It’s been said before, but I love the way reading a book can
alter your whole perception of life; can enthuse, encourage, enlighten. Over the past month, the book We Knew Mary Baker Eddy, Amplified Edition,
Vol II, has done all that and more for me.
I am indebted to my Mum (our very faithful blogger, Joyce Voysey) for
setting the pace in delving in to its treasures.
Some writers are completely new to me; others I have known
about for decades; all of their accounts provide compelling reading. What they have given us are warm, tender, and
grateful accounts from those who knew from close-up association, a remarkable
spiritual leader, Mary Baker Eddy.
This blog site, sponsored by Christian Science Society Redcliffe, is for sharing the joy of the
riches available in Christian Science Reading Rooms. One might think that Reading Rooms are, these
days, an anachronism. However just last
week I visited a yacht club in the north of Queensland that had its own Reading
Room/Library which was comfortably and suitably furnished so that one or more
people could simply sit and read there.
Alas, we were not able to stop to enjoy doing so, but the welcoming
“feel” of that attractive space has remained with me nevertheless. I hope, as you join in reading our chosen
book each month, that you will feel just as welcome on our blog.
This month, as I have been reading, I have had my pretty,
gifted black pencil at hand to mark passages which stand out to me. Dear readers, there are far too many to list
them all, but it occurs to me that I might collate a number of them here so
that they can easily be referred to later.
The overall impression I am left with as I near the completion of this
marvellous collection of reminiscences, is the tender solicitude felt by these
students from their Teacher. She was
indefatigable in supporting, correcting, encouraging; always listening to God’s
direction and leading her students on.
And so, today, we can learn and grow through our study of the Bible in
conjunction with her writings, and be buoyed by the stirring accounts of these
faithful early workers.
1. Jennie
Sawyer – on thinking
I love that Jennie Sawyer writes, on page 21 “In all these
trials, we had letters of guidance and cheer from Mrs Eddy that sustained and
comforted us” and that after 47 years of “continuous practice and teaching of
Christian Science, it has been one glorious experience of endeavour to undo
self and sense and thereby serve God” (p. 26).
An outstanding comment from this writer is the following
recollection of Mrs Eddy’s having said “To never be found thinking on the wrong side of any
question would solve the problem.”
And also from Eddy: “If a negative thought comes to you,
rise to your feet immediately and declare the Truth aloud.”
2. Victoria
Sargent – on attachment
Mrs Sargent quotes Eddy (p. 35) “Evil cannot attach itself
to man, and you deceive yourself when you believe that it can.”
3. Janette
Weller - regarding getting along with
others
Weller shares a time when “a difference in opinions and
methods of work arose between two students” (p. 50). She writes: “The Christian Science pathway,
while leading heaven-ward, is not always strewn with flowers, and like all
other religious denominations, its followers are not always of the same
mind...” and she shares Eddy’s letter to her, which begins “What a great matter
a little fire kindleth. What an unruly
member is the tongue—what a mischievous thing is the pen if not governed in
wisdom...” and continues “Help each other. In union is strength. But it is best not to take the opinion of any
student on points of Science...”
4. Captain
Joseph Eastaman - on working diligently
Eastman’s account is
very touching. He speaks so humbly of
himself as (p. 62-3) “a sailor, with only a seaman’s knowledge of the world”
and that he “felt very much out of place” in joining “many highly cultured
people” in the class when he was taught by Mary Baker Eddy. However, he explains that Eddy’s answers to
his earnest questions “brought forward and cleared up many points that
otherwise might not have been touched upon” and so the result was that “all,
except one, went into active work in the Master’s Cause.”
In speaking of the obstacles he faced in establishing and
maintaining his Christian Science practice he writes (p. 66-67) “Unless
faithfulness and energy are at the helm, there is and can be no permanent
success. Each must diligently work, and
watch his own work—not that of
others—here as well as elsewhere, if he would succeed. I myself never worked so hard...but I can
say...never did I find, in any other work, the abiding happiness that is mine
in the service of suffering, sin-sick humanity.
I have proven beyond all doubt that errors of every sort, whether
foolish or malicious, are cowards.”
5. Mary
Eastaman – on remuneration
Mrs Eastman shares the following helpful comment (p. 78):
“Captain Eastaman always said that he worked for one-third of his patients for
love, expecting no remuneration but rejoicing in their healing and acceptance
of Christian Science. In after years, as
God had prospered them, the expressions of gratitude, monetary and otherwise,
from many of these patients [were] very gratifying and beautiful. He never hesitated to sow the seed and leave
the rest to God.”
6. Julia
Prescott – Bible passages in times of great
need
Mrs Prescott shares a defining moment in her experience on
p. 90. Her son was unwell, and had not
recovered under Christian Science treatment.
She writes “in my extremity I resorted once more to the old medical
remedies and used them just as I had for months every winter before. But the child continued to grow worse until,
at six o’clock the next morning, I cried out to God for help and laid the child
down and left the house, saying as I rushed out, “I will never come back until
I find my God.” As I looked up to the
stars, these words came: “Abide in me and I will abide in you.” Instantly the whole world changed to me from
a sense of agony to one of peace and rest...[the child] was perfectly
normal...and never had another attack.”
Prescott writes of Mary Baker Eddy’s “gentleness and loving
interest” (p. 90) and shares some teaching that left a deep impression on her
(p. 91): “First, that Love was our only weapon and would destroy all error that
might come to our consciousness. Second,
that all Bible passages that came to us in times of great need were messages
direct from Him.” And regarding “seeing the error”, “always know it was the
‘adversary’, that Jesus came to destroy, not personality.”
Finally, Prescott shares what many writers have noted,
Eddy’s generosity of spirit, expressed in tangible ways. “She delighted to give
always in every direction” (p. 94).
7. Emma Estes –
on healing
Estes shares her first encounter with Christian Science (p.
99 – 100). Her mother was critically ill
when a visitor (whose little boy had been cured of heart trouble), drew her
aside and cautiously suggested she take her mother to a Christian Science
practitioner, adding that “That will heal her.”
Her first visit with the practitioner resulted in a “holy calm” and
“through earnest, faithful study of that precious book [Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy],
one by one the dreadful physical ills began to disappear, and health and
strength were slowly restored.”
She also relates (p. 101) an early experience of helping a
man “groaning in agony” to whom she said: “God can help you if you will let
Him.” He replied “I don’t believe in
God.” She said “You surely will when you
are helped.” And he did.
Later, when an “urgent call for help came from a gentleman,”
Mrs Eddy answered Estes’ reluctance to attend the case with the encouraging
words “You have only to be a transparency for Truth” (p. 103).
8. Lida
Fitzpatrick – helpful comments on healing
Here are some helpful comments from Eddy as recorded by
Fitzpatrick (p. 110- 112):
·
“You do not have to argue; know.”
·
“I speak sharply sometimes but the thought must move.”
·
“The building up of churches, the writing of
articles, and the speaking in public is the old way of building up a cause. The
way I brought this Cause into sight was through healing; and now these other things would come in and hide it, just
as was done in the time of Jesus....be a transparency for Spirit.”
I found this especially helpful (p. 113) “You do not have to
wait for your patient to tell you all about what to meet; you should see it and
meet it.”
Some other noteworthy passages include:
p. 117 “In healing a patient, do not try to regenerate the
whole; be like a carpenter—strengthen the weak place first, and while [you are]
doing so, the patient will be helped mentally.
You cannot take the whole structure until you have reached that point.”
“Break the so-called laws which say you cannot heal...Work
at it every day until they are destroyed; [do] not wait until you have to meet
with the patient, but work every day just as hard as though the patient was
dying until you have the mastery. Then
you will have dominion over your work.
Look to God, whose only law is harmony.”
“Keep awake by loving more; love the idea of God and you
will love God. You can only love God as far as you love His idea...”
p. 118 “...speak with authority, stamp your foot if
necessary...”
p. 119 “It is not necessary to eat as much as we do...”
p. 124 “There is a time to do everything...”
p. 129 “Learn what watching
means.”
p. 140 “It is not Science to be too thin or too fleshy;
either is a state of fear, for flesh manifests mind.”
9. Joseph Mann
– a faithful servant
Mann writes (p. 150) “It is not an exaggeration to say that
without doubt, in her time, Mrs. Eddy was the busiest woman on earth.” And speaking of some of her qualities he
tells us she (p. 154-5) “bore her daily cross with Christian dignity and godly
poise...She allowed neither multiplying years nor time’s vicissitudes to interfere
with her usefulness. Her riper years
only added wisdom to her ability to do, while age but added to the stateliness
of her womanhood...”
In response Mann decided he “must demonstrate an aliveness
to duty which amounted to a spontaneity of wisdom in action...to be so alive to
the originality of God-with-me as to enable me to do harmoniously and quickly
the things of which I knew she had need...” (p. 155). He reports (p. 155) that “Mrs. Eddy rejoiced
not so much in whatever was accomplished as in the manner of its
accomplishment.”
I love when he shares the story of her rebuking his false
modesty on p. 161-2 by pointing out that “God is never seen apart from man...” As a faithful servant, Mann learned (p. 166)
that “it is impossible unselfishly to give without also receiving. I had come to Pleasant View only to give, but
I left feeling greatly enriched.”
An Easter lesson was that “You must get rid of the ‘old
man,’ the old woman; you cannot make them better and keep them” (p. 167).
As a trusted worker in Eddy’s household, Mann was called
upon to help others who may have been homesick – see page 170.
10. Clara
Shannon – seeing and conquering error
Shannon relates an incident (p. 188-9) which showed Mrs.
Eddy was always of woman of action if she felt God demanded it, ready to obey in
the middle of the night if necessary.
Some lessons:
o “If
we are misjudged, persecuted, it is a sure sign that we are ascending the
mount.” See p. 93.
o “For
us to progress, we must go alone and work out our own salvation, and then if we
meet one to teach Truth who has not learned before, we know more than that one
and teach what we have learned of God through experience; this is progress. We have not got the momentum of long years to
work out of...” (p. 194).
Shannon had a patient who, after a week of Christian Science
treatment was “much better, but not completely well.” She “was alarmed at having a patient for so
long as a week” and wrote to her teacher (Mrs. Eddy) to let her “know of what
sin [she] was guilty.” Eddy “told [her]
that man was already healed and that what was preventing both of us from
realizing this was malicious mental malpractice against [her] Christian Science
practice, and that [she] must ...just handle that.” The patient was soon well. See p. 196-7.
She learned to always “give God the glory” (p. 209) and to
say, “With God’s help I will do so and so...”
In Shannon’s account of the dramatic healing of Calvin Frye
she includes her teacher’s instruction that “when you speak the Truth to
anyone, if the Truth you speak causes him to laugh, cry, or get angry, you have
reached the thought that needed correction.”
See pp. 210, 211.
On seeing and conquering error, Shannon says Eddy showed the
students that if they “neglected to do [their] duty and did what was wrong
without detecting, correcting, and overcoming error, but continued repeating
the same mistakes and justifying [themselves}, the suffering which would result
would be simple interest, which [they] would have to pay. Then, if Christian Scientists refused to see
the error when it was shown and wilfully or maliciously continued to repeat it,
allowing their thoughts to be governed by hate, malice, jealousy, or any of
these subtle conspirators, this would result in moral idiocy and would bring
compound interest.” See p. 215.
There are some interesting comments regarding insanity,
dementia, imbecility and moral idiocy on p. 217.
11. Laura
Nourse – beloved hymns
Readers will be interested that verses from Nourse’s poem
“In Transitu” are the basis for hymns 197/198 (Now sweeping down the years
untold, The day of Truth
is breaking), and 392 (one of my all-time favourites with music by Arthur
Sullivan)/393 (With love and peace and joy supreme). See Endnotes p. 603.
Nourse opens her recollection with a description of her experience
of class taught by Mary Baker Eddy in November 1888. She speaks of having Eddy’s words “burned
into [her] consciousness...and never forgotten” (p. 223). The words were: “You will handle it, [malicious animal
magnetism] or it will handle you.”
12. Septimus
Hanna - support for a diligent worker
Hanna’s account is both interesting and important. He speaks of Eddy’s “dignity of demeanour”
(p. 230), and observes that she was “wholly devoted in all her thought and
purpose to God and humanity” (p. 231). He also shares with us how Eddy strongly
supported and instructed him in his work as a healer, preacher, teacher,
lecturer, and editor.
I love the portrait of Eddy on p. 232.
I was interested to read in Mrs. Eddy’s letter of Nov. 29,
1898 that (p. 250) “No student shall receive a certificate of qualification nor
shall be accepted for examination who has not a fair education in English and
especially the grammar of the old tongue and the branches requisite for good
writing, speaking, and teaching Christian Science in good English.”
13. Edward
Norwood – moments of profound clarity
Norwood, like many others, shares his experience of the
Class of 1889, and especially Eddy’s two questions: “What is God?” and “How
would you heal the sick instantaneously?”
Her answer to the latter question rings out to me (p. 269) – “It is not
so much to realize the presence of
Love—but love! Love enough, and
you’ll raise the dead!”
On page 273, Norwood shares a tender letter from his
Teacher: “When any strong impression comes to you..., ‘try the spirits’ before
you submit. Mentally treat yourself that
nothing can govern your actions or come to your thought that is not from the
divine Mind.” Such wise counsel.
Norwood states bluntly that “Mary Baker Eddy was the most
remarkable woman in the history of the world,” adding that one on her staff
many years told him, “You would not tell Mrs. Eddy more than once that a thing
could not be done” (pp. 282, 283).
I like when he writes (p. 283) that “We find God only as we
find our real selfhood. And Mary Baker
Eddy showed us how to do it.” The second
last paragraph on that page is so interesting on the effect of the Christ on
the physical and moral.
Page 286 has a wonderfully witty quote from Eddy “Some
people are like wheelbarrows—they need to be pushed along.” There is also a wonderful account here of
Eddy’s healing a child with cataracts.
And finally, a pithy remark that will be helpful to us all
in doing our own work faithfully whilst leaving to others the work that is
rightfully theirs: “I will do what belongs to me patiently and faithfully but
this is not my work” (p. 287).
14. Anna White
Baker – pray at least 3 times a day by
giving thanks
Baker tells us (p. 292) that having a medical practitioner
become a Christian Scientist, and Christian Science healing cases given up by
physicians, resulted in better attendance at church services in Concord and
respect given to Christian Scientists there.
Baker also tells us of Eddy’s “longing to make every day
count as gain. Her demands had to be
met, and she had neither time nor desire to tarry with inefficiency” (p.
297). “There was no time for idle
thinking or listless waiting. The entire
household was awake and alert in the early morning. Mrs. Eddy was herself the first to greet the
day, for at five o’clock, even on dark winter morning, she was accustomed to
read from both the Bible and Science and
Health and to make a note of thoughts which came to her then” (P. 301).
Page 303 is interesting.
Baker writes: “Mrs. Eddy deplored lack of culture at every point. I once told her that I had been severely
censured for sending my daughter to college...” Mrs. Eddy responded that “I
wish every student I have had a college education. I want them to be able to talk intelligently
with educated thinking people everywhere.”
We learn that Mrs. Eddy subscribed to the Literary Digest and “read it regularly, thus keeping herself
generally informed of important world conditions.” We also learn that students should be reading
the Christian Science periodicals with an educated thought which “silently
corrects” and therefore helps to improve them.
I LOVE the section headed “Advice for parents” which begins
p. 313. We must not antagonize through
“mistaken zeal.”
Page 314 gives a wonderful recollection on the topics of
“body” and “numbers of a problem” – so
interesting and helpful.
I like that students need “faith, pluck, and patience enough
to endure without fainting, apparent defeat and delayed rewards” (p. 315). Two paragraphs on this page have been really
helpful to me. Praying
at least three times a day by giving thanks and realizing the
perfect, has transformed my days from worrying about what I have not
accomplished to listening to what God is telling me—sometimes with surprising
results, always resulting in more peace.
It’s really trusting as a child does (explained on p. 316).
The importance of naturalness is brought out on p. 320. Baker writes that Eddy “disliked affectation
or mannerisms. It was this perfect
naturalness about Mrs. Eddy that drew me to her...”
A lesson on erasing error is pointed out on p. 326. After hearing from Mrs. Eddy on the subject,
Baker responded “When I cross out a figure as error I erase it from the
problem, and it is no longer in my thought.”
Regarding how we regard Mrs. Eddy and represent her to
others, Baker shares a letter from Eddy (p. 327): “Do not say to anyone ‘You
must love Mrs. Eddy to be well,’ or anything like this. It gives the enemy a plea to urge, ‘You make
her as God.’ You can speak of the good I
do and so incline the individual to the truth relative to me. Any other way hurts the Cause.”
15. Mary Eaton
– just love (p. 336)
Wonderful.
16. Lydia Hall
– the time to work
Hall reports that Eddy said “...when everything seems to be
going smoothly, that is the time to work as much as when you are having the
struggle with the error” (p. 343).
17. Charles
Reynolds - revelation
Reynolds wrote a lovely letter which included the following
comments: “I saw clearly that Christian Science came by revelation. That God spoke to Mrs. Eddy as truly as [He]
did to Moses or Isaiah...I saw, as I had not before, that Christian Science is
God manifesting Himself and that He had found in Mrs. Eddy a channel that was
transmitting His presence and power.
“My impression of Mrs. Eddy might be summed up by saying
that her view of men and issues was from an altitude of thought and insight so
high and pure that she discerned their needs.”
We read of Reynolds’ own healing on p. 352. He writes that “I read almost day and night for
several weeks when the light broke through.”
The book was Eddy’s Retrospection
and Introspection.
18. George
Kinter – regard for others
Kinter makes a keen observation (p. 362): “I submit that the
kindly thoughtful attitude of Mrs. Eddy’s mind, her regard for others, and her
consideration for others’ comfort and happiness has here a fine, practical
illustration in fact, well worth emulation by us all in all our dealings with
each other as Christian Scientists and with people generally. The general adoption of her philosophy in
this respect would make and keep the world young.”
Here we read a further stirring account of Mrs. Eddy’s
rousing Calvin Frye back to consciousness after which Kinter recalls Eddy’s
“wholesome, good humor” when she said to Frye “Now, Calvin, don’t let the devil
catch you napping again, for it takes a lot of valuable time sometimes to
outwit him” (p. 369).
19. Minnie
Scott – lean on God as a little child
Scott was called to work in Eddy’s home and doubted her
ability to carry out the tasks. How
lovingly Mrs. Eddy responded “My dear, you have only to lean on God as a little
child and divine Mind will teach you all you need to know every moment. Love will direct your footsteps and lighten
your labours.” How encouraging as we
today sometimes despair over learning new computer skills!
During the “Next Friends” lawsuit we are told that Mrs. Eddy
was “patient, courageous, and joyful”, but Scott felt that “the whole affair
seemed oppressive” until Eddy called in the staff and said “We are never worse
for persecution but better because we turn more unreservedly to God...” (p.
377). What a Leader!
Scott demonstrated her practical good sense when confronted
with a “disgruntled woman” at their door.
Her method of caring for the situation, as explained to her teacher,
would be not only to know that “Love was [her] protection” but also to “take
special care that the windows and doors on the first floor were kept fastened”
(p. 379/380)!
20. Adam Dickey
– an able bodyguard
This man was solid and faithful and Mrs. Eddy soon knew
it. She relied on him and trusted
him. He comments that “People were not
invited to Mrs. Eddy’s house for their own improvement. They were invited there to work and what she
required of them was not that they should work for themselves but that they
should work for the Cause of Christian Science” (p. 389).”
“...every person who went to Mrs. Eddy’s home had to be
tried and tested before he assumed his duties” (p. 391).
“I had no idea that she was constantly besieged by all the
forces of evil and that she had to be in the frontline of battle, day and
night, throughout all the years of her leadership” (p. 391).
Dickey speaks of Eddy’s “beautifully modulated voice”, the
“daintiness and neatness of her attire” (p. 400) and of her “orderliness,
neatness, and dispatch” (p. 417) which of course spilled over into the lives of
those in her household. It seems that
mealtimes demonstrated both orderliness, promptness and regularity. Dickey writes that “There was no confusion,
no friction, no lost time. Indeed the question of meals and mealtime occupied
very little space in the thought of the members of Mrs. Eddy’s household” (p.
421).
I find it instructional that (p. 422) “Mrs. Eddy never let
down on anything. She kept everything up
to the highest point of perfection—her appearance, her hair, her fingernails,
her house, her horses and carriage—in fact, none of the evidences of age or
neglect were ever allowed to show themselves.
She admired pretty things and beautiful things as one may infer from a
[telegram] to the St. Louis church, in which she points out that it is not evil
to enjoy good things but that it is evil to be a slave to pleasure.” This is such a lesson in caring for our
churches, our appearance, and our homes.
He recalls that she said to “Never fear a lie. Declare against it with the consciousness of
its nothingness. Throw your whole weight
into the right scale” (p. 406), and then she “picked up a lead pencil ...and
balanced it there like a pair of scales...,” concluding that “When we admit a
lie we put the weight into the wrong scale and this operates against
ourselves.”
Faithful work was required and Eddy’s counsel was to “Never
forsake your post.” (See Retrospection
and Introspection p. 85: “Seek to occupy no position
whereto you do not feel that God ordains you. Never forsake your post
without due deliberation and light, but always wait for God’s finger to point
the way.”)
Eddy’s students often got things wrong, as is illustrated
in the passage regarding her instructions regarding praying about the
weather. She asked “Can a Christian
Scientist control the weather?” They all
answered in the affirmative, to which Mrs. Eddy replied “they can’t and they
don’t.” She repeated the statement “They
can’t,” but immediately she added, “but God can and does.” The next paragraph of explanation (see p.
413) is very helpful regarding the nitty gritty behind that statement.
Dickey recounts an incident when Mrs. Eddy was obviously
struggling physically prior to her daily carriage ride. See pp. 423 – 424 on how he was instructed to
pray, and the good results ensuing! It
demonstrated how to become law to oneself.
(See S&H p. 442:30.)
I love that Mrs. Eddy was very comfortable in passing on gifts
so they could do double service (p. 424/5).
Indeed we learn how generous she was.
Dickey speaks of Eddy’s “accuracy”, of leaving “nothing
unfinished or uncertain”, and of “painstaking exactness” (p. 427). He also recalls her speaking about being
changeable—that she had been accused of changing her mind frequently, but that
it was always because she had got new light and a new point of view.
Dickey points out Eddy’s firm insistence on accurate
statements when voicing truths. See pp.
430 and 432.
A noteworthy recollection is on page 443: “Often I heard her
say with great impressiveness that in over forty years of church leadership,
she had not made a mistake, a record that is most truly remarkable.
Mrs. Eddy’s ideas of church government differed greatly from
those of the general run of mankind. She knew that her Church, established as
it was under divine direction, would incur the hatred and opposition of every
known form of religion which has been evolved according to the wisdom of man.”
21. Adelaide
Still – personal maid
This is such a lovely account. Still served as Mrs. Eddy’s personal maid,
and recounts many of the same experiences we’ve previously heard from the
others, but with a new, clear, fresh and lively perspective and extraordinary
wisdom.
She shares what Mrs. McKenzie said to her just before Still
embarked on her work for Eddy: “Remember, half the world is condemning Mrs.
Eddy, and the other half is deifying her, and the workers there stand between
the two” (p. 460). She recounts that she
was willing “to do anything that God wants...” (p. 464) and that she “was very
anxious to save Mrs. Eddy any unnecessary trouble” (p. 466).
Still tells us about Eddy’s love of “homemade ice cream and
custard pudding” and also recounts Mr. Frye’s telling her that “nearly all of Unity of Good was dictated between the
hours of four and six on cold winter mornings...” (p. 470)!
I find it particularly instructive to think of Eddy’s saying
“God’s face is there...” when confronting a storm, as narrated p. 471.
Homesickness is mentioned again on p. 478. I had never before thought of Mrs. Eddy’s
response to the move from Pleasant View to Chestnut Hill as homesickness. I love that “she grew to love her rooms and
her drives...very much” (p. 479). Home
is such an important concept for us all.
This is lovely – Eddy’s response to Mrs. Sargent’s query
“Mother, how did you do the wonderful healing when you first discovered
Science?” –
“I just got out of
God’s way” (p. 482).
There is a lovely sketch of a time when a sixteen month old
baby was brought to Eddy and how she absolutely delighted in it (p. 495).
22. William
Rathvon – study her books
Rathvon describes Eddy as “the chosen evangel of Truth” (p.
503) and he lists some of her accomplishments as (p. 504):
-
The installation of a simple form of service
-
The building up of efficient agencies and
institutions for the dissemination and protection of a radically new system of
ethics
-
The launching of a great metropolitan daily in
the interests of clean journalism
and he recounts her
-
Wisdom and sagacity
-
Strength and determination
-
Wit and humour
-
Love of little children
-
Delight in the beautiful
-
Inexpressible charm of manner
-
Eloquent voice.
And then he tells us that it was her desire that her
followers “disregard her personality and address their thought to the things of
God...She
would have us study her books... (p. 514). As our Church Manual tells us in the section Teaching Christian Science – Care of Pupils sect. 2 (Article XXVI
Section 2) - [The
teacher] “shall persistently and patiently counsel his pupils in conformity
with the unerring laws of God, and shall enjoin them habitually to study the
Scriptures and Science and Health with
Key to the Scriptures as a help thereto.”
Julie
Swannell
