Mrs. Eddy, the subject of an editorial, was born of devout...

Aaron E. Brandt, Committee on Publication for the State of Pennsylvania,—Butztown

Advertiser

Mrs. Eddy, the subject of an editorial, was born of devout Christian parents, and much of her education was derived from the Bible, which she studied with unusual care and intelligent thought. In due time such study naturally brought her to the conclusion that, since God's Word is Truth, without variableness or "shadow of turning," it must necessarily be scientific and demonstrable. Therefore we find the statement in her textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 342), "If Christianity is not scientific, and Science is not of God, then there is no invariable law, and truth becomes an accident."

In the application of her teaching to the healing of sin and disease, Mrs. Eddy found that spiritual truth, understood, has lost none of its efficacy, and that it was just as available in her day, as true Science must necessarily be, as in the days of the early Christian period. The thousands of Christian Science churches, societies, and practitioners throughout the world amply testify to the truth and efficacy of her teaching.

Those who would write about Mrs. Eddy and endeavor to do her justice must first gain an understanding of the Science of her teaching and practice. In comparison with this all other incidents in her life, ofttimes greatly misunderstood and sometimes greatly exaggerated to her disadvantage, have little significance. Even her enemies, those inclined to be fair to her, when confronted with facts make due amends for their mistakes and attacks. Thus, the humorist, Mark Twain, in his latter years greatly changed his views and made this significant statement: "Christian Science is humanity's boon." And, speaking of Mrs. Eddy, he said: "She has organized and made available a healing principle that for two thousand years has never been employed, except as the merest kind of guesswork. She is the benefactor of the age" (Biography of Mark Twain, by Albert Bigelow Paine, Vol. 3, p. 1271).

Mrs. Eddy was reading the Bible when the spiritual illumination came that healed her of the supposedly fatal effects of an accident. With renewed interest and enlightened zeal she searched the Scriptures for the underlying cause of her healing. She spent nine years in an effort to state clearly and make known the scientific nature of her discovery, that is, before she published the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health. Mrs. Eddy accepted nothing as having a divine origin but that which is based on invariable law and is demonstrable as absolute Science. Her teaching must therefore be understood to be appreciated. When so understood, no contradictions are found therein.

The esteem in which Mrs. Eddy is held and the continued growth of the movement founded by her are due mainly to the practical availability of her teaching in the affairs of mankind. As to her personal character and the regard in which she was held by the community in which she lived and by those who knew her personally, the facts may be gathered from the resolution of respect passed by the city of Concord on the occasion of her removal from that city to Boston, and from a further resolution adopted upon her decease, which reads: "Mrs. Eddy was distinguished by public spirit, deep generosity, wide charity, and tender and thoughtful helpfulness, and it seems fitting and appropriate that we, the Mayor and the Board of Aldermen and the Common Council of the City of Concord, take some action in behalf of our citizens to express our appreciation of her residence among us and our esteem of her character; therefore

"Be It Resolved, That by the death of the Rev. Mary Baker Eddy the world has suffered an irreparable loss and the citizens of Concord the loss of an honored and a devoted friend of our city, whose motto was 'to injure no man, but to bless all mankind.'"

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit