New-York tribune., 1921-02-27
ADVERTISEMENT

Is but the SymDol, Cne names OF
those who attain to o wholly
spiritual consciousness will be found,
as the Bible declares, in Revelation.
Therefore, it is the individual
work of every Christian Scientist to
SO fulfill the law of Love and Truth
that his name will finally be re-
vealed, written in the Lambs Book
of Life, and enrolled in this Church,
the Church Triumphant, from which
no name can ever be removed. In
retaining their membership in their
Church or spiritual consciousness my
students are not dwelling in a ma
teriaI organization, but they are un-
folding and revealing their spiritual
oneness with creative Principle,
Mind, Soul, Spirit, God"
"Mrs. Stetson," asked, ITO whas
do you attribute the recent expul-
sion of the twenty-six members?"
Recently, three of my former
trustees attended a corporate
meeting of the church, the first at
which they had been present dur
ing all these years. Shortly there
after came the notification that the
twenty-six members had been
dropped, the charge being that
they had not attended church for
one year. Ecclesiastical churches
never drop q member except for
serious misdemeanors or criminal
acts.
at goes without saying that these
persons, whose high moral character
had never been questioned, would
have had to carry through life the
stigma Of having been dropped from
a church, which claims to be based
upon brotherly love, and in justice
to Christian Science, as we'll as to
themselves, they demanded the writ
of mandamus, which compelled i'm
mediate replacement Of their names
upon the church rolls"
Reinstafed at Once
"And was there contest in court
ever the issuance of this writ?"
mo, these members were rein
stated at once"
"Have other Of your students
been dropped heretofore without a
hearing?" / inquired.
eyes, many have been dropped
from time to eme, during the past
eleven years"
"Have all been expelled for al
legged non-a n-attendance?"
"No, in other instances the
charges are that they adhere to my
teachings and read my books. My
students interpret the Bible, and
Science and Health s0ith Key to
the Scriptures spiritually, as / do.
We claim this right of spiritually
Interpreting the Bible and Mrs.
Eddy's writings.
"In her writings Mrs. Eddy rec
ognizes the dangers of material or
ganization. Let me read you this
quotation, from Petrospection and
Introspection, page as:
"'After this material form of
cohesion and fellowship has accom-
plished its end, contipued organiza-
ton retards spiritual growth and
should be laid off even as the cor
poreal organization deemed requi-
site in the first stages of mortal ex-
istence is finally laid off, in order to
gain spiritual freedom and su-
premacy.'
AWhat, then, is the function of
material organization,' as you call
ltg" was my next question.
Individual Growth
Material organization is requi-
site in the primary stages of Chris
tian Science and should not be dis
rupted any more than the primary
grade of school should be discon-
tinued because some of its pupils
have graduated into higher grade.
"The proper time for emergence
from material organization must be
determined by the individual growth
of each aspirant TO the name Of
Christian Scientist. He must first
7 be able to recognize, and be willing
to overcome, those false qualities
within himself which claim to op-
pose his progress Spiritward. Until
ready to begin this warfare he is
not prepared for spiritual organiza-
ton, in which the element of unity
results from love of God and. for
thy neighbor as thyself,' and within
WAiSil AoCe1ollS OoyC anu OlS5Su~
slons are impossible.
'"After ], with my trustees, had
replied to Mrs. Eddy's letter, in
forming her that we did desire to
build higher some Of my students
wrote me letters in which they as
sured me that they were beginning
to build character on the spiritual
understanding, that Spirit is in
finite; therefore Spirit is all. "There
is no matter,"' and therefore that
they must see me, and every one,
as spiritual idea. These letters
| sent to Mrs. Eddy, as evidence
that some of my students had risen
to this point of spiritual discern
ment.
"The hour had rpw arrived when
was ready to come out from the ma
terial organization. / had finished
my work, built my church edifice and
bad occupied it for six years. Mrs.
Eddy, seeing that some of my stu
dents had grasped the spiritual i'm
port of Christian Science, published
in the Sentinel these letters of my
students, and the separation of those
who had risen to desire TO begin to
build 'on a wholly spiritual founda-
tlon,' and those who had not, began.
From that moment /, with nv stu