Rebuttal to the C.S. Sentinel article

We had already gone to press when the article, "Circulation of Literature," which appeared on page 21 of the July 28, l997, Christian Science Sentinel, came to our attention. Since the article does a grave injustice to our God-inspired Leader it must be answered.

Gilbert Carpenter, Sr. who was a worker in Mrs. Eddy's home remembered Mrs. Eddy often urging, "Tell the truth concerning the lie...." In Miscellany, p. 130:18, Mrs. Eddy says, "A lie left to itself is not so soon destroyed as it is with the help of truth-telling."

In direct opposition to what our revered Leader taught, hear the opening salvo of this ecclesiastical dictum from the Board of Directors:

"In many instances, the circulation of manuscripts and publications dealing with Christian Science that emanate from sources other than the Publisher of the Writings of Mary Baker Eddy and the Christian Science Publishing Society, is a disservice both to Christian Scientists and to those becoming interested in Christian Science."

Continuing, in direct opposition to Mary Baker Eddy's teaching, the Directors who today head "organized religion" warn students:

"Some of the items to be aware of are tapes, books, and reprints of all sorts that purport to 'teach' Christian Science." In other words, the Christian Science Board of Directors who continued themselves in office after the Manual By-Law (p. 26, "Directors") TERMINATED them, are telling students what they should read and what they should not read in Christian Science.

What did our Leader say on this subject of what a student should read?

(This section concerns itself only with what Mary Baker Eddy says on this subject.)

Our Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, rose in righteous indignation when in her day certain students formed a Committee to oversee what Christian Scientists should read. She insisted every Christian Scientist is capable of selecting his own reading material.

Hear Mrs. Eddy's own words in a letter to Mr. Wm. G. Nixon, her publisher, dated June 24, 1891, in which she, in no uncertain terms, told of her disapproval of a scheme to have a committee select reading material for Christian Scientists:

"Dear Mr. Nixon: ....Can it be that one who has written to me as you have on offensive measures used in our Cause could have done this?

"I will rip up all my business relations and take [all control] into my hands before this most wicked, prescriptive, uncharitable measure shall be carried. I never read the May Journal, and never knew till now the curse in this platform of Stetson's. I never dreamed of such a platform as Stetson's being brought forward by a Christian Scientist! [Mrs. Stetson loved Mrs. Eddy, almost worshipped her.] No man or woman has told me of this obnoxious feature, but my Father has, and it shall be stopped by His servant who has given His Word to the world-not to a privileged monopoly to tyrannize over other writers." "N.B." [N.B. is an abbreviation for "nota bene" which means "note well." Mrs. Eddy used this means of emphasis regularly when she wished to make an important point.]

[Signed: "Affectionately, M. B. Eddy"] ....I only marvel that you did not tell me of this prescriptive tyrannical clause on buying and selling other literature than mine.... [Mrs. Eddy knew her writing needed constant explanation. That is why she established the Christian Science Publishing Society]. See the "Tip-in" sheet in the July, 1891 Christian Science Journal, and pp. 126-134 of If Mary Baker Eddy's Manual Were Obeyed for a fuller explanation.

Mrs. Eddy's second letter to Nixon on this subject, dated June 26, and signed "Lovingly, M.B.G. Eddy," continues:

"My dear Mr. Nixon: I did not believe you would consent knowingly to anything that works against justice and love. Neither would my precious student, Mrs. Stetson. But neither of you see what God shows me would grow out of this movement. I cannot make you see it. God alone can, and even He cannot until you grow up to it."

Today, over 100 years later, we DO see it;-see the danger she pointed out in 1891; we see it today in the C.S. Sentinel article under discussion.

What does Mrs. Eddy's Manual say about the 5-member Board of Directors who now tells us what to read?

Reading Mary Baker Eddy's Manual concerning the five-member Board of Directors now officiating in Boston, what do we find? Let us read the Manual By-Law estoppel governing this five-member Board:

Manual, p. 26: "Directors. Sect. 5. The Christian Science Board of Directors [of the Mother church, Mrs. Eddy's church] shall consist of five members. They shall fill a vacancy occurring on that Board AFTER THE CANDIDATE IS APPROVED BY THE PASTOR EMERITUS...."

The Board petitioned Mrs. Eddy several times to change this By-Law in order to keep them (the 5-member Board) in power after her leaving. But each time Mrs. Eddy told them that God had dictated that By-Law, and she "could not change WHAT GOD HAD DICTATED."

While Mary Baker Eddy was here she needed the five-member Board to help her carry on the work involved in the Mother Church organization. But Mrs. Eddy knew that it was infinite good's plan that there would be NO MATERIALLY ORGANIZED Mother Church after she left. The Manual clearly shows every function of The Mother Church required Mrs. Eddy's consent, approval, or her signature in her own handwriting. The organizational Mother Church could not exist after Mrs. Eddy's leaving, since no office of the Mother Church could be filled without Mrs. Eddy consent and approval. Therefore the five-member Board would no longer be needed.

Mary Baker Eddy was adamant about not changing the By-Law requiring her consent to fill a vacancy on that Board. Thus when a member of the five-member Board passed on a year later, he could not be replaced without Mrs. Eddy's personal approval.

But, in total disobedience to the Manual By-Laws, the day after Mrs. Eddy's leaving, the five-member Board of Directors had announced to the press that Mrs. Eddy had died and THEY WERE MRS. EDDY'S SUCCESSOR.

Obedience to the Manual Required

When Fredrick Dixon, Editor of the Christian Science Monitor, admonished Board-member Archibald McClellan that obedience to the Manual required TERMINATION of the five-member Board (since this Board was only installed by Mrs. Eddy to transact the business of The Mother Church, and The Mother Church as a material organization ceased to exist when Mrs. Eddy was no longer here), Mr. Dixon reports that Board-member McClellan stated emphatically (and in unprintable language) that he had to obey Mrs. Eddy while she was here, but he felt no compulsion to obey her when she was not here.

The Board sought and gained legal advice to show they could not get a dead woman's consent-that "she can't rule from the grave"-and so continued in disobedience to Mrs. Eddy's By-Law estoppel which terminated them. Thus was Jesus' Revelation to St. John fulfilled, as set forth in Revelation, chapters 13-20, and as was explained in Mary Baker Eddy Letter, No. 4.

Openly stated in the first edition of Science and Health, and hiddenly stated on every page of her final edition, is Mrs. Eddy's teaching that our own real Mind is God, in accordance with Jesus' statement that the kingdom of God is within you. Let us therefore obey St. Paul's admonition "to have that Mind in you that was also in Christ Jesus."