon d
world slow to yield itself to considera-
ton of new philosophy of life, and
one especially that undertook to re-
flute or reverse practically all the
theories of human existence handed
down by the schools from time i'm
memorial. She knew too much OF the
world to trust her revelation in its
hands until she was prepared with
such proof as it would demand to in
sure at least respectful, if a skepti-
cal, hearing. To obtain these proofs,
and to render them convincing and
irrefutable, she gave herself over to
prayer and study. When she sought
authority she sought and found it in
the Bible. When she sought guidance
she looked for it in the teachings o.
I Christ Jesus and his apostles. All Of
her dependence for light was placed
upon the Scriptures, and when shr
finally laid her thesis Before critical
people it was fortified with spiritual
truth in every line, sentence, para
graph and page.
Nothing has been more puZzling or
more annoyingly battling to her critic
than the fact of her scrupulous, per-
sistent, tenacious adherence to the
Bible-to the book which Christians
through centuries have regarded, or
have professed to regard, as divinely
inspired She took it and employed it
as the keystone of her philosophy. She
took it, as it was intended plainly by
its inspired writers to be taken, in
spirit and in truth, neither deducting
from it nor adding to it. but accepting
it with open mind and interpreting it
in accordance with its manifest design
and meaning.
Christian Scientists And The Bible
just as teh discoverer and founder
IF Christian Science places the Bible
first at all times; just as she looks to
it and chngs to it a tall times for in
spiration and for strength; just as
she has given its first place in the
religious tenets an dservices Of the
church she instituted and organized,
SO do all IF her loyal followers ac-
cert its inspired Word as their SUI
fcient guide go eternal life. 1t is err
otn1 L. 10
say that ir no other class or de-
nomination of prcfessed Christian
reiigionists is the Bible esteemed
more highly or studied more regu-
jarly, closely, earnestly or intelli-
gently than it is among Christian
Scientists. The Christian Science
textbook, Science and Health, is an
exposition of the Bible, Key to the
Scriptures, and, as such, it has al
ready unlocked for millions, as il is
destined to unlock for countless null
lltudes to come, ineXhaustible treas
ares of spiritual wisdom and under
standing.
In the earlier days of her labor the
critics were puzzled and baffled by
the discovery that many statements
in her works which they regarded as
tie most radical and the most start
llng-statements that challenged and
sometimes fatty contradicted or pos
lively controversial their time hon
ored and seemingly rock rooted theo-
logical premises and conclusions
were based upon biblical passages
which they had commonly and ha-
hitually used in services and SER
mons, but which, in the light shed
upon them by this woman-this pre-
sumrtuous woman-presented mean
ing altogether new to them-so sur