⇉ Handshift:Ellen E. CrossBinghamton New YorkAs Written:N. Y.
April 5th 1886
As I wrote you in a former letterEditorial Note: See 194.32.006., there are three Episcopalians in my present Class. One is Mrs. Brownell another her daughterEditorial Note: Nellie B. Cafferty or May B. Samples. Mr. Brownell was healed of a disease the M.Ds. could not reach, and through his case the family have become interested in Christian ScienceAs Written:C. S. to the extent of Mrs & Miss BrownellEditorial Note: Nellie B. Cafferty or May B. Samples studying and they wish another daughterEditorial Note: Nellie B. Cafferty or May B. Samples to go into my next Class- Mrs. B- is the daughter of a Methodist clergyman and both she and her husband are communicants in the Episcopal Church, and very thoroughgoingAs Written:thorough going Church-people - Mrs. B- had some trouble to accept everlasting salvation instead of eternal punishment, but has finally accepted it all, and now comes the tug-of-warAs Written:tug of war- The daughterEditorial Note: Nellie B. Cafferty or May B. Samples had made all preparation to be confirmed the first of May– She is very lovely, and is going to make an extraordinary healer, I think, working by the Spirit rather than the argument– Class closes tomorrow, and she has already done some first-rateAs Written:first rate work– The Brownells are one of the old families and move in the first circles of society and they are all doing a great deal to introduce Christian ScienceAs Written:C. S. to that grade in fact are very active- They say it is nothing uncommon for Mr. B- (who has long been a prominent businessmanAs Written:business man here) to have a crowd around him, inquiring what it is that has brought him back from the gr ave, and he holds forth eloquently on the subject of Christian ScienceAs Written:C. S- Now the question comes can Miss BEditorial Note: Nellie B. Cafferty or May B. Samples- consistently unite with the Church-? In all probability there will be no Church of Christ (Scientist) here for a long time. If she does not be confirmed as she had planned– it will array the entire Episcopal Church and people, and very likely other Churches, against Christian ScienceAs Written:C. S. and thus close up many avenues for doing good in this work, that are open to us now- The Church is the best the people know of yet, and would it be wise to make such a move, and involve such a sacrifice as would come of Miss B'sEditorial Note: Nellie B. Cafferty or May B. Samples not being confirmed- Is it expedient that she go on, "sufferring it to be so now"Matt 3:13 ¶Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. Matt 3:14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? Matt 3:15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. Matt 3:16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: Matt 3:17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. – on the principle of "being all things to all men, if haply some may be saved"I Cor 9:22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. –?
Please answer at your earliest convenience-
P. S.
My third Class begins next Monday- and I think there will be another one here before long- A letter from Mrs. Larminie of ChicagoEditorial Note: Chicago, Illinois tells me she begins a small Class this Morning–