Rev. Joseph Cook and Dr. A. J. Gordon's

Religious Ban.

By Mrs Mary Baker G. Eddy.

In your public letter anathematizing Christian Science and its text-book "Science and Health", you assail the religious views and life of members of your own and of other evangelical churches, the pastor of the Church of Christ, Scientist, in BostonEditorial Note: Mary Baker Eddy was pastor of the Church of Christ, Scientist at that time. , and implicate the sacred opinion of more than a hundred thousand readers of this book.

At an early age I united with a Congregationalist Church, at Tilton, N.H. Of which I have been a member in good standing over thirty years. Before leaving my native state I communicated to my pastor the new and more spiritualized sense I entertained of the power of Christianity, its cause and effect.

After coming to While residing at Lynn Mass I requested a letter of dismissionCorrected:dismissal from that my Church, and gave the Pastor my published works to examine before granting it and I received the following reply: --

Jan. 13, 1875

This certifies that Mrs. Mary M. Glover is a member of this Church in good and regular standing. At her own request she is dismissed from this and recommended to any evangelical Church in Lynn.

When received there her particular connection with us will cease.

Theodore C. PrattEditorial Note: Theodore C. Pratt (died January 28, 1914 at the age of 85) was Pastor of the Congregational Church in Tilton, NH from 1870-1875. "He was in the active ministry forty-two years.... He always prepared his sermons well, using good, clear language that any one of ordinary intelligence could readily follow and understand." John Carroll Chase, History of Chester, NH: a Supplement to the History of Old Chester, published in 1869. .

Pastor of Congregationalist Church, Tilton, N.H.

The initial M.Editorial Note: M. for Morse, her middle name. . Was dropped at my last marriage, wishing to retain my maiden name. The discipline of the CongExpanded:Congregational. Church is taken from the eighteenth chapter of MattExpanded:Matthew. "If thy brother shall trespass against thee go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone"Matt 18:15 ¶Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. , etc. When Rev. Joseph Cook was pastor of a Church in Lynn and it was alleged that Rev. Joseph Cook he was breaking up the society and he resigned his pastorate, and left but there followed him scathing newspaper articles and I then ventured a woman's protest against such too summary condemnation now among Christians.

Again [?] Unclear or illegible  [?] Unclear or illegible  I call public attention to this usage. Only a day before the meaningless farce of exameningCorrected:examining my books, went on the aforesaid gentleman called on a student of mine, borrowed my book Science and Health but took no heed of the earnest request that he have an interview with the author and given her opportunity to explain this text-book that she is teaching to others, before he ventured an expressing his opinion pro or con. But a glance at a scientific work the grandest minds in Boston are studying, to learn was alone granted, before the Ban on the following forenoon, - and the cat's play with the mouse was over. Are such these the footsteps of the shepherd, are they in accord with Church discipline, or christian sentiment? Do they meet the demand of Christ "as ye would would that others should do unto you, do ye even so"Matt 7:12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. .

The ApostleEditorial Note: The author of the gospel of Mark. Mainstream contemporary New Testament scholars maintain that the actual author of this gospel is unknown. says they shall speak with "new tongues" who lay hands on the sick and they recoverMark 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; . One look at the pages of "Science and Health" whose phraseology is difficult, since it must state metaphysics in physical terms and then be understood metaphysically, - and this look uninspired, but not unprejucicedCorrected:unprejudiced, is not meeting insufficient for the claims of justice in reviewing a book and far from work of that kind and dead to the demands of Christian charity.

The new tongue of Christian Science needs to be understood is interpreted spiritually; until then it cannot be thus discerned it should not be judged justly. To have fair play I offer to teach Clergymen gratuitous instruction; and if they give me this chance I will guarantee they shall not only understand this Christian science but be able to sufficiently to demonstrate it conclusively by healing the sick. Of this unmerited aim at the heart of Christian healing let us charitably say they "know not what they do"Luke 23:34 ¶Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. ; but it has awakened keen comment and condemnation.

The following is quoted from Rev. A. J. Gordon's letterEditorial Note: Gordon's letter was read by Cook to his Tremont Temple audience three weeks before Eddy's reply on March 16, 1885. , read in Tremont Temple and applauded by Joseph Cook: --

"I believe Christian Science to be of precisely the same lineage as Spiritualism or Theosophy -- from the earth beneath and not from above. One has only to open the published volumes of its lady apostle in this city to find such a creed of pantheism and blasphemy as has been rarely compounded. No personal Deity, no personal devil, no personal man, no forgiveness of sin, no such thing as sin, no sacrificial atonement, no intercessory prayer, and so far as I can learn its ministry to the bodies and souls of the afflicted has for its ends their conversion to this creed. Let christians beware of the system."

1st To the charge "one has only to open the published volumes", etc, I reply, this was all those censors could have done and arrived at their conclusions. Do not the reverend

gentlemen demand the right to explain their creed, or what might be the comment on three persons in oneEditorial Note: This is a reference to the orthodox Christian doctrine of the Trinity. ? That it was blasphemy, a heathen conception of Deity! But they would not consent to my speaking being heard and why? 2nd To the accusation of "Spiritualism or Theosophy" I reply in a There is not one Christian Scientist who is a Spiritualist or can be after this enlightenment. Dr. Gordon's and Mr. Cook's Church have scores of members who are Spiritualists The following is quoted from my textbook Science and Health quotation from my book Science and Health "The opinion that I must be a spiritualist or medium because I am not a materialist or creedist I desire to correct. I never was a spiritualist, never were and never admitted that I was was a mediumEditorial Note: See Science and Health (6th edition, vol. 2) p. 167. . The I have been called that by spiritualists; they call most people so Mediumship is either a fraud or a delusion; it is neither science nor truth. If the spiritualist so-called medium understood even in part the science of being he could no longer produce the manifestations said to originate with the departed"Editorial Note: See Science and Health (6th edition, vol. 2), p. 4. .

In a lecture delivered in Boston, Rev. Joseph Cook declared in favor of spiritualism and elaborated his ventillatedCorrected:ventilated his so called rationalistic, mystic and Germanistic metaphysics to corroberateCorrected:corroborate spiritualism; In an article of mine published in a Lynn newspaper I referedCorrected:referred to this as a departure from the scriptures irrationalistic and superficial.

3rd To the accusation of "Pantheism" I reply by quoting from my book a statements that is prominent and sustained throughout the my entire works "The science of Soul is this Thou shalt have no other gods before MeEx 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me. , love thy neighbor as thyself"Matt 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. . Heathen mythology and scholastic theology would perpetuate the fallacy of intelligence in matter and idolatry and ritualism have sprung from this false belief. The divine Mind is the only Intelligence. Science alone states God aright and christianity demonstrates this divine Principle The visible universe and material man are [*]Editorial Note: The remainder of this paragraph and the following two paragraphs are in an unidentified handwriting.counterfeits of God's creation, the spiritual universe and man; mortal man has made a covenant with his eyes to belittle Deity with human conceptions. Materiality is an atom of dust thrown into the face of spiritual immensity, a flickering sense, instead of an abiding fact of creation. "Science and Health."

4th. To the accusation of "blasphemy" "Science and Health gives the lie in every line that is understood. It asks, "are you living right, approximating to divine Love? Then is your Life hid with Christ in God; and the harmony of Christian Science will unfold to you more and more, and more and more will seem until the perfect day; our explanations will seem clearer and your good works prove what the understanding of God does for man. I know Christianity wherever it be found: it demonstrates Christianity Science. Truth and Love, without which we have not arrived at what that word includes.

5th. To the accusation "No personal Deity"

⇉ Handshift:Calvin A. Fryethe following from "Science and Health": God is infinite; neither a limited Mind nor a limited body. "God is love", and Love is Principle not person. What the person of the infinite is, I have no evidence to sustain a conclusion. The five personal senses have no cognizance of the infinite, finite sense is inadequate to recognize it the infinite. We can have no personal sense of Deity without limiting him. The term Principle seems distant and cold till it becomes to us only another name for the supreme Being, we and we recognize the divine presence and power of this Being. We do this proportionately as we seek and find in divine Science the truth of Life and the Life of Truth, in and demonstratione it. Omnipotence and omnipresence can be understood only in and as the divine Principle that man has named Deity. I cannot conceive of personal omnipotence or omnipresence, how an everywhere present body or mind can start from limits or be limitless An The impersonal sense of omnipotence turns man away prevents man from having other gods, from the common idolatry - of faith in the power of drugs, hygiene, etc. When Deity is understood we shall find no power beside Him, and all power in Him.

6th To the accusation "No personal devil" I reply, no man hath seen the person of good or the person of evil, both those are bigger than person; can be, the scriptures speak of more than one devil, "He cast out devils;"Matt 10:8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. again, "Have I not chosen you twelve and one of you is a devil"John 6:70 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? " This defines devil, evils, in a wicked man. Jesus said to Peter "Get behind me Satan"Matt 16:23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. but did he mean that he to whom he gave the Keys of the KingdomMatt 16:9 Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? was a personal devil? When He cast out devils they were not persons. Were seven persons cast out of Magdalene?Mark 16:9 ¶Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.

Remove the letter d. From this term and it is evil this remove the sense of personality and it exposes sin despoiling its subtlety; adding another letter o to the term God and it gives a more expansive sense of good.

The most distinguished divines in Europe and America say admit the scriptures have both a literal and moral meaning; Now but which is the most important, to attain a literal, or the moral sense of God, man and devil? The understanding I seek of either is that which is most expansive and practically good reaching toward the infinite. This Christian Science gives a broader view of Deity than personality can it and it makes thought man proportionately more liberal generous and just. Deity is bigger in Christian Science than creeds not only a definite omnipotence and intelligence giving but a practical power, truth, and love. Man is more to me in to science than in sense, and and evil sense is more and less; too more because the evil I once did saw not see I now see, and less because I have more power over it. St.Paul saysid "But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of Spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter"Rom 7:6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. .

7th To the accusation "No personal man" I reply, man means more than his person even as mind means more than matter he outlives it, this is the survival of the fittest. Man is the image and likeness of God, the representative of infinity; but personal man is not this representative. Man can no more Man loses his identity, in science no more than notes or numbers.

By the statement "no personal man" I mean precisely what Bishop Foster said in a lecture

[*]Editorial Note: Manuscript page 11 is not extant. The transcription text skips to page 12 at this point. Your forgiveness is my destruction of sin our terms vary But I insist on destruction when God forgives The Psalmist said "Who forgiveth all thine iniquities who healeth all thy diseases"Ps 103:3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; .

Now Disease is not healed until extinct, and Jesus healed sickness as he healed sin, his physical and mental healing were one; he cast out devils, evils, and healed the sick. But how could he both cast them out and forgive them? Had he forgiven them in the sense you employ, they would have remained in man, and this very interpretation has retarded the Christianization of man.

A magistrate pardons a criminal but that may have encouraged crime, it has not extinguished the motive for crime, or the crime which is the effect of that motive. Sin should suffer for since suffering destroys sin, hence the law of God "thou shalt die".

9th To the accusation "No such thing as sin" I reply, my meaning is here misapprehended here as in all other instances of comment alluded to. It is only on the basis of the opposite to that which is real, and real because it is it being good, that I say evil is unreal; my faith is founded on reform, repentance, and this destroys sin according to God's divine law. To illustrate, I believe the unmerited public abuse that would stop the sale of a bookEditorial Note: This is a reference to Eddy's primary work, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. healing its thousands, or retard a cause that is healing the sick and promoting Christianity, is evil; but I shall try, in Christian Science, to reduce this evil in my own mind, and the mind of others, to its common denominator, nothing, because it is not of God, and I shall go on to bless them that curse meMatt 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; and have faith that those who do this will repent, then go on myself "overcome evil with good"Rom 12:21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. .

10th To the accusation "No sacrificial atonement" I reply, the whole earthly life history of our Lord was a sacrifice beyond our tears or prayers to reach reward, or human power to appreciate, only so far as we drink of His cup, suffer for righteousness sake, and are baptized with his baptism, cleansed by Truth the purification of Spirit, and are willing to give up a sense of mortal life, its mistaken claims of pleasure and pain, for the life of Christ, spiritual life.

The blood of Jesus speaketh better things than that of AbelEditorial Note: This is a reference to the slaying of Abel by his brother Cain in Genesis:4. . The body and blood of Christ is were not material offerings, the blood of Spirit never flowed from human veins. Christ is Spirit and Jesus said "Spirit hath not flesh and blood"Luke 24:39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.

The sacrificial atonement by which Jesus' in his life work struggle and triumph over death showed [?] Unclear or illegible  Pointed man his way out of sin, sickness, and death, is too great, too glorious to be comprehended only as we love the Father, and sacrifice the all human affections to the divine. Not to appease the wrath of Love, but to destroy the human sense of hate and sin. Jesus suffered and gave his body a sacrifice for us mortals. "Greater love hath no man than this that he lay down his life for a friend."John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

A human sense of love can go sees no farther than to die for a friend, but divine Love embraces includes its enemiesand Love so great destroys hate, and blessesing itself in blessing its enemies. Is not faith in the efficacy of human blood as pagan as in the blood of beasts Any other than the spiritual signification of the atonement removes its efficacy from Spirit to matter.

The merit of Jesus' atonement was increased instead of diminished, was more to me than you, when I learned in divine Christian Science it not only pointed revealed the way out of sin but out of sickness and death as well as sin

11th To the accusation "No intercessory prayer"Editorial Note: In Christian practice, "intercessory prayer" is defined simply as prayer on behalf of others. I reply; prayer is desire uttered or unexpressed. I have found inaudible prayer more efficient to heal than the audible. This prayer is not begging God to be do more than He is does, but calling on man to recognize what He is and does; this causes man to love Him more than merely asking for to be made loving more love

It is not asking universal love to love include us but increasing our love for him and in His affections, but utilizing the Love and truth already ours. By this prayer we make new and scientific discoveries of what we have and the power of divine spiritual light; even as like the photographer who discovers the power of solar light to paint pictures.

This Silent prayer and none other may meet the demand "pray without ceasing"I Thess 5:17 Pray without ceasing. and is the prayer of the righteous that heals the sick. It is intercessoryory when effectual, and effectual if sincere. Words may belie desire and

See 15 No 2

15 No 2

utter the hypocrites prayer: the apostleEditorial Note: The author of the epistle of James. A number of contemporary mainstream New Testament scholars express doubt that the author of this epistle was an apostle, or was James the brother of Jesus. says "Ye ask and receive not because ye ask amiss to consume it on your lust"James 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. .

12th To that shocking counsel from such a source, "Let Christians beware of this system." I reply, The apostles were persecuted and misrepresented by the church of

their time; the gathering storm of ecclesiastical fury must burst before the full orbed significance of such lives can could appear. Even Jesus said "for which of these works do ye stone me"John 10:32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?

⇉ Handshift:Mary Baker EddyThere are sinners in all societies; I had hoped for one without them, but history repeats itself. Many are saying today have I not done many wonderful works in thy name, who have no part in HimMatt 7:21 ¶Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Matt 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? Matt 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. ; while others are doing His work.

⇉ Handshift:Calvin A. FryeBut alas for religion, when the watchmen sit in judgment on good works and condemn them and utter the hypocrites prayer are sending forth false alarms and slumbering themselves over Christ's command heal the sick and cast out evil. He that by turns is orthodox, heterodox, spiritualist and heretic, is marked shattered in mind, and one whose praise is censure, and whose censure praise.

Did the Rev. Dr. Gordon mean what he said in his sermon "The prayer of faith shall save the sick, and it is done today; and as the faith of the church increases and Christians more and more learn their duty to believe all things written in the scriptures, will such manifestations of God's saving power increase among us."

Woodworth Let the an uprejudicedCorrected:unprejudiced mind compare the leading points of my abjured system with Dr. Gordon's system of religion, understanding one as thoroughly as the other, and reason and conscience must decide for Christian Science. Note some of these points.

His system requires three personal Gods to make one, and that one unable to heal or unwilling to heal the sick, necessitating other gods for this department of human need.

According to his own words a personal man with his soul forgiven and sick is but half a man. (If he understood forgiveness he would know man is not sick under such circumstances)

His personal devil would seems more omnipotent than his Deity, he has the balance of power, and it is not in all the vanity of his system in the name and for the sake of Christ to cast out this devil and heal the sick.

The God of my abjured system is omnipotent and it has but one God, and this One an everpresentCorrected:ever present help, able and ready to make whole all who come unto Him.

Kimball

Man after my system is every whit a man man healthy, holy, of the Elohim of His creation, co-existent and co-eternal with God.

The Satan of my system is being chained and engulphedCorrected:engulfed in the bottomless, where evil has no resurrection and good is supreme.

Christian Science has healed more intemperance, licentiousness, and sickness within the past eighteen years, than has been done by the united efforts power of creeds in this century. since Christ.

Bitter waters"?

Protestantism in queen Elizabeth'sEditorial Note: Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603) reigned as Queen of England from 1558 until her death. time consigned its victims to the dungeon and stakeEditorial Note: During Queen Elizabeth I's time, burning at the stake was a common form of execution for heresy, although it was beginning to fall out of favor by the end of her reign. , it chokinged the very channels of God; it dimed the rights of conscience, and the ecclesiastical paw muzzled the mouth lisping God's praise.

But the heriticsCorrected:heretics of yesterday are today acknowledged martyrs But Jesus said "I thank thee Lord of heaven and earth that thou has hid these things from the wise and prudent, and revealed them unto babes"Matt 11:25 ¶At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. May such Christianity come to this age. Without charity professions we are as sounding brassI Cor 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. ; and charity "suffereth long and is kind, doth not behave itself unseemly, thinketh no evil, but rejoiceth in the Truth"I Cor 13:5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; I Cor 13:6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; .