Article May 11, 1899 Issue

Not Well Informed.

Certain gentlemen of the pulpit in Michigan and elsewhere, are varying their stereotyped attacks upon Christian Science by attempting to make capital out of the falsehoods which have recently been revived, to the effect that the author of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," borrowed her system of healing from one Dr. P. P. Quimby. One of these gentlemen is reported to have said in a recent sermon, with reference to these charges, that the Rev. Mary Baker Eddy has kept a judicious silence, although the seriousness of the offence and the boldness of the accusation have demanded a reply, which she had never even attempted.

In view of the facts, this assertion, made publicly in a pulpit where truth only is supposed to be uttered, is about as bold a performance as anything of which we can conceive. The gentlemen who thus speak should be aware that they are thereby acknowledging themselves to be uninformed of existing and well-known facts, and they should become better historians before undertaking to recite history.

The fact is, that many years ago these calumnies of Mrs. Eddy and her work were answered by her and others. We regret that our clerical friends at the time of the delivery of their sermons, had not perused the Christian Science Sentinel, published in Boston, Mass., of February 16, 1899; for had they done so they would have been thereby informed that, as early as October 6, 1883, there was published in the Journal of Christian Science, parts of a decision of the United States Circuit Court of Boston, in a suit brought by Mrs. Eddy against one Edward J. Arnes, for infringement of her copyright of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures." In this action the defendant Arnes alleged as his sole defense, that Mrs. Eddy was not the author of Science and Health, but that the said Quimby was. Upon this issue the case went to trial, there being no other issue involved in it, for Arnes had no other defense. The defendant's counsel failed to produce any evidence in support of his answer, that Dr. Quimby and not Mrs. Eddy was the author of the book. for the infringement of the copyright of which the suit was brought. At the time of the trial the defendant's counsel was asked by Mrs. Eddy's counsel why he did not present evidence in support of his answer, and he said, for the reason that there was none to present. Does any one suppose that, this being the sole defense, the defendant would not have Droved his case if it had been possible?

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