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A Biographical
Sketch
Mary
Baker Eddy was born in New
England, July 16, 1821; she was
raised among deeply religious and
thoughtful people, and from her
earliest days was a profound
thinker.
As to
Mrs. Eddy's personal appearance
when she was actively engaged in
the work of the Massachusetts
Metaphysical College in the
1880s, it may be said that it was
remarkable. Her hair was abundant
and beautiful, of a rich brown
color, while her complexion was
as fresh as that of a woman of
25, and her figure erect and
graceful.
It would
have been extremely difficult to
have guessed her age at this
period, as there was a freshness
not always seen even in very
young persons, but there was also
a sort of mental maturity to
which few people attain, and that
spiritual poise which is not
swayed by the passing of the
years, but which betokens a
reflection of the changeless life
of Spirit.
We have
St. Paul's word for it, that,
when the veil of material sense
is taken away, those who behold
the glory of the Lord are changed
into the same likeness; and while
the primary signification of this
likeness is undoubtedly that of
mind and character, it can also
be expressed by the face, as in
the case of Moses, when he caught
foregleams of man's immortality
in the holy mount.
Of Mary
Baker Eddy much has been written
by both friends and foes; in all
cases because she is known
throughout the world as the
Discoverer and Founder of
Christian Science, and the author
of its textbook "Science and
Health with Key to the
Scriptures." This statement
doubtless means to many that Mrs.
Eddy has founded a new religion
known as Christian Science. To
those, however, who have proved
its efficacy in overcoming
disease with its attendant
suffering and fear, Mrs. Eddy's
gift to humanity means the
restoration of the Christ-healing
brought to the world through
Jesus of Nazareth, and simply yet
impressively recorded in the
Bible.
Some
years ago there were those who
objected to the term "Science" in
connection with religion, yet it
should be remembered that about
the time when Mrs. Eddy was
endeavoring to prove to herself
and others that the healing work
of Christ Jesus expressed law and
order, physical science was
endeavoring to explain as never
before the meaning of life and
law.
Mrs.
Eddy's teachings from the first
dealt with the true idea of God
and man, of Life and Truth. At
that day some of the most
advanced thinkers did not
hesitate to say that life was
unknown. Some ventured to say
that electricity might be life,
yet from this viewpoint the moral
and intellectual element was
lacking. Mrs. Eddy, however, did
not hesitate to declare that God
is the life and intelligence of
man and the universe.
Here we
may recall St. Paul's words as
found in his Epistle to the
Romans, "For the law of the
spirit of life in Christ Jesus
hath made me free from the law of
sin and death," or, to state it
otherwise, we find the supposed
law of sin and death annulled by
"the law of the spirit of life in
Christ Jesus."
At this
point it may be argued that the
Christian world in general was
supposed to accept
unquestioningly the authority of
this very definite statement of
Scripture, but the fact is that
the application of the truth as
here stated was questioned by
many and the availability of this
truth in time of human need
doubted and even denied by
professing Christians. In the
present writer's experience a
gleam of light came from a sermon
preached by an eloquent and
distinguished clergyman, his text
being from the sixty-eighth
Psalm: "He that is our God is the
God of salvation; and unto God
the Lord belong the issues from
death."
Encouraged
by this sermon to look to God as
never before for help in the
overcoming of illness where
material means were proved of no
avail, the well-known preacher
was appealed to by letter, but
replied promptly saying that it
was a mistake to ask a clergyman
to heal a sick person when it was
self-evident that all such cases
should be cared for by the
medical profession. Had the
recipient of this letter not seen
a ray of light before this time,
the preacher's response would
have made of her an atheist,
especially as this experience was
followed by several others of
similar character with clergymen
of different
denominations.
When
Mrs. Eddy began to tell the world
that the healing work practiced
and taught by Christ Jesus was
clearly meant by him to continue
throughout the ages, not many
were ready to pause long enough
to give this the consideration it
deserved, yet it was an era when
new ideals were receiving much
attention.
In
England Methodism had called many
away from the state church, and
in America Universalism and
Unitarianism were drawing to
their communion many thoughtful
and spiritually minded people.
Throughout the centuries since
the days of Christ Jesus and his
followers there had been many
godly men and women who had had
experiences in the healing of
disease, but apparently none had
come to think of it as an
essential and inseparable element
of Christianity.
The
world was undoubtedly better for
the Christian men and women who
had helped to keep the light of
Truth burning even though dimly,
yet the centuries waited for the
understanding of the divine
Principle and law of the
Christ-healing; waited for
someone who was ready to prove
what the Christ-healing can do in
any age.
Here it
may be well to quote from the
textbook, Science and Health
(295:19-24), "The mortal mind
through which Truth appears most
vividly is that one which has
lost much materiality-much
error-in order to become a better
transparency for Truth. Then,
like a cloud melting into thin
vapor, it no longer hides the
sun." This explains in large
measure Mrs. Eddy's place as a
great spiritual
leader.
Those
who had the privilege of studying
with Mrs. Eddy did not find it
difficult to believe what is
recorded in the Bible as to the
healing work of Christ Jesus and
his disciples, and never was
their credulity taxed by the
inconsistent statement that what
was once true is so no longer.
No! It was unchanging divine
Principle and law, the light
growing clearer as material
belief gave place to spiritual
Truth.
A man
who had never been interested in
religion awakened to his need of
it when a member of his family
was given up by physicians to
die. The sick man was, however,
healed through Christian Science
and became Mrs. Eddy's student.
His father said to the present
writer he was then sure that God
is, and is available in all our
need. He, too, became Mrs. Eddy's
student and had remarkable
experiences in the healing
ministry of Christian Science. He
said that he could never doubt
the Scripture record of Jesus'
work because in his humble way
he, himself, was proving daily
and hourly that the Master's
teaching is applicable in the
overcoming of all that is unlike
God.
Inseparably
connected with the healing work
of Christian Science is The
Mother Church and its branches
the world over, for each one of
these announces to all mankind
that the Christ-healing is as
truly with us today as when
Christ Jesus declared (always in
the future tense) that the
"Comforter," the "Spirit of
truth," would come and bring all
things to our remembrance,
whatsoever he had said to his
disciples. The textbook of
Christian Science is indeed a
"Key to the Scriptures" and
enables its students to
demonstrate the truth of the
inspired word rather than to
interpret it, and this is proved
by them in all their
undertakings. The Master himself
said: "If I do not the works of
my Father, believe me not. But if
I do, though ye believe not me,
believe the works."
Some of
those who were privileged in
being taught by Mrs. Eddy went
out from her classes and had
results in healing which
surprised and awed themselves.
The world was then slowly.
awakening to the meaning of
Paul's words, "Christ in you, the
hope of glory." Now humanity is
more nearly awake, and the 11
women whose names are associated
with that of Mrs. Eddy, as
leaders in the United States
during the past 100 years, have
had their share in this
awakening. Furthermore, all
faithful students of Christian
Science can prove for themselves
in their healing work that Mrs.
Eddy was divinely inspired to lay
hold anew on the closing words of
the First Gospel, "Go ye
therefore, and teach all nations,
teaching them to observe all
things whatsoever I have
commanded you." "Heal the
sick!"
This
sketch was written by
Mrs. Annie M. Knott, CSD and
appeared in the pamphlet titled:
"12 Great Women Leaders in the
United States." Mrs. Knott was a
personal student of Mrs. Eddy and
served in many official
capacities within
Mrs. Eddy's church for over
half a century at the personal
request of Mrs.
Eddy.
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