BOSTON, U.S.A.
Published by Allison V. Stewart
|
THE Rules and By-Laws in the Manual of The First Church of
Christ,
Scientist, Boston, originated not in solemn conclave as in
ancient
Sanhedrim. They were not arbitrary opinions nor dictatorial
demands,
such as one person might impose on another. They were
impelled
by a power not one's own, were written at different dates, and
as the occasion required. They sprang from necessity, the logic
of events,
- from the immediate demand for them as a help that
must be supplied to
maintain the dignity and defense of our Cause;
hence their simple,
scientific basis, and detail so requisite
to demonstrate genuine Christian
Science, and which will do for
the race what absolute doctrines destined
for future generations
might not accomplish.
Tenets
of The Mother
Church
The First Church of
Christ, Scientist |
| 1 |
To be signed by those uniting with The First
Church of
Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Mass. |
| 3 |
1. As adherents of Truth, we take the inspired
Word of
the Bible as our sufficient guide to eternal
Life. |
| 6 |
2. We acknowledge and adore one supreme and
infinite God.
We acknowledge His Son, one Christ;
the Holy Ghost or divine Comforter; and
man in |
| 9 |
God's image and likeness.
3. We acknowledge God's forgiveness of sin in
the
destruction of sin and the spiritual understanding |
| 12 |
that casts out evil as unreal. But the belief in sin is
punished so long as the belief lasts.
4. We acknowledge Jesus' atonement as the evi- |
| 15 |
dence of divine, efficacious Love, unfolding man's
unity
with God through Christ Jesus the Way-shower;
From Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by
Mary Baker
Eddy.
Page 16 |
| 1 |
and we acknowledge that man is saved through Christ,
through Truth, Life, and Love as demonstrated by the |
| 3 |
Galilean Prophet in healing the sick and overcoming
sin
and death.
5. We acknowledge that the crucifixion of Jesus |
| 6 |
and his resurrection served to uplift faith to under-
stand eternal Life, even the allness of Soul, Spirit, and
the nothingness
of matter.
9 6. And we solemnly promise to watch, and pray
for that
Mind to be in us which was also in Christ
Jesus; to do unto others as we
would have them do |
| 12 |
unto us; and to be merciful, just, and pure.
MARY BAKER EDDY
Page 17
Historical
Sketch |
| 1 |
In the spring of 1879, a little band of earnest
seekers
after Truth went into deliberations over |
| 3 |
forming a church without creeds, to be called the
CHURCH
OF CHRIST, SCIENTIST. They were mem-
bers of evangelical churches, and
students of Mrs. |
| 6 |
Mary Baker Eddy in Christian Science, and were
known as
"Christian Scientists."
At a meeting of the Christian Scientist Association,
|
| 9 |
April 19, 1879, on motion of Mrs. Eddy, it was
voted, --
To organize a church designed to com-
memorate the word and works of our
Master, which |
| 12 |
should reinstate primitive Christianity and its lost
element of healing.
Mrs. Eddy was appointed on the committee to |
| 15 |
draft the Tenets of the Mother Church -- the chief
corner
stone whereof is, that Christian Science, as
taught and demonstrated by our
Master, casts out |
| 18 |
error, heals the sick, and restores the lost Israel:
Page 18 |
| 1 |
for "the stone which the builders rejected, the same
is
become the head of the corner." |
| 3 |
The charter for the Church was obtained June,
1879,* and
the same month the members, twenty-six
in number, extended a call to Mary
Baker Eddy |
| 6 |
to become their pastor. She accepted the call,
and was
ordained A. D. 1881. Although walking
through deep waters, the little
Church went steadily |
| 9 |
on, increasing in numbers, and at every epoch
saying,
"Hitherto hath the Lord helped us." |
| 12 |
On the twenty-third day of September, 1892, at
the
request of Rev. Mary Baker Eddy, twelve
of her students and Church members
met and re- |
| 15 |
organized, under her jurisdiction, the Christian
Science
Church and named it, THE FIRST CHURCH
OF CHRIST, SCIENTIST. |
| 18 |
At this meeting twenty others of Mrs. Eddy's
students and
members of her former Church were
elected members of this Church, -- those
with others |
| 21 |
that have since been elected were known as "First
Members." The Church Tenets, Rules, and By-
Laws, as prepared by Mrs. Eddy,
were adopted. A |
| 24 |
By-Law adopted March 17, 1903, changed the
title of
"First Members" to "Executive Members."
(On July 8, 1908, the By-Laws
pertaining to "Ex- |
| 27 |
ecutive Members" were repealed.)
Page 19 |
| 1 |
THE FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST, SCIENTIST, IN BOS-
TON,
MASS., is designed to be built on the Rock, |
| 3 |
Christ; even the understanding and demonstration
of
divine Truth, Life, and Love, healing and saving
the world from sin and
death; thus to reflect in some |
| 6 |
degree the Church Universal and Triumphant.
Page 20 ** No page found **
Page 21
CHURCH
OFFICERS
Rev. MARY BAKER
EDDY
Pastor Emeritus
Christian Science Board of
Directors
IRA O. KNAPP
STEPHEN A. CHASE
ARCHIBALD McCLELLAN
ALLISON V. STEWART
JOHN V. DITTEMORE
WILLIAM D. BALDWIN
President
Judge CLIFFORD P. SMITH
First Reader
Conducts services and reads from
the Christian Science textbook,
"SCIENCE AND HEALTH WITH KEY TO THE
SCRIPTURES" by Mary Baker Eddy
Mrs. CAROL HOYT POWERS
Second Reader
Reads from the SCRIPTURES
JOHN V. DITTEMORE
Clerk
The First Church of Christ, Scientist,
Falmouth, Norway,
and St. Paul Streets, Boston, Mass.
STEPHEN A. CHASE
Treasurer
Box 56, Fall River, Mass.
Page 25
Church By-Laws
CHURCH OFFICERS
Article I - NAMES, ELECTION, AND
DUTIES
Names. SECTION 1. The Church officers shall
consist of the Pastor Emeritus, a Board of Direc- |
| 6 |
tors, a President, a Clerk, a Treasurer, and two
Readers.
President. SECT. 2. The President shall be |
| 9 |
elected, subject to the approval of the Pastor
Emeritus,
by the Board of Directors(1) on Mon-
day preceding the annual meeting of
the |
| 12 |
Church. The President shall hold office for one
year, and
the same person is eligible for elec-
tion but once in three years. |
| 15 |
Clerk and Treasurer. SECT. 3. The term of
office
for the Clerk and the Treasurer of this
(1) See under "Deed of Trust" for incorporation of the
"Christian
Science Board of Directors."
Page 26 |
| 1 |
Church (also for the editors and the manager
of The
Christian Science Publishing Society, |
| 3 |
and the manager of the general Committee on
Publication
in Boston) is one year each, dating
from the time of election to office.
Incumbents |
| 6 |
who have served one year or more, may be re-
elected, or
new officers elected, at the annual
meeting held for this purpose, by a
unanimous |
| 9 |
vote of the Christian Science Board of Direc-
tors and
the consent of the Pastor Emeritus
given in her own handwriting. |
| 12 |
Readers. SECT. 4. Every third year Read-
ers shall
be elected in The Mother Church by
the Board of Directors, which shall
inform the |
| 15 |
Pastor Emeritus of the names of its candidates
before
they are elected; and if she objects, said
candidates shall not be chosen.
The Directors |
| 18 |
shall fix the salaries of the Readers.
Directors. SECT. 5. The Christian Science
Board
of Directors shall consist of five members. |
| 21 |
They shall fill a vacancy occurring on that Board
after
the candidate is approved by the Pastor
Emeritus. A majority vote or the
request of |
| 24 |
Mrs. Eddy shall dismiss a member. Members
shall neither
report the discussions of this Board,
nor those with Mrs. Eddy.
Page 27 |
| 1 |
Church Business. SECT. 6. The business
of The
Mother Church shall be transacted by |
| 3 |
its Christian Science Board of Directors. The
manager of
the general Committee on Publi-
cation in the United States shall order no
spe- |
| 6 |
cial action to be taken by said Committee that
is not
named in the Manual of this Church
without consulting with the full Board
of Di- |
| 9 |
rectors of The Mother Church and receiving
the written
consent of said Board.
Publishing Buildings. SECT. 7. It shall be |
| 12 |
the duty of the Christian Science Board of Di-
rectors to
provide a suitable building for the
publication of The Christian Science
Journal, |
| 15 |
Christian Science Sentinel, Der Herold der
Christian
Science, and all other Christian Sci-
ence literature published by The
Christian Science |
| 18 |
Publishing Society. It shall also be the duty
of the
Christian Science Board of Directors to
provide suitable rooms,
conveniently and pleas- |
| 21 |
antly located in the same building, for the pub-
lication
and sale of the books of which Mary
Baker Eddy is, or may be, the author,
and of |
| 24 |
other literature connected therewith.
Trusteeships and Syndicates. SECT. 8.
Boards of
Trustees and Syndicates may be
Page 28 |
| 1 |
formed by The Mother Church, subject to the
approval of
the Pastor Emeritus. |
| 3 |
Duties of Church Officers. SECT. 9. Law
constitutes government, and disobedience to the
laws of The Mother Church
must ultimate in |
| 6 |
annulling its Tenets and By-Laws. Without a
proper system
of government and form of ac-
tion, nations, individuals, and religion are
un- |
| 9 |
protected; hence the necessity of this By-Law
and the
warning of Holy Writ: "That servant,
which knew his lord's will, and
prepared not |
| 12 |
himself, neither did according to his will, shall
be
beaten with many stripes."
It is the duty of the Christian Science Board of |
| 15 |
Directors to watch and make sure that the offi-
cers of
this Church perform the functions of
their several offices promptly and
well. If an |
| 18 |
officer fails to fulfil all the obligations of his
office, the Board of Directors shall immediately
call a meeting and notify
this officer either to |
| 21 |
resign his place or to perform his office faith-
fully;
then failing to do either, said officer shall
be dismissed from this
Church, and his dismis- |
| 24 |
sal shall be written on the Church records.
It is the duty of any member of this Church,
and
especially of one who has been or who is
Page 29 |
| 1 |
the First Reader of a church, to inform the
Board of
Directors of the failure of the Com- |
| 3 |
mittee on Publication or of any other officer in
this
Church to perform his of official duties. A
Director shall not make known
the name of the |
| 6 |
complainant.
If the Christian Science Board of Directors fails
to
fulfil the requirements of this By-Law, and a |
| 9 |
member of this Church or the Pastor Emeritus
shall
complain thereof to the Clerk and the com-
plaint be found valid, the
Directors shall resign |
| 12 |
their office or perform their functions faithfully.
Failing to do thus, the Pastor Emeritus shall ap-
point five suitable
members of this Church to fill |
| 15 |
the vacancy. The salary of the members of the
Board of
Directors shall be at present two thou-
sand five hundred dollars each
annually.
Article II - READERS OF THE MOTHER
CHURCH
Election. SECTION 1. The Readers for The |
| 21 |
Mother Church shall be a man and a woman,
one to read
the BIBLE, and one to read SCIENCE
AND HEALTH WITH KEY TO THE
SCRIPTURES.
Page 30 |
| 1 |
Eligibility. SECT. 2. The Directors shall
select
intelligible Readers who are exemplary |
| 3 |
Christians and good English scholars. They
must be
members of The Mother Church.
Removal. SECT. 3. If a Reader in The |
| 6 |
Mother Church be found at any time inadequate
or
unworthy, he or she shall be removed from
office by a majority vote of the
Board of Di- |
| 9 |
rectors and the consent of the Pastor Emeritus,
and the
vacancy supplied.
First Reader's Residence. SECT. 4. Unless |
| 12 |
Mrs. Eddy requests otherwise, the First Reader
of The
Mother Church shall occupy, during his
term of Readership, the house of the
Pastor |
| 15 |
Emeritus, No. 3 85 Commonwealth Avenue, Bos-
ton. The
Board of Directors shall pay from
the Church funds the taxes and rent on
this |
| 18 |
property; the Board shall attend to the insur-
ance
before it expires, suitably furnish the
house, and keep the property in
good repair, so |
| 21 |
long as Mrs. Eddy does not occupy the house
herself and
the occupants are satisfactory to
her.
Page 31
Article III - DUTIES OF READERS OF
THE MOTHER CHURCH AND OF ITS BRANCH CHURCHES
Moral Obligations. SECTION l. The Readers
of The
Mother Church and of all its branch |
| 6 |
churches must devote a suitable portion of their
time to
preparation for the reading of the Sunday
lesson, - a lesson on which the
prosperity of |
| 9 |
Christian Science largely depends. They must
keep
themselves unspotted from the world, -
uncontaminated with evil, - that the
mental at- |
| 12 |
mosphere they exhale shall promote health and
holiness,
even that spiritual animus so universally
needed. |
| 15 |
First Readers' Duties. SECT. 2. It shall be
the
duty of the First Readers to conduct the
principal part of the Sunday
services, and the |
| 18 |
Wednesday evening meetings.
Suitable Selections. SECT. 3. The First
Readers
shall read, as a part of the Wednesday |
| 21 |
evening services, selections from the SCRIPTURES,
and
from SCIENCE AND HEALTH WITH KEY TO
THE SCRIPTURES.
Page 32 |
| 1 |
Order of Reading. SECT. 4. The First Read-
ers in
the Christian Science churches shall read |
| 3 |
the correlative texts in SCIENCE AND HEALTH
WITH KEY TO
THE SCRIPTURES; and the Second
Readers shall read the BIBLE texts. The
readings |
| 6 |
from the SCRIPTURES shall precede the readings
from
SCIENCE AND HEALTH. The Readers shall
not read from copies or manuscripts,
but from |
| 9 |
the books.
Naming Book and Author. SECT. 5. The
Readers of
SCIENCE AND HEALTH WITH KEY TO |
| 12 |
THE SCRIPTURES, before commencing to read
from this book,
shall distinctly announce the full
title of the book and give the author's
name. |
| 15 |
Such announcement shall be made but once
during the
lesson.
Readers in Branch Churches. SECT. 6. |
| 18 |
These Readers shall be members of The Mother
Church. They
shall read understandingly and
be well educated. They shall make no
remarks |
| 21 |
explanatory of the LESSON-SERMON at any time,
but they
shall read all notices and remarks that
may be printed in the CHRISTIAN
SCIENCE QUAR- |
| 24 |
TERLY. This By-Law applies to Readers in all
the branch
churches.
Enforcement of By-Laws. SECT. 7. It shall
Page 33 |
| 1 |
be the duty of every member of The Mother
Church, who is
a First Reader in a Church of |
| 3 |
Christ, Scientist, to enforce the discipline and
by-laws
of the church in which he is Reader.
A Reader not a Leader. SECT. 8. The Church |
| 6 |
Reader shall not be a Leader, but he shall main-
tain the
Tenets, Rules, and discipline of the
Church. A Reader shall not be a
President of |
| 9 |
a church.
Page 34
CHURCH
MEMBERSHIP
Article IV - QUALIFICATIONS FOR
MEMBERSHIP
Believe in Christian
Science. SECTION l.
To become a member of
The Mother Church, |
| 6 |
The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Bos-
ton,
Mass., the applicant must be a believer in
the doctrines of Christian
Science, according to |
| 9 |
the platform and teaching contained in the Chris-
tian
Science textbook, SCIENCE AND HEALTH
WITH KEY TO THE SCRIPTURES, by Rev.
Mary |
| 12 |
Baker Eddy. The BIBLE, together with SCIENCE
AND HEALTH
and other works by Mrs. Eddy,
shall be his only textbooks for
self-instruction |
| 15 |
in Christian Science, and for teaching and prac-
tising
metaphysical healing.
Free from Other Denominations. SECT. 2. |
| 13 |
This Church will receive a member of another
Church of
Christ, Scientist, but not a church
member from a different denomination
until that |
| 21 |
membership is dissolved.
Page 35 |
| 1 |
Children when Twelve Years Old. SECT. 3.
Children
who have arrived at the age of twelve |
| 3 |
years, who are approved, and whose applications
are
countersigned by one of Mrs. Eddy's loyal stu-
dents, by a Director, or by
a student of the Board |
| 6 |
of Education, may be admitted to membership
with The
Mother Church.
Article V - APPLICATIONS FOR
MEMBERSHIP
Students of the College. SECTION 1.
Appli-
cations for membership with The Mother Church |
| 12 |
from students of the Massachusetts Metaphysical
College
who studied with Rev. Mary Baker Eddy,
shall be signed by the Christian
Science Board |
| 15 |
of Directors as evidence of the loyalty of the
applicants .
Other Students. SECT. 2. Applicants for |
| 18 |
membership who have not studied Christian Sci-
ence with
Rev. Mary Baker Eddy, can unite
with this Church only by approval from
students |
| 21 |
of Mrs. Eddy, loyal to the teachings of the text-
book,
SCIENCE AND HEALTH WITH KEY TO THE
Page 36 |
| 1 |
SCRIPTURES, or from members of The Mother
Church, as
provided in Article VI, Sect. 2, of |
| 3 |
these By-Laws.
Students' Pupils. SECT. 3. Applications for
membership with The Mother Church, coming |
| 6 |
from pupils of loyal students who have taken
the Primary
or Normal Course at the Massa-
chusetts Metaphysical College or in the
Board |
| 9 |
of Education, or from pupils of those who have
passed an
examination by the Board of Educa-
tion, shall have the approval and
signature of |
| 12 |
their teachers, except in such cases as are pro-
vided
for in Sect. 4 of this Article.
Exceptional Cases. SECT. 4. Loyal Chris- |
| 15 |
tian Scientists whose teachers are deceased, ab-
sent, or
disloyal, - or those whose teachers, for
insufficient cause, refuse to
endorse their appli- |
| 18 |
cations for membership with The Mother Church,
- can
apply to the Clerk of this Church, and
present to him a recommendation
signed by three |
| 21 |
members thereof in good standing, after which,
the
unanimous vote of the Board of Directors
may admit said applicant to
membership. |
| 21 |
Addressed to Clerk. SECT. 5. All applica-
tions
for membership must be addressed to the
Clerk of the Church.
Page 37 |
| 1 |
Endorsing Applications. SECT. 6. A mem-
ber of The
Mother Church shall not endorse nor |
| 3 |
countersign an application for membership there-
with
until after the blank has been properly filled
out by an applicant. A
member who violates |
| 6 |
this By-Law shall be disciplined.
Notice of Rejection. SECT. 7. If an applica-
tion
for membership with The First Church of |
| 9 |
Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Mass., is rejected, the
Clerk of the Church shall send to the applicant a
notice of such rejection;
but neither the Clerk |
| 12 |
nor the Church shall be obliged to report the
cause for
rejection.
Article VI - RECOMMENDATION AND
ELECTION
Pupils of Normal Students. SECTION 1.
One Normal
student cannot recommend the pupil |
| 18 |
of another Normal student, so long as both are
loyal to
their Leader and to the Christian Science
textbook, except as provided for
in Article V, |
| 21 |
Sect. 4.
Members of The Mother Church. SECT. 2.
Only
members of The Mother Church are quali-
Page 38 |
| 1 |
fied to approve for membership individuals who
are known
to them to be Christians, and faith- |
| 3 |
ful, loyal students of the textbook, SCIENCE AND
HEALTH
WITH KEY TO THE SCRIPTURES. If the
approver is not a loyal student of Mrs.
Eddy, a |
| 6 |
Director of this Church, or a student of the Board
of
Education who holds a degree, the application
must be countersigned by one
of these.
9 Election. SECT. 3. Applicants for member-
ship
in this Church, whose applications are
correctly prepared, may be elected
by majority |
| 12 |
vote of the Christian Science Board of Direc-
tors at
the semi-annual meetings held for this
purpose.
Article VII -PROBATIONARY
MEMBERSHIP
Members who once
Withdrew. SECTION 1. |
| 18 |
Individuals who have heretofore been members
of this
Church, or were members of the Church
of Christ, Scientist, organized in
1879 by Mary |
| 21 |
Baker Eddy, but who have voluntarily with-
drawn, may be
received into this Church on one
year's probation, provided they are
willing and
Page 39 |
| 1 |
anxious to live according to its requirements and
make
application for membership according to |
| 3 |
its By-Laws. If, at the expiration of said one
year, they
are found worthy, they shall be re-
ceived into full membership, but if not
found |
| 6 |
worthy their applications shall be void.
Members once Dismissed. SECT. 2. A full
member or
a probationary member, who has |
| 9 |
been excommunicated once, and who afterward,
when
sufficient time has elapsed thoroughly to
test his sincerity, gives due
evidence of having |
| 12 |
genuinely repented and of being radically re-
formed,
shall be eligible to probationary mem-
bership upon a unanimous vote of the
Christian |
| 15 |
Science Board of Directors.
Ineligible for Probation. SECT. 3. If a
member
has been twice notified of his excom- |
| 18 |
munication, he shall not again be received into
this
Church.
Page 40
DISCIPLINE
Article VIII -GUIDANCE OF
MEMBERS
A Rule for Motives and Acts. SECTION 1.
Neither
animosity nor mere personal attachment |
| 6 |
should impel the motives or acts of the members
of The
Mother Church. In Science, divine Love
alone governs man; and a Christian
Scientist |
| 9 |
reflects the sweet amenities of Love, in rebuk-
ing sin,
in true brotherliness, charitableness, and
forgiveness. The members of this
Church should |
| 12 |
daily watch and pray to be delivered from
all evil, from
prophesying, judging, condemn-
ing, counseling, influencing or being
influenced |
| 15 |
erroneously.
To be Read in Church. SECT. 2. The
above Church
Rule shall be read in The Mother |
| 18 |
Church and in the branch churches by the First
Reader on
the first Sunday of each month.
On Communion day the Church Tenets are
to |
| 21 |
be read.
Page 41 |
| 1 |
Christ Jesus the Ensample. SECT. 3. He
who dated
the Christian era is the Ensample in |
| 3 |
Christian Science. Careless comparison or irrev-
erent
reference to Christ Jesus is abnormal in a
Christian Scientist, and is
prohibited. When it is |
| 6 |
necessary to show the great gulf between Chris-
tian
Science and theosophy, hypnotism, or spirit-
ualism, do it, but without
hard words. The wise |
| 9 |
man saith, "A soft answer turneth away wrath."
However
despitefully used and misrepresented
by the churches or the press, in
return employ |
| 12 |
no violent invective, and do good unto your
enemies when
the opportunity occurs. A de-
parture from this rule disqualifies a member
for |
| 15 |
office in the Church or on the Board of Lec-
tureship,
and renders this member liable to dis-
cipline and, possibly, dismissal
from The Mother |
| 18 |
Church.
Daily Prayer. SECT. 4. It shall be the duty
of
every member of this Church to pray each |
| 21 |
day: "Thy kingdom come;" let the reign of
divine Truth,
Life, and Love be established in
me, and rule out of me all sin; and may
Thy |
| 24 |
Word enrich the affections of all mankind, and
govern
them!
Page 42
Prayer in Church. SECT. 5. The prayers in
Christian Science churches shall
be offered for |
| 3 |
the congregations collectively and exclusively.
Alertness to Duty. SECT. 6. It shall be the
duty
of every member of this Church to defend |
| 6 |
himself daily against aggressive mental sugges-
tion, and
not be made to forget nor to neglect
his duty to God, to his Leader, and to
mankind. |
| 9 |
BY his works he shall be judged, - and justified
or
condemned.
One Christ. SECT. 7. In accordance with |
| 12 |
the Christian Science textbooks, - the BIBLE,
and SCIENCE
AND HEALTH WITH KEY TO THE
SCRIPTURES, - and in accord with all of
Mrs. |
| 15 |
Eddy's teachings, members of this Church shall
neither
entertain a belief nor signify a belief in
more than one Christ, even that
Christ whereof |
| 18 |
the Scripture beareth testimony.
No Malpractice. SECT. 8. Members will not
intentionally or knowingly mentally malpractise, |
| 21 |
inasmuch as Christian Science can only be prac-
tised
according to the Golden Rule: "All things
whatsoever ye would that men
should do to you, |
| 24 |
do ye even so to them." (Matt. 7:12.)
A member of The Mother Church who men-
tally
malpractises upon or treats our Leader or
Page 43 |
| 1 |
her staff without her or their consent shall be dis-
ciplined, and a second offense as aforesaid shall |
| 3 |
cause the name of said member to be dropped
forever
from The Mother Church.
Formulas Forbidden. SECT. 9. No member |
| 6 |
shall use written formulas, nor permit his patients
or
pupils to use them, as auxiliaries to teach-
ing Christian Science or for
healing the sick. |
| 9 |
Whatever is requisite for either is contained in
the
books of the Discoverer and Founder of
Christian Science. Sometimes she may
strengthen |
| 12 |
the faith by a written text as no one else can.
No Adulterating Christian Science. SECT. 10.
A
member of this Church shall not publish |
| 15 |
profuse quotations from Mary Baker Eddy's
copyrighted
works without her permission, and
shall not plagiarize her writings. This
By-Law |
| 18 |
not only calls more serious attention to the com-
mandment of the Decalogue, but tends to pre-
vent Christian Science from
being adulterated. |
| 21 |
No Incorrect Literature. SECT. 11. A mem-
ber of
this Church shall neither buy, sell, nor cir-
culate Christian Science
literature which is not |
| 24 |
correct in its statement of the divine Principle
and
rules and the demonstration of Christian
Science. Also the spirit in which
the writer
Page 44 |
| 1 |
has written his literature shall be definitely con-
sidered. His writings must show strict adher- |
| 3 |
ence to the Golden Rule, or his literature shall
not be
adjudged Christian Science. A departure
from the spirit or letter of this
By-Law involves |
| 6 |
schisms in our Church and the possible loss, for
a time,
of Christian Science.
Obnoxious Books. SECT. 12. A member of |
| 9 |
this Church shall not patronize a publishing
house or
bookstore that has for sale obnoxious
books. |
| 12 |
Per Capita Tax. SECT. 13. Every member
of The
Mother Church shall pay annually a per
capita tax of not less than one
dollar, which shall |
| 15 |
be forwarded each year to the Church Treasurer.
Church Periodicals. SECT. 14. It shall be the
privilege and duty of every member, who can |
| 18 |
afford it, to subscribe for the periodicals which
are the
organs of this Church; and it shall be
the duty of the Directors to see
that these period- |
| 21 |
icals are ably edited and kept abreast of the
times.
Church Organizations Ample. SECT. 15. |
| 24 |
Members of this Church shall not unite with
organizations which impede their progress in
Christian Science. God
requires our whole heart,
Page 45 |
| 1 |
and he supplies within the wide channels of The
Mother
Church dutiful and sufficient occupation |
| 3 |
for all its members.
Joining Another Society. SECT. 16. It shall
be
the duty of the members of The Mother |
| 6 |
Church and of its branches to promote peace on
earth and
good will toward men; but members
of The Mother Church shall not hereafter
be- |
| 9 |
come members of other societies except those
specified in
the Mother Church Manual, and
they shall strive to promote the welfare of
all |
| 12 |
mankind by demonstrating the rules of divine
Love.
Forbidden Membership. SECT. 17. A mem- |
| 15 |
ber of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in
Boston,
Mass., shall not be a member of any
church whose Readers are not Christian
Scientists |
| 18 |
and members of The Mother Church.
Officious Members. SECT. 18. A member of
The
Mother Church is not entitled to hold office |
| 21 |
or read in branch churches of this denomination
except by invitation.
Legal Titles. SECT. 19. Students of Chris- |
| 24 |
tian Science must drop the titles of Reverend and
Doctor, except those who have received these
titles under the laws
of the State.
Page 46 |
| 1 |
Illegal Adoption. SECT. 20. No person shall
be a
member of this Church who claims a spirit- |
| 3 |
ually adopted child or a spiritually adopted hus-
band or
wife. There must be legal adoption and
legal marriage, which can be
verified according |
| 6 |
to the laws of our land.
Use of Initials "C.S." SECT. 21. A member
of The
Mother Church shall not place the initials |
| 9 |
"C.S." after his name on circulars, cards, or
leaflets,
which advertise his business or profes-
sion, except as a Christian Science
practitioner. |
| 12 |
Practitioners and Patients. SECT. 22. Mem-
bers of
this Church shall hold in sacred confi-
dence all private communications
made to them |
| 15 |
by their patients; also such information as may
come to
them by reason of their relation of prac-
titioner to patient. A failure to
do this shall sub- |
| 18 |
ject the offender to Church discipline.
A member of The Mother Church shall not,
under
pardonable circumstances, sue his patient |
| 21 |
for recovery of payment for said member's
practice, on
penalty of discipline and liability
to have his name removed from
membership. |
| 24 |
Also he shall reasonably reduce his price in
chronic
cases of recovery, and in cases where
he has not effected a cure. A
Christian Scientist
Page 47 |
| 1 |
is a humanitarian; he is benevolent, forgiving,
long-suffering, and seeks to overcome evil with |
| 3 |
good.
Duty to Patients. SECT. 23. If a member of
this
Church has a patient whom he does not heal, |
| 6 |
and whose case he cannot fully diagnose, he
may consult
with an M. D. on the anatomy in-
volved. And it shall be the privilege of a
Chris- |
| 9 |
tian Scientist to confer with an M. D. on Ontol-
ogy, or
the Science of being.
Testimonials. SECT. 24. "Glorify God in |
| 12 |
your body, and in your spirit, which are God's"
(St.
Paul). Testimony in regard to the healing
of the sick is highly important.
More than a mere |
| 15 |
rehearsal of blessings, it scales the pinnacle of
praise
and illustrates the demonstration of Christ,
"who healeth all thy diseases"
(Psalm 103:3). |
| 18 |
This testimony, however, shall not include a de-
scription of symptoms or of suffering, though the
generic name of the
disease may be indicated. |
| 21 |
This By-Law applies to testimonials which appear
in the
periodicals and to those which are given
at the Wednesday evening
meeting. |
| 24 |
Charity to All. SECT. 25. While members
of this
Church do not believe in the doctrines
of theosophy, hypnotism, or
spiritualism, they
Page 48 |
| 1 |
cherish no enmity toward those who do believe
in such
doctrines, and will not harm them. But |
| 3 |
whenever God calls a member to bear testimony
to Truth
and to defend the Cause of Christ, he
shall do it with love and without
fear. |
| 6 |
Uncharitable Publications. SECT. 26. A
member of
this Church shall not publish, nor
cause to be published, an article that
is unchari- |
| 9 |
table or impertinent towards religion, medicine,
the
courts, or the laws of our land.
The Golden Rule. SECT. 27. A member of |
| 12 |
The Mother Church shall not haunt Mrs. Eddy's
drive when
she goes out, continually stroll by
her house, or make a summer resort near
her |
| 15 |
for such a purpose.
Numbering the People. SECT. 28. Christian
Scientists shall not report for publication the |
| 18 |
number of the members of The Mother Church,
nor that of
the branch churches. According to
the Scripture they shall turn away from
person- |
| 21 |
ality and numbering the people.
Our Church Edifices. SECT. 29. The period-
icals
of our denomination do not publish de- |
| 24 |
scriptions of our church edifices, but they may
quote
from other periodicals or give incidental
narratives.
Page 49
1 No Monopoly. SECT. 30. A Scientist shall
not
endeavor to monopolize the healing work in |
| 3 |
any church or locality, to the exclusion of others,
but
all who understand the teachings of Christian
Science are privileged to
enter into this holy work, |
| 6 |
and "by their fruits ye shall know them."
Christian Science Nurse. SECT. 31. A mem-
ber of
The Mother Church who represents him- |
| 9 |
self or herself as a Christian Science nurse shall
be one
who has a demonstrable knowledge of
Christian Science practice, who
thoroughly under- |
| 12 |
stands the practical wisdom necessary in a sick
room,
and who can take proper care of the sick.
The cards of such persons may be inserted in |
| 13 |
The Christian Science Journal under rules estab-
lished
by the publishers.
Article IX - MARRIAGE AND
DECEASE
A Legal Ceremony. SECTION 1. If a Chris-
tian
Scientist is to be married, the ceremony |
| 21 |
shall be performed by a clergyman who is legally
authorized.
Sudden Decease. SECT. 2. If a member of |
| 24 |
The Mother Church shall decease suddenly, with-
out
previous injury or illness, and the cause
Page 50
thereof be unknown, an autopsy shall
be made
by qualified experts. When it is possible the |
| 3 |
body of a female shall be prepared for burial by
one
of her own sex.
Article X - DEBATING IN PUBLIC
No Unauthorized
Debating. SECTION 1. A
member of this
Church shall not debate on Chris- |
| 9 |
tian Science in public debating assemblies, with-
out
the consent of the Board of Directors.
Article XI -COMPLAINTS
Departure from
Tenets. SECTION 1. If a
member of this
Church shall depart from the |
| 15 |
Tenets and be found having the name without
the life of
a Christian Scientist, and another
member in good standing shall from
Christian |
| 18 |
motives make this evident, a meeting of the Board
of
Directors shall be called, and the offender's
case shall be tried and said
member exonerated, |
| 21 |
put on probation, or excommunicated.
Violation of By-Laws. SECT. 2. A member
who is
found violating any of the By-Laws
Page 51 |
| 1 |
or Rules herein set forth, shall be admonished
in
consonance with the Scriptural demand in |
| 3 |
Matthew 18:15-17; and if he neglect to accept
such
admonition, he shall be placed on probation,
or if he repeat the offense,
his name shall be |
| 6 |
dropped from the roll of Church membership.
Violation of Christian Fellowship. SECT. 3.
Any
member who shall unjustly aggrieve or |
| 9 |
vilify the Pastor Emeritus or another member,
or who
does not live in Christian fellowship with
members who are in good and
regular standing |
| 12 |
with this Church, shall either withdraw from the
Church
or be excommunicated.
Preliminary Requirement. SECT. 4. No |
| 15 |
church discipline shall ensue until the require-
ments
according to the Scriptures, in Matthew
18:15-17, have been strictly
obeyed, unless a |
| 18 |
By-Law governing the case provides for imme-
diate
action.
Authority. SECT. 5. The Christian Science |
| 21 |
Board of Directors has power to discipline, place
on
probation, remove from membership, or to
excommunicate members of The
Mother Church. |
| 24 |
Only the members of this Board shall be pres-
ent at
meetings for the examination of com-
plaints against church members; and
they alone
Page 52 |
| 1 |
shall vote on cases involving The Mother Church
discipline. |
| 3 |
Members in Mother Church Only. SECT. 6.
A
complaint against a member of The Mother
Church, if said member belongs
to no branch |
| 6 |
church and if this complaint is not for mental
malpractice, shall be laid before this Board, and
within ten days
thereafter, the Clerk of the |
| 9 |
Church shall address a letter of inquiry to the
member
complained of as to the validity of
the charge. If a member is found guilty
of that |
| 12 |
whereof he is accused and his previous character
has been
good, his confession of his error and
evidence of his compliance with our
Church |
| 15 |
Rules shall be deemed sufficient by the Board
for
forgiveness for once, and the Clerk of the
Church shall immediately so
inform him. But |
| 18 |
a second offense shall dismiss a member from
the
Church.
Working Against the Cause. SECT. 7 . If a |
| 21 |
member of this Church shall, mentally or other-
wise,
persist in working against the interests of
another member, or the
interests of our Pastor |
| 24 |
Emeritus and the accomplishment of what she
understands
is advantageous to this Church and
to the Cause of Christian Science, or
shall influ-
Page 53 |
| 1 |
ence others thus to act, upon her complaint or
the
complaint of a member for her or for himself, |
| 3 |
it shall be the duty of the Board of Directors
immediately to call a meeting, and drop forever
the name of the member
guilty of this offense |
| 6 |
from the roll of Church membership.
No Unchristian Conduct. SECT. 8 . If a
member of
this Church were to treat the author |
| 9 |
of our textbook disrespectfully and cruelly, upon
her
complaint that member should be excommu-
nicated. If a member, without her
having re- |
| 12 |
quested the information, shall trouble her on
subjects
unnecessarily and without her consent,
it shall be considered an
offense. |
| 15 |
Not to Learn Hypnotism. SECT. 9. Mem-
bers of this
Church shall not learn hypnotism
on penalty of being excommunicated from
this |
| 18 |
Church. No member shall enter a complaint of
mental
malpractice for a sinister purpose. If
the author of SCIENCE AND HEALTH
shall bear |
| 21 |
witness to the offense of mental malpractice, it
shall
be considered a sufficient evidence thereof.
Publications Unjust. SECT. 10. If a mem- |
| 24 |
ber of the Mother Church publishes, or causes
to be
published, an article that is false or unjust,
hence injurious, to
Christian Science or to its
Page 54 |
| 1 |
Leader, and if, upon complaint by another mem-
ber, the
Board of Directors finds that the offense |
| 3 |
has been committed, the offender shall be sus-
pended for
not less than three years from his
or her office in this Church and from
Church |
| 6 |
membership.
The Mother Church of Christ, Scientist,
Tenets.
SECT. 11. If a member of The Mother |
| 9 |
Church of Christ, Scientist, or a member of a
branch of
this Church break the rules of its
Tenets as to unjust and unmerciful
conduct - |
| 12 |
on complaint of Mrs. Eddy our Pastor Emeritus
-- and this
complaint being found valid, his or
her name shall be erased from The
Mother |
| 15 |
Church and the branch church's list of mem-
bership and
the offender shall not be received
into The Mother Church or a branch
church |
| 18 |
for twelve years.
Special Offense. SECT. 12. If a member of
this
Church, either by word or work, represents |
| 21 |
falsely to or of the Leader and Pastor Emeritus,
said
member shall immediately be disciplined, and
a second similar offense shall
remove his or her |
| 24 |
name from membership in The Mother Church.
Members of Branch Churches. SECT. 13. A
member of
both The Mother Church and a branch
Page 55 |
| 1 |
Church of Christ, Scientist, or a Reader, shall not
report nor send notices to The Mother Church, |
| 3 |
or to the Pastor Emeritus, of errors of the mem-
bers of
their local church; but they shall strive
to overcome these errors. Each
church shall |
| 6 |
separately and independently discipline its own
members,
- if this sad necessity occurs.
Article XII -TEACHERS
Probation. SECTION 1. For sufficient rea-
sons it
may be decided that a teacher has so |
| 12 |
strayed as not to be fit for the work of a Reader
in
church or a teacher of Christian Science.
Although repentant and forgiven
by the Church |
| 15 |
and retaining his membership, this weak member
shall not
be counted loyal till after three years
of exemplary character. Then the
Board of |
| 18 |
Directors may decide if his loyalty has been
proved by
uniform maintenance of the life of
a consistent, consecrated Christian
Scientist. |
| 21 |
Misteaching. SECT. 2. If a member of this
Church
is found trying to practise or to teach
Christian Science contrary to the
statement |
| 24 |
thereof in its textbook, SCIENCE AND HEALTH
Page 56 |
| 1 |
WITH KEY TO THE SCRIPTURES, it shall be the
duty of the
Board of Directors to admonish |
| 3 |
that member according to Article XI, Sect. 4.
Then, if
said member persists in this offense,
his or her name shall be dropped from
the roll |
| 6 |
of this Church.
MEETINGS
Article XIII - REGULAR AND SPECIAL
MEETINGS
Annual Meetings. SECTION 1. The regular
meetings
of The Mother Church shall be held |
| 12 |
annually, on Monday following the first Sunday
in June.
No other than its of officers are required
to be present. These assemblies
shall be for |
| 15 |
listening to the reports of Treasurer, Clerk, and
Committees, and general reports from the Field.
Meetings of Board of Directors. SECT. 2. |
| 18 |
The annual meeting of the Christian Science
Board of
Directors, for electing officers and
other business, shall be held on
Monday preced- |
| 21 |
ing the annual meeting of the Church. Regular
meetings
for electing candidates to membership
Page 57 |
| 1 |
with The Mother Church, and for the transac-
tion of such
other business as may properly come |
| 3 |
before these meetings, shall be held on the Fri-
day
preceding the first Sunday in June, and on
the first Friday in November of
each year. Spe- |
| 6 |
cial meetings may be held at any time upon the
call of
the Clerk.
Called only by the Clerk. SECT. 3. Before |
| 9 |
calling a meeting of the members of this Church
(excepting its regular sessions) it shall be the
duty of the Clerk to
inform the Board of Di- |
| 12 |
rectors and the Pastor Emeritus of his intention,
and to
state definitely the purpose for which the
members are to convene. The
Clerk must have |
| 15 |
the consent of this Board and the Pastor Emer-
itus,
before he can call said meeting.
Page 58
CHURCH
SERVICES
Article XIV - THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE
PASTOR
Ordination. SECTION 1. I, Mary Baker
Eddy, ordain
the BIBLE, and SCIENCE AND |
| 6 |
HEALTH WITH KEY TO THE SCRIPTURES, Pastor
over The Mother
Church, - The First Church
of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Mass., -
and |
| 9 |
they will continue to preach for this Church
and the
world.
The Lesson-Sermon. SECT. 2. The subject |
| 12 |
of the Lesson-Sermon in the morning service of
The Mother
Church, and of the branch Churches
of Christ, Scientist, shall be repeated
at the other |
| 15 |
services on Sunday. The correlative Biblical
texts in
the Lesson-Sermon shall extend from
Genesis to Revelation.
Article XV -READING IN PUBLIC
Announcing Author's
Name. SECTION 1. |
| 21 |
To pour into the ears of listeners the sacred
Page 59 |
| 1 |
revelations of Christian Science indiscriminately,
or
without characterizing their origin and thus |
| 3 |
distinguishing them from the writings of authors
who
think at random on this subject, is to
lose some weight in the scale of
right think- |
| 6 |
ing. Therefore it is the duty of every member
of this
Church, when publicly reading or quot-
ing from the books or poems of our
Pastor |
| 9 |
Emeritus, first to announce the name of the
author.
Members shall also instruct their pupils
to adopt the aforenamed method for
the benefit |
| 12 |
of our Cause.
Article XVI -WELCOMING
STRANGERS |
| 15 |
The Leader's Welcome. SECTION 1. Mrs.
Eddy
welcomes to her seats in the church,
persons of all sects and denominations
who |
| 18 |
come to listen to the Sunday sermon and are
not
otherwise provided with seats.
The Local Members' Welcome. SECT. 2. It |
| 21 |
shall be the duty and privilege of the local mem-
bers of
The Mother Church to give their seats, if
necessary, to strangers who may
come to attend |
| 24 |
the morning services.
Page 60
Article XVII -SERVICES
UNINTERRUPTED |
| 3 |
Continued Throughout the Year. SECTION 1.
The
services of The Mother Church shall be
continued twelve months each year.
One meet- |
| 6 |
ing on Sunday during the months of July and
August is
sufficient. A Christian Scientist is
not fatigued by prayer, by reading the
Scriptures |
| 9 |
or the Christian Science textbook. Amusement
or idleness
is weariness. Truth and Love rest
the weary and heavy laden. |
| 12 |
Easter Observances. SECT. 2. In the United
States
there shall be no special observances,
festivities, nor gifts at the Easter
season by |
| 15 |
members of The Mother Church. Gratitude
and love should
abide in every heart each day
of all the years. Those sacred words of
our |
| 18 |
beloved Master, "Let the dead bury their dead,"
and
"Follow thou me," appeal to daily Christian
endeavors for the living
whereby to exemplify |
| 21 |
our risen Lord.
Laying a Corner Stone. SECT. 3. No large
gathering of people nor display shall be allowed |
| 24 |
when laying the Corner Stone of a Church of
Christ,
Scientist. Let the ceremony be devout.
Page 61 |
| 1 |
No special trowel should be used. (See SCIENCE
AND
HEALTH, page 140.) |
| 3 |
Overflow Meetings. SECT. 4. A Church of
Christ,
Scientist, shall not hold two or more
Sunday services at the same hour.
Article XVIII -COMMUNION
No more Communion. SECTION 1. The |
| 9 |
Mother Church of Christ, Scientist, shall observe
no
more Communion seasons.
Communion of Branch
Churches. SECT. 2. |
| 12 |
The Communion shall be observed in the branch
churches on
the second Sunday in January and
July of each year, and at this service the
Tenets |
| 15 |
of The Mother Church are to be read.
Article XIX - MUSIC IN THE
CHURCH |
| 18 |
Soloist and Organist. SECTION 1. The music
in The
Mother Church shall not be operatic, but
of an appropriate religious
character and of a |
| 21 |
recognized standard of musical excellence; it
shall be
played in a dignified and suitable man-
ner. Music from the organ alone
should con- |
| 24 |
tinue about eight or nine minutes for the
Page 62 |
| 1 |
voluntary and six or seven minutes for the post-
lude,
the offertory conforming to the time re- |
| 3 |
quired to take the collection. The solo singer
shall not
neglect to sing any special hymn selected
by the Board of Directors.
Article XX - SUNDAY SCHOOL
The Sunday School. SECTION 1. Pupils may |
| 9 |
be received in the Sunday School classes of any
Church of
Christ, Scientist, up to the age of
twenty years, and by transfer from
another |
| 12 |
Church of Christ, Scientist, up to that age, but
no pupil
shall remain in the Sunday School of
any Church of Christ, Scientist, after
reaching |
| 15 |
the age of twenty. None except the officers,
teachers,
and pupils should attend the Sunday
School exercises. |
| 18 |
Teaching the Children. SECT. 2. The
Sabbath School
children shall be taught the
Scriptures, and they shall be instructed
ac- |
| 21 |
cording to their understanding or ability to grasp
the
simpler meanings of the divine Principle that
they are taught. |
| 24 |
Subject for Lessons. SECT. 3. The first
lessons
of the children should be the Ten Com-
Page 63 |
| 1 |
mandments (Exodus 20: 3-17), the Lord's
Prayer (Matt. 6:
9-13), and its Spiritual In- |
| 3 |
terpretation by Mary Baker Eddy, Sermon on
the Mount
(Matt. 5: 3-12). The next les-
sons consist of such questions and answers
as |
| 6 |
are adapted to a juvenile class, and may be
found in the
Christian Science Quarterly Lessons,
read in Church services. The
instruction given |
| 9 |
by the children's teachers must not deviate from
the
absolute Christian Science contained in their
textbook.
READING
ROOMS
Article XXI
Establishment. SECTION 1. Each church of |
| 15 |
the Christian Science denomination shall have
a Reading
Room, though two or more churches
may unite in having Reading Rooms,
provided |
| 18 |
these rooms are well located.
Librarian. SECT. 2. The individuals who
take
charge of the Reading Rooms of The |
| 21 |
Mother Church shall be elected by the Christian
Science
Board of Directors, subject to the ap-
proval of Mary Baker Eddy. He or she
shall |
| 24 |
have no bad habits, shall have had experience in
Page 64 |
| 1 |
the Field, shall be well educated, and a devout
Christian
Scientist.(1) |
| 3 |
Literature in Reading Rooms. SECT. 3. The
literature sold or exhibited in the reading rooms
of Christian Science
Churches shall consist only |
| 6 |
of Science and Health with Key to the Scrip-
tures, by Mary Baker Eddy, and other writings
by this author; also the
literature published or |
| 9 |
sold by The Christian Science Publishing Society.
RELATION
AND DUTIES OF MEMBERS TO PASTOR EMERITUS
Article XXII
The Title of Mother
Changed. SECTION 1.
In the year eighteen
hundred and ninety-five, |
| 15 |
loyal Christian Scientists had given to the author
of
their textbook, the Founder of Christian Sci-
ence, the individual,
endearing term of Mother. |
| 18 |
At first Mrs. Eddy objected to being called thus,
but
afterward consented on the ground that this
appellative in the Church meant
nothing more |
| 21 |
than a tender term such as sister or brother. In
the year
nineteen hundred and three and after,
owing to the public misunderstanding
of this |
| 24 |
name, it is the duty of Christian Scientists to
(1)See also Article XXV, Sect. 7.
Page 65 |
| 1 |
drop the word mother and to substitute Leader,
already used in our periodicals. |
| 3 |
A Member not a Leader. SECT. 2. A
member of The
First Church of Christ, Sci-
entist, in Boston, Mass., shall not be
called |
| 6 |
Leader by members of this Church, when this
term is used
in connection with Christian
Science . |
| 9 |
Obedience Required. SECT. 3. It shall be
the duty
of the officers of this Church, of the
editors of the Christian Science
Journal, Sen- |
| 12 |
tinel, and Der Herold, of the members of the
Committees on Publication, of the Trustees of
The Christian Science
Publishing Society, and |
| 15 |
of the Board of Education promptly to comply
with any
written order, signed by Mary Baker
Eddy, which applies to their official
functions. |
| 18 |
Disobedience to this By-Law shall be sufficient
cause for
the removal of the offending member
from office. |
| 21 |
The vacancy shall be supplied by a majority
vote of the
Christian Science Board of Direc-
tors, and the candidate shall be subject
to the |
| 24 |
approval of Mary Baker Eddy.
Understanding Communications. SECT. 4.
If the
Clerk of this Church shall receive a com-
Page 66 |
| 1 |
munication from the Pastor Emeritus which he
does not
fully understand, he shall inform her |
| 3 |
of this fact before presenting it to the Church
and
obtain a clear understanding of the matter,
- then act in accordance
therewith. |
| 6 |
Interpreting Communications. SECT. 5. If
at a
meeting of this Church a doubt or dis-
agreement shall arise among the
members as to |
| 9 |
the signification of the communications of the
Pastor
Emeritus to them, before action is taken
it shall be the duty of the Clerk
to report to her |
| 12 |
the vexed question and to await her explanation
thereof.
Reading and Attesting Letters. SECT. 6. |
| 15 |
When a letter or a message from the Pastor
Emeritus is
brought before a meeting of this
Church, or she is referred to as authority
for |
| 18 |
business, it shall be the duty of the Church to
inquire
if all of the letter has been read, and to
require all of it to be read;
also to have any |
| 21 |
authority supposed to come from her satisfac-
torily
attested.
Unauthorized Reports. SECT. 7. Members |
| 24 |
of this Church shall not report on authority an
order
from Mrs. Eddy that she has not sent,
either to the Boards or to the
executive bodies
Page 67 |
| 1 |
of this Church. The Pastor Emeritus is not to
be
consulted on cases of discipline, on the cases |
| 3 |
of candidates for admission to this Church, or
on the
cases of those on trial for dismissal from
the Church. |
| 6 |
Private Communications. SECT. 8. A strictly
private communication from the Pastor Emeritus
to a member of her Church
shall not be made |
| 9 |
public without her written consent.
Unauthorized Legal Action. SECT. 9. A
member of this Church shall not employ an at- |
| 12 |
torney, nor take legal action on a case not pro-
vided
for in its By-Laws - if said case relates
to the person or to the property
of Mary Baker |
| 15 |
Eddy - without having personally conferred
with her on
said subject.
Duty to God. SECT. 10. Members of this |
| 18 |
Church who turn their attention from the divine
Principle
of being to personality, sending gifts,
congratulatory despatches or
letters to the Pastor |
| 21 |
Emeritus on Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year,
or Easter,
break a rule of this Church and are
amenable therefor. |
| 24 |
Opportunity for Serving the Leader. SECT.
11. At
the written request of the Pastor Emeri-
tus, Mrs. Eddy, the Board of
Directors shall
Page 68 |
| 1 |
immediately notify a person who has been a
member of this
Church at least three years to |
| 3 |
go in ten days to her, and it shall be the duty
of the
member thus notified to remain with Mrs.
Eddy three years consecutively. A
member who |
| 6 |
leaves her in less time without the Directors'
consent or
who declines to obey this call to
duty, upon Mrs. Eddy's complaint thereof
shall |
| 9 |
be excommunicated from The Mother Church.
Members thus
serving the Leader shall be paid
semi-annually at the rate of one thousand
dol- |
| 12 |
lars yearly in addition to rent and board. Those
members
whom she teaches the course in Divin-
ity, and who remain with her three
consecutive |
| 15 |
years, receive the degree of the Massachusetts
Metaphysical College.
Location. SECT. 12. Rev. Mary Baker Eddy |
| 18 |
calls to her home or allows to visit or to locate
therein
only those individuals whom she engages
through the Christian Science Board
of Direc- |
| 21 |
tors of the Mother Church. This By-Law takes
effect on
Dec. 15, 1908.
Agreement Required. SECT. l3. When the |
| 24 |
Christian Science Board of Directors calls a stu-
dent
in accordance with Article XXII, Sect. 11,
of our Church Manual to the home
of their
Page 69 |
| 1 |
Leader, Mrs. Eddy, said student shall come under
a signed
agreement to remain with Mrs. Eddy |
| 3 |
if she so desires, during the time specified in the
Church Manual.
Incomplete Term of Service. SECT. 14. If a |
| 6 |
student who has been called to serve our Leader
in
accordance with Article XXII, Sect. 11, of
the Church Manual leaves her
before the expira- |
| 9 |
tion of the time therein mentioned such student
shall pay
to Mrs. Eddy whatsoever she may
charge for what she has taught him or her
dur- |
| 12 |
ing the time of such service.
Help. SECT. 15. If the author of the Chris-
tian
Science textbook call on this Board for |
| 15 |
household help or a handmaid, the Board shall
immediately
appoint a proper member of this
Church therefor, and the appointee shall go
im- |
| 18 |
mediately in obedience to the call. "He that lov-
eth
father or mother more than me is not worthy
of me.'' (Matt. 10:37.) |
| 21 |
Students with Mrs. Eddy. SECT. 16. Stu-
dents
employed by Mrs. Eddy at her home shall
not take care of their churches or
attend to other |
| 24 |
affairs outside of her house.
Mrs. Eddy's Room. SECT. l7. The room in
The
Mother Church formerly known as "Mother's |
| 27 |
Room" shall hereafter be closed to visitors.
Page 70 |
| 1 |
Pastor Emeritus to be Consulted. SECT. 18.
The
Mother Church shall not make a church By- |
| 3 |
law, nor enter into a business transaction with a
Christian Scientist in the employ of Rev. Mary
Baker Eddy, without first
consulting her on said |
| 6 |
subject and adhering strictly to her advice thereon.
THE MOTHER
CHURCH AND BRANCH CHURCHES
Article XXI I I
Local
Self-government. SECTION 1. The
Mother
Church of Christ, Scientist, shall assume |
| 12 |
no general official control of other churches, and
it
shall be controlled by none other.
Each Church of Christ, Scientist, shall have its |
| 15 |
own form of government. No conference of
churches shall
be held, unless it be when our
churches, located in the same State, convene
to |
| 18 |
confer on a statute of said State, or to confer
harmoniously on individual unity and action of
the churches in said
State. |
| 21 |
Titles. SECT. 2. "The First Church of
Christ,
Scientist," is the legal title of The Mother
Page 71 |
| 1 |
Church. Branch churches of The Mother Church
may take the
title of First Church of Christ, |
| 3 |
Scientist; Second Church of Christ, Scientist;
and so on,
where more than one church is es-
tablished in the same place; but the
article |
| 6 |
"The" must not be used before titles of branch
churches,
nor written on applications for mem-
bership in naming such churches. |
| 9 |
Mother Church Unique. SECT. 3. In its
relation to
other Christian Science churches, in
its By-Laws and self-government, The
Mother |
| 12 |
Church stands alone; it occupies a position that
no other
church can fill. Then for a branch
church to assume such position would be
disas- |
| 15 |
trous to Christian Science. Therefore, no Church
of
Christ, Scientist, shall be considered loyal
that has branch churches or
adopts The Mother |
| 18 |
Church's form of government, except in such cases
as are
specially allowed and named in this Manual.
Tenets Copyrighted. SECT. 4. Branch |
| 21 |
churches shall not write the Tenets of The
Mother Church
in their church books, except
they give the name of their author and
her |
| 24 |
permission to publish them as Tenets of The
Mother
Church, copyrighted in SCIENCE AND
HEALTH WITH KEY TO THE SCRIPTURES.
Page 72
1 Manual. SECT. 5. Branch churches shall
not
adopt, print, nor publish the Manual of The |
| 3 |
Mother Church. See Article XXXV, Sect. 1.
Organizing Churches. SECT. 6. A member
of this
Church who obeys its By-Laws and is a |
| 6 |
loyal exemplary Christian Scientist working in
the Field,
is eligible to form a church in con-
formity with Sect. |
| 7 |
of this Article, and to |
| 9 |
have church services conducted by reading the
SCRIPTURES
and the Christian Science textbook.
This church shall be acknowledged
publicly as a |
| 12 |
Church of Christ, Scientist. Upon proper appli-
cation,
made in accordance with the rules of The
Christian Science Publishing
Society, the serv- |
| 15 |
ices of such a church may be advertised in The
Christian Science Journal. The branch churches
shall be individual, and
not more than two small |
| 18 |
churches shall consolidate under one church gov-
ernment.
If the Pastor Emeritus, Mrs. Eddy,
should relinquish her place as the head
or Leader |
| 21 |
of The Mother Church of Christ, Scientist, each
branch
church shall continue its present form of
government in consonance with The
Mother |
| 24 |
Church Manual.
Requirements for Organizing Branch
Churches.
SECT. 7. A branch church of The |
| 27 |
First Church of Christ, Scientist, Boston, Mass.,
Page 73 |
| 1 |
shall not be organized with less than sixteen loyal
Christian Scientists, four of whom are members |
| 3 |
of The Mother Church. This membership shall
include at
least one active practitioner whose card
is published in the list of
practitioners in The |
| 6 |
Christian Science Journal.
Privilege of Members. SECT. 8. Members
in good
standing with The Mother Church, who |
| 9 |
are members of the faculty, instructors, or stu-
dents in
any university or college, can form and
conduct a Christian Science
organization at such |
| 12 |
university or college, provided its rules so permit.
Also
members in good standing with The Mother
Church, who are graduates of said
university |
| 15 |
or college, may become members of the organ-
ization by
application to, and by the unanimous
vote of, the active members present,
if the rules |
| 18 |
of the university or college so permit. When
called for,
a member of the Board of Lecture-
ship may lecture for said university or
college |
| 21 |
organization.
No Close Communion. SECT. 9. The
Mother Church
and the branch churches shall |
| 24 |
not confine their membership to the pupils of
one
teacher.
No Interference. SECT. 10. A member of The |
| 27 |
Mother Church may be a member of one branch
Page 74 |
| 1 |
Church of Christ, Scientist, or of one Christian
Science
society holding public services, but he |
| 3 |
shall not be a member of both a branch church
and a
society; neither shall he exercise super-
vision or control over any other
church. In |
| 6 |
Christian Science each branch church shall be
distinctly
democratic in its government, and no
individual, and no other church shall
interfere |
| 9 |
with its affairs.
Teachers' and Practitioners' Offices. SECT. 11.
Teachers and practitioners of Christian Science |
| 12 |
shall not have their offices or rooms in the branch
churches, in the reading rooms, nor in rooms
connected therewith. |
| 15 |
Recognition. SECT. 12. In order to be eli-
gible
to a card in The Christian Science Journal,
churches and societies
are required to acknowl- |
| 18 |
edge as such all other Christian Science churches
and
societies advertised in said Journal, and to
maintain toward them an
attitude of Christian |
| 21 |
fellowship.
Page 75
GUARDIANSHIP OF CHURCH FUNDS
Article
XXIV |
| 3 |
Church Edifice a Testimonial. SECTION 1.
Whereas,
on March 20, 1895, the Christian Sci-
ence Board of Directors, in behalf of
The |
| 6 |
First Church of Christ, Scientist, Boston, Mass.,
presented to Rev. Mary Baker Eddy their
church edifice as a Testimonial of
this Church's |
| 9 |
love and gratitude, and she, with grateful ac-
knowledgments thereof, declined to receive this
munificent gift, she now
understands the finan- |
| 12 |
cial situation between the Christian Science
Board of
Directors and said Church to be as
follows: - |
| 15 |
Financial Situation. SECT. 2. The Christian
Science Board of Directors owns the church edi-
fices, with the land
whereon they stand, legally; |
| 18 |
and the Church members own the aforesaid
premises and
buildings, beneficially. After the
first church was built, the balance of
the build- |
| 21 |
ing funds, which remained in the hands of the
Directors, belonged to the Church, and not solely
to the Directors. The
balance of the church
Page 76 |
| 1 |
building funds, which can be spared after the
debts are
paid, should remain on safe deposit, |
| 3 |
to be hereafter used for the benefit of this
Church, as
the right occasion may call for it.
The following indicates the proper
management |
| 6 |
of the Church funds: -
Report of Directors. SECT. 3. It shall be
the
duty of the Christian Science Board of Di- |
| 9 |
rectors to have the books of the Church Treas-
urer
audited semi-annually, and to report at the
annual Church meeting the
amount of funds |
| 12 |
which the Church has on hand, the amount of
its
indebtedness and of its expenditures for the
last year. |
| 15 |
Finance Committee. SECT. 4. There shall
be a
Committee on Finance, which shall consist of
three members of this Church
in good standing. |
| 18 |
Its members shall be appointed annually by the
Christian
Science Board of Directors and with
the consent of the Pastor Emeritus.
They shall |
| 21 |
hold quarterly meetings and keep themselves
thoroughly
informed as to the real estate owned
by this Church and the amount of funds
received |
| 24 |
by the Treasurer of The Mother Church, who is
individually responsible for said funds. They
shall have the books of the
Christian Science
Page 77 |
| 1 |
Board of Directors and the books of the Church
Treasurer
audited annually by an honest, com- |
| 3 |
petent accountant. The books are to be audited
on May
first.
Prior to paying bills against the Church, the |
| 6 |
Treasurer of this Church shall submit them all
to said
committee for examination. This com-
mittee shall decide thereupon by a
unanimous |
| 9 |
vote, and its endorsement of the bills shall render
them
payable.
If it be found that the Church funds have not |
| 12 |
been properly managed, it shall be the duty of
the Board
of Directors and the Treasurer to be
individually responsible for the
performance of |
| 15 |
their several offices satisfactorily, and for the
proper
distribution of the funds of which they
are the custodians. |
| 18 |
God's Requirement. SECT. 5. God requires
wisdom,
economy, and brotherly love to char-
acterize all the proceedings of the
members of |
| 21 |
The Mother Church, The First Church of Christ,
Scientist.
Provision for the Future. SECT. 6. In case |
| 24 |
of any possible future deviation from duty, the
Committee on Finance shall visit the Board of
Directors, and, in a
Christian spirit and manner,
Page 78 |
| 1 |
demand that each member thereof comply with
the By-Laws
of the Church. If any Director |
| 3 |
fails to heed this admonition, he may be dis-
missed from
office and the vacancy supplied by
the Board. |
| 6 |
Debt and Duty. SECT. 7. The Mother Church
shall
not be made legally responsible for the debts
of individuals except such
debts as are specified |
| 9 |
in its By-Laws. Donations from this Church
shall not be
made without the written consent
of the Pastor Emeritus. Also important
move- |
| 12 |
ments of the manager of the Committee on Pub-
lication
shall be sanctioned by the Board of
Directors and be subject to the
approval of Mary |
| 15 |
Baker Eddy. (See Article I, Sect. 6.)
Emergencies. SECT. 8. The Treasurer, per-
sonally, or through the Clerk of the Church, |
| 18 |
may pay from the funds of the Church bills of
immediate
necessity not exceeding $200 for any
one transaction, and he may keep on
deposit the |
| 21 |
sum of $500 with the Clerk, as a petty cash
fund, to be
used by him for the payment of
such bills. Such payments shall be reported,
on |
| 24 |
the first of the following month, to the Board
of
Directors and the Committee on Finance, for
their approval.
Page 79 |
| 1 |
Committee on Business. SECT. 9. The Chris-
tian
Science Board of Directors shall elect |
| 3 |
annually a Committee on Business, which shall
consist of
not less than three loyal members
of The Mother Church, who shall
transact |
| 6 |
promptly and efficiently such business as Mrs.
Eddy, the
Directors, or the Committee on Pub-
lication shall commit to it. While the
mem- |
| 9 |
bers of this Committee are engaged in the
transaction of
the business assigned to them
they shall be paid from the Church
funds. |
| 12 |
Before being eligible for office the names of the
persons nominated for said office shall be pre-
sented to Mrs. Eddy for her
written approval.
THE
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE PUBLISHING SOCIETY
Article
XXV |
| 18 |
Board of Trustees. SECTION 1. The Board
of
Trustees, constituted by a Deed of Trust
given by Rev. Mary Baker Eddy, the
Pastor |
| 21 |
Emeritus of this Church, on January twenty-
fifth, 1898,
shall hold and manage the property
therein conveyed, and conduct the
business of
Page 80 |
| 1 |
"The Christian Science Publishing Society" on
a strictly
Christian basis, for the promotion of |
| 3 |
the interests of Christian Science.
Disposal of Funds. SECT. 2. The net profits
of
the business shall be paid over semi-annually |
| 6 |
to the Treasurer of The Mother Church. He
shall hold this
money subject to the order of
the Christian Science Board of Directors,
which |
| 9 |
is authorized to order its disposition only in
accordance
with the By-Laws contained in this
Manual. |
| 12 |
Vacancies in Trusteeship. SECT. 3. The
Christian
Science Board of Directors shall have
the power to declare vacancies in
said trusteeship, |
| 15 |
for such reasons as to the Board may seem ex-
pedient.
Whenever a vacancy shall occur, the Pastor |
| 18 |
Emeritus reserves the right to fill the same by
appointment; but if she does not elect to exer-
cise this right, the
remaining trustees shall fill |
| 21 |
the vacancy, subject to her approval.
Editors and Manager. SECT. 4. The term
of office
for the editors and the manager of The |
| 24 |
Christian Science Publishing Society is one year
each,
dating from the time of election to the
office. Incumbents who have served
one year or
Page 81 |
| 1 |
more can be re-elected, or new officers elected,
by a
unanimous vote of the Christian Science |
| 3 |
Board of Directors, and the consent of the Pastor
Emeritus given in her own handwriting.
Suitable Employees. SECT. 5. A person |
| 6 |
who is not accepted by the Pastor Emeritus and
the
Christian Science Board of Directors as
suitable, shall in no manner be
connected with |
| 9 |
publishing her books, nor with editing or pub-
lishing
The Christian Science Journal, Christian
Science Sentinel, Der Herold
der Christian Sci- |
| 12 |
ence, nor with The Christian Science Publishing
Society.
Periodicals. SECT. 6. Periodicals which |
| 15 |
shall at any time be published by The Christian
Science
Publishing Society, shall be copyrighted
and conducted according to the
provisions in the |
| 18 |
Deed of Trust relating to The Christian Science
Journal.
Rule of Conduct. SECT. 7. No objectionable |
| 21 |
pictures shall be exhibited in the rooms where the
Christian Science textbook is published or sold.
No idle gossip, no
slander, no mischief-making, |
| 24 |
no evil speaking shall be allowed.
Books to be Published. SECT. 8. Only the
Publishing Society of The Mother Church selects,
Page 82 |
| 1 |
approves, and publishes the books and litera-
ture it
sends forth. If Mary Baker Eddy disap- |
| 3 |
proves of certain books or literature, the Society
will
not publish them. The Committees on Publi-
cation are in no manner
connected with these |
| 6 |
functions. A book or an article of which Mrs.
Eddy is the
author shall not be published nor
republished by this Society without her
knowl- |
| 9 |
edge or written consent.
Removal of Cards. SECT. 9. No cards shall
be
removed from our periodicals without the re- |
| 12 |
quest of the advertiser, except by a majority vote
of the
Christian Science Board of Directors at
a meeting held for this purpose or
for the exam- |
| 15 |
ination of complaints.
Members of this Church who practise other
professions or
pursue other vocations, shall not |
| 18 |
advertise as healers, excepting those members
who are
officially engaged in the work of Chris-
tian Science, and they must devote
ample time |
| 21 |
for faithful practice.
Page 83
TEACHING
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE
Article XXVI - TEACHERS
Motive in Teaching. SECTION 1. Teaching
Christian
Science shall not be a question of |
| 6 |
money, but of morals and religion, healing and
uplifting
the race.
Care of Pupils. SECT. 2. Christian Scientists
|
| 9 |
who are teachers shall carefully select for pupils
such
only as have good past records and promis-
ing proclivities toward
Christian Science. A |
| 12 |
teacher shall not assume personal control of, or
attempt
to dominate his pupils, but he shall hold
himself morally obligated to
promote their prog- |
| 15 |
ress in the understanding of divine Principle, not
only
during the class term but after it, and to
watch well that they prove sound
in sentiment |
| 18 |
and practical in Christian Science. He shall per-
sistently and patiently counsel his pupils in con-
formity with the
unerring laws of God, and shall |
| 21 |
enjoin them habitually to study the Scriptures
and
SCIENCE AND HEALTH WITH KEY TO THE
SCRIPTURES as a help thereto.
Page 84 |
| 1 |
Defense against Malpractice. SECT. 3.
Teachers
shall instruct their pupils how to de- |
| 3 |
fend themselves against mental malpractice,
never to
return evil for evil, but to know the
truth that makes free, and thus to be
a law, not |
| 6 |
unto others, but to themselves.
Number of Pupils. SECT. 4. The teachers of
Christian Science shall teach but one class yearly, |
| 9 |
which class shall consist of not more than thirty
pupils.
After 1907, the Board of Education shall
have one class triennially, a
Normal class not |
| 12 |
exceeding thirty pupils.
Pupil's Tuition. SECT. 5. A student's price
for
teaching Christian Science shall not exceed |
| 15 |
$100.00 per pupil.
Associations. SECT. 6. The associations of the
pupils of loyal teachers shall convene annually. |
| 18 |
The pupils shall be guided by the BIBLE, and
SCIENCE AND
HEALTH, not by their teachers
personal views. Teachers shall not call
their |
| 21 |
pupils together, or assemble a selected number of
them,
for more frequent meetings.
A Single Field of Labor. SECT. 7. A loyal |
| 24 |
teacher of Christian Science shall not teach an-
other
loyal teacher's pupil, except it be in the
Board of Education. Outside of
this Board each
Page 85 |
| 1 |
student occupies only his own field of labor.
Pupils may
visit each other's churches, and by |
| 3 |
invitation attend each other's associations.
Caring for Pupils of Strayed Members.
SECT. 8. A
loyal teacher of Christian Science |
| 6 |
may teach and receive into his association the
pupils of
another member of this Church who
has so strayed as justly to be deemed,
under the |
| 9 |
provisions of Article XII, Sect. 1, not ready to
lead
his pupils.
Teachers must have Certificates. SECT. 9. |
| 12 |
A member of this Church shall not teach pupils
Christian
Science unless he has a certificate to
show that he has been taught by Mrs.
Eddy or |
| 15 |
has taken a Normal Course at the Massachu-
setts
Metaphysical College or in the Board of
Education. |
| 18 |
Such members who have not been continu-
ously active and
loyal Christian Scientists since
receiving instruction as above, shall not
teach |
| 21 |
Christian Science without the approval of The
Christian
Science Board of Directors.
Page 86
Article XXVII -
PUPILS |
| 3 |
Authorized to Teach. SECTION 1. After a
student's
pupil has been duly authorized to be
a teacher of Christian Science, or has
been under |
| 6 |
the personal instruction of Mrs. Eddy, he is no
longer
under the jurisdiction of his former
teacher. |
| 9 |
Without Teachers. SECT. 2. Those be-
loved
brethren whose teacher has left them,
can elect an experienced Christian
Scientist, |
| 12 |
who is not in charge of an association of
students and
who is ready for this high call-
ing, to conduct the meetings of their
asso- |
| 15 |
ciation.
Basis for Teaching. SECT. 3. The teachers
of the
Normal class shall teach from the chapter |
| 18 |
Recapitulation in SCIENCE AND HEALTH WITH
KEY TO THE
SCRIPTURES, and from the Chris-
tian Science Platform, beginning on page
330 of |
| 21 |
the revised editions since 1902, and they shall
teach
nothing contrary thereto. The teachers
of the Primary class shall instruct
their pupils |
| 24 |
from the said chapter on "Recapitulation" only.
Page 87
1 Church Membership. SECT. 4. Neither the
Pastor
Emeritus nor a member of this Church |
| 3 |
shall teach Roman Catholics Christian Science,
except it
be with the written consent of the
authority of their Church. Choice of
patients is |
| 6 |
left to the wisdom of the practitioner, and Mrs.
Eddy is
not to be consulted on this subject.
Class Teaching. SECT. 5. Members of The |
| 9 |
Mother Church who are authorized by its By-
Laws to teach
Christian Science, shall not solicit,
or cause or permit others to solicit,
pupils for their |
| 12 |
classes. No member of this Church shall advise
against
class instruction.
Teachers of Christian Science must have the |
| 15 |
necessary moral and spiritual qualifications to
elucidate
the Principle and rule of Christian Sci-
ence, through the higher meaning
of the Scrip- |
| 18 |
tures. "The less the teacher personally controls
other
minds, and the more he trusts them to the
divine Truth and Love, the better
it will be for |
| 21 |
both teacher and student." (Retrospection and
Introspection, page 84.)
Page 88
BOARD OF
EDUCATION
Article XXVIII -ORGANIZATION
Officers. SECTION 1. There shall be a Board
of Education, under the
auspices of Mary Baker |
| 6 |
Eddy, President of the Massachusetts Metaphysi-
cal
College, consisting of three members, a presi-
dent, vice-president, and
teacher of Christian |
| 9 |
Science. Obstetrics will not be taught.
Election. SECT. 2. The vice-president shall
be
elected annually by the Christian Science |
| 12 |
Board of Directors. Beginning with 1907, the
teacher
shall be elected every third year by said
Board, and the candidate shall be
subject to the |
| 15 |
approval of the Pastor Emeritus.
President not to be Consulted. SECT. 3. The
President is not to be consulted by students |
| 18 |
on the question of applying for admission to this
Board
nor on their course or conduct. The stu-
dents can confer with their
teachers on subjects |
| 21 |
essential to their progress.
Page 89 |
| 1 |
Presidency of College. SECT. 4. Should the
President resign over her own signature or va- |
| 3 |
cate her office of President of the Massachusetts
Metaphysical College, a meeting of the Christian
Science Board of Directors
shall immediately be |
| 6 |
called, and the vice-president of the Board of
Education
being found worthy, on receiving her
approval shall be elected to fill the
vacancy.
Article XXIX -APPLICANTS AND
GRADUATES
Normal Teachers. SECTION 1. Loyal stu- |
| 12 |
dents who have been taught in a Primary class
by Mrs.
Eddy and have practised Christian Sci-
ence healing acceptably three years,
and who pre- |
| 15 |
sent such credentials as are required to verify
this
fact, are eligible to receive the degree of
C.S.D. |
| 18 |
Qualifications. SECT. 2. Loyal Christian
Scientists' pupils who so desire may apply to the
Board of Education for
instruction; and if they |
| 21 |
have practised Christian Science healing success-
fully
three years and will furnish evidence of
their eligibility therefor, they
are eligible to enter
Page 90 |
| 1 |
the Normal class. All members of this class must
be
thorough English scholars. |
| 3 |
Certificates. SECT. 3. Students are examined
and
given certificates by this Board if found
qualified to receive them.
Article XXX - ACTION OF THE
BOARD
Sessions. SECTION 1 . The term of the |
| 9 |
Massachusetts Metaphysical College will open
with the
Board of Education on the first
Wednesday of December. The sessions
will |
| 12 |
continue not over one week. None but the
teacher and
members of the College class shall
be present at the sessions, and no
Primary |
| 15 |
classes shall be taught under the auspices of
this
Board.
Special Instruction. SECT. 2. Not less than |
| 18 |
two thorough lessons by a well qualified teacher
shall be
given to each Normal class on the
subject of mental practice and
malpractice. One |
| 21 |
student in the class shall prepare a paper on
said
subject that shall be read to the class,
thoroughly discussed, and
understood; this paper
Page 91 |
| 1 |
shall be given to the teacher, and he shall not
allow it
or a copy of it to remain, but shall |
| 3 |
destroy this paper.
Signatures. SECT. 3. The signature of the
teacher
and of the President of the College |
| 6 |
shall be on all certificates issued.
Remuneration and Free Scholarship. SECT. 4.
Tuition of class instruction in the Board of |
| 9 |
Education shall be $100.00. The bearer of a
card of free
scholarship from the President,
Rev. Mary Baker Eddy, shall be entitled
to |
| 12 |
a free course in this department on presenta-
tion of the
card to the teacher. Only the
President gives free admission to
classes. |
| 15 |
Surplus Funds. SECT. 5. Any surplus funds
left in
the hands of the Board of Education
shall be paid over annually to the
Treasurer of |
| 18 |
The Mother Church.
Primary Students. SECT. 6. Students of
Christian
Science, duly instructed therein and |
| 21 |
with good moral records, not having the certifi-
cate of
C.S.D. may enter the Normal class in
the Board of Education, which will be
held once |
| 24 |
in three years beginning A. D. 1907; provided
their
diplomas are for three consecutive years
under Mrs. Eddy's daily
conversation on Chris-
Page 92 |
| 1 |
tian Science, or from the Massachusetts Meta-
physical
College Board of Education. |
| 3 |
Healing Better than Teaching. SECT. 7.
Healing the
sick and the sinner with Truth dem-
onstrates what we affirm of Christian
Science, |
| 6 |
and nothing can substitute this demonstration.
I
recommend that each member of this Church
shall strive to demonstrate by
his or her practice, |
| 9 |
that Christian Science heals the sick quickly and
wholly,
thus proving this Science to be all that
we claim for it. |
| 12 |
If both husband and wife are found duly quali-
fied to
teach Christian Science, either one, not
both, should teach yearly one
class. |
| 15 |
Not Members of The Mother Church. SECT. 8.
No
person shall receive instructions in Chris-
tian Science in any class in
the Massachusetts |
| 18 |
Metaphysical College, nor receive the degree of
C.S.B. or
C.S.D., who is not a member of The
First Church of Christ, Scientist, in
Boston, |
| 21 |
Mass.
Only those persons who are members of this
Church and
possessed of the qualifications named |
| 24 |
in Sect. 9 of Article XXVI of these By-Laws
shall be
deemed loyal teachers of Christian
Science .
Page 93
BOARD OF
LECTURESHIP
Article XXXI - ORGANIZATION AND
DUTIES
Election. SECTION 1. This Church shall
maintain a
Board of Lectureship, the members of |
| 6 |
which shall be elected annually on Monday pre-
ceding the
Annual Meeting, subject to the ap-
proval of the Pastor Emeritus. The
lecture year |
| 9 |
shall begin July 1 of each year.
Duty of Lecturers. SECT. 2. It is the duty
of the
Board of Lectureship to include in each |
| 12 |
lecture a true and just reply to public topics
condemning
Christian Science, and to bear testi-
mony to the facts pertaining to the
life of the |
| 15 |
Pastor Emeritus. Each member shall mail to
the Clerk of
this Church copies of his lectures
before delivering them. |
| 18 |
No Disruption of Branch Churches. SECT. 3.
The
Board of Lectureship is not allowed in any-
wise to meddle with nor to
disrupt the organiza-
Page 94 |
| 1 |
tion of branch churches. The lecturer can invite
churches
within the city whither he is called to |
| 3 |
unite in their attendance on his lecture, and so
make for
their churches a less lecture fee; but
the churches shall decide their
action. |
| 6 |
Receptions. SECT. 4. As a rule there should
be no
receptions nor festivities after a lecture on
Christian Science, but there
may occur excep- |
| 9 |
tions. If there be an individual who goes to hear
and
deride truth, he should go away contemplat-
ing truth; and he who goes to
seek truth should |
| 12 |
have the opportunity to depart in quiet thought
on that subject.
Circuit Lecturer. SECT. 5. Upon the written |
| 15 |
request of Mrs. Eddy, The Mother Church shall
appoint a
Circuit Lecturer. His term of office, if
approved, shall not be less than
three years. He |
| 18 |
shall lecture in the United States, in Canada, in
Great
Britain and Ireland.
A member shall neither resign nor transfer |
| 21 |
this sacred office.
Page 95
Article XXXII - CALLS FOR
LECTURES |
| 3 |
the Directors. SECTION 1. When the
need is apparent, the
Christian Science Board of
Directors of The Mother Church may call on |
| 6 |
any member of this Board of Lectureship to
lecture at
such places and at such times as the
cause of Christian Science
demands. |
| 9 |
From Branch Churches. SECT. 2. The
branch Churches
of Christ, Scientist, may apply
through their clerks to a member of this
Board |
| 12 |
of Lectureship for a speaker, and one shall be
assigned
them by the Board.
From Societies. SECT. 3. If called for, a |
| 15 |
member of the Board may lecture for a Society.
Annual Lectures. SECT. 4. The Mother
Church and
the branch churches shall call on |
| 18 |
the Board of Lectureship annually for one or
more
lectures.
No Lectures by Readers. SECT. 5. No lec- |
| 21 |
ture shall be given by a Reader during his term
of
Readership. The duties alone of a Reader are
ample .
Page 96 |
| 1 |
No Wednesday Evening Lectures. SECT. 6.
The Board
of Lectureship shall not appoint a |
| 3 |
lecture for Wednesday evening.
Lecture Fee. SECT. 7. The lecture fee shall
be
left to the discretion of the lecturer. |
| 6 |
Expenses. SECT. 8. The lecturer's traveling
expenses and the cost of hall shall be paid by
the church that employs
him. |
| 9 |
Exceptional Cases. SECT. 9. If a lecturer
receive
a call to lecture in a place where he sees
there is special need, and the
local church is un- |
| 12 |
able to meet the expense, he is at liberty to supply
that need and trust to contributions for his fee.
Page 97
COMMITTEE
ON PUBLICATION
Article
XXXIII |
| 3 |
In The Mother Church. SECTION 1. There
shall be
appointed by The Mother Church a Com-
mittee on Publication, which shall
consist of one |
| 6 |
loyal Christian Scientist who lives in Boston, and
he
shall be manager of the Committees on Pub-
lication throughout the United
States, Canada, |
| 9 |
Great Britain and Ireland. He shall be elected
annually
by a unanimous vote of the Christian
Science Board of Directors and the
consent of |
| 12 |
the Pastor Emeritus given in her own handwrit-
ing, and
shall receive an annual salary, paid quar-
terly, of not less than four
thousand dollars. |
| 15 |
Duties. SECT. 2. It shall be the duty of the
Committee on Publication to correct in a Chris-
tian manner impositions on
the public in regard |
| 18 |
to Christian Science, injustices done Mrs. Eddy
or
members of this Church by the daily press,
by periodicals or circulated
literature of any sort.
Page 98 |
| 1 |
This Committee on Publication shall be respon-
sible for
correcting or having corrected a false |
| 3 |
newspaper article which has not been replied to
by other
Scientists, or which has been forwarded
to this Committee for the purpose
of having him |
| 6 |
reply to it. If the correction by the Committee
on
Publication is not promptly published by the
periodical in which it is
desirable that this cor- |
| 9 |
rection shall appear, this Committee shall im-
mediately
apply for aid to the Committee on
Business. Furthermore, the Committee on
Pub- |
| 12 |
lication shall read the last proof sheet of such
an article and see that it is published according
to copy; he shall
circulate in large quantities |
| 15 |
the papers containing such an article, sending a
copy to
the Clerk of the Church. It shall also
be the duty of the Committee on
Publication to |
| 18 |
have published each year in a leading Boston
newspaper
the letter sent to the Pastor Emeritus
by the Church members in annual
meeting as- |
| 21 |
sembled. The State Committees on Publication
act under
the direction of this Committee on
Publication. |
| 24 |
In Branch Churches. SECT. 3. The Readers
of the
three largest branch churches in each State
of the United States and in
Canada shall annually
Page 99 |
| 1 |
and alternately appoint a Committee on Publi-
cation to
serve in their localities. For the pur- |
| 3 |
poses of this By-Law, the State of California shall
be
considered as though it were two States, the
dividing line being the 36th
parallel of latitude. |
| 6 |
Each county of Great Britain and Ireland, except
as
hereinafter specified, through the Readers of
its three largest branch
churches, shall annually |
| 9 |
and alternately appoint a Committee on Publica-
tion to
serve in its locality. Each church is not
necessarily confined to its own
members in select- |
| 12 |
ing this Committee, but if preferred, can appoint
a
Committee on Publication who is in good fel-
lowship with another Church of
Christ, Scientist. |
| 15 |
This By-Law applies to all States except Mas-
sachusetts,
in which the Committee on Publica-
tion is elected only by the Christian
Science Board |
| 18 |
of Directors. The Committee for the counties
in which
London, England, is situated shall be
appointed by the Christian Science
Board of |
| 21 |
Directors, and he shall, in addition to his other
duties, act as District Manager of the Committees
on Publication for Great
Britain and Ireland. |
| 24 |
Appointment. SECT. 4. The Committees on
Publication shall consist of men generally. Each
State Committee shall be
appointed by the First |
| 27 |
and Second Readers of the church employing
Page 100 |
| 1 |
said Committee. If prior to the meeting of the
church for
the election of officers, Mrs. Eddy |
| 3 |
shall send to the First Reader of the church the
name of
a candidate for its Committee on Publi-
cation, the Readers shall appoint
said candidate. |
| 6 |
Or if she shall send a special request to any
Committee
on Publication, the request shall be
carried out according to her
directions. |
| 9 |
Removal from Office. SECT. 5. If the Com-
mittee
on Publication neglects to fulfil the obli-
gations of his office according
to these By-Laws, |
| 12 |
and this becomes apparent to the Christian Sci-
ence
Board of Directors, it shall be the duty of
the Directors immediately to
act upon this im- |
| 15 |
portant matter in accordance with said By-Laws.
The Christian Science Board of Directors may
notify any
Church of Christ, Scientist, to remove |
| 18 |
its Committee on Publication and to appoint an-
other
Committee to fill the vacancy; and it shall
be the duty of that church to
comply with this |
| 21 |
request. In such cases it shall be the privilege
of this
Board to name the Committee if it so
desires, and any Committee so named by
the |
| 24 |
Board shall be elected by the branch church.
Case of Necessity. SECT. 6. If a suitable
man is
not obtainable for Committee on Publica- |
| 27 |
tion, a suitable woman shall be elected. If at
Page 101 |
| 1 |
any time the Christian Science Board of Direc-
tors shall
determine that the manager of the |
| 3 |
general Committee on Publication needs an as-
sistant,
the Board shall, with the approval of the
Pastor Emeritus, appoint an
assistant manager, |
| 6 |
who shall receive an adequate salary from The
Mother
Church.
Page 102
CHURCH-BUILDING
Article
XXXIV |
| 3 |
Building Committee. SECTION 1. There
shall be a
Building Committee consisting of
not less than three members, and this
committee |
| 6 |
shall not be dissolved until the new church
edifice is
completed. This committee shall elect,
dismiss, or supply a vacancy of its
members by |
| 9 |
a majority vote.
Designation of Deeds. SECT. 2. All deeds
of
further purchases of land for The First |
| 12 |
Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Mass.,
shall have
named in them all the trusts mentioned
in the deeds given by Albert Metcalf
and E. |
| 15 |
Noyes Whitcomb in March, 1903; but this rule
shall not
apply to land purchased for any purpose
other than the erection of a church
edifice. Also |
| 18 |
there shall be incorporated in all such deeds
the
phrase, "Mary Baker Eddy's Church, The
Page 103
Mother Church or The First Church of Christ,
Scientist,
in Boston, Mass." |
| 3 |
The Mother Church Building. SECT. 3. The
edifice
erected in 1894 for The First Church of
Christ, Scientist, in Boston,
Mass., shall neither |
| 6 |
be demolished, nor removed from the site where
it was
built, without the written consent of the
Pastor Emeritus, Mary Baker
Eddy.
Page 104
CHURCH
MANUAL
Article
XXXV |
| 3 |
For The Mother Church Only. SECTION 1.
The Church
Manual of The First Church of
Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Mass., written
by |
| 6 |
Mary Baker Eddy and copyrighted, is adapted
to The Mother
Church only. It stands alone,
uniquely adapted to form the budding
thought |
| 9 |
and hedge it about with divine Love. This
Manual shall
not be revised without the written
consent of its author. |
| 12 |
Seventy-third Edition the Authority. SECT. 2.
The
Board of Directors, the Committee on Bible
Lessons, and the Board of
Trustees shall each |
| 15 |
keep a copy of the Seventy-third Edition and of
subsequent editions of the Church Manual; and
if a discrepancy appears in
any revised edition, |
| 18 |
these editions shall be cited as authority.
Page 105 |
| 1 |
Amendment of By-Laws. SECT. 3. No new
Tenet or
By-Law shall be adopted, nor any |
| 3 |
Tenet or By-Law amended or annulled, with-
out the
written consent of Mary Baker Eddy, the
author of our textbook, SCIENCE AND
HEALTH.
Page 106 -- Page left blank
Page 107 -- Page left blank
Page 108 Appendix.
Page 109
Appendix.
Special Instructions Regarding
Applications for Church Membership |
| 3 |
1. Loyal members of The Mother Church are
eligible to
approve candidates to unite with this
Church. |
| 6 |
2. No persons are eligible to countersign ap-
plications
except loyal students of Mrs. Eddy,
Directors, and students of the Board of
Educa- |
| 9 |
tion who have been given a degree, and are mem-
bers of
The Mother Church.
3. Those who approve applicants should have |
| 12 |
applications returned to them after being filled
out by
the applicants, as required by Article
V, Sect. 6, and should compare them
with |
| 15 |
the forms here given, and see that names are
legibly
written, before sending them to the
Clerk of the Church. If not correct,
the appli- |
| 18 |
cant will be notified, and new applications will
Page 110 |
| 1 |
be required, as none will be returned that are
not
correctly made out. This requirement is to |
| 3 |
prevent applications being duplicated and the
confusion
that might result therefrom. It is
important that these seemingly strict
conditions |
| 6 |
be exactly complied with, as the names of the
members of
The Mother Church will be recorded
in the history of the Church and become
a part |
| 9 |
thereof.
4. All names, whether of applicants, signers,
or countersigners, must be plainly written, and |
| 12 |
one, at least, of the given names of each, written
in
full. Initials only of first names will not be
received. Women must sign
Miss or Mrs. be- |
| 15 |
fore their names as the case may be.
All names must be written the same in all
places where
they are required.
Page 111 |
| 1 |
TO APPLICANTS
1. In filling out the application blank, one |
| 3 |
of the Christian names must be written in full.
Initials alone will not be received.
2. If the applicant is a married woman she |
| 6 |
must sign her own Christian name, not her hus-
band's,
and prefix her signature with "Mrs;"
unmarried women must sign "Miss."
9 3. There are two regular forms of applica-
tion. 1.
For those who have studied Christian
Science with an authorized teacher; 2.
For those |
| 12 |
who have not studied Christian Science with a
teacher.
Applicants will find the chief points of these |
| 15 |
instructions illustrated in Form 1 and Form 2,
on pages
114 and 118.
4. Those whose teachers are deceased, absent, |
| 18 |
or disloyal, or those whose teachers refuse, with-
out
sufficient cause, to sign applications (see
Art. V, Sect. 4), will be
furnished special forms |
| 21 |
on application to the Clerk.
Page 112 |
| 1 |
5. When branch churches are designated by
number, as
First Church, Second Church, etc., |
| 3 |
the number must be written First, Second, as
shown on
page 118. The article "the" either
capitalized (The), or small (the), must
not be |
| 6 |
used before titles of branch churches. See Ar-
ticle
XXIII, Sect. 2.
6. If the applicant is not a member of a |
| 9 |
branch church, he should fill out his applica-
tion in
this respect according to the form on
page 114.
Page 113 -- Page left
blank
Page 114
Application
I
PROPERLY SIGNED AND
ENDORSED,
ACCORDINC TO ARTICLE V,
SECT. 2
[Form omitted]
Page 115
Application I -
(Continued)
PROPERLY SIGNED AND
ENDORSED,
ACCORDING TO ARTICLE V,
SECT. 2
[Form omitted]
Page 116
Application I
PROPERLY SIGNED AND ENDORSED,
ACCORDING TO ARTICLE V, SECT. 2
[Form omitted]
Page 117
Application I - (Continued)
PROPERLY SIGNED AND ENDORSED,
ACCORDING TO ARTICLE V, SECT. 2
[Form omitted]
Page 118
Application II
SIGNED, ENDORSED, AND COUNTERSIGNED,
ACCORDING TO ARTICLE Vl, SECT. 2
[Form omitted]
Page 119
Application II - (Continued)
SIGNED, ENDORSED, AND COUNTERSIGNED,
ACCORDING TO ARTICLE VI, SECT. 2
[Form omitted]
Page 120
Present Order of Services
in The Mother Church
Republished from the Sentinel
SUNDAY SERVICES
1. Hymn.
2. Reading a Scriptural Selection.
3. Silent Prayer, followed by the audible
repetition of the Lord's Prayer with its spirit-
ual interpretation.
4. Hymn.
5. Announcing necessary notices.
6. Solo.
7. Reading the explanatory note on first leaf
of Quarterly.
8. Announcing the subject of the Lesson-
Sermon, and reading the Golden Text.
9. Reading the Scriptural selection, entitled
"Responsive Reading," alternately by the First
Reader and the congregation.
10. Reading the Lesson-Sermon. (After the
Second Reader reads the BIBLE references of
Page 121
the first Section of the Lesson, the
First Reader
makes the following announcement: "As
an-
nounced in the explanatory note, I
shall now
read correlative passages from the
Christian
Science textbook, SCIENCE AND HEALTH
WITH
KEY TO THE SCRIPTURES, by Mary Baker
Eddy. )
11. Collection.
12. Hymn.
13. Reading the scientific statement
of
being, and the correlative SCRIPTURE
accord-
ing to I John 3:1-3.
14. Pronouncing Benediction.
The services should be preceded and
followed
by organ or piano music of an
appropriate char-
acter in all cases where this is
possible.
On the first Sunday of each month
Article VIII,
SECT. 1, A Rule for Motives and
Acts, is to be
read.
Page 122
WEDNESDAY MEETINGS
1. Hymn.
2. Reading from the BIBLE, and correlative
passages from SCIENCE AND HEALTH WITH KEY
TO THE SCRIPTURES.
3. Silent Prayer, followed by the audible repe-
tition of the Lord's Prayer, its spiritual interpre-
tation being omitted.
4. Hymn.
5. Announcing necessary notices.
6. Experiences, testimonies, and remarks on
Christian Science.
7. Closing Hymn.
The services should be preceded and followed
by organ or piano music of an appropriate char-
acter in all cases where this is possible.
Page 123
Thanksgiving Day.
Order of Service for The Mother Church and
Branch Churches.
1. Hymn.
2. Reading the Thanksgiving Proclamation
of the President of the United States, or the
Governor of the state, or both.
3. Reading a Scriptural Selection.
4 . Silent Prayer, followed by the audible
repetition of the Lord's Prayer with its spirit-
ual interpretation.
5. Hymn.
6. Reading the Explanatory Note on the
first leaf of the Quarterly.
7. Announcing the subject of the Lesson-
Sermon, and reading the Golden Text.
8. Responsive Reading by the First Reader-
and the congregation.
Page 124
9. Reading the Lesson-Sermon prepared
by
the Bible Lesson Committee.
10. Solo.
11. Testimonies by Christian
Scientists,
appropriate for the occasion.
12. Hymn.
13. Reading the Scientific Statement
of
Being, and the correlative SCRIPTURE
according
to I John 3:1-3.
14. Pronouncing Benediction.
No collection is to be taken at this
service.
The services should be preceded and
followed
by organ or piano music of an
appropriate char-
acter in all cases where this is possible.
Page 125
Present Order of Communion
Services
in Branch Churches
1. Hymn.
2. Reading a Scriptural Selection.
3. Silent Prayer, followed by the audible
repetition of the Lord's Prayer with its spiritual
interpretation.
4. Hymn.
5. Announcing necessary notices.
6. Reading Tenets of The Mother Church.
7. Collection and Solo.
8. Reading the explanatory note on first leaf
of Quarterly.
9. Announcing the subject of the Lesson-
Sermon, and reading the Golden Text.
10. Reading the scriptural selection entitled
"Responsive Reading" alternately by the First
Reader and the congregation.
11. Reading the Lesson-Sermon. (After the
Second Reader reads the BIBLE references of the
first Section of the Lesson, the First Reader
Page 126
makes the following announcement: "As
an-
nounced in the explanatory note, I
shall now read
correlative passages from the
Christian Science
textbook, SCIENCE AND HEALTH WITH KEY
TO
THE SCRIPTURES, by Mary Baker Eddy.")
12. The First Reader briefly invites
the con-
gregation to kneel in silent
Communion. This is
concluded by the audible repetition of
the Lord's
Prayer (spiritual interpretation
omitted).
13. Singing the Doxology:
"Be Thou, O God, exalted
high;
And as Thy glory fills the
sky,
So let it be on earth
displayed,
Till Thou art here and now obeyed."
14. Reading the scientific statement
of
being and the correlative SCRIPTURE
accord-
ing to I John 3:1-3.
15. Pronouncing Benediction.
The Church Tenets shall be read at
this service.
The services should be preceded and
followed
by organ or piano music of an
appropriate char-
acter in all cases where this is possible.
Page 127
Order of Exercises for the Sunday
School
of the Mother Church.
1. Call to order by the
Superintendent.
2. Hymn.
3. Subject of the lesson announced;
Golden
Text repeated by the children;
Responsive
Reading.
4. Silent prayer, followed by the
audible
repetition of the Lord's Prayer in
unison.
5. Instruction in classes, in
accordance with
Sections 2 AND 3 of Article XX of the
Manual
of The Mother Church.
6. Entire school reassembles.
7. Hymn.
8. Scientific Statement of Being read
by the
Superintendent.
9. School dismissed.
Page 128
Deed of Trust
The following is a Copy of the Deed
of Trust
Conveying Land for Church Edifice
KNOW ALL
MEN BY THESE PRESENTS,
That I Mary Baker G. Eddy of Concord in
the County of Merrimack and State of New
Hampshire in consideration of one
dollar to
me paid by Ira O. Knapp of Boston, Mas-
sachusetts, William
B. Johnson of Boston,
Massachusetts, Joseph S. Eastaman of Chel-
sea,
Massachusetts, and Stephen A. Chase of
Fall River, Massachusetts, the
receipt whereof
is hereby acknowledged, and, also in consider-
ation
of the trusts and uses hereinafter men-
tioned and established, do hereby
give, bargain,
sell, and convey to the said Ira O. Knapp, Wil-
liam
B. Johnson, Joseph S. Eastaman, and
Stephen A. Chase as trustees as
hereinafter
provided and to their legitimate successors in
Page 129
office forever, a certain parcel of land situate
on Falmouth street in said Boston, bounded and
described as follows: Beginning at the
junction
of Falmouth street, and a forty-foot
street now
called Caledonia street; thence
running South-
west on said Falmouth street
one hundred and
sixteen and eighty-eight
hundredths feet; thence
Northwest at a right
angle to a point where a
line drawn at right
angles to said forty-foot
street at a point
thereon one hundred and six-
teen and
fifty-five hundredths feet Northwest
from the
point of beginning meets the said
boundary at
right angles to Falmouth street,
sixty-six
and seventy-eight hundredths feet;
thence at
an obtuse angle on said line at right
angles
to said forty-foot street sixty-seven and
thirty-five hundredths feet to said forty-foot
street; thence Southeasterly on said forty-foot
street one hundred and sixteen and fifty-five
hundredths feet to the point of beginning;
containing seven thousand eight hundred and
twenty-eight square feet more or less, and
sub-
ject to the agreements and restrictions
men-
tioned in a deed recorded in Suffolk
Registry
of Deeds Lib. 1719, Fol 83so far as
the same
are now legally operative.
Page 130
This deed of conveyance is made upon the
following express trusts and conditions which
the said grantees by accepting this deed agree
and covenant for themselves and their succes-
sors in office to fully perform and fulfil.
1. Said grantees shall be known as the "Chris-
tian Science Board of Directors," and shall con-
stitute a perpetual body or corporation under
and
in accordance with section one, Chapter
39 of the
Public Statutes of
Massachusetts.(1) Whenever a
vacancy occurs
in said Board the remaining mem-
bers shall
within thirty days fill the same by elec-
tion; but no one shall be eligible to that office
who is not in the opinion of the remaining mem-
bers of the Board a firm and consistent
believer
in the doctrines of Christian
Science as taught in
a book entitled SCIENCE
AND HEALTH, by Mary
Baker G. Eddy beginning
with the seventy-first
edition thereof.
(1)The deacons, church wardens, or other similar officers of
Churches
or religious societies, and the
trustees of the Methodist Episcopal
churches,
appointed according to the discipline and usages thereof,
shall, if citizens of this commonwealth, be deemed bodies
corporate
for the purpose of taking and
holding in succession all grants and
donations, whether of real or personal estate, made either to
the
and their successors, or to their
respective churches, or to the poor of
their
churches.
Page 131
2. Said Board shall within five years from
the
date hereof build or cause to be built
upon said
lot of land a suitable and
convenient church edi-
fice, the cost of
which shall not be less than fifty
thousand
dollars.
3. When said church building is completed
said Board shall elect a pastor, reader or speaker
to fill the pulpit who shall be a genuine
Christian
Scientist; they shall maintain
public worship in
accordance with the
doctrines of Christian Sci-
ence in said
church, and for this purpose they
are fully
empowered to make any and all neces-
sary
rules and regulations.
4. Said Board of Directors shall not
suffer
or allow any building to be erected
upon said
lot except a church building or
edifice, nor shall
they allow said church
building or any part
thereof to be used for
any other purpose than
for the ordinary and
usual uses of a church.
5. Said Board of Directors shall not allow
or
permit in said church building any
preaching or
other religious services which
shall not be con-
sonant and in strict
harmony with the doctrines
and practice of
Christian Science as taught and
explained by Mary Baker G. Eddy in
the seventy-
Page 132
first edition of her book entitled SCIENCE
AND
HEALTH," which is soon to be issued, and
in any
subsequent edition thereof.
6. The congregation which shall worship in
said church shall be styled "The First Church
of Christ, Scientist."
7. Said Directors shall
not sell or mortgage
the land hereby
conveyed; but they shall see
that all taxes
and legal assessments on said
property are
promptly paid.
8. Said church building shall not be removed
from said lot except for the purpose of
rebuild-
ing thereon a more expensive or a
more conven-
ient structure in which said
doctrines of Christian
Science only shall be
preached and practised. If
said church
building is removed for either of
the
purposes above set forth, any and all tablets
and inscriptions which are or shall be upon said
church building at the time of removal shall be
removed therefrom and placed upon the walls
of the new edifice. If said building is
burned,
the Directors shall forthwith proceed
to rebuild
the church.
9. Said
Directors shall maintain regular
preaching, reading or speaking in
said church
Page 133
on each Sabbath, and an omission to have
and
maintain such preaching, reading or
speaking
for one year in succession shall be
deemed a
breach of this condition.
10. Whenever said Directors shall determine
that it is inexpedient to maintain preaching,
reading or speaking in said church in accord-
ance with the terms of this deed, they are
authorized and required to reconvey forthwith
said lot of land with the building thereon to
Mary Baker G. Eddy, her heirs and assigns
forever by a proper deed of conveyance.
11. The
omission or neglect on the part of
said
Directors to strictly comply with any of
the
conditions herein contained shall constitute
a breach thereof, and the title hereby conveyed
shall revert to the grantor Mary Baker G. Eddy,
her heirs and assigns forever, upon her entry
upon said land and taking possession thereof
for such breach.
To Have and to Hold the
above granted
premises with all the
privileges and appurte-
nances thereon
belonging to said grantees and
their
successors in office to the uses and trusts
above described
forever.
Page 134
And the said grantor for herself and her
heirs,
executors and administrators covenants
with the
said grantees and their successors
in office that
she is lawfully seized in fee
simple of the afore-
said premises, that they
are free from all incum-
brances not herein
mentioned or referred to, that
she has good
right to sell and convey the same
to the said
grantees and their successors in office
as
aforesaid, and that she will and her heirs,
executors, and administrators shall, warrant and
defend the same to the said grantees and their
successors in office forever against the
lawful
claims and demands of all persons.
In witness whereof I the said Mary Baker G.
Eddy have hereto set my hand and seal this 1st
day of September, 1892.
MARY BAKER G. EDDY.
Signed, sealed, and
delivered in presence of
LAURA E.
SARGENT.
R. E. WALKER.
September 1st, 1892.
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE,
MERRIMACK.
Then personally appeared the above named
Mary Baker G. Eddy and acknowledged the
Page 135
foregoing instrument to be her free act and
deed,
Before me
R. E. WALKER.
Notary Public.
September 2,
1892.
SUFFOLK REGISTRY OF DEEDS, Lib. 2081, Fol. 257.
Page 136
Deed Conveying Land for Church Purposes
METCALE to KNAPP et al.
Trs.
Libro 2886, Fol. 521.
KNOW
ALL MEN,
That I, Albert Metcalf, the grantor in a cer-
tain deed given to Ira O. Knapp and others
dated October 23, 1896, and recorded with Suf-
folk Deeds, Book 2591, page 398, do hereby
de-
clare that the land conveyed by said deed
was
conveyed to the grantees therein, as they
are the
Christian Science Board of Directors,
upon the
trusts, but not subject to the
conditions men-
tioned in the deed creating
said Board given by
Mary Baker G. Eddy to Ira
O. Knapp and
others, dated September 1st,
1892, and recorded
with Suffolk Deeds, Book
2081, page 257. In
addition to the trusts
contained in said deed of
September 1, 1892, from Mary Baker G.
Eddy,
Page 137
this property is conveyed on the further trusts
that no new Tenet or By-Law shall be adopted,
nor any Tenet or By-Law amended or annulled
by the grantees unless the written consent of said
Mary Baker G. Eddy, the author of the
textbook
SCIENCE AND HEALTH WITH KEY TO THE
SCRIP-
TURES," be given therefor, or unless
at the writ-
ten request of Mrs. Eddy the
Executive Members
of The First Church of
Christ, Scientist, (for-
merly called the
"First Members,") by a two-
thirds vote of
all their number, decide so to do.
And that
the same inscription which is on the
outside
of the present church edifice shall be
placed
on any new church erected on said lot.
And in
consideration of one dollar to me paid
by
said Ira O. Knapp, William B. Johnson,
Joseph
Armstrong and Stephen A. Chase, the
receipt
whereof is hereby acknowledged, I do
hereby
confirm the deed as above mentioned, and
do
grant and release unto them, their heirs, suc-
cessors and assigns in trust as aforesaid, the
premises therein described.
In Witness
Whereof I have hereunto set my
hand and seal
this nineteenth day of March, A. D.
nineteen
hundred and three.
ALBERT METCALF. [Seal]
Page 138
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
SUFFOLK March 20th, 1903
Then said Albert Metcalf at
knowledged the
foregoing instrument to be his
free act and
deed.
Before me
MALCOLM McLOUD.
Justice of the Peace.
March 20, 1903. at
twelve o'clock and sixteen minutes P.M.
Received, Entered and Examined.
Attest: THOS. F. TEMPLE, Reg.
A true copy from the RECORDS
OF DEEDS for the COUNTY
OF SUFFOLK, Lib. 2886, Fol. 521.
Attest:
CHAS. W. KIMBALL, Asst. Reg.
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