Practical Philanthropy

Page 382 (We Knew Mary Baker Eddy vol 1 expanded edition) gives us an insight that could be useful in to-day’s confronting financial climate. Folk are seeking relief from lack brought on by the consequences of the global pandemic. I read this morning about a woman who had not had a meal for two weeks, having started to to try to eat the blank pages of her diary. (See The Christian Science Monitor "In Queens, residents become the coronavirus safety net", 22^nd June, 2020.)

John Salchow speaks of Mrs. Eddy sponsoring the paving of Pleasant Street. He reports that “money was tight and everyone was hard up. It was even proposed to have soup kitchens for the poor. But as members of the household told me, Mrs. Eddy said: ‘They do not want soup kitchens. They want work.’ And so she helped to provide work by contributing heavily for road construction” (p.382).

Of course, these are different circumstances today, but it is something to be kept in mind always.

On the same page Salchow records that Mrs. Eddy purchased a Yale automobile. Her motive in doing so is of interest: it was not for her convenience, but for the sake of the horses which drew her carriage. The machine, Salchow says, “must have seemed like some horrible demon to the horses as I drove it around them when they were out exercising, but they gradually got used to it” (382-3).

Now for a funny. “Mr. Joseph Mann tried to drive the car once, but it jumped a stone fence and landed in the lot, so he decided to leave it alone after that” (383).

And on the loyalty of Calvin Frye, Mrs. Eddy’s secretary and general helper: Salchow noticed something which touched him very much and illustrated to him just how loyal Calvin was. He was ever alert to any call from Mrs. Eddy in the night time. The very thick carpet at his bedside had two holes worn at his bedside which were, “a silent witness to many long vigils in the night, when (he), instead of retiring, had sat on the side of his bed alert and ready for his Leader’s slightest call” (386 and 387).

Joyce Voysey

Confronting sensuality

 A Christian Science practitioner does not give advice. This is illustrated, for me, by the report by Calvin C. Hill in this month's book, We Knew Mary Baker Eddy, Volume 1, Expanded Edition. Hill was in Mrs. Eddy’s presence quite a lot, performing tasks for her like searching for students who were worthy of being called to work in her home. At one time she asked if he had any questions for her. He didn’t seek her advice, but asked her to point out something in Science and Health that he could work with. He said, “I wish you would point me to some place in your book that will enable me to overcome the thought of lust and sensuality” (WKMBE p. 338). And Mrs. Eddy replied, he said, most emphatically, “I will!” (ibid).

Mrs. Eddy talked for some time in a most uplifting manner. The effect was that Mr. Hill found he was "a different man" who felt that he could say of himself that he had "experience[d] a measure of spiritual 'new birth' on that wonderful day. However [he goes on to say] later I had to learn that being lifted up by another, even by our Leader, is not working out one’s own salvation – which is to say that there is no vicarious atonement. I saw that I had to work my own way up the hill of Science, that I had to prove in my own experience the truth she had affirmed to me – I had to work it out in demonstration” (pp. 339-340).

The heading of this part of the chapter is “Confronting sensuality,” and it goes on from page 338 to 340 with this so valuable a teaching on that confronting subject. I am reminded that the word “sensuality” is used in the Glossary of Science and Health five times. And it and other derivatives of have about three-quarters of a column in the Concordance to Science and Health, with Key to the Scriptures. Mr. Hill does not mention any of them in his account. Surely, we can profit by finding out for ourselves what Mrs. Eddy’s book has to say on the matter.

Joyce Voysey

Incredible accomplishment - never in haste

A link to a great lecture -- 'Time is not a factor in your life' (see link below) -- popped up in my in-box the other day. The message is plain - it's not more time that we need; it's right ideas. How grateful I was to have this reinforced a few moments ago as I pondered a looming deadline. I picked up We Knew Mary Baker Eddy, Vol. 1 Expanded Edition to continue my reading of Julia Bartlett's recollections. Miss Bartlett makes the following observations: - 'Work seemed to be accumulating constantly, and it was marvelous what our Leader accomplished' (p. 70). - '...it seemed almost incredible that [The Christian Science Journal] could be added to the work already being done' (ibid). - '...she did not falter or delay' (ibid) - all letters 'had to be written by hand' (ibid) - '[Eddy] never appeared in haste, [and Bartlett] marveled at the pile of letters (Eddy] would write or the amount of work she would do in a little time' (ibid). One evening, when Julia Bartlett was so tired that she couldn't even hold her pen, her teacher 'rebuked the error' (p. 71) and she was able to complete the work at hand. At one point, Bartlett was treating 70 patients a day, her 'work taking [her] far into the night' (p. 74). 'Many who became interested in Christian Science at that time later were teachers and healers themselves, going out into different cities and filling responsible positions, and one [Mr. Ira O. Knapp] was made one of the first Directors of The Mother Church by our Leader' (ibid). What an example of a 'meek and bold defender' (Hymnal no. 392) was Julia Bartlett. And what an inspiration to know that we too can move beyond being intimidated by the mortal measurement called time, and trust God to order our moments and our days. Julie Swannell “Time is not a factor in your life” with Dave Hohle, CSB How can we begin to gain spiritual freedom from limitation associated with time and age? This talk distinguishes between time and timelessness, age and agelessness, and encourages freedom from mortal limitations associated with time by understanding more about the spiritual nature of life. This understanding leads to more freedom, more productivity, and more harmony.

A leader's keen discernment

 Annie Knott was appointed as a lecturer and for some time was not being called on to give lectures. Mrs. Eddy told her, “You must rise to the altitude of true womanhood, and then the whole world will want you as it wants Mother” (We Knew Mary Baker Eddy vol 1 Expanded Edition, pp. 191-2). And, '“I would like to know who has the most intellect, the man or the woman? And then she laughingly added, “There is not any such thing as intellect, but I mean who reflects the most intelligence, the man or the woman? Take Adam and Eve, was it not the woman who first discovered that she was in error and was the first to admit it?”' (ibid p. 192). Mrs. Knott found this to be a new definition of intelligence.

Are we willing today to admit we have been in error on some matter?

Yes. Mrs. Knott started to have calls to lecture.

Alfred Farlow tells us how to interview Mary Baker Eddy - see page 211 of We Knew Mary Baker Eddy vol 1 Expanded Edition. Aren’t we, as members of Christian Science churches, often to be found saying, “I wonder what Mrs. Eddy would say”? The answers are all in the books.

And don’t we sometimes berate ourselves for not being able to assimilate more of Science? Emma Newman recorded Mrs. Eddy writing with thanks to Newman's father for a sermon of his which was published in The Christian Science Journal, pp. 294-300, October 1893. Eddy's note read: “God bless you and every day show you a little more of Infinite Love. Just your daily bread, more you will not digest” (WKMBE p. 240). Just enough bread to digest at a time. How wise! 

Now here is a condition which one would think Mrs. Eddy would never talk about – hermaphrodite mentality. At the time of the "Next Friends" suit, Hermann Hering says of the work done in spiritual defence: ‘The trial was a very stubborn fight, and there seemed to be no progress made and little indication that Truth would win out. There was some very subtle work going on, and finally Mrs. Eddy sent word to these workers, “You must know that there is no hermaphrodite mentality.” From that time on things began to break. The power of evil was taken away, and very soon the trial was ended’ (ibid p. 450).

The reader is not likely to recognise that big word, I presume. But it is a condition much talked about in our time. My dictionary defines it: A person or animal having both male and female sex organs or other sexual characteristics, either abnormally (in the case of some organism) or as the natural condition.

One stands in awe at Mrs. Eddy discernment of the situation!

The foregoing is the result of my having started to read our book of the month some time before it was announced. I made notes in the back of the book and referred to them for this writing. I am currently up to page 251 with Daisette McKenzie.

Joyce Voysey 

Annie Knott knew her Bible

In Annie Knott’s contribution (in We Knew Mary Baker Eddy Vol 1 Expanded Edition pp. 156-200) we are told (p. 165) to “declare daily, ‘I cannot suffer from others' sins, for sin is its own punisher, and I will not sin; then I am free from suffering.’”

Annie Knott speaks of healing barrenness in two cases on page 176.

Mrs. Knott explains the significance of Mrs. Eddy’s discontinuing Class teaching in the field for twelve months. For one thing, it "separate[d] the sheep from the goats" in that the disobedient students “actually separated themselves from the movement without any disciplinary action on the part of The Mother Church” (pp. 184/5).

Joyce Voysey

Ed. For anyone interested in further research on this early worker in Christian Science, there are some 1440 references to Annie Knott on the web site jsh-online.com and there is a lovely photograph of her and other details at the Mary Baker Eddy library website. As a girl of eight, this Scottish-born woman memorised whole Bible chapters, and never forgot them! Are we memorising Bible passages today? I know some who are. :)

Laura Sargent recollections

 Laura Sargent’s contribution (We Knew Mary Baker Eddy Vol 1 Expanded Edition pp. 95-128) is very different from others. She seems to be quoting from notes made at the time Mrs. Eddy shared inspirations with the workers in her home. It is made up of metaphysical rather than personal anecdotes. It is a part of the book that really needs to be studied with the Bible and Science and Health at hand, for example, on page 96 --

   July 12, 1896: 

   Mother was speaking to us of the “[h]eaven that is right here when we understand it." Then she said, “And the throne will be there and God will be there.” Then after a slight pause, she said, “And the precious book will be there.” 

  After a few hours I opened the Bible to find a verse, and my eye caught verses 11 and 12 of Revelation chapter 20. 

And, on pages 118/9: 

   Mother called us and read Mark 7:15 and said mesmerism from without cannot hurt you. Only that which is within is what we need to watch against most and strive to overcome. Then that from without will find nothing in us.

Page 116. On speaking to a child Mrs. Eddy said, 

  “If I had a child in my arms, I would speak to it mentally till it was old enough to know what I said. Then I should say to it, ‘You cannot sin. There is no sin; it is all love.’”

If we have stumbled over “Desire is prayer” from the textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, we will be gladdened with this (page 116): 

   “… I told her my one desire was to know the spiritual idea of Life, Truth and Love. She said if you truly desire that, you will certainly obtain it, for one always gets what one desires. If one desires evil, they get evil. Then she said if you had a true sense of Life, it would be manifested in action and you would find the other two (Truth and Love) included in it.” 

Page 123. 

  Mother said the inaudible word was more potent, and we are not to talk when she shows us what there is to meet but to silently declare the [t]ruth. This is scientific practice.

more tomorrow - about Annie Knott.

Joyce Voysey 

Asa Gilbert Eddy

The first contribution in this month's book - We Knew Mary Baker Eddy – Expanded Edition, Volume I - is from Mary Godfrey Parker.  Mrs. Parker knew Mrs. Eddy* as a child when her mother (Christiana Godfrey) was a great friend of hers, and had been healed by her.  And she knew Asa Gilbert Eddy before Mrs. Eddy did; her mother actually suggested that Asa Gilbert go to Mrs.  Glover, as she was then known, for healing.

Mrs. Parker has given us the closest report on Mr. Eddy that we have.  There is even a mention of his physical appearance: “I remember so well how he looked; his long black hair, instead of being combed high in a stiff pompadour as shown in his photographs, was brushed back and fell over his left eyebrow in loose curls.  There was always a sweet smile on his face, and his eyes were so gentle you could not image him hurting anything in the world” (page 8).

Mrs. Parker quotes her mother as saying "that Asa Eddy was such a spiritually minded man” (page 9).

Mrs. Godfrey resisted becoming a student of Mrs. Glover’s.  Mrs. Glover felt "she was a natural Christian Scientist" (p. 15) and would be of great help to her work.  Even though she never took Class Instruction Mrs. Godfrey was indeed a great help to Mrs. Glover in sending people to be healed, and lending copies of Science and Health which Mrs. Glover gave her as the new editions came out.  And above all, she was a great help in having sent Asa Eddy to her.  He was the one who became of great help.

To quote from Mrs. Godfrey: “Sometime after Mrs. Glover married Asa Eddy, she wrote to Mother saying that she could never repay the debt she owed her for sending Mr. Eddy to her, because he had proved such a blessing and help” (page 16).

A further note about Asa Eddy – to go forward to the experience of the next writer, Julia Bartlett -- we find that Julia went to Mrs. Eddy for advice on finding a practitioner in her desperate need of healing. Mrs. Eddy put her in "the care of her husband, Dr. Asa G. Eddy" (page 45), and she "began to improve immediately and [started to get her] freedom" (ibid).  Julia again mentions him at the time of her appointment with Mrs. Eddy in applying for class instruction. She recalls: “This home in Lynn was very simple in all its arrangements but immaculately neat. They kept no servant at that time, but Dr. Eddy did much to help in every way for the Cause that would otherwise take her time, and attended to business outside. He was always the kind husband and friend and ready helper in all things pertaining to the Cause of Christian Science and our beloved Leader” (pages 45-47).  

Joyce Voysey

Ed. Eddy was at that time known as Mrs. Glover.