Article March 3, 1923 Issue

From the Directors

The Christian Science Board of Directors

The published writings of Mrs. Eddy contain that which she desired to give to the world from her pen. Her printed words, chosen with care and grouped with exactness, express her precise meaning and present a complete elucidation of Christian Science. She left no writings which are to be published at some future date. She left nothing unfinished in her exposition of this Science of Mind, which, when applied as she directs, heals the sick and reforms the sinner. Her personal correspondence was large, and was addressed to many individuals covering a wide range of subjects, but she expressly desired that her published writings alone should be taken as her voice to the world.

Mrs. Eddy saw that anything she had not written for publication or that might be circulated in manuscript form was open to adulteration and misapplication. Respecting her wishes in this regard, hundreds of her correspondents have sent in their cherished letters to be permanently filed in the vaults of The Mother Church, where they will be protected and preserved. The field at large also can honor her wishes by refusing to accept any papers which purport to be from her pen, but which are open to doubt.

Of late, certain typewritten articles and alleged extracts from letters claiming to have been written by our Leader have been circulated, which are not genuine and should therefore be shunned. Some of them are clever imitations of her style, and present occasional sentiments that in themselves are not objectionable, but which are mingled with others that are deleterious and foreign to her teachings. Still others of these spurious writings have been built up in part from phrases and sentences filched from genuine writings of our Leader and which are artfully surrounded and submerged in things she never wrote and which she never would have approved. To counterfeit a letter is as reprehensible as to counterfeit money; and those who would heed our Leader's wishes, and at the same time protect our Cause from imposition, should reject every writing or paper claiming to be from her which does not bear such unmistakable evidences of authenticity as would be accepted as conclusive in a court of law. To be genuine it should bear our Leader's signature, it should show the date and residenc, and name of the person to whom it was originally addressed. If any of these essentials be lacking, the article or letter should be regarded as a snare for the unwary. Passing them from hand to hand is an offense against Christian Science, as well as a direct violation of our Leader's wishes.

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