The Republican journal., 1922-06-08
WAS MRS. EDDY A
PLAGIARIST?


resembling Christian Science before her
memorable meeting with Quimby. There
10 much available evidence to show that
long before he met Mrs. Eddy or was
aware of her existence. Quimby antici-
pated the fundamentals of her ''Science
and Health" For instance, we find
Quimby, over two years before ne ever
heard of Mrs. Eddy. denying the reality
Of disease, which ne pronounced an error
of the patients thought, and affirming
that matter is nothing "If you are told"
We find Quimby writing early in 1860,
ssthat YOU have consumption this belief
il matter under the direction Of error,
and Is it is put into practice it changes
the mind 30 that the idea of consumption
il thrown off from the belief. II you are
excited by any other belief, you throw off
ali the misery that follows your belief
For instance, you are made to believe you
are not SO good as you ought to be; your
belief puts restrictions on your life, and,
rs it is burden to you, it makes you
throw off a shadow that contains the
punishment of your disobedience. This
makes you another character and you are
not the happy child of Wisdom" This
il q characteristic quotation from the
famous Quimby manuscripts.
The very existence OF these manu-
scripts has been denied by some parti,s
to the Quimby Eddy controversy, but at
last they are permitted to see the heht OF
day in volume Just issued through the
Crowells by the eminent advocate OF
''New Thought" Doctor Horatlo ".
Dresser The history OF these manu-
scripts has been romantic enough hither-
TO, but now it promises to be sensational.
They comprise the most amazing charge
of plagiarism ever made, involving such
possibilities as that the fundamentals of
Christian Science, taught by Mrs. Eddy,
were taken over bodily from Phineas
Parkhurst Quimby Mrs. Eddy later in
sisted that Quimby was "a magnetic
practitioner" and that it never occur
red'' to her "to learn his practice, but
three weeks after she saw Quimby we
have her saying, in the outburst OF hcr
enthusiasm and gratitude towards him:
81 can see dimly at first, and only as
trees walking, the great principle which
underlies Or. Quimby's faith and works;
and Just in proportion to my right per-
ception of truth is my recovery. ms
truth, which he opposes to the error OF
giving intelligence to matter and placing
pain where it never placed itself, II re-
ceiyed Understandings changes the cur
rents of the system to their normal ac-
ton: and the mechanism of the body goes
on undisturbed, That this is a science
capable Of demonstration becomes cieaI
to the minds of those patients who reason
upon the process of their cure. Inc truth
which he establishes in the patient cures
him (altho he may be wholly unconscious
lthereof) and the body, which is full o
light. is no longer in disease. At present
lam too much in error to elucidate the1
truth. and can touch only the key note
for the master hand to wake the mar.
mony. May it be in essays insteao OF
notes! say l. After all, this Is very
spiritusl doctrine; but the eternal years
of God are with it, and it must stand hrm
A. the rock of ages" -,
This does not at all agree with Wna'
Mrs. EDDY wrote many years later wnen
she said Ouimby got his ideas from ner'
AS Ouimby could have got notnihs l4on
Mrs. Eddy before he met her OF kne" q
her existence, Doctor Dresser gives mocl
space to those expositions OF the Qaimos
metaphysical or mind-heaine system
which were made prior to the year iooA
Quimby had Investigated sucn tnlnes a.
hVnnOJlSm. CldIIvOyohNSt Sk
"a mesmerism. and abandoned them al
.s therapeutic agencies. They were al
to him forms of self deception. For hls
cures he had come to rely upon the spirit
nal force employed by Jesus through ths
Christ power. 1.-THE truth" to use hl'
own phrase. sis the cure" To quote
Ouimby's own words almost at random
from the mass of his correspondence priol
~ h;s knowledge of Mrs. Eddy'a exist
ences -
MAS 4 man called Jesus who, the Chris
tian says, came from heaven. TO tel
man that if he would conform to certain
rules and regulations he could 60 to heav'
en- when he died; but If he refused to OBEY
them he must 90 to hell Now, of course
the people could not believe 1t merely De
cause he said SO =. so 1t was necessal!
to give some proof that he came iron
God. Now. what proof was required b!
the religious world2 IL must be SOM
miracle or something that the people
could not understand. So he cured TN
lame. made the dumb speak, etc. Int
multitude was his Judge and they couie
not account for all that he did; then ~
must come from God. Now, does IT ioi
low? have no doubt that ne cureo
Hut his cures WcIc uo p1ooA sAoe ~ S~-->>
from God, any more than mine are
nor did he believe it. -. Jesus WIS en-
doved with wisdom from the scientiht
world or God, not of this world. Nor car
he bc explained by the natural man.
His God fills all space. His wisdom II
eternal life, with no death about it. -.
ssJesus knew all this. No man wal
able 70 break the seal or unlock the secre
of health. Wisdom, seeing the groani
81 the sick, acted upon this man Jesu'
and opened his eyes to Truth. Thus TN
heavens were opened to him. he saw
this Truth or Science descend, and d
understood it. Then came his tempta
tion: Il be would listen to the people AM
become king they would all receive him
This be would not do. But to become
teacher Of the poor and sick would b
very unpopular. He chose the latter
and went forlh teschins and curing al
eorts Of diseases in the name Of this Wis
dom. and calling on al men everywhers
8 repent, believe and be saved from The
prissts and doctors who bound brrdeni
= ~ people"