Editorial February 5, 1910 Issue

A WORD TO OUR HELPERS

Archibald McLellan

An important factor in the advancement of the Cause of Christian Science is its publications, and the progress which has been made along this line, in the way of development, owes its success, in large measure, to those loyal workers, all over the field, who are mindful of our Leader's longtime request that they not only subscribe for the periodicals issued by the Publishing Society, but read them and write for them. In the early days when workers were comparatively few and mere tyros in divine Science, the editorial staff must have been hard pressed sometimes for the requisite "copy;" but with the years not only the corps but the supplies have been recruited, and the editorial function must now be exercised not only to the end that the integrity of the teachings of Christian Science be preserved, but that the high standard of literary excellence set by our Leader be maintained.

Everywhere the loyal and grateful recipients of the blessings of Christian Science are eager to help spread abroad the gospel of the divine healing, and day after day, from all quarters of the globe, come articles, poems, testimonies, news from the churches and the lecture field, reports of the work done by the various committees, etc.,—and right welcome they are at headquarters. Every communication is given thoughtful consideration, and while they do not all bear the hall-mark of the scholarly thinker, no one who has a helpful thought for mankind, a vital experience which has made clearer some Scriptural or metaphysical truth, need hesitate to offer his contribution for the general good, even though he feels he can express himself but crudely.

There is one way, however, in which many contributors, unthinkingly perhaps, add to the editor's duties, i.e., in their indiscriminate use of quotations. An established rule is that all quotations from the Scriptures and the writings of Mrs. Eddy must be verified, and in the latter case the place where the passage is found must be stated. This has seemed necessary, because so many otherwise careful writers quote from memory, in which case the passage is seldom verbally correct. This is particularly noticeable when citations are made from Mrs. Eddy's writings, and quite frequently, too, the quotation is introduced with no hint as to its context. When the passage is from Science and Health it can usually be easily found through the Concordance to that volume, but those who are familiar with the extent of our Leader's writings, both in book form and in our periodicals, will understand the task imposed when a single phrase or even a sentence must be located with no other help than is afforded by a thorough familiarity with the text. Again, there must be constant alertness to recognize the phrasing which should be accredited to another, that, unconsciously perhaps, has been incorporated by the writer as his own thinking.

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