The New Publishing House

ANNA FRIENDLICH

What Christian Scientist visiting Boston is not thrilled as his eyes rest upon the new Publishing House, bearing aloft the stirring inscription, "The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it," like a crier to the world, challenging adversity, proclaiming the triumph of good and the downfall of evil!

Jesus said, "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up." In Numbers we have it that "the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way." We recall that this was after the children of Israel were compelled by Edom to travel a roundabout way through the desert. In their fear, irritation, and resentment against God and against Moses, they became afflicted with a pest of serpents. On page 594 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy "serpent" is defined in part as follows: "The belief in more than one God; animal magnetism; the first lie of limitation." It is further defined thus: "The first claim that sin, sickness, and death are the realities of life. The first audible claim that God was not omnipotent and that there was another power, named evil, which was as real and eternal as God, good." This recalls the argument of the serpent of corporeal sense in the garden of Eden. It was these material beliefs that were biting the wayward wanderers in the wilderness. It was at this point that Moses lifted up the serpent of brass, and those who beheld it lived. Their wounds were self-inflicted, but Moses prayed for the people and acknowledged the power and presence of God.

It came to pass in a subsequent epoch of human history that Christ Jesus recalled the serpent of brass, and lifted up the Son of man. He revealed the spiritual idea of man which healed the sick—the truth which makes free. And today in Christian Science mortals are being healed by denials of error and affirmations of the truth.

The building of the new Publishing House, thoroughly equipped, is exemplifying the teaching of Christian Science that through denials of error and affirmations of the truth discordant conditions are healed. Having advanced steadily to completion, without interruption and without debt, in the face of world-wide belief of lack, the new Publishing House stands an inspiring testimony in the sight of men, uncovering the unreality of the prevalent fear, a testimony to the available rich resources of divine Love. Heeding not the false belief of hard times, The Mother Church marched forward to this great accomplishment, an achievement needed not only for the adequate performance of its local tasks, but as a trumpet call to the world to awaken from its dream. There stands the Publishing House, domiciling the periodicals which our Leader established. She says (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 113), "The systematized centres of Christian Science are life-giving fountains of truth;" and she adds, "Our churches, The Christian Science Journal, and the Christian Science Quarterly, are prolific sources of spiritual power whose intellectual, moral, and spiritual animus is felt throughout the land."

Another inspiring inscription on the Publishing House claims the attention: "To proclaim the universal activity and availability of Truth" (The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany, p. 353). As Joseph in the seven lean years in Egypt opened the previously filled storehouses and provided corn for the people, so does the Publishing House open through the periodicals rich stores of healing ideas, denials of error and affirmations of the truth; knowledge of the Science of Truth to cover the earth "as the waters cover the sea." This ceaseless dissemination of the statements of scientific fact issuing from the Publishing House starts radiant visions and exalted hopes throbbing in the breast of the Christian Scientist, midst the troublous scenes of the day. The affirmations of the spiritual facts of being, continuously sent forth into the seething world-consciousness, are destroying fallacious beliefs; and the impurities are fermenting as they pass off. Hence the ebullitions of evil on the surface! In Science and Health we read (p. 96): "Mortal error will vanish in a moral chemicalization. This mental fermentation has begun, and will continue until all errors of belief yield to understanding."

Has not the hour struck? Do not international conferences betoken the leavening influence of divine Principle active throughout the world? Men grown restive under the regime of materialism; peoples arriving at sober second thought; beginnings of a united mankind under the government of Truth; tired humanity groping for the touch of divine Love—does not all this ethnic churning foretoken a spiritual renaissance—evil disappearing under the throes of the new birth; the dawn of reality; the advent of the appearing of the real man; matter being rolled up like a scroll; God tabernacled with His people?

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Place and Opportunity

September 23, 1933

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