Milwaukee July 1st 1887
The time has come when the "golden silence" must be broken, or it will seem that Mrs Clarke has no friends, so please lend me your ear quite confidentially for a few moments
Last August through Mrs Clarke[*]Gap: letters.Reason: page cut. influence I attended a course of lectures by Dr. Sawyer, which were of great benefit to me —
You know Dr Sawyer personally but you do not know Mrs Clarke except by hearsay, and 'tis in her interest though quite unkno[*]Gap: letters.Reason: page cut. to her that I write.
Oh Mrs Eddy 'tis sad to see anythingAs Written:any thing but the most beautiful fruits from the beautiful truth of Christian Science, but poor Mrs Clarke has suffered, and with her many of her friends As Written: frinds from the unjust accusationsEditorial Note: See 237AP2.38.038. of those in charge of the Institut[*]Gap: letters.Reason: page cut. hereEditorial Note: Silas J. Sawyer was Principal of the Wisconsin Metaphysical Institute.. Please pardon me for speaking from a very personal-senseAs Written:personal sense standpointAs Written:stand point, but the secret of the whole matter is that they fear encroachments in teaching and healing. Mr Stahl told a student of one of the ChicagoEditorial Note: Chicago, Illinois institutes when she expressed a desire that Mr Adams or Mr Day might be invited to give a lecture here, that he thought this field belonged to Dr Sawyer!! A city of one hundred and eighty thousand, and the Institute almost at one extreme of the city!
When Dr Sawyer refused to sign the the paperEditorial Note: See 237AP2.38.038. that would admit Mrs Clarke to your Normal class last spring, many of her friends were indignant and wished to enter a protest then, but in acquiescence As Written: acquiesence to her wishes refrained from doing so, and she went to Chicago, entering Mrs Larminie's class, rather than have any words here, and even after she received As Written: recieved her diploma, she begged us all to be very discrete As Written: discret in what we said, that no harm should come to the truth.
At the last AssociationEditorial Note: This refers to the Christian Science Association of the students of Silas J. Sawyer. meeting however the climax came, caused by the lovely resignation of Mrs Clarke, who had joined the association in ChicagoEditorial Note: This refers to the Christian Science Association of the students of Hannah A. Larminie.; and she thanked everyoneAs Written:every one for the help they had given her, and for all kind thoughts- It was the undeserved As Written: undesserved cause of the most bitter misrepresentations and personalities that I ever heard, and all in the name of Christian Science!
I send you a copy of my resignation that I have sent to be acted upon at the meeting tonight, as it throws a little insight into the spirit of the Association, and because it may be brought up to you in a manner detrimental to Mrs Clarke, for I assure no stone is left unturned to keep her from getting into your next Normal class. From Mrs Clarke’s first thought of the ScienceEditorial Note: Christian Science with them, they seem to have feared her metaphysical mind.. She has been so loyal to the Truth and in all her trials has so carried out its spirit, and has been so true to your teaching and interpretation of it, that it seems hard to have her kept from going to the fountainheadAs Written:fountain head. Now dear Mrs Eddy will you not bid her come to your next class? We do need her here so much, and can you not take her upon Mrs Larminie's As Written: Larminies diploma and her own merits without committing yourself?
I know you have many difficulties to settle, but Mrs Clarke was not expelled from our Association – I will not ask you to answer this letter, and I will let no one but my own family and Mr and Mrs Clarke know I have written you. Confidentially, we need someoneAs Written:some one besides these at the Institute — They do not command the highest confidence and respect of the Community as do Mr and Mrs Clarke, still I should never throw a stone in their way, but leave them to do all the good they could to as many as they could; if they would only let us alone and let us quietly withdraw to an Association that could be formed on this side of the river. Two others send in their resignations tonight, and anoth[*]Gap: letters.Reason: page cut. would but Mrs Clarke advised her not to for the present at least.
Pardon the length of this epistle. I know your time is precious, but the emergency is great, and it seems to lie in your hands to settle it.
[*]Archival Note: The following is a copy of Julia S. C. Warner’s resignation from the Christian Science students Association of Silas J. Sawyer: Because of the love and respect I bear my friend Mrs Clarke, who first awakened my interest in Christian Science, and afterwards led me to become a student of Dr Sawyer, and because of the ruthlessly severe treatment she has received from this association, I wish to sever my connection with it.
When the advancement of Christian Science depends upon the betrayal of most sacred confidences, such as the pecuniary self-denialsAs Written:self denials one will undergo in their eagerness for the truth and which can in no wise concern the Association, I am certainly not in harmony with it, and have no right there.
Were Truth, Light, Life and Love locked up in this Association, and the way of finding them also, I might hesitate in the step I take – for they are all very dear to me, but God’s message is to every one that thirstethIsa 55:1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. , and Christ has said "he that drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirstJohn 4:14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. , and we still have God, and Christ and the bible, and Mrs Eddy’s wonderful thoughts, and having once looked into "the perfect law, the law of liberty" I shall continue therein and have a right to expect the promised blessings that followJames 1:25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. .
As to the manner of my withdrawal I am quite indifferent. My name can be dropped from the list of members, stricken As Written: striken from the roll or you can expel me as you think best I already am "self-suspendedAs Written:self suspended" as I understand the term.
I wish also to state here that the motion made by Mr Chandler at the last Association meeting which I seconded As Written: secconded and which was carried was that— "The names of Mr and Mrs Clarke be dropped from the list of members," not that they be expelled, as they were notified by letter from the Secretary.
Respectfully
Copy of Mrs Warner’s resignation from the Students Christian Scientists Association—