Project Gutenberg's Manual of the Mother Church, by Mary Baker Eddy

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Title: Manual of the Mother Church The First Church of Christ Scientist in Boston, Massachusetts

Author: Mary Baker Eddy

Release Date: March 23, 2006 [EBook #18039]

Language: English

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MANUAL OF THE MOTHER CHURCH ***

Eighty-Ninth edition

Manual of The Mother Church

The First Church of Christ

Scientist

In Boston, Massachusetts

BY

MARY BAKER EDDY

Discoverer and founder of Christian Science
And author of Science and Health with
Key to the Scriptures

PUBLISHED BY THE TRUSTEES UNDER THE WILL OF MARY BAKER G. EDDY

BOSTON, U.S.A.

Authorized literature of
The first Church of Christ, Scientist
In Boston, Massachusetts

  COPYRIGHT, 1895
  By CHRISTIAN SCIENCE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
  Copyright renewed, 1923

  COPYRIGHT 1895, 1896, 1897, 1898, 1899, 1901
  By JAMES A. NEAL and THOMAS W. HATTEN
  Copyright renewed, 1923, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1929

  COPYRIGHT, 1903, 1904, 1906, 1908
  By MARY BAKER G. EDDY
  Copyright renewed, 1931, 1932, 1934, 1936

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

EXTRACT FROM A LETTER IN "MISCELLANEOUS WRITINGS"

By Mary Baker Eddy

The Rules and By-laws in the Manual of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, Boston, originated not in solemn conclave as in ancient Sanhedrim. They were not arbitrary opinions nor dictatorial demands, such as one person might impose on another. They were impelled by a power not one's own, were written at different dates, and as the occasion required. They sprang from necessity, the logic of events,—from the immediate demand for them as a help that must be supplied to maintain the dignity and defense of our Cause; hence their simple, scientific basis, and detail so requisite to demonstrate genuine Christian Science, and which will do for the race what absolute doctrines destined for future generations might not accomplish.

TENETS

of The Mother Church

The First Church of Christ, Scientist

To be signed by those uniting with The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Mass.

1. As adherents of Truth, we take the inspired Word of the Bible as our sufficient guide to eternal Life.

2. We acknowledge and adore one supreme and infinite God. We acknowledge His Son, one Christ; the Holy Ghost or divine Comforter; and man in God's image and likeness.

3. We acknowledge God's forgiveness of sin in the destruction of sin and the spiritual understanding that casts out evil as unreal. But the belief in sin is punished so long as the belief lasts.

4. We acknowledge Jesus' atonement as the evidence of divine, efficacious Love, unfolding man's unity with God through Christ Jesus the Way-shower; and we acknowledge that man is saved through Christ, through Truth, Life, and Love as demonstrated by the Galilean Prophet in healing the sick and overcoming sin and death.

5. We acknowledge that the crucifixion of Jesus and his resurrection served to uplift faith to understand eternal Life, even the allness of Soul, Spirit, and the nothingness of matter.

6. And we solemnly promise to watch, and pray for that Mind to be in us which was also in Christ Jesus; to do unto others as we would have them do unto us; and to be merciful, just, and pure.

MARY BAKER EDDY

HISTORICAL SKETCH

In the spring of 1879, a little band of earnest seekers after Truth went into deliberations over forming a church without creeds, to be called the "CHURCH OF CHRIST, SCIENTIST." They were members of evangelical churches, and students of Mrs. Mary Baker Eddy in Christian Science, and were known as "Christian Scientists."

At a meeting of the Christian Scientist Association, April 12, 1879, on motion of Mrs. Eddy, it was voted,—To organize a church designed to commemorate the word and works of our Master, which should reinstate primitive Christianity and its lost element of healing.

Mrs. Eddy was appointed on the committee to draft the Tenets of the Mother Church—the chief corner stone whereof is, that Christian Science, as taught and demonstrated by our Master, casts out error, heals the sick, and restores the lost Israel: for "the stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner."

The charter for the Church was obtained June, 1879,[1] and the same month the members, twenty-six in number, extended a call to Mary Baker Eddy to become their pastor. She accepted the call, and was ordained A. D. 1881. Although walking through deep waters, the little Church went steadily on, increasing in numbers, and at every epoch saying,

"Hitherto hath the Lord helped us."

On the twenty-third day of September, 1892, at the request of Rev. Mary Baker Eddy, twelve of her students and Church members met and reorganized, under her jurisdiction, the Christian Science Church and named it, THE FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST, SCIENTIST.

At this meeting twenty others of Mrs. Eddy's students and members of her former Church were elected members of this Church,—those with others that have since been elected were known as "First Members." The Church Tenets, Rules, and By-Laws, as prepared by Mrs. Eddy, were adopted. A By-Law adopted March 17, 1903, changed the title of "First Members" to "Executive Members." (On July 8, 1908, the By-Laws pertaining to "Executive Members" were repealed.)

THE FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST, SCIENTIST, IN BOSTON, MASS., is designed to be built on the Rock, Christ; even the understanding and demonstration of divine Truth, Life, and Love, healing and saving the world from sin and death; thus to reflect in some degree the Church Universal and Triumphant.

[1] Steps were taken to promote the Church of Christ, Scientist, in April, May and June; formal organization was accomplished and the charter obtained in August, 1879.

CHURCH OFFICERS

Rev. MARY BAKER EDDY Pastor Emeritus

GEORGE WENDELL ADAMS Christian Science Board of Directors
CHARLES E. HEITMAN
Mrs. NELVIA E. RITCHIE
FRANCIS LYSTER JANDRON
ALFRED PITTMAN

Mrs. HELEN CHAFFEE ELWELL President

THOMAS E. HURLEY First Reader
                            Conducts services and reads from
                            the Christian Science textbook,
                            "SCIENCE AND HEALTH WITH KEY TO THE
                            SCRIPTURES" by Mary