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Truth Stranger Than Fiction

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Truth Stranger Than Fiction T he T ruth About Christian science The Founder and the Faith By JAMES H. SNO W DEN PHILADELPHIA THE WESTMINSTER PRESS 1920 Digitized by Google 1>X Copyright. 1920 By f . m . braselm an Digitized by v ^ o o Q l e ^vno-^i PREFACE The author of this book is well aware that it falls among those “obnoxious books” which the founder of Christian Science forbade her followers to read in her endeavor by her censorship to protect them from any influence or light coming from outside the closed circle of her own books and other approved writings. It is not therefore written primarily for Christian Scientists, but if any of them should look into it, it is not thought they will find just ground of offense, however strong may be their dissent. It is difficult to be permanently offended with facts. Every important statement in this book relating to the founder and faith of Christian Science is supported by quotations from her writings or is based upon trust­ worthy evidence. The most serious allegations per­ taining to Mrs. Eddy are sustained by her own words found in her acknowledged writings, for in such matters she is always the most damaging witness against herself. The author throughout this book has let Mrs. Eddy speak fairly for herself. Her teaching is entitled to a patient and even sympathetic hearing in its own behalf before any judgment is passed upon it. The author really had no particular prejudice against it when he began this investigation, and when asked by the publishers to write a book on it was even inclined to let Christian Science alone as a rather harmless vagary, and he formed his judgments of it as he proceeded with this study. It v Digitized by C j O O Q l e PREFACE was close acquaintance with and insight into its real nature that led him to see that it is a graver error than he had supposed. If anyone asks for the justification for another book on this subject, the author answers that he had doubts on this point himself until he began to look into its literature and then saw that there appears to be no book that covers the whole ground of the founder and the faith and brings its history up to the present time. This book not only endeavors to do this, but also as a distinctive feature seeks to see the elements of truth in Christian Science and recover them to their full use. It is a story that has often been told, but it will no doubt need to be told again and again and brought up to date and subjected to the criticism of new light. J. H. S. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Digitized by Google TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. Introduction............................................................................ 1 1 . Truth and Error in Religion 2 . Truth and Error in Christian Science 3. Literature of the Subject II. The Subsoil of Christian Science ........................................ 14 1 . Philosophical Idealism 2 . New England Transcendentalism 3. Faith Healing and Spiritualism III. Life of Mrs. Mart Baker G. E ddt........................................22 1 . Early Years 2 . Early Marriages 3. Wander Years 4. At Work in Lynn 5. Enter: Asa Gilbert Eddy, Third Husband . 6 . Lawsuits at Lynn 7. Malicious Animal Magnetism 8 . Life in Boston 9. Retirement and Closing Years IY. Where Did Mrs. Eddt Get Her System of Healing? 38 1 . Mrs. Eddy’s Claims 2 . Phineas Parkhurst Quimby 3. Rev. Warren F. Evans, First Expositor of Quimby 4. Mrs. Eddy’s Relations with Dr. Quimby. 5. Mrs. Eddy’s Denial of Dependence on Quimby V. “Science and Health”: The Making of the Book. 77 1 . Contents of the Quimby Manuscript 2 . Editions of “Science and Health” 3. Who Wrote the Book? 4. Enter: Reverend James Henry Wiggin, Literary Reviser 5. Mrs. Eddy’s Claims to Divine Inspiration VI. “Science and Health” : The Contents of the Book . 102 1 . Prayer 2 . Atonement and Eucharist* 3. Marriage 4. Christian Science Versus Spiritualism 5. Animal Magnetism Unmasked vii Digitized by v ^ o o Q i e viii CONTENTS PAGE 6 . Science, Theology, Medicine 7. Physiology 8 . Footsteps of Truth 9. Creation 1 0 . Science of Being 1 1 . Some Objections Answered 1 2 . Christian Science Practice 18. Teaching Christian Science 14. Recapitulation 15. Genesis 1 0 . The Apocalypse 17. Glossary 18. Fruitage VII. C hristian Science T each in g.................................................149 '~1 . Its Fundamental Denials Matter Sickness Pain and Pleasure Sin Death Moral Tendencies of These Denials 2 . The Pantheism of Christian Science 8 . Christian Science and Marriage '4. Christian Science and Christian Doctrines God Creation Man Christ The Holy Spirit Matter, Sickness, Suffering, Sin, and Death Prayer Atonement Ordinances Marriage The Bible Healing Eschatology VIII. T he C hristian Science C h u r c h ........................................174 1 . The Founding of the Church of Christ Scientist 2 . Dissensions in the Christian Science Church 8 . Organization of the Christian Science Church 4. Christian Science Church Service 5. What Is the Membership of the Christian Science Church? Digitized by v ^ o o Q l e CONTENTS ix PAGE IX. Mind Healing and Christian Science Cures . 223 1 . Mind Healing in General 2 . Have Miraculous Cures Ceased? 3. Christian Science Cures 4. The Mercenary Aspect of Christian Science X. The Appeal of Christian Science ......................... 259 1 . The Appeal of Health 2 . The Appeal of Comfort 3. The Appea 1 of Idealism 4. The Appeal of Liberal Revolt 5. The Appeal of Religion 6 . The Future of Christian Science 7. Some Recent Mind Healing Movements (1 ) New Thought (2 ) The Emmanuel Church Movement XI. Old T ru th s N e w lt E m phasized.............................. 287 1. The Supremacy of the Spiritual 2 . The Gospel of Health 3. The Duty of Cheerfulness 4. The Practice of the Presence of God. Digitized by Google WORKS CONSULTED Bates, J. H., Christian Science and Its Problems, 1898. Benson, Robert Hugh, A Book of Essays, 1916. Berkeley, George, The Principles of Human Knowledge, K rauth’s Edition. Bowne, Borden P., The Immanence of God, 1905. Brown, William Leon, Christian Science Falsely So Called, 1911. Buckley, James M., Faith Healing, Christian Science and Kindred Phenom ena, 1892. Cabot, Richard C., Article on “One Hundred Christian Science Cures,” in McClure's Magazine, August, 1908. Calkins, Mary Whiton, The Persistent Problems of Philosophy, 1907. Carpenter, William B., Mental Physiology, 1874. C a rro ll, H. K., The Religious Forces of the United States, 1912. Carroll, Robert S., The Soul in Suffering, 1919. Clemens, Samuel L. (Mark Twain), Christian Science, 1907. C oakeley, T homas J., Christian Science and the Catholic Church, 1912. Combs, George Hamilton, Some Latter-Day Religions, 1899. Cooksey, N. B., Christian Science Under the Searchlight, 1915. Coombs, J. V., Religious Delusions, 1904. Coppage, L. J., Christian Science in the Light of Reason, 1914. Coriat, Isador H., Religion and Medicine, 1907. Cutten, George Barton, The Psychological Phenomena of Chris­ tia n ity, 1908. Dresser, Horatio W., Health and the Inner Life, 1906; A Physician of the Soul, 1908; The Philosophy of the Spirit, 1908; The History of the New Thought Movement, 1919. D resser, Julius A., The True History of Mental Science, 1887. Eddy, Mrs. Mary Baker G., Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, 1916; Retrospection and Introspection, 1891; U n ity of Good and U n reality of E vil, 1915; Pulpit and Press, 1915; RudimentalDivine Science, 1915; N o and Y es, 1915; Christian Healing and the People's Idea of God, 1912; Christian Science versus Pantheism, 1912; Miscellaneous Writings, 1888-1898; The First Church of Christ Scientist and Miscellany, 1914; The Manual of the Mother Church, 1919. Edwards, Maurice D., Christian Science Reviewed, 1906. Farnsworth, Edward C., The Sophistries of Christian Science, 1909; The Passing of Mary Baker Eddy, 1911. Fiske, A. A., A Searchlight on Christian Science, 1918. x Digitized by L j O O Q l e WORKS CONSULTED zi Flower, B. O., Christian Science as a Religious Belief and a Thera­ peutic Agent, 1909. Frothingham, Octavious Brooks, Transcendentalism in New E ngland, 1897. Grat, James M., The Antidote of Christian Science, 1907. Greenbatjm, Leon, Follow Christ, 1916. Haldeman, I. M., Christian Science in the Light of Holy Scripture, 1909. Harris, W alter S., Christian Science and the Ordinary Man, 1917. Hegeman, J. Winthrop, Must Protestantism Adopt Christian S cien cef 1914. Hudson, Thomas Jay, The Law of Mental Medicine, 1908. James, William W., The Principles of Psychology, 1898. Johnson, Thomas Cary, Some Modem Isms, 1919. K ratzer, G. A., Spiritual Man, 1914. Kuhns, Oscar, The Sense of the Infinite, 1908. Ladd, George T., Outlines of Physiological Psychology, 1898. Lambert L. A., Christian Science Before the Bar of Reason, 1908. Larson, Christian D., The Good Side of Christian Science, 1916. Lea, Charles Herman, A Plea for the Thorough and Unbiassed In­ vestigation of Christian Science, 1915. McComb, Samuel, Religion and Medicine, 1907. Mackay, W. Mackintosh, The Disease and Remedy of Sin , 1919. Mars, Gerhardt, The Interpretation of Life: Relation of Modem Culture to Christian Science, 1908. Marshall, Henry Rutgers, M ind and Conduct, 1919. Marsten, Francis Edward, The Mask of Christian Science, 1909. Milmine, Georgine, The Life of M ary Baker G. Eddy and the History of Christian Science, 1909. Moulton T. G., An Exposure of Christian Science, 1906. Newton, R. Heber, Christian Science, 1899. Paget, Stephen, The Faith and Works of Christian Science, 1909. Paulsen, Friedrich, Introduction to Philosophy, 1897. Payot, Jules, The Education of the W ill, 1909. Peabody, Frederick W., The Religio-Medical Masquerade, 1910. Pod more, Frank, Mesmerism and Christian Science, 1903.
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