Accession: F00355
Editorial Title: Mary Baker Eddy to Samuel Putnam Bancroft, November 1, 1875
Author: Mary Baker Eddy 
Recipient: Samuel Putnam Bancroft 
Date: November 1, 1875
Manuscript Description: Handwritten by Mary Baker Eddy but not signed.
Archival Note: This letter is in the collection of Longyear Museum. V03050 is a copy of this letter.
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F00355
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Lynn Nov 1st / 75
Dear Student,

I can only trust to your appreciating the motive and the wisdom that dictates this letter to you at this time; and if you see one, or both, it will save you from a severe experience and neither will you think less of me for my faithfulness to a student.

A "word to the wise ought to be sufficient"

I was glad when I heard at first you had began to practice a little, but since then, I have been tracing the work of a mortal mind, in other words the fulfillment of a threat made to me by S—d (which I can show you in writing) and find his mesmeric influence he has been exercising over you the same as over others and its effect was to start you to practice before your own judgement had done this. You thought that from yourself the incentive came, as we all have been thinking in other cases, but I am the one in this case whom Wisdom has again revealed the secret of this sin to, — and for the purpose of showing it to you all. "He that hath ears to hear" will hearMatt 11:15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. Mark 4:9 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. Mark 4:23 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. and take warning

This same desire to go to healing has began with some of my sick (in belief) students, and they began it and it worked not well to themselves or to their patients in the end. I looked into it to see the cause, and found they had began to practice form the effect of his silent arguments and that he was directing to them for this purpose, so to prove it, I took it up, in their behalf thus — "you cannot be influenced by that mortal mind to do this" and waited to see and immediately they desired no longer to practice at present, and harmony was restored. His mesmerism has done more harm so far than he can do good for his life time here; but he must not know this for all he wants is to know he can do it, he has no fear to do anything wrong if ambition or revenge prompts it, for these are the motives of his present course.

I did not send you the patient Mrs Kelly brought for I thought her too difficult for you in your circumstances to treat, but Dorcas did send her. Now my student get your eyes open! There is a dreadful discord going on owing to the silent influences at work

F00355
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Reproduced from the archive of The Mary Baker Eddy Library
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Copied document link to clipboard.

Lynn Nov 1st / 75
Dear Student,

I can only trust to your appreciating the motive and the wisdom that dictates this letter to you at this time; and if you see one, or both, it will save you from a severe experience and neither will you think less of me for my faithfulness to a student.

A "word to the wise ought to be sufficient"

I was glad when I heard at first you had began to practice a little, but since then, I have been tracing the work of a mortal mind, in other words the fulfillment of a threat made to me by S—d (which I can show you in writing) and find his mesmeric influence he has been exercising over you the same as over others and its effect was to start you to practice before your own judgement had done this. You thought it came that from yourself the incentive came, as we all have been thinking in other cases, but I am the one in this case whom Wisdom has again revealed the secret of this sin to, — and for the purpose of showing it to you all. "He that hath ears to hear" will hearMatt 11:15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. Mark 4:9 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. Mark 4:23 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. and take warning

This same desire to go to healing has began with some of my sick (in belief) students, and they began it and it worked not well to themselves or to their patients in the end. I looked into it to see the cause, and found they had began to practice form the effect of his silent arguments and that he was directing to them for this purpose, so to prove it, I took it up, in their behalf thus — "you cannot be influenced by that mortal mind to do this" and waited to see and immediately they desired no longer to practice at present, and harmony was restored. His mesmerism has done more harm so far than he can do good for his life time here; but he must not know this for all he wants is to know he can do it, he has no fear to do anything wrong if ambition or revenge prompts it, for these are the motives of his present course.

I did not send you the patient Mrs Kelly brought to you for I thought her too difficult for you in your circumstances to treat, but Dorcas did send her. Now my student get your eyes open! There is a dreadful discord going on owing to the silent influences at work

 
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