THE KING’S BUSINESS
978
that this parade was not the real rejigion of the meek and lowly Nazarene, but a de ception and a fraud. Why did Mrs. Eddy, who claimed to be so superior to Christ Himself and able to heal all manner of disease, not come forth, and heal and comfort her followers who came from the ends of the. earth to pay tribute to her shrine? But she was conspicuous by her absence, and we were told not to go to her home (which was a few miles away), as she did not want her people to make any demonstration over the material, but to think only of the spiritual. Crowds went just to get a glimpse of her as she took her daily drive, but they were silent when they came back. I learned afterwards that she was a popr, palsied, old woman, not able to even ride out, but had a substitute to take her place and when she, died, contrary to her teaching, still her dupes did not desert the cause, but are increasing every day. VISITING TH'fc “MOTHER CHURCH” The temple was very beautiful, and there were no colored glass windows, but all was a blending of gray and white, as I remem ber it. The architecture was embellished with Masonic emblems. I wondered what there was about that order that was Chris tian, and learned that Mrs. Eddy was very partial to them, as they, at one time, helped her out of some trouble. Above the pulpit was a quotation from “Science and Health” and on the opposite side one from the Bil h> You will find that in all of their churches. The first Sunday in Boston, some of the Scientists .went for a ride and there was an accident and several, of, them were hurt, which made them the laughing stock of the common crowd: It made quite a commo tion, and some, in sending papers to their friends, cut out the part which described the accident. There was a room in the old church called “Mother’s” room, and the crowds approach ed that room as though they were treading on holy ground, with bared head and rev erent step and hushed voices. It made a deep impression on me. I was not per mitted to enter, but felt I was in a very sacred place.
evil, etc., if their belief were generally put into practice, there would follow indescrib able horror and darkest paganism. What comfort is there in just trying to believe you are not suffering, you are not ill, you are not troubled, you are not struggling with pov erty? What will you do when the darkness comes and terrors sweep over your soul, and you have no God to go to? Mrs. Eddy says you might as well pray the principle of mathematics to solve the problem as to ask God to do anything for you; and she says: “God is not influenced by man. The divine ear is not an auditory nerve. The habit of pleading with the divine mind as one pleads with a human being perpetuates the belief in God as humanly circumscribed —an error which impedes spiritual growth” (page 2, S. and H.). HOW I GOT OUT OF IT A Christian minister came to see me and tried by argument, with open Bible, to con vince me that Christian Science was wrong, but I refused to listen, and thought he was in darkness and that I had a superior un derstanding of the Bible and the science of being. When he quoted God’s Word I scoffed at it, and felt superior and exalted in my possession of the real truth, as I then supposed. I now never argue with one who is thoroughly entrapped, for I know from experience that you might as well talk to the north wind. They do not believe God’s Word, so there is nothing you can do; one cannot convince a person who does not be lieve God, or has a distorted idea of Him This man of God came three times, but to no purpose. Who sent him, or where he came from, or what his name was, I never knew, but I know he prayed for me, for I began to see something was wrong. There was a feeling of unrest and distrust that I could not explain, but I kept on reading the literature and still counted it food for my soul. Some time after I went to Boston to the dedication of the Christian Science Temple, and while there I saw the sham-and hypoc risy, the jdisplay of feathers, and elegant apparel, and jewelry, and it came over me
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