Accession: L12422
Editorial Title: Mary Baker Eddy to Richard Kennedy, October 8, 1878
Author: Mary Baker Eddy 
Recipient: Richard Kennedy 
Scribe: Asa Gilbert Eddy 
Date: October 8, 1878
Manuscript Description: Copy of a letter by Mary Baker Eddy to Richard Kennedy, handwritten by Asa Gilbert Eddy.
Final Edits
Original Document

Click image to magnify
Full
Back
Close
View Document
View Image
L12422
-
Reproduced from the archive of The Mary Baker Eddy Library
Dr.Editorial Note: Richard Kennedy did not have an MD degree, but in the nineteenth century, persons engaged in practicing various healing modalities were often called "Doctor." Kennedy

I do not like to blight the future of a young man, I do not like to see year by year your opportunities to do better passing away never to return to you as available as they are to day; and will spare every blow in my power if only you will cease to commit in secret the sins you are committing. Your promise to pay me for tuition is not of as much importance to me, or to you, as your debt to God, to Truth. You have said this Truth has saved your life (or that which is called life) and yet you are making it no returns for all this, by acknowledging in your life that you love Truth and adhere to it sufficiently to do as you would be done by. Once to offer you pardon for all the wrong you was doing was only casting pearls before swineMatt 7:6 ¶Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you. ; but I trust it is not so now as you are older and wiser, I hope. Now I come to you again with that spirit of forgiveness As Written: forgivness that you cannot understand, to ask you, if before the world knows more of the error of your past, you will cease to commit the sin against the Holy GhostMatt 12:31 ¶Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. Matt 12:32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. by doing in secret what you would not have revealed, by trying to injure the helpless who know not what you are trying, and so stop the terrible malpractice that you have fallen into. If you will, you shall not be publicly exposed, and I for one will take back the straying lambLuke 15:4 What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? , and help you to prosper, and go on in the path of Truth and restore to you the fellowship of those who are walking heavenward. Will you not open your eyes to see this precious opportunity and that it may not come to you again? Now do not place the false unction to your heart that any sinister motive, or motive to benefit myself prompts this letter, for it does not. I can take care of myself and the dear ones God has given me and the malpractice is powerless to harm me. I have at length learned what you are saying to me mentally, and having this before my eyes, the words that are whispered avail nothing to me. This very sin has lifted me to learn what was at work, and having learned it, it affects me no more than for you to come in person and tell me I have so and so, and not to go on with the law suits etc, etc, You are not aware how much it has advanced me to learn what has been going on before I knew or found out the cause of it all. And I can meet it now and it is harmless I hope God will govern your resolves this time and bless you from that hour

A true copy attest.

A. G. Eddy

Dr. Richard Kennedy

L12422
-
Reproduced from the archive of The Mary Baker Eddy Library
Dr.Editorial Note: Richard Kennedy did not have an MD degree, but in the nineteenth century, persons engaged in practicing various healing modalities were often called "Doctor." Kennedy

I do not like to blight the future of a young man, I do not like to see year by year your opportunities to do better passing away never to return to you as available as they are to day; and will spare every blow in my power if it will only you will cease to commit in secret the sins you are committing. Your promise to pay me for tuition is not of as much importance to me, or to you, as your debt to God, to Truth. You have said this Truth has saved your life (or that which is called life) and yet you are making it no returns for all this, by acknowledging in your life that you love Truth and adhere to it sufficiently to do as you would be done by. Once to offer you pardon for all the wrong you was doing was only casting pearls before swineMatt 7:6 ¶Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you. ; but I trust it is not so now as you are older and wiser, I hope. Now I come to you again with that spirit of forgivness Corrected: forgiveness that you cannot understand, to ask you, if before the world knows more of the error of your past, you will cease to commit the sin against the Holy GhostMatt 12:31 ¶Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. Matt 12:32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. by doing in secret what you would not have revealed, by trying to injure the helpless who know not what you are trying, and so stop the terrible malpractice that you have fallen into. If you will, you shall not be publicly exposed, and I for one will take back the straying lambLuke 15:4 What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? , and help you to prosper, and go on in the pthe path of Truth and restore to you the fellowship of those who are walking heavenward. Will you not open your eyes to see this precious opportunity and that it may not come to you again? Now do not place the false unction to your heart that any sinister motive, or motive to benefit y myself prompts this letter, for it does not. I can take care of myself and the dear ones God has given me and the malpractice is powerless to harm me. I have at length learned what you are saying to me mentally, and having this before my eyes, the words that are whispered avail nothing to me. This very sin has lifted me to learn what was at work, and having learned it, it affects me no more than for you to come in person and tell me I have so and so, and not to go on with the law suits etc, etc, You are not aware how much it has advanced me to learn what has been going on before I knew or found out the cause of it all. And I can meet it now and it is harmless I hope God will govern your resolves this time and bless you from that hour

A true copy attest.

A. G. Eddy

Dr. Kenedy Kennedy

 
View Image
 

Back Text

Shown for development purposes only
Richard Kennedy did not have an MD degree, but in the nineteenth century, persons engaged in practicing various healing modalities were often called "Doctor."