MARY BAKER EDDY - GOD’S GREAT SCIENTIST VOLUME I By Helen M. Wright BY THE SAME AUTHOR: Mary Baker Eddy: A New Look Mary Baker Eddy: Church Manual & Church Universal & Triumphant Mary Baker Eddy: God’s Great Scientist, Vol. I Mary Baker Eddy: God’s Great Scientist, Vol. II Mary Baker Eddy: God’s Great Scientist, Vol. III Mary Baker Eddy ‘s Church Manual & Church Universal & Triumphant If Mary Baker Eddy’s Manual Were Obeyed America: Cradle for the Second Coming of the Christ America: Cradle for the Second Coming of the Chris (second edition, paperback) Star of Boston Mary Baker Eddy Institute Letters Mary Baker Eddy Reveals Your Divinity Humanity’s Divinity Made Whole Through Our Marriage To God Mary Baker Eddy, Leader Forever (44 page pamphlet) FREE Mary Baker Eddy, Leader Forever (112 page booklet) FREE Second printing, 1995 ISBN 1-886505-01-2 Copyright 1984, ISBN 0-9604648-2-4 Copyright 1995 by Helen M. Wright All rights reserved Manufactured in the United States of America As Jesus called Lazarus to come forth from his tomb, so the writings of Mary Baker Eddy call the world to come forth from its tomb, and find that what we are so diligently striving to become, we have forever been and shall forever be. “The term ‘Mind and body’ literally means God and man, for man is the expression of Mind and the manifestation of Mind is the embodiment of Mind. Therefore, man is God’s body and there is but one God. Body is therefore the aggregation of spiritual ideas forever controlled and governed by the law of Life, harmonious and eternal. The understanding of perfect body is the savior of the belief of body, and is the law of recovery to any and every claim of error. “ (Mary Baker Eddy. A copyrighted statement, Jan. 19, 1886) In an 1899 letter, Mrs. Eddy wrote: “All the people need to love and adopt Christian Science, is a true sense of its founder. In proportion as they have found it, will our Cause advance.” (We Knew Mary Baker Eddy, Vol. I, p. 40) “Whoever opens most the eyes of the children of men to see aright and to understand aright that IDEA ON EARTH that has best and clearest reflected by word or deed the divine Principle of man and the universe, will accomplish most for himself and mankind in the direction of all that is good and true.” (Mary Baker Eddy Letter to Judge Hanna. August 26, 1902. Early Collectanea) Dedicated TO THE SPIRITUALLY-MINDED READER EXPLANATORY NOTES: ITALICS Italics not appearing in the original are sometimes used in quotations, not to emphasize, but to identify that portion of the quote directly applicable to the point under discussion. ABBREVIATIONS Abbreviations for titles of Mrs. Eddy’s writings are those used in the Concordance to Miscellaneous Writings and Works Other than Science and Health. Six Days is the abbreviation for Mary Baker Eddy’s Six Days of Revelation by Richard Oakes. EOF is the abbreviation for Essays and Other Footprints. DCC is the abbreviation for Divinity Course and General Collectanea. (Note: EOF and DCC were compiled and reproduced by Richard Oakes at the instigation of Gilbert C. Carpenter, Jr. CSB, of Providence, R.I.). Some rare Carpenter compilations are also quoted in the text: Items, Collectanea (original version), Miscellaneous Documents, Fragments. REFERENCES In Part I references to last edition of Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy are shown in parenthesis, e.g. (470:23). In Part II, which deals with the first edition of the textbook, references to the final edition are indicated thus: (1910 ed. 330:2). References to FIRST EDITION are shown in parenthesis: (10:12). FIRST EDITION EXEGESIS Mrs. Eddy did not capitalize “Science” in the first edition. However, in the quotes selected for this work, Science when referring to Mrs. Eddy’s discovery is capitalized to avoid confusion with the various natural sciences. Also, commas, where obviously superfluous—in conformity with the custom prevailing a century ago—have sometimes been omitted in the portions here extracted. In an article to the Boston Journal, January 20, 1876, regarding the first edition, Mrs. Eddy wrote: “‘Science and Health’ bears the burden of many typographical errors.” The author of this book feels no purpose would be served in perpetuating obvious errors. CONTENTS Dedication v Explanatory Notes vi Foreword xix PART I The Founding of Christian Science in Human Consciousness; and The Value of the Early Editions CHAPTER I Mrs. Eddy’s Early Teaching and Writing; Her Heroic Struggle to Found Christian Science in Human Consciousness ARRIVAL OF “THE PRECIOUS VOLUME” 1 Evil’s Design 2 Discrediting Early Editions 2 Revolutionary Statements 3 Systematizing Begins 3 Her Human Footsteps 4 Her Holy History 5 Mary Baker Eddy: Highest Visible Idea 6 Gratitude Due Mrs. Eddy 6 LYNN, AND THE LEAN YEARS 8 Deserted, Alone 8 Defeats Seen as Victory 8 REVELATION and DISCOVERY 10 How the Discovery Came to Pass 10 Divinity Seen Through Discovery 12 Articulating the Discovery 13 MORE TRIALS AWAIT HER 14 Willingness to Endure 14 Opposition Despite Healings 15 Blessedness From Sorrow 17 Loss Is Spiritual Gain 18 Character Regeneration the Goal 19 Christian Science Regarded as an Insane Notion 20 HER LOVE FOR HER STUDENTS 21 True Motherhood 21 Her Holy Humility 21 Little Kindnesses 22 How the Mortal is Laid Down 25 THANKSGIVING DAY 27 Her Great Need 29 THE RESULT FOR HUMANITY 31 Full Circle 32 Cross Leads to Crown 32 REDUCTION TO SYSTEM 33 System Leads to Divine Subjectivity 33 The Spirit and the Letter 34 Why System Not Taught Earlier 35 Character Regeneration Necessary 36 THE REVELATION COULD BE EXPLAINED 38 Knowledge of Salvation 38 A Pupil Found 39 Early Classes 40 SCIENCE OF MAN 41 Excerpts from Mrs. Eddy’s Early Manuscript 41 Christian Science Treatment 47 The Leading Error 49 Treating a Child 51 TODAY’S CHANGING VIEWS 53 The Hereafter: The Body Not “I” 53 Dr. Ring’s Press Interview 54 Mrs. Eddy on Death and Resurrection 56 Mrs. Eddy’s Letter to Bereaved Husband 57 SPIRITUAL AWAKENING 58 Body Held in Thought 58 IMPRESSION ON STUDENTS 60 Georgine Milmine Interviews 60 CLASS OF 1870 NOT BUILDING TIMBER 62 The Bancroft Disappointment 62 Dedication to Students 63 Obedience 64 Understanding Brings Freedom 65 Her Writings Reveal Her Successor 66 EVIL UNREAL: HER UNIQUE DISCOVERY 68 Mind, the Messiah 68 HOW DID ERROR CREEP IN 71 Decade-long Nightmare Begins 71 Mrs. Eddy Taught Only Good 71 Differences Between the Missions of Jesus and Mary Baker Eddy 73 Teaching, Not Personality, Important 74 Starting the Teaching 76 Error Begins With First Student 76 Students Refuse to Obey 77 Dangerous Mind Control 77 “Little Book” Written Midst Adversity 78 Her Willingness to Make the Supreme Sacrifice 79 DECISION TO WRITE A BOOK 81 Boarding Houses 82 Mrs. Eddy’s Hospitality 82 PUBLISHERS TWICE REJECT FIRST EDITION 85 New Publisher Found 85 The Proofreading Nightmare 86 Why 431 Editions Followed 86 God the Author of Science and Health 88 A MOMENTOUS YEAR 89 First Edition Not Written at No. 8 Broad Street 89 Great Activity Follows Publication 90 DR. ASA G. EDDY 91 Her Life With Dr. Eddy 92 Grief at Dr. Eddy’s Passing 92 FINDING HER TRUE IDENTITY 94 Cause of Dr. Eddy’s Death Exposed 95 Return to Boston 97 A NEW ERA OPENS 98 The White Bridge 98 THE LABOR AND THE COST 99 Students’ Materialism Caused Her Death 100 What “Harmed” Her? 101 Time Tells All Stories True 101 CLASS OF 1898 EXPRESSES DEEP GRATITUDE 103 LIFTING CHRISTIANITY TO SCIENCE 104 CHAPTER II The Value of the Early Editions MRS. EDDY’S ASSESSMENT OF EARLY EDITIONS 108 Excerpt: March and April Journals 109 Widest Possible Distribution Sought 110 The Precious Volume 110 Startling Statements 113 Early Editions and “Precedent” 113 Prose Works Concurrent With Early Editions 116 Definition of Science 116 The Teacher for the Ages 118 Pondering the References 120 The 50th Edition 121 Chapters Re-ordered 123 System Reaches Culmination in 1910 123 382 Editions Follow 50th 124 Mrs. Eddy at Peace 124 We Are God-Crowned Generic Man 126 Did God’s Great Scientist Understand? 126 62 Printings By 1891 126 First Edition Still Healing 127 No Loss Incurred Through Revisions 128 Discoverer’s Footsteps Sacred 129 Why the Many Revisions 130 Strengthening Our Citadel 130 Debt Due Alice Orgain 132 The Holy City 134 Her Vision Continuous 134 “Little Book” Inevitable 135 PART II An examination of Mrs. Eddy’s First Edition of Science and Health “The Precious Volume.” A Study-Group Discussion. CHAPTER I: “NATURAL SCIENCE” Introductory Statement 140 The First Edition: The “Little Book 140 Mothering the Beginner 143 Two Million Healings 143 FIRST EDITION: CHAPTER I: NATURAL SCIENCE Book of Revelation’s “Mystery” Solved 146 Ezekiel’s “Roll of a Book” 147 The Senses of Love 148 Oneness Revealed 149 The Glory of the One Mind 150 Studying the Textbook Is Like Looking into a Mirror 151 Correcting the Unenlightened Sense 152 New Message 153 Threat to Theological Apologia and Concessions 154 Jesus and False Motherhood 156 Original Science 158 Foundation of All Error 159 Products of Mind 163 Mind and “Man” 164 Mind and Its Experience 167 Mind as all Consciousness 169 Soul or Spirit and Man 171 Infinite Individuality 172 The Struggle and the Reward 173 The “Letter” Redeems by Love 175 What It’s All About: Translation of Matter 176 Learning to Reckon Ourselves Soul 177 God, Our Mind, The Producer of Man 178 Philosophers Omit Demonstration 181 Infinite God Includes Infinite Man 182 Wrong and Audacious Use of “I” 187 False Thinking Labeled “Animal Magnetism” 189 Mortal Mind’s Body a Myth 191 How Final Edition Veils The Same Sentiments 194 No Deification of a Personal “I” 197 Why We Know We Are Soul 199 Positive You and Negative You 200 Personal Sense Synonymous with Belief 205 “We are Spirit, Soul, and Not Body”! 209 “Christ is God” -The Word Made Flesh 215 No Higher and Lower Personal Minds 216 The Pure Thought that Perceived the Comforter 217 The Four Levels on Which Mrs.