Accession: A10385B
Editorial Title: The Personal and Impersonal Savior
Author: Mary Baker Eddy 
Scribe: Calvin A. Frye 
Date: December 23, 1888
Manuscript Description: Handwritten in pen by Calvin Frye with edits and corrections in pencil by Mary Baker Eddy. One section of the document is entirely in Eddy's handwriting.
Editorial Note: This sermon, given by Mary Baker Eddy at Chickering Hall, was later published as a pamphlet and in Miscellaneous Writings 1883-1896, under the title "Christmas Sermon." Reports with excerpts were published in both the February and April 1889 issues of The Christian Science Journal. The author of the April article notes: "The Saviour set forth in this sermon is one that many are ready to receive, and it would be difficult to find in so small a compass so much Christian Science thought that is so near the plane of the best liberal thought of the Christian world outside of Science. At the same time, the higher the understanding of Science, the more will the thought of this sermon be seen to come from the highest and serenest elevations yet opened to the human mind."
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A10385B
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Reproduced from the archive of The Mary Baker Eddy Library

The only record of Jesus as a public benefactor or personal Saviour commenced at 30 years of age owing in part perhaps to the Jewish law that no one should preach or teach in public under that age .

Also it is natural to conclude that at this juncture he was imbued especially with the Holy Spirit for he was given the new name Messiah or Christ Jesus the God anointed as Jacob was called Israel and Saul, Paul at times of especial enlightenment.Editorial Note: This is an example of what is called "adoptionist theology" by scholars of early Christianity. There were groups of early Christians who believed that Jesus did not become the Son of God, Messiah, etc. until sometime after his birth. This "adoption" of Jesus by God was held by some to have taken place at his baptism by John the Baptist. Others believed it took place at the time of his resurrection or ascension.

The 3rd event of this eventful period a period of such magnitude to mankind was the [?] Unclear or illegible  advent of Christian Science. [*]Archival Note: At this point Mary Baker Eddy inserted a metamark that looks like the letter X. The cross was the central emblem of Christ Jesus' history and the central point of his messianic mission was teaching and healing.

From this dazzling God-crowned summit of human experience the Nazarene stepped to confront peoples pulpits, faculties, the world alone to stem these awful tides and to walk serenely over their fretted lashing billows. Clad with human meekness and divine might he was ready to be offered .

Human pride or self-will by demoralizing his motive would have dethroned his power to be carried out his purpose must be pure and oblivious of self.

Of the lineage of David like him he went forth simple as the shepherd boy to disarm the GoliathEditorial Note: The story of David slaying Goliath is found in I Samuel:17. and panoplied with the strength of an exalted a divine hope, faith and understanding, Truth's trinity, he conquered the three in one of error -- the world, the flesh and the devil.Editorial Note: "The world, the flesh, and the devil," is a phrase that has been used by a number of Christian writers over the centuries to describe the primary enemies of the soul.

Three years he went about doing good he had been 30 years preparing to heal and teach [*]Editorial Note: Two vertical lines are drawn through the following text.and never thought of establishing Institutions before that length of time [*]Editorial Note: The two vertical lines end here. but his 3 years glory mission was a marvel of glory and its chaplet a dishonored grave He who dated time and spanned eternity healed and taught by the wayside in humble homes to itching ears and to dull disciples the science of God and man the divine Principle or Being and its divine idea His words were articulated in a decaying languageEditorial Note: Scholars believe that the historical Jesus spoke Aramaic, the language that was commonly spoken in rural Galilee, where Jesus grew up. and committed to the providence of God In no one thing seemed he less human and more divine than in his unfaltering faith in the immortality of of what he taught.

referringAs Written:Refering to it he said "heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away". And they have not they still live and are today the basis of liberty the cement of society the salvation of the race. We have not space to detail a little of what he said and did, the four Gospels do this Only three years a personal Savior what did he not accomplish for mortals a sublime success an everlasting victory, over sin suffering death

Next is the history of Jesus referredAs Written:refered to in the prophecyAs Written:propecy of Isaiah of the hourly records of him as the impersonal Savior the healing and saving spiritual idea unseen to mortal eye The child of God who receivesAs Written:recives at this epochAs Written:ephoc of history another name Christian Science. The connection of thischild with the child Jesus is the unity of goodnessand Good It was that which is butAs Written:bu seen only through the ripeness of time and the advent at his second appearing and then so Slightly over Handshift:Mary Baker Eddydiscerned it is again. A likened to the babe born in meekness, but this time it is a spiritual idea one eliminated by personal ascensionAs Written:aschencon and without the environments of flesh or personal pain a body that can be destroyed and the idea veiled The personalAs Written:persal Jesus had rent the veil of flesh that the impersonal might appear never to disappear Handshift:Calvin A. Frye even the Truth that is discovered, uttered and lived by the martyr who has passed no on and left to mortals the legacy of what he said and did. But The heirs to his riches could neither appreciate nor appropriate this wealth until ages had taught them its value and another personality was raised to the discovery of all his secret stores and brings them again forth to present to mortals and in reproducing them has found their order mode virgin origin, science, divine Principle rule and demonstration .

The monument whose white finger points upward commemorates the idea left us of the philanthropist hero or martyr thus and thus it is that the ideal Jesus , the impersonal child of Truth and Love is now with us! And What of this child. "For unto us a child is born. A son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulders"Isa 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. .

This year has a readier ear for this inquiry and infinite Topic than when its birth was heralded 21 years ago and the child was nameless and the Mother hid it and ventured not to give its name Christian Science.Editorial Note: Eddy identified the year 1866 as the year of her discovery of Christian Science and at first called it Moral Science. But like the leaven that a certain woman hid in three measures of mealMatt 13:3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; Luke 13:20 And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God? Luke 13:21 It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. this purely spiritual idea of God has been all this time leavening the lump of materialism -- until its action has come to be seen if not acknowledged and is widely diffused blessing unsparingly the whole human family.

1st This child, Christian Science comes to establish the truth that God is One and All, and all is like unto this One.

2ndAs Written:2d The brotherhood of man.

3rdAs Written:3d One Father one Mind, one substance, one Truth, one Life one Love, one one mode one science; God's infinite individuality man's eternal individuality, The Good, universal

A10385B
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Reproduced from the archive of The Mary Baker Eddy Library

The only record of Jesus as a public benefactor or personal Saviour commenced at 30 years of age and continued 3 yearsDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy owing in part perhaps to the Jewish law that no one should preach or teach in public under that ageInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy 30 yearsDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy.

Also it is natural to conclude that at this juncture he was imbued especially with the Holy Spirit for he was given theInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy aDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy new name he was calledDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy Messiah or Christ Jesus the God anointed asInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy asDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy Jacob was called Israel and Saul, Paul at times of especial enlightenment.Editorial Note: This is an example of what is called "adoptionist theology" by scholars of early Christianity. There were groups of early Christians who believed that Jesus did not become the Son of God, Messiah, etc. until sometime after his birth. This "adoption" of Jesus by God was held by some to have taken place at his baptism by John the Baptist. Others believed it took place at the time of his resurrection or ascension.

The 3rd event of this eventfulInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy period a periodInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy of such magnitude to mankind was the [?] Unclear or illegible Inserted by: Mary Baker Eddy advent of Christian Science. [*]Archival Note: At this point Mary Baker Eddy inserted a metamark that looks like the letter X. The cross was the central emblem of Christ Jesus'Inserted by: Mary Baker Eddy of hisDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy history and the central point of his messianic mission was teaching and healing.

From this dazzling God-crowned summit of human experience the Nazarene stepped to confrontInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy before theDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy peoples theDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy pulpitsInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy, theDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy facultiesInserted by: Mary Baker EddyyDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy, the world and to stemDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy alone to stemInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy these awful tides and to walk serenely overInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy roaring torrents roaring in upon himDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy theirInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy fretted lashing billows. ButDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy Clad with human meekness and divine might he was ready to be offeredInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy for them allDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy.

Human pride or self-will would have dethroned his powerDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy by demoralizing his motiveInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy purposeDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy would have dethroned his power to be carried out his purposeInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy whichDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy must be pure and oblivious of self.

Of the lineage of David like him he went forth simple as theInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy aDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy shepherd boy to disarm the GoliathEditorial Note: The story of David slaying Goliath is found in I Samuel:17. and panopliedInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy armed onlyDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy with the strength of an exalted a divineInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy hope, faith and understanding, and Deleted by: Mary Baker EddyTruth'sInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy thisDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy trinity, of TruthDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy he conqueredInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy the three in one of error vizDeleted by: Mary Baker EddyInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy -- the world, the flesh and the devil.Editorial Note: "The world, the flesh, and the devil," is a phrase that has been used by a number of Christian writers over the centuries to describe the primary enemies of the soul.

Three years he went about doing good he had been 30 years preparing to heal and teach [*]Editorial Note: Two vertical lines are drawn through the following text.and never thought of establishing Institutions before thatInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy length of time [*]Editorial Note: The two vertical lines end here. and at the terminus of three years hisDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy but his 3 years glory hisDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy mission was a marvel of glory and its chaplet a dishonored grave He who dated time and spanned eternityInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy healed and taught by the wayside in humble homes to itching ears and to dull disciples the science of God and man ofDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy the divine Principle or Being and itsInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy hisDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy divine idea HisInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy TheseDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy words were articulated in a decaying languageEditorial Note: Scholars believe that the historical Jesus spoke Aramaic, the language that was commonly spoken in rural Galilee, where Jesus grew up. and committed to the providence of God andDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy IInserted by: Mary Baker Eddyn no one thing seemed he less humanInserted by: Mary Baker EddybleDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy and more divine than in his unfaltering faith in the immortality of of what he taught.

ReferingCorrected:referring to it he said "heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away". And they have not they still live and are today the basis of liberty the cement of society the salvation of the race. We have not space to detail a little ofInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy what he said and did, the four Gospels do this it all and all this was done inDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy OnlyInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy three years ofDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy a personal Savior what did he not accomplish for mortals aInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy labor that ended in aDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy sublime success an everlasting victory, over sin suffering deathInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy

Next is the history of JesusInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy referedCorrected:referred to in the propecyCorrected:prophecy ofInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy byDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy Isaiah of the hourly records of him asInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy the impersonal Savior the healing and saving spiritualDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy spiritual idea ofDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy unseen to mortal eye or and childDeleted by: Mary Baker EddyInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy the idea Jesus the offspring of God the child named at this periodDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy The child of God who recivesCorrected:receives at this ephocCorrected:epoch of history another nameInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy Christian Science. The connection of thischild with the childInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy manDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy Jesus is the unity of goodnessand Good Seen in the second coming or appearing of theDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy impersonal character of GodDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy This character and relation to GodDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy It was that which is buCorrected:but seen only through the ripeness of time andInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy this which wasDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy the advent at his second appearing and then so IDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy [?] Unclear or illegible Deleted by: Mary Baker Eddy Slightly overInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy Handshift:Mary Baker Eddydiscerned it is again. A likened to the babe born in meekness, but this time it isDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy it is a spiritual idea one eliminated by from theDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy by personal aschenconCorrected:ascension and without fleDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy the environments of flesh or personal pain orDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy a body that can be destroyed and thus to put againDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy theisDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy idea of aDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy veiled The persalCorrected:personal Jesus had rent the veil of flesh that the impersonal might appear orDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy never to disappear Handshift:Calvin A. FryeIt is the Truth discernedDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy even the Truth that is discovered,Inserted by: Mary Baker Eddy uttered and lived by the martyr who has passed noInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy on and left to mortals the legacy of what he said and did. But The heirs to hisInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy theseDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy riches could neither appreciate nor appropriate this wealth until ages had taught them its value and another personality wasInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy isDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy raised to the discovery of all theseDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy hisInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy secret stores and againDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy brings them againInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy forthwardDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy to present to mortalsInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy their acceptanceDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy and byDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy inInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy reproducing them has foundInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy them findsDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy their order modeInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy and theDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy virgin origin,Inserted by: Mary Baker Eddy science, that declares theirDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy divineInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy Principle rule and demonstrationInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy divine and their rulesDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy demonstrable capable of proofDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy.

The monument whose white finger points upward onlyDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy commemorates the idea left us of the philanthropist hero or martyr thus it theDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy and thus it isInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy we now can commemorateDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy thatInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy the ideal Jesus isDeleted by: Mary Baker EddyInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy, the impersonal child and the second appearingDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy of Truth and Love thatDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy isInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy now with us! AndInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy What of this child. "For unto us a child is born. A son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulders"Isa 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. .

This year has a readier ear for this inquiry and infinite Topic than when its secondDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy birth was heralded 21 years ago and the child was nameless and the Mother hid it and ventured not at firstDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy to give itsInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy theDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy name ofDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy Christian Science.Editorial Note: Eddy identified the year 1866 as the year of her discovery of Christian Science and at first called it Moral Science. But like the leaven that a certain woman hid in three measures of mealMatt 13:3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; Luke 13:20 And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God? Luke 13:21 It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. this purely spiritual idea of God has been all this time leavening the lump of materialism -- until its action has come to be seen if not acknowledged and is widely diffused blessing unsparingly the whole human family.

1st This child, Christian Science comes to establish the truth that God is One,Deleted by: Mary Baker Eddy and All,Inserted by: Mary Baker Eddy in one and one is reflected in all andDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy andInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy all is like untoInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy this One.

2dOriginal:2nd The brotherhood of man.

3dOriginal:3rd One Father oneInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy Mind, one substance, one Truth, one Life oneInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy Love, andDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy one one mode oneInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy method viz. DivineDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy science; God'sDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy God'sInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy infinite individualityInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy man's eternal individuality, TheInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy and universalDeleted by: Mary Baker Eddy Good, universalInserted by: Mary Baker Eddy

 
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This is an example of what is called "adoptionist theology" by scholars of early Christianity. There were groups of early Christians who believed that Jesus did not become the Son of God, Messiah, etc. until sometime after his birth. This "adoption" of Jesus by God was held by some to have taken place at his baptism by John the Baptist. Others believed it took place at the time of his resurrection or ascension. At this point Mary Baker Eddy inserted a metamark that looks like the letter X. The story of David slaying Goliath is found in I Samuel:17. Two vertical lines are drawn through the following text. The two vertical lines end here. "The world, the flesh, and the devil," is a phrase that has been used by a number of Christian writers over the centuries to describe the primary enemies of the soul. Scholars believe that the historical Jesus spoke Aramaic, the language that was commonly spoken in rural Galilee, where Jesus grew up. Eddy identified the year 1866 as the year of her discovery of Christian Science and at first called it Moral Science.