CHRISTIAN SCIENCE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 670, 22 November 1909, Page 7

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE.

, RIVAL LEADERS. A SECRET TRIAL AND EXCOMMUNICATION. (By ,Teleeraph-Prc«s Aieoclatlon-Oonyrlght.) Mew York, November 19, After threo days' secret trial, Mrs. Augusta Stetson, leader of tho Christian Scientists of New York, has been excommunicated for rebellion against Mrs. Eddy, the founder of tho first Christian Science Association. Mrs. Stet- • son's adherents threaten to establish a rival organisation.

i:''-\! : ' ; Mrs. ; Mary Baker Glover. Eddy, the'foiinder .of: the -Chrishah '• Science movement, ■'. was born ;in : lß2l,'.and:is ;theret'pre 88 years of- age.: Her 'education included natural philosophy, chemastronomy, besides the Latin," Greek,. Hebrew, and I'tenoh.languages.'.::She waß - a, member ■ of :■ the - Congregational: Church■ till though -she began\tb teach-the "Science ■.of -Mini.'Healing" in 1867;:;;: She: founded the first Christian Science; Association/in 187G,.and' the National Christian; Science , Association iii 188 G. :She: j .organiscd'.,the:,First ,, ':,Church:-of'-Chris'* .Scientist,.in in 1879, and became pastor emefitus.of the Chuich.,' She is: the author 'of a.-large'iiutnber.of 'books oh subjects cohnccted;with..Christian Science. . ■'■; ".\:- : i■'■ ■■ ■;Mrs.::Eddy.' was. born of• good old -myr', EngV land, stock-in- Her father, -Mark;Bake , rj , :was''the: descendant of- men: who' for'itwb hundred years had- farmed v : in that State. ■■ He; was'e L Congregationalist of 'the' '■' old schbpl,'<whp-,died-in 1805,' at the. nge of- 80. iHe 'has; been '.described.as : "ignorant,- dominatingj passionate,-fearless.''"-/.'He drove tho:'sharpest bafgains/.paidihis workers the imallest'wages'."', But ho,"never ohiateda mati.-and he always sacredly kept'his' word." :He:.was -a strong' ad-, vpcate of slavery, .openly rejoiced over-the asr' sassination 'of ;Abrahani Lincoln,-and -so strict a Sabbatarian j tl\at;'he.'made hie .sis,childrenafter: attending -service; on Sunday : sit-quietly with folded'hatida alUthe rest.of the day. .His children resembled , him iii being high-tempered and:headstrong.::-Mary ; ! A.-Morse ,was ofterwards; to. become 'famous as: Mrs. 'Eddy, !-77was his jroungest, and waaVthe belleKpfvthe. .village.'-I":She lived till•;'she was, fifteen■ in,:,the little farmhouse,'where every one worked twelve hours a:day : but herself.-She was an interest--ing,.;, beautiful,' : delicate. ; 'Child,: v with;, good :' taste in dress and.a glorious head of hair. :, ?Fiiom : her youth ; up to' fits' of ".hysteria: V" .vMrs.'AngustaE. Stetsoh'-is in mafay ; a remarkable womani and''has-become,ifarabus in .the United States oSia.-ChristianjScience,teacher .and practitioner,vhaving obtained' the :degree, of, Christian, Science .Doctor, in : 1884. ,^She-mar- ■ ried^a^Captain''';]! I .:'J^jStetson- ; (nbw;: deceased);. . She .beganvi.the,, practice "bf- Christian' , Science , healing'at Boston in .1884} preached on alternate : Sundays'.-in the 'Mother. Church: in; 1885 i was:sent:to : Now:'York:by.Mrs'. EHdy-in. 188G andi:organised, the First Church of. Christ, Scientist,' NewyYork, in 1887; she was'appointed: pastor in 1888,7 and first, reader in 1895, when the title of ofSc'e-vras -.-.changed "in; all i Science .churches";. She became principal of the New, York Christian Science Institute m 1891, and raised 0ver.1,200,000 dollars totuild tho , First/Church of Christ, Scientist,'.. New* -York,-:and'dedicated ifc debt; in 1903- 'She is. tho author .of a volumeVof 'poems;- ; ■':';.,;"■'".'•-' ■■' ;i;-.':;'' <C■.-. ■!'.■;':'.'.

OF CHRISTIAN SCIENCE.-:; ~ :The origin arid growth.'of Christian.Science is described; as follows by.Mr.l'rederiok Dixon, a ■ Christian Scientist t— i/i : >.; : •■:■■''".. ■ <■ Christian ..Science, is : the'name given by-Mrs. Mary Baker G. ■ Eddy to .the: motaphysical sys- ; tern of,healing;sickness ; and sin,..discovered by: her -in,--February, '1866..■.', The; discovery ?cnme abont.'thxough her : biirii.:recoyery. from the; ef r fects:of wh'at threatened to .be : .a fatal.accident:. Unable/as ? she told thephysiciaii who was then attending:her, , :to- explain l .the -manner '.of 'her, tho spiritual significance of-which was , .manifest: to her,' 6he ! withdrew-from: the-world for-.three years,', , arid,.with;the Bible',as .her o_nly.:-text-boot;;sought., : tho-scientific •.'eiplana-tion-'of tho .occurrence; : .■':':--." V; ■?:;'■•:■*'■ -. : In .1870,'-Mrs.,;Eddy' copyrighted : .the"' first Christian : Science publication, 'the little book: known;as. "The.-Science- - of <ilaii,". which-.has since been :converted: into the chapter' called : "Eecapituldtiori," in-her:book, "Science and; Healtti 1 with Key to the Scriptures," first p«bI ljahedTin'lß7s.;i;This book,' .which'- ia j the'. textb'6ok of!Christian";Science, contains a complete. statement of Christian' Science, religious -tenets.'-;(■■:■:■-.,';..'.•'-." : -'■ '',■;;■' : . •'■■•.-■', : ;::':';iv'-- : . ■ : In 18G7. : Mr5..; Eddy -introduced, her system of. metaphysical healing.v She beganby teachingone student, but from ;: this resulted 1 the:forma-, tion of the Massachiissets -Metaphysical ;Collegej ■charlored'.in.Boston;-:in-1881,' andstill' open. ior . the: purpose ior which it,was. instituted. ■; Nine years'later, in 1876, she aid six: of her students, organised the .-first Christian Scientist"•'■'Associa--tion, and .on, April 19,1870, at ameeting oi:,this' "association':it was. determined:,"to ; organise• a' ohurch:tb jcbmiriemprate the words ( and; works of our Master, a Mind-healing Church, without , a creed,: to be ..called, the Chhrch. of Christ; • 'rheVchafter for. this was obtained ■in June of'the-same year, and the churchiwas. organised -witK:a membership; of In 1008-the.membership was abf1ut.45,000..': In 1892 -this churchi.was.reorganised,, 'iinder the '.■titie'i'of .the Tirst i.Chureh; of Christ, Scientist, Boston, -Mass.,-'and on.llay 21,-.1894, the corner--stone of the edifice'was laid. > This church, which accommodated 11100 persons," rapidly becamo too vsmall. Within .ten yparß plans 'had - to :be undertaken for- its enlargement, 'end ■ .in June, IDo6,'the extension, in the form of a. new churchj capable of seating upwards of 5000 people, laojoiniiiß' and; communicating: with'. ;the original building, was opened to' tho public. :, ■ '\ o; '% -THE MOyEMENT CmTICISED,' -: v ,; v■. At,the Pan-Anglican Church Congress held in London in 1908 ,Dr'. .Eleanor 'M; Eeed, of the United States, who spoke on Christian, Science, said th'osd who.hail hoiiestly investigated available ovidenco, aclinowledgea that among those With whom ;tho so-called religion; had .Tjecome a.'matter of -genuine -personal conviction there' wonderful '.cures'of real' organic disease. She had personally examined.in-' numerable; cures wrought by Christian Science, and' in- every case , i>good working-.knowledge, of psychology: explained tho: physical, changes.. (The- tollowers- of Mrs. -Eddy claimed immunity poth from infective diseases .and. also from acr oidonts.- As to the foimcr, it was.'piobablo looking at tho question (from a scientific .standpoint, that that claim could, often bo verified. Much depended upon; vital resistance, and that power wa-s largely, controlled b? the monttil and physical conditions under which tho individual lived.':Ono of the;'.saddest of facts regarding: Christian Soionce was'that it doniod the reality of suffering..-; As to accidents,, it :was generally olisorvod that the. disciples of Mrs. Eddy were ■ a;distinctly cautious people, ~>:: : : ■':, .' •"-. ""_■': .Bishop Mylne.(formerly of Bombay) narrated an incident.of.healing a sick person by .prayer,.' in took part.',: -. . ■;.'■■ ■■ . ,: , • , .Dean Hart, of Denver; told an anecdote. "At a meotjng in Deriyer the chairman-'got up and nske(l,- 'Aro -thoro any: Christian Scientists A'lady-in the audience roso.and Bait], 'I-.dm a Christian Scientist.' 'Then, madam, was \thd reply, 1 wish , you'd change places with mb. 1 m sitting in a draught.' '' ■.