Meticulous research, and demand for the truth

On page 81 Peel writes about Mrs. Eddy's desire to have Christian Science "made more respectable in the eyes of society". She had read a book called The History of Medicine for the Last 4000 Years, by Rufus King Noyes, M.D. of Lynn. 

Peel writes:

“The history of medicine, Noyes held, was one of imposture – 'a practice of fundamentally fallacious principles, impotent of good, morally wrong, and bodily hurtful.'”

This thinking heartened Mrs. Eddy, and it reminds one of pages 162-164 of Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures (S&H) which quote famous medical professors on the dangers of medical practice.

I have long loved this quote from Voltaire, 18^th century French Enlightenment philosopher, historian, and writer, “The art of medicine consists in amusing the patient while nature cures the disease” (quoted in The People’s Idea of God, p. 6:11 by Eddy). I first came across Voltaire's quote in Tolstoy's great work, “War and Peace.”

It is nice to become reacquainted with William Dana Orcott's book “Mary Baker Eddy and Her Writings”, mentioned on page 83 of Peel’s book. Orcutt’s book is a wonderful account of the history of the printing of S&H. What a history!

The culmination of this history, for me, is the printing of the Subscription Edition of that book. There is a Subscription Edition of S&H in the foyer at First Church of Christ, Scientist, Perth – I admire it every year at my Christian Science Association meeting.

The 30^th edition of S&H included, for the first time, the 'scientific statement of being.' Now found on page 468, this statement is practically the Christian Scientist's rock of salvation. Peel comments that Mrs. Eddy did not use the pronouns He or She to indicate God, except in this edition. He classifies these as being too disconcerting to the ear. She does, however, quite freely use the term Father-Mother.

It comes as a surprise, perhaps shock, to hear that the 3^rd edition names names in regard to demonology, while the impersonality of evil is so prominent a part of her later teaching.

For about ten years, Mrs. Eddy's work was centred in Lynn, a seaside town about 10 miles from Boston. Lynn has historic monument to Mary Baker Eddy and the town's website has a long history of her connection with that city.

Peel champions the women who actually helped Mrs. Eddy at this period; most of the men couldn't take it. Peel says (p. 108), “Mrs. Eddy did not ask for women half the world that men had made; instead, she demanded an entirely new world for both of them.” Isn't that great?

This book has a valuable reference to the Quimby-Dresser controversy (pp. 125-136). Possibly the definitive authority because of his meticulous research, and demand for the truth.

Joyce Voysey

"A truth to be lived"

I have had my copy of Peel's book Mary Baker Eddy: Years of Trial since February 1976. It was a gift from a church friend, inscribed by her on the flyleaf just prior to my departure from Perth to Sydney where our first child was born a few months later. What a tender memory this kind gift has for me now.

I love that texts reveal new hues upon re-reading. The topic of empiricism is one of interest in our age. A quick Google search explains that in philosophy, an empiricist is one who "supports the theory that all knowledge is based on experience derived from the senses" and offers as an example phrase: "most scientists are empiricists by nature". 

Furthermore it explains that empiricism is based on "the theory that all knowledge is based on experience derived from the senses".

In the light of these definitions, Peel's comments on p. 11 and 12 arrest attention. He compares Thomas H. Huxley's loyal devotion to the then current natural science (including unwavering support of Darwin's theory of evolution) with Mary Baker Eddy's adherence to her discovery of Christian Science. This latter Science, he describes as “an eternal rather than an empirical science, a truth to be lived rather than a methodology to be worshipped”.

Julie Swannell

Meticulous record by Peel

Book Club Feb. 2017

Robert Peel's Mary Baker Eddy: The Years of Trial

Of course I have read this book before, though not so many times as the third book in the trilogy: Mary Baker Eddy: The Years of Authority.

Right here at the beginning I would advise the new reader that there is a need for two bookmarks for this book. The end notes are a must read.

The book certainly lives up to its name: years of trial are certainly meticulously recorded.

The tone of the book might be taken from the last sentence on page vii: “For in the lexicon of Christian Science, a trial of faith has a special significance: it is the theological equivalent of a laboratory test.” This account, then, chronicles the discovery and emergence into society of a Science: the Science of Christianity. Mrs. Eddy discovered what was true and what was untrue about this Science through living it.

Ever the academic and historian, Peel tells us on page 9 that by 1978 the chapter of Science and Health called Some Objections Answered had been "analysed in doctoral dissertations and studied by readers in Polish, Dutch, Greek, Norwegian, Portuguese". Peel seems to hope and trust that the literary world will study this biography of his.

Mrs. Eddy felt the lack of leaders among her early students. Peel speaks of there being more leaners than leaders. Peel uses strong words to describe what was needed – stamina and audacity (p. 10)!

In 1876, the centenary of Independence for the United States, there was a Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia. Professor Peel would perhaps have us deepen our historical knowledge with his mention of it. T.H. Huxley and Johns Hopkins University should have us delve their history too (p. 11).

Page 27 speaks of the Christ: “The Christ, she taught, had been expressed in varying measure by prophet and sage and apostle; as the true idea of God it was still available for men to express in the measure that they followed the example of Jesus, thought as he did, drew on the same inexhaustible source of good which he called “Father.””

Another list of intellectuals on page 32: Rimbaud, Zola, Dostoevsky, Ibsen, Nietzche. Unlike the times in which Peel wrote, we have the internet to learn more about these men – just Google it!

More history: The Salvation Army was founded in 1878 by William and Catherine Booth. Now I did Google that. Wikipedia says that Catherine was called the “Mother of The Salvation Army.” William preached to the poor, and Catherine spoke to the wealthy, gaining financial support for their work. She also acted as a religious minister, which was unusual at the time. Peel likens The Salvation Army to Christian Science in that the two movements shared in common the sense of a Christian fight to be fought – fought with discipline, energy, and persistence.

All that is recorded about Asa Gilbert Eddy, Mrs. Eddy's husband, offers us a gentle, tender, neat-in-appearance man, one we would like to be friends with. And what a great help he was to Mrs. Eddy in the year 1878. He was there for her even when wrongly imprisoned and put on trial on a horrible trumped up charge.

In a lecture given at Christmas time Mrs. Eddy's text was, “For unto us a child is born.” Peel's writing about it on pages 68 and 69 deserve to be read in full, but I would love to quote what Peel quotes from the talk.

Here the vision of Mary rose above the maternal instinct, giving place to prophecy, and mutely she pondered the fate of her son. Even a mother's pride and fondness were not blind to the necessities of history when the divine meets the human and the human struggles with the divine. But conscious of the power of Truth, the supremacy of Spirit over matter, she early made demands upon her idea of God to present this proof, saying to her son at the marriage feast, “They have no wine.” He replied, “Mind hour is not yet come,” but the persistent mother had a clearer sense tht God gives dominion to man and she urged the exhibition of this power and the demonstration that her idea was begotten of Truth, namely, that Mind is creative,causal, and must present its own ideals; therefore she said to the servants, “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it,” and Jesus turned the water into wine.

A precious note (#39) on page 331 quotes from a sermon given by Mrs. Eddy around 1880. It is about the Communion Services:

In communion with Christ bread and wine can only stand for the thoughts they express...Could I only give you a new and vivid sense of the faith and love the greatness and truth of which they tell...

Joyce Voysey