0.0 – Christian Science Publication Contents

 1	                      [Boston Journal, June 19, 1902] 

  	              AN ASTONISHING MOTION 

 3	    Assembled in the largest church business meeting ever
  	held in Boston — perhaps the largest ever held in the
  	United States — the members of The First Church of
 6	Christ, Scientist, Boston, The Mother Church of the de-
  	nomination, voted yesterday afternoon to raise any part
  	of two million dollars that might be needed to build
 9	in this city a church edifice capable of seating between
  	four and five thousand persons. This astonishing motion
  	was passed with both unanimity and assurance. It was
12	not even talked over, beyond two brief explanations why
  	the building was needed. Learning that a big church was
  	required, the money to provide it was pledged with the
15	readiness and despatch of an ordinary mortal passing out
  	a nickel for carfare. 


  	                         [Boston Globe, April, 1903] 

18	                        PROGRESSIVE STEPS 

  	    The last parcel in the block bounded by Falmouth,
  	Norway, and St. Paul Streets, in the shape of a triangle,
21	has passed to the ownership of the Christian Science
  	church, the deed being taken by Ira O. Knapp et al.,
 
                The First Church of Christ, Scientist                   66


 1	trustees. The purchase of this parcel, which is known as
  	the Hotel Brookline, a four-story brick building also in the
 3	shape of a triangle, gives to the ab...ove society the ownership
  	of the entire block. 
  	    During the past two weeks considerable activity has
 6	been going on in property on these streets, no less than
  	ten estates having been conveyed by deed to the Christian
  	Science church, and now comes the purchase of the last
 9	parcel on St. Paul Street by the above society, which
  	gives them the ownership of the entire block. 
  	    Just what use the society will make of the property
12	has not been stated, but it is said that a number of changes
  	will be made that will enable the church to expand, and
  	to do so it was necessary to have this property. No block
15	is so well situated for church purposes as this one, being
  	in a fine part of the city. 


  	                      [Boston Post, June 6, 1906] 

18	                     THE FINISHING TOUCHES 

  	    Artisans and artists are working night and day and
  	craftsmen are hurrying on with their work to make the
21	spacious and elegant edifice complete for the elaborate
  	observances of Sunday, when six services will be held,
  	and when the words of Mary Baker Eddy will come from
24	her beautiful home, Pleasant View, in Concord, N. H.,
  	welcoming her children and giving her blessing to the
  	structure. 
27	    The services of Sunday will mark an epoch in the history
  	of Christian Science. Since the discovery by Mrs. Eddy,
  	many beautiful houses of worship have been erected, but
30	never before has such a grand church been built as that
 
                   As Chronicled by the Newspapers                   67


 1	which raises its dome above the city at the corner of
  	Falmouth and Norway Streets. 


 3	                                        [Boston Post] 

  	           DESCRIPTION OF THE EXTENSION 

  	                      Extension of The Mother Church 

 6	Cost ............................................................... $2,000,000
  	Shape, triangular .................................... 220x220x236 ft. 
  	Height ..................................................................... 224 ft. 
 9	Area of site .................................................. 40,000 sq. ft. 
  	Seating capacity ..................................................... 5,000
  	Checking facilities ................................... 3,000 garments 

12	                       Notable Dates in Christian Science 

  	Christian Science discovered................................... 1866
  	First church organized ............................................. 1879
15	First church erected ................................................. 1894
  	Corner-stone of cathedral laid ................................. 1904
  	Cathedral to be dedicated ....................................... 1906 


18	    Two million dollars was set aside for the building of this
  	addition to The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and the
  	money was used in giving Boston an edifice that is a
21	marvel of architectural beauty. But one church in the
  	country exceeds it in seating capacity, and, while vaster
  	sums of money were spent in other instances, never was
24	a more artistic effect reached. 
  	    This new temple, begun nearly two years ago, will in
  	its simple grandeur surpass any church edifice erected
27	in this city. Notwithstanding its enormous size, it is so
  	proportionately built that its massiveness is unnoticed
  	in the graceful outlines. 
 
                The First Church of Christ, Scientist                   68


 1	    Built in the Italian Renaissance style, the interior of
  	this church is carried out with the end in view of impressing
 3	the audiences with the beauty and strength of the design. 
  	The great auditorium, with its high-domed ceiling, sup-
  	ported on four arches springing from the tops of great
 6	stone piers, contains about one mile and a half of pews. 
  	    The dome surmounting the building is more than twice
  	the size of the dome on the State House, having a diameter
 9	of eighty-two feet and a height of fifty-one feet. 
  	    The top of the dome is two hundred and twenty-four feet
  	above the street, and reaches an altitude twenty-nine feet
12	higher than that of the State House. 
  	    The old church at the corner of Falmouth and Norway
  	Streets, with a seating capacity of twelve hundred, built
15	twelve years ago, will remain as it was, and Mrs. Eddy's
  	famous room will be undisturbed. 
  	    The Readers' platform is of a beautiful foreign marble,
18	and the color scheme for all the auditorium is of a warm
  	gray, to harmonize with the Bedford stone which enters
  	so largely into the interior finish. 
21	    The great organ is placed back of the Readers' platform
  	and above the Readers' special rooms. It has an archi-
  	tectural stone screen and contributes not a little to the
24	imposing effect of the interior. 
  	    Bedford stone and marble form the interior finish, with
  	elaborate plaster work for the great arches and ceilings. 
27	The floors of the first story are of marble. 
  	    There are twelve exits and seven broad marble stair-
  	ways, the latter framed of iron and finished with bronze,
30	marble, and Bedford stone. 
  	    Bronze is used in the lighting fixtures, and the pews and
  	principal woodwork are of mahogany.   
                   As Chronicled by the Newspapers                   69


1	    The church is unusually well lighted, and one of the
  	extraordinary features is the eight bronze chains, each
 3	suspending seventy-two lamps, each lamp of thirty-two
  	candle-power. 
  	    Where ceiling or roof and side walls come together no
 6	sharp angles are visible, such meetings presenting an oval
  	and dome appearance and forming a gently curved and
  	panelled surface, whereon are placed inscriptions illustra-
 9	tive of the faith of Christian Science. 
  	    Two large marble plates with Scripture quotations are
  	also placed on the two sides of the organ. 
12	    Everywhere within the building where conditions per-
  	mitted it pure white marble was used, and the hammer
  	and chisel of the sculptor added magnificent carvings to
15	the rich beauty of the interior. 
  	    The auditorium contains seven galleries, two on either
  	side and three at the back, yet not a single pillar or post
18	anywhere in the vast space interrupts the view of the
  	platform from any seat. 
  	    Another unusual feature is the foyer, where five thousand
21	people can freely move. Adjoining this foyer are the
  	Sunday School and the administration offices, while in
  	the basement is a cloak-room of the capacity of three
24	thousand wraps. 


  	                                       [Boston Globe] 

  	                            AN  IDEA  OF  THE  SIZE 

27	    If one would get an idea of the size of this building and
  	the manner in which the dome seems to dominate the
  	entire city, the best point of view is on top of the tower
30	in Mt. Auburn cemetery in Cambridge, some four miles
  	away. From this point the building and dome can be seen
 
                The First Church of Christ, Scientist                   70


 1	in their relation to the city itself, and it certainly looks
  	imposing. 
 3	    One thing is certain:  for a religion which has been
  	organized only thirty years, and which erected its first
  	church only twelve years ago, Christian Science has more
 6	fine church edifices to its credit in the same time than
  	any other denomination in the world, and they are all
  	paid for. 


 9	                             [Boston Evening Transcript] 

  	                                    THE CHIMES 

  	    The chimes for the new Christian Science temple are
12	worthy of the dome. The effect on all within earshot is
  	quite remarkable. They say that workingmen stopped
  	in the street and stood in silent admiration while the
15	chimes were being tested the other day. Millet's
  	"Angelus" had living reproductions on every corner in
  	the neighborhood. 


18	                                       [Boston Post] 

   	              MAGNIFICENCE OF THE ORGAN 

  	    The new church is replete with rare bits of art, chosen
21	from the works of both ancient and modern masters, but
  	there is nothing more wonderful than the organ which
  	has been installed. Nowhere in the world is there a more
24	beautiful, more musical, or more capable instrument. 
  	In reality it is a combination of six organs, with four
  	manuals, seventy-two stops, nineteen couplers, nineteen
27	adjustable combination pistons, three balanced swells,
  	a grand crescendo pedal, seven combination pedals, and
  	forty-five hundred and thirty-eight pipes, the largest of
30	which is thirty-two feet long. Attached to the organ is
 
                   As Chronicled by the Newspapers                   71


 1	a set of cathedral chimes, stationed in one of the towers,
  	and some of the most intricate discoveries of organ
 3	builders enable the organist to produce the most beautiful
  	effects by means of the bells. There is also a solo organ
  	attached. 


 6	                                   [Boston Journal] 

  	                           ITS ARCHITECTURE 

  	    There is no need of fussing about the underlying spirit
 9	that built the Christian Science cathedral. We can all
  	agree that it is a stunning piece of architecture and a
  	great adornment to the city. 


12	                                       [Boston Globe] 

                                     UNIQUE INTERIOR 

  	    When these people enter this new cathedral or temple
15	which has been in process of construction, they will find
  	themselves in one of the most imposing church edifices
  	in the country — yes, in the world. For in its interior
18	architecture it is different from any other church in the
  	world. In fact, nearly all the traditions of church interior
  	architecture have been set aside in this temple, for here
21	are neither nave, aisles, nor transept — just one vast audi-
  	torium which will seat exactly five thousand and twelve
  	people on floor and galleries, and seat them comfort-
24	ably. And what is more, every person seated in the
  	auditorium, either on floor or galleries, can see and hear
  	the two Readers who conduct the services on the platform
27	in front of the great organ. 
  	    This was the aim and object of the architect:  to con-
  	struct an auditorium that would seat five thousand people,
30	each of whom could see the Readers, and with such nicely
 
                The First Church of Christ, Scientist                   72


 1	adjusted acoustic properties that each person could hear
  	what was said. To do this it was necessary to set aside
 3	the traditions of interior church architecture. 


  	                                     [Boston Post] 

  	                     GATES OF BOSTON OPEN 

 6	    The gates of Boston are open wide in welcome to
  	nobility. Never before has the city been more fre-
  	quented by members of the titled aristocracy of the
 9	old world than it is now. From all the centres of Europe
  	there are streaming into town lords and ladies who
  	come to attend the dedication of the new church for
12	Christian Scientists. 


  	                                       [Boston Globe] 

  	CHRISTIAN SCIENTISTS HAVE ALL THE MONEY NEEDED 

15	    "Please do not send us any more money — we have
  	enough!" 
  	    Briefly that is the notice which Stephen A. Chase,
18	treasurer of the building fund of the new Christian Sci-
  	ence temple, sent forth to the thirty thousand or more
  	Christian Scientists who have come to Boston to attend
21	the dedication exercises, and also through the Chris-
  	tian Science Sentinel to members of the church all over
  	the world. 
24	    This means that nearly two million dollars has
  	been subscribed for the new building, and that every
  	cent of it was paid in before the work was actually
27	completed. 
  	    That is the way the Christian Scientists began when
  	they erected the first church in Boston twelve years ago
 
                   As Chronicled by the Newspapers                   73


 1	 — The Mother Church. Then it was found necessary
  	to issue a similar notice or order, and even to return
 3	more than ten thousand dollars which had been over-
  	subscribed. They have erected dozens of churches all
  	over this country and in other countries since that time,
 6	but it is claimed that very few of them owe a cent. 
  	    If you ask a Christian Scientist how they do it, the
  	reply will be in the form of a quotation from Science
 9	and Health (p. 494), "Divine Love always has met and
  	always will meet every human need." 


  	                                        [Boston Globe] 

12	                       THE GREAT GATHERING 

  	    Christian Scientists are flocking from all over the
  	world to Boston to-day, as they have been for several
15	days past and will be for several days to come, to attend
  	the June meetings of The Mother Church and the dedica-
  	tion of the new temple. 
18	    The headquarters was thrown open to visitors this
  	forenoon in Horticultural Hall, corner of Huntington
  	and Massachusetts Avenues. It is in charge of G. D. 
21	Robertson, and here the visitors will receive all information
  	concerning rooms and board, hotels, railroads, etc. There
  	is here also a post-office to which all mail may be directed,
24	and telegraph and telephone service. 


                                           [Boston Evening Transcript] 

  	                       SPECIAL TRAINS COMING 

27	    Special trains and extra sections of trains are due to
  	arrive in Boston to-night, bearing the first instalments of
  	the crowds of Christian Scientists from the central and
 
                The First Church of Christ, Scientist                   74


 1	western sections of this country. Those from abroad
  	and from the far West to a large degree are already in
 3	Boston. From now until Saturday night the inrush will
  	be from the sections within two or three days' ride, and
  	no doubt the night trains of Saturday will bring con-
 6	siderable numbers of belated church members from New
  	York and elsewhere who will arrive in this city just about
  	in time for the first Sunday service. 


 9	                          [Boston Evening Transcript] 

  	  INTERESTING AND AGREEABLE VISITORS 

  	    The Christian Scientists are here in force, and they are
12	very interesting and agreeable visitors, even to those who
  	are unable to accompany them in their triumph of mind
  	over matter. Boston is indebted to them for one of the
15	finest architectural achievements in this or any other city,
  	and other denominations might profit by their example of
  	paying for their church before dedicating it. It is a monu-
18	ment to the sincerity of their faith; and the pride and
  	satisfaction that is not only evident from their addresses
  	but reflected in their faces, is justifiable. They are an
21	intelligent and a happy appearing body, and even if those
  	outside are unable to believe that they have escaped from
  	the bondage of the material world, it would be idle to
24	attempt to deny them the satisfaction that springs from
  	a belief in such emancipation. Our present relations with
  	them are as the guests of the city, and as such they are
27	welcome. 
  	    Within two weeks we have had here the representatives
  	of the two poles of healing, the material and the mental,
30	and each is interesting, one for its hopefulness and the
  	other for its novelty. Whatever opinions we may enter-
  
                   As Chronicled by the Newspapers                   75


1	tain of the value of the latter, we cannot well withhold
  	our respectful acknowledgment of its enthusiasm, its
 3	energy, and its faith in its fundamentals. Its votaries
  	are certainly holding the centre of the stage this week. 


  	                                         [Boston Globe] 

 6	                      READILY ACCOMMODATED 

  	    Yesterday was a busy day at the headquarters of the
  	Christian Scientists in Horticultural Hall. They poured
 9	into the city from every direction and most of them
  	headed straight for Horticultural Hall, where they were
  	assigned rooms in hotels or lodging-houses, if they had
12	not already been provided for. So perfect have been all
  	the preliminary arrangements for the handling of a great
  	number of visitors that there has not been the slightest
15	hitch in the matter of securing accommodations. And
  	if there was it would not make much difference, for these
  	people would take it all very good-naturedly. They
18	do not get excited over trifles. They are very patient and
  	good-natured. Crowded as the hall was yesterday, and
  	warm as the day was, there was not the slightest evidence
21	of temper, no matter how far they had travelled or what
  	discomforts they might have endured in their travels. 


  	                            [Boston Evening Transcript] 

24	                         BIG CHURCH IS PAID FOR 

  	    According to the custom of the Christian Scientists, the
  	big addition to The Mother Church will be dedicated
27	to-morrow free from debt. No church has ever yet been
  	dedicated by this denomination with any part of the
  	expense of its construction remaining unprovided for, and
 
                The First Church of Christ, Scientist                   76


 1	it went without saying that the same practice would be
  	followed with this new two-million-dollar edifice, the
 3	largest of them all. Up to within ten days the notices
  	that more money was needed had been in circulation,
  	and new contributions were constantly being received;
 6	but on June 2 it became evident to the Board of Direct-
  	ors that enough money was on hand to provide for the
  	entire cost of the building, and the formal announcement
 9	was made that no more contributions to the building fund
  	were needed. That it was received with rejoicing by the
  	thousands of church members and their friends only feebly
12	expresses the gratification. 
  	    A similar decision was reached and published at the
  	time of the dedication of The Mother Church in 1895, all
15	of which goes to show the earnestness and loyalty which
  	Christian Scientists manifest in the support of their
  	church work, and which enables them to dedicate their
18	churches free of debt without exception. The estimated
  	cost of the extension of The Mother Church was pledged
  	by the members assembled in their annual church meeting
21	in Boston, in 1902, and all contributions have been
  	voluntary. 


  	                                        [New York Herald] 

24	                 GIANT TEMPLE FOR SCIENTISTS 

  	    There will be dedicated in Boston to-morrow the
  	first great monument to Christian Science, the new two-
27	million-dollar cathedral erected by the devotees of a
  	religion which twenty-seven years ago was founded in
  	Boston by Mrs. Mary Baker Eddy with a membership
30	of twenty-six persons. 
  	    The new structure, which is now completed, has for
 
                   As Chronicled by the Newspapers                   77


 1	months been the cynosure of all eyes because of its great
  	size, beautiful architecture, and the novelty of the cult
 3	which it represents. This temple is one of the largest in
  	the world. It has a seating capacity of over five thousand. 
  	In this respect it leads the Auditorium of Chicago. Be-
 6	side it the dome of the Massachusetts State House, which
  	is the leading landmark of Boston, pales into insignificance,
  	as its dimensions are only half as great. 
 9	    From all over the world Christian Scientists are rapidly
  	gathering in this city to participate in the most notable
  	feature in the life of their cult. From beyond the Rockies,
12	from Canada, from Great Britain, and practically every
  	civilized country, daily trainloads of pilgrims are pouring
  	into Boston, and it is estimated that not less than twenty-
15	five thousand visitors will participate in the dedication. 


     	                                         [New York World] 

  	                                     DEDICATION DAY 

18	    Over the heads of a multitude which began to gather at
  	daybreak and which filled the streets leading to the mag-
  	nificent temple of the Christian Science church, there
21	pealed from the chimes a first hymn of thanksgiving at
  	six o'clock this morning. It was dedication day, and
  	Christian Scientists from all quarters of the globe were
24	present to participate in the occasion. 
  	    It was estimated that nearly forty thousand believers
  	had gathered in Boston. Word was conveyed to them that
27	the temple would open its doors absolutely free of debt,
  	every penny of the two million dollars required to build
  	the imposing edifice in the Back Bay district having
30	been secured by voluntary subscription. 
 
                The First Church of Christ, Scientist                   78


 1	    The seating capacity of the temple is five thousand,
  	and in order that all might participate in the dedication,
 3	six services, identical in character, were held during the
  	morning, afternoon, and evening. 
  	    The worshippers saw an imposing structure of gray
 6	stone with a massive dome rising to a height of two
  	hundred and twenty-four feet and visible from every
  	quarter of the city. The multitude passed through the
 9	twelve entrances beneath a series of arches in the sev-
  	eral facades. They looked upon an interior done in soft
  	gray with decorative carvings peculiarly rich and im-
12	pressive. The seating is accomplished in a semi-circular
  	sweep of mahogany pews and in triple galleries. 
  	    The offertory taken at the beginning of the services
15	found every basket piled high with bank-notes, everybody
  	contributing, and none proffering small change. 
  	    At the close of the Lesson-Sermon, and in accordance
18	with the custom of the Christian Science church, the
  	entire congregation knelt in silent communion, followed
  	by the audible repetition of the Lord's Prayer. One of
21	the remarkable features of the services was the congre-
  	gation singing in perfect unison. The acoustic properties
  	of the temple, in spite of its vast interior, were found to
24	be perfect. 


    	                                             [Boston Globe] 

  	                               CHILDREN'S SERVICE 

27	    No mere words can convey the peculiar impressiveness
  	of the half past twelve service; the little children, awed by
  	the grandeur of the great room in which they were seated,
30	drinking in every word of the exercises and apparently
  	understanding all they heard, joining with their shrill
 
                   As Chronicled by the Newspapers                   79


 1	voices in the singing and responsive reading, and then, at
  	the last, kneeling for silent communion before the pews, in
 3	absolute stillness, their eyes closed and their solemn little
  	faces turned upward. 


  	                                   [Norfolk (Neb.) Tribune] 

 6	                      ON A FAR HIGHER PEDESTAL 

  	    To those who seem to see no good in Christian Science,
  	it must stagger their faith not a little to read the account
 9	of the dedication of the vast temple located in the heart
  	of the city of Boston, the supposed fountain of knowledge
  	and seat of learning of America; the spectacle of thirty
12	thousand people assembling to gain admission to the
  	temple shows an enthusiasm for Christian Science seldom
  	witnessed anywhere in the world on any occasion; and
15	this occurred in staid old Boston, and the fact was heralded
  	in flaming headlines in the leading newspapers of the
  	world. According to the despatches, that assembly was
18	not a gathering of "the vulgar throng;" the intelligence
  	and wisdom of the country were there. There certainly
  	must be something more than a fad in Christian Science,
21	which was placed upon a far higher pedestal by that
  	demonstration than it ever occupied before. 


  	                                             [Boston Herald] 

24	         THE WEDNESDAY EVENING MEETINGS 

  	    Quietly, without a trace of fanaticism, making their
  	remarkable statements with a simplicity which sprang
27	from the conviction that they would be believed, scores of
  	Christian Scientists told of cures from diseases, physical
  	and mental, at the testimony meetings that marked the
 
                The First Church of Christ, Scientist                   80


 1	close of their visit to Boston; cures that carried one back
  	to the age of miracles. To hear prosperous, contented
 3	men and women, people of substance and of standing,
  	earnestly assure thousands of auditors that they had been
  	cured of blindness, of consumption in its advanced stages,
 6	of heart disease, of cancer; that they had felt no pain
  	when having broken bones set; that when wasted unto
  	death they had been made whole, constituted a severe tax
 9	upon frail human credulity, yet they were believed. 
  	    Meetings were held in the extension of The Mother
  	Church, in the extension vestry, in the old auditorium
12	of The Mother Church, in The Mother Church vestry,
  	Horticultural Hall (Exhibition Hall), Horticultural Hall
  	(Lecture Hall), Jordan Hall, Potter Hall, Howe and
15	Woolson Halls, Chickering Hall. 
  	    At each of the meetings the introductory services were
  	identical, consisting of hymns, an appropriate reading
18	from the Bible, and selections from "Science and Health
  	with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Mary Baker
  	Eddy. 
21	    Fifteen thousand Scientists crowded into the auditorium
  	of the extension of The Mother Church, into the old
  	church, into Horticultural Hall, Jordan Hall, Potter Hall,
24	Woolson Hall, and Chickering Hall, and it took ten
  	meetings to accommodate the great throngs who wanted
  	to give testimony or who wanted to hear it. And when
27	these places had all been filled, there were many hundreds
  	waiting vainly in the streets. A few were upon the scene
  	as early as three o'clock in the afternoon to secure seats
30	in the main body of the church, where the largest meeting
  	was held, and long before seven the auditorium was com-
  	fortably filled. 
 
                   As Chronicled by the Newspapers                   81


 1	    Upon entering The Mother Church one was immediately
  	struck with the air of well-being and of prosperity of the
 3	great congregation. The Scientists fairly radiate good
  	nature and healthy satisfaction with life. No pessimistic
  	faces there! So ingrained is this good nature, so complete
 6	this self-abnegation, that at the very height of fervor, when
  	bursting with a desire to testify to the benefits and the
  	healing power of the faith, one of them would pause and
 9	laughingly give precedence to another who had been the
  	first to catch the Reader's eye. 
  	    When Mr. McCrackan announced at the main meet-
12	ing that they were ready to receive testimony, up
  	leaped half a dozen Scientists. They had been told to
  	name, before beginning, the places where they lived. 
15	"Indianapolis!" "Des Moines!" "Glasgow!" "Cuba!" 
  	"Dresden!" "Peoria!"  they cried. No more cosmo-
  	politan audience ever sat in Boston. 
18	    Those who poured out their debts of gratitude for ills
  	cured, for hearts lifted up, spoke simply and gratefully,
  	but occasionally the voices would ring out in a way there
21	was no mistaking. In those people was the depth of
  	sincerity, and, when they sang, the volume of holy song
  	rose tingling to the great dome, swelling as one voice. 
24	It was a practical demonstration of the Scientist claims,
  	a fitting close to a memorable week. 
  	    If an attempt were made to give any account of the
27	marvellous cures narrated at the meetings of the Scien-
  	tists, or wherever two or more of them are met together,
  	it would be impossible to convey a conception of the
30	fervor of belief with which each tells his or her experi-
  	ence. These are tales of people of standing and of
  	substance, professional men, hard-headed shrewd busi-
 
                The First Church of Christ, Scientist                   82


 1	ness men. Yet they all have the same stories of their
  	conversion, either through a cure to themselves or to
 3	one near and dear to them. 


                                                   [Boston Herald] 

  	                                   EXODUS BEGINS 

 6	    For a while this morning it looked as though all the
  	Christian Scientists who have been crowding Boston
  	the last week were trying to get away at the same
 9	time. Hotels, boarding-houses, and private houses
  	were disgorging trunks and smaller articles of baggage
  	so fast that it was a matter of wonder where there
12	could be secured express wagons enough to accommo-
  	date the demand. 
  	    At the dedicatory services of The Mother Church
15	extension on Sunday, and at the sessions of the annual
  	meeting, Tuesday, it was the pride of the Church Direct-
  	ors that the edifice was emptied of its crowds in some-
18	thing like ten minutes. It would seem that this ability
  	to get away when the entertainment is over is a dis-
  	tinguishing characteristic of Christian Scientists, for at
21	noon to-day [June 14] the indications were that Boston
  	would be emptied of its twenty thousand and more vis-
  	itors by midnight to-night. 
24	    Transportation facilities at the two stations were taxed
  	to the utmost from early morning, and trains pulled out
  	of the city in double sections. 
27	    Although the Scientists came to Boston in such numbers
  	and are departing with such remarkable expedition, their
  	going will not be noticeable to the residents of Boston,
30	except perhaps those living in the streets leading directly
 
                   As Chronicled by the Newspapers                   83


 1	to Horticultural Hall. This fact will be due to the
  	custom Christian Scientists have of never going about
 3	labelled. Ordinarily the holding of a great convention
  	is patent to every one residing in the convention city. 
  	Up at Horticultural Hall the one hundred and fifty
 6	members of the local arrangement committee wore tiny
  	white, unmarked buttons, for their own self-identification,
  	otherwise there has been no flaunting of badges or
 9	insignia of any kind. Christian Scientists frequently
  	wear a small pin, but this is usually hidden away in
  	the laces of the women's frocks, and the men go
12	entirely unadorned. 
  	    Therefore, with the exception of the street-car men
  	and policemen, who will doubtless have fewer questions
15	as to locality to answer, and the hotel and restaurant
  	keepers, who will have time to rest and sleep, the pub-
  	lic at large will scarcely realize that the Scientists have
18	gone. 


  	              WHAT THE BOSTON EDITORS SAID 

  	                            [Boston Daily Advertiser] 

21	    The meeting of the Christian Scientists in this city
  	naturally takes on a tone of deserved satisfaction, in view
  	of the announcement, which has just been made, that the
24	two million dollars needed for the construction of the new
  	temple has been raised even before the building itself has
  	been completed. 
27	    The thirty thousand visitors have other evidences of
  	the strength and growth of their organization, which has
  	made steady gains in recent years. But of this particu-
30	lar example of the readiness of the members to bear
  	each his or her share of the necessary expense of church
 
                The First Church of Christ, Scientist                   84


 1	work, the facts speak more plainly than mere assertion
  	could. Nothing is more of a drag on a church than a
 3	heavy debt, the interest on which calls for practically all
  	the resources of the institution. Many a clergyman can
  	testify from his own experience how a "church debt"
 6	cramps and retards and holds back work that would
  	otherwise be done. It is a rule in some denominations
  	that a church edifice may not be formally dedicated until
 9	it be wholly free from debt. And the experience of many
  	generations has affirmed its wisdom. 


  	                                             [Boston Herald] 

12	    Boston is the Mecca for Christian Scientists all over the
  	world. The new temple is something to be proud of. Its
  	stately cupola is a fitting crown for the other architec-
15	tural efforts in that section of the Back Bay. 


  	                                    [Boston Evening Record] 

  	    Boston is near to another great demonstration of the
18	growth of the Christian Science idea in numbers, wealth,
  	vigor, and faithful adherence. It is a remarkable story
  	which the gathering here tells. Its very magnitude and
21	the cheerful optimism and energy of its followers im-
  	press even the man who cannot reconcile himself to
  	the methods and tenets of the sect. Its hold and
24	development are most notable. 


  	                                            [Boston Post] 

  	    The gathering of Christian Scientists for the dedication
27	of the beautiful structure on Falmouth Street, which is
  	to take place on Sunday, is notable in many ways. It
 
                   As Chronicled by the Newspapers                   85


 1	is remarkable in the character of the assembling mem-
  	bership, in its widely international range, and in the
 3	significance of the occasion. 
  	    The growth of this cult is the marvel of the age. Thirty
  	years ago it was comparatively unknown; one church
 6	and a mere handful of members measured its vogue. 
  	To-day its adherents number probably a million, its
  	churches have risen by hundreds, and its congregations
 9	meet in Europe and in the antipodes, as from the Atlantic
  	to the Pacific on this continent. 
  	    One does not need to accept the doctrines of Mrs.
12	Eddy to recognize the fact that this wonderful woman
  	is a world power. This is conclusive; it is conspicu-
  	ously manifest. And here in Boston the zeal and
15	enthusiasm of the followers of this creed have been
  	manifested in the building of a church structure which
  	will hold place among the architectural beauties of the
18	country. 


  	                                     [Boston Herald] 

  	    Another glory for Boston, another "landmark" set
21	in the illustrious list for future generations to reverence
  	and admire! The Science church has become the great
  	centre of attraction, not merely for its thousands of wor-
24	shippers, but for a multitude of strangers to whom this
  	historic city is the Mecca of their love and duty. Last
  	Sunday it was entirely credible that the spirit of faith
27	and brotherhood rested on this structure, which is abso-
  	lutely unique in its symmetrical and appropriate design. 
  	Aside from every other consideration, this church, with
30	its noble dome of pure gray tint, forming one of the
  	few perfect sky-lines in an American city, is doubly
  
                The First Church of Christ, Scientist                   86


1	welcomed. Henceforth the greeting of admiring eyes,
  	too often unaccustomed to fine architectural effects, will
 3	be constant and sincere. 
  	    As Boston has ever loved its golden State House
  	dome, so will it now find pleasure in this new symbol,
 6	brooding elevation, guarding as it were, embracing as it
  	may be, the hosts of a new religion. 


  	                                            [Boston Globe] 

 9	    Thousands of Christian Scientists have been pouring
  	into Boston in the past few days to be present at the
  	dedication yesterday of their new two-million-dollar
12	church, and to take part in the subsequent ceremonies and
  	exercises. Not only was every cent of the estimated cost
  	contributed before the actual work was completed, but
15	the treasurer of the building fund of the great temple
  	appealed to his brethren to give no more money, since he
  	had enough. This must be regarded as an extraordinary
18	achievement, and one which indicates plainly enough the
  	generosity of the devotion that the Christian Scientists
  	maintain towards their church. 


21	                                             [Boston Post] 

  	    The dedication of the edifice of the Christian Scientists
  	on the Back Bay has proved one of the most interest-
24	ing and in some of its aspects the most notable of such
  	occasions. 
  	    The attendance at the ceremonies yesterday was re-
27	markable, probably unprecedented, as regards numbers. 
  	Not even the great size of the auditorium could accom-
  	modate the throng of participants. At each of the iden-
30	tical services, repeated at intervals from early morning
 
                   As Chronicled by the Newspapers                   87


 1	until the evening, the attendance was greater than the
  	building could contain. And the transportation facilities
 3	of the town have been strained to their utmost to care
  	for the multitudes going and coming. 
  	    The temporary increase of the population of Boston has
 6	been apparent to the most casual observer. And so, we
  	think, must be the characteristics of this crowd of visitors. 
  	It is a pleasant, congenial, quietly happy, well-to-do,
 9	intellectual, and cheerfully contented multitude that has
  	invaded the town. There are among them visitors of
  	title and distinction, but one does not notice these unless
12	they are pointed out. The impression created is that of
  	a great gathering of people we like to know and like to
  	have here. 
15	    We congratulate these comfortable acquaintances upon
  	the fact that they have their costly church fully paid for,
  	and we feel that Boston is to be congratulated upon the
18	acquisition of an edifice so handsome architecturally. 


  	                                        [Boston Herald] 

  	    I do not think I have ever seen more cheerful looking
21	groups of people than I have met in Boston during the
  	past few days. Their happy faces would make sunshine
  	on the grayest day. If Christian Science gives such
24	serene, beautiful expressions, it would not be a bad thing
  	if all the world turned to the new religion. There is one
  	thing about it:  it is certainly imbued with the spirit of
27	unselfishness and helpfulness, and, whatever one's special
  	creed may be, there is nothing antagonistic to it in this
  	doctrine of health, happiness, and in the cheerful doing
30	of good. 
 
                The First Church of Christ, Scientist                   88


 1	               GENERAL EDITORIAL OPINION 

  	                                 [Montreal (Can.) Gazette] 

 3	    Twenty thousand Christian Scientists have assembled
  	at Boston to attend the opening of their great new
  	temple. Christian Science, as now before this conti-
 6	nent, is the development of a short lifetime. It shows
  	strength in all parts, and among classes above the aver-
  	age in intelligence. 


 9	                                 [Concord (N. H.) Monitor] 

  	    The dedication, Sunday, in Boston, of the new Mother
  	Church of the Christian Science faith was a ceremonial of
12	far more than usual ecclesiastic significance. The edifice
  	itself is so rich in the architectural symbolisms of aspira-
  	tion and faith, its proportions are so large, and its accom-
15	modations are so wide, that its dedication abounds in
  	remarkable external manifestations which must arrest
  	public attention. But externals constitute the smallest
18	feature of the Christian Science faith, and this beau-
  	tiful temple, striking as are its beauties, is only a slight
  	and material development in evidence of that beauty and
21	serenity of faith, life, and love which finds its temple in
  	the heart of all that increasing host who have found the
  	truths of Christian Science to be a marvellous revelation
24	given to this generation by a noble and devoted woman,
  	to whom they rightfully turn with respect and affection. 


  	                                  [Brooklyn (N. Y.) Eagle] 

27	    The stoutest enemies of Christian Science will confess
  	at least an aesthetic debt to that great and growing cult,
  	which is implied in the building of a great church in Bos-
 
                   As Chronicled by the Newspapers                   89


 1	ton. This church is one of the largest and seemliest in
  	America, and in its size, if not in its aspect, it may be
 3	held to symbolize that faith which is so much a faith
  	that all facts inhospitable to it are deemed by its pro-
  	fessors not to exist at all. The building is of light stone,
 6	with a dome over two hundred and twenty feet high, a
  	chime of bells, and one of the largest organs in the world. 
  	The architect has joined lightness and grace to solidity,
 9	and the edifice needs only an open space about it, such
  	as one finds in the English cathedrals, to achieve its
  	extreme of beauty. A sect that leaves such a monument
12	has not lived in vain. 
  	    A remarkable thing in this building is that, although
  	it cost two million dollars, it is not blanketed with debts
15	and mortgages. Everything, even to the flagstones in
  	front of it, is paid for, and subscriptions are not solic-
  	ited. Here is an occasion for joy that marks it as dif-
18	ferent from almost all other of the Christian churches,
  	where petitions for money are almost as constant as
  	petitions for divine mercy. 


21	                                   [Denver (Col.) News] 

  	    The dedication of the new Mother Church of the
  	Christian Scientists in Boston is not a matter of interest
24	to that city alone, but to the nation; not to the nation
  	alone, but to the world; not to this time alone, but to
  	history. 
27	    The growth of this form of religious faith has been one of
  	the marvels of the last quarter century. It is, in some
  	respects, the greatest religious phenomenon of all history. 
30	That a woman should found a religious movement of
  	international sway; that its followers should number
 
                The First Church of Christ, Scientist                   90


 1	many thousands during her lifetime; that hundreds of
  	great buildings should be filled at every meeting Sun-
 3	days or on week-days with devout worshippers, wooed
  	by no eloquence of orator or magnetic ritual, — all these
  	things are new, utterly new, in the history of religious
 6	expression. 
  	    Unaccountable? Hardly so. Whatever else it is, this
  	faith is real and is given very real tests. Thousands upon
 9	thousands believe that it has cured them of diseases many
  	and diverse. All the passionate love for life with which
  	nature endows the children of men, grips hold of their
12	faith and insures fidelity in pain or death for self or dear
  	ones. But, while health-seeking is the door to this gospel
  	for many, it is not the only source of appeal. A faith
15	which teaches that hate is atheism, that discord is poison-
  	ous, that gloom is sin, has a mission that can be readily
  	grasped by sick or well. 
18	    The world is enormously richer for this reincarnation of
  	the old, old gospel of "on earth peace, good will toward
  	men." 


21	                                    [Terre Haute (Ind.) Star] 

  	    The dedication of The Mother Church of Christian
  	Science at Boston, with its paid-up cost of two million
24	dollars and its tremendous outpouring of eager commu-
  	nicants from all over the civilized world, is an event of
  	impressiveness and momentous significance. The historic
27	place of Mrs. Eddy as the Founder of a great denomination
  	can no longer be questioned, and the sources of her power
  	and following can be readily apprehended. Prominent
30	among these is the denomination's peculiar department of
  	healing, the efficacy of which to some extent is established
 
                   As Chronicled by the Newspapers                  91


 1	beyond cavil. The immense membership of the body is
  	proof positive that it supplies these persons, most of
 3	whom were already nominal Christians, something they
  	did not find in other communions. It affords refutation
  	of the notion that spiritual and mystic mediation has
 6	been drowned out in this so-called commercial age. The
  	Christian Scientists set a good example to other denomi-
  	nations in requiring their church edifices to be fully paid
 9	for before they are dedicated. It is to be said for Chris-
  	tian Science that no person's spiritual aspirations were
  	ever deadened or his moral standards debased through
12	its agency. Its communicants are cheerful and shed
  	sunshine about them — no insignificant element in true
  	Christianity. 


15	                                 [Lafayette (Ind.) Journal] 

  	    The dedication of a Christian Science temple at Boston
  	serves to call attention to one of the most remarkable
18	religious movements that this country or any other country
  	has ever known. It has not been very many years since
  	Christian Science was announced as a discovery of Mary
21	Baker Eddy of Concord, N. H. The few thousand persons
  	who followed Mrs. Eddy during the first years of her
  	preaching were the objects of much ridicule, but despite
24	the obstacles put in the way the church has continued to
  	grow. Its growth in numbers is remarkable, but even
  	stranger is its increase in wealth. The temple which has
27	just been dedicated at Boston cost two million dollars,
  	and is one of the finest places of worship in the world,
  	at least it is the largest in New England. This Mother
30	Church is absolutely free from debt. After but a few
  	years, Christian Science has congregations in every im-
 
                The First Church of Christ, Scientist                   92


 1	portant town and city of the United States. Of course
  	the new idea will never have determined its real position
 3	in the doctrines of the world until it has stood the test of
  	time. But its beginning has been impressive, and that
  	large numbers of intelligent men and women should be
 6	converted to it makes it appear that Science cannot
  	be brushed aside by ridicule alone. 


  	                        [Springfield (Mass.) Republican] 

 9	    The prodigious convention of Christian Scientists in
  	Boston is a portent worthy of perhaps even more interest
  	than it has evoked in that city, where a new temple to
12	Isis and Osiris would be hardly more than a day's wonder. 
  	With the swift growth of the new faith the public has in
  	a general way been familiar; it is but a few years ago that
15	the astonishing revelation was made that since 1890 its
  	following had increased from an insignificant number to
  	hundreds of thousands, a rate at which every other sect in
18	the country would soon be left behind. But mere statistics
  	give a feeble impression in comparison with so huge and
  	concrete a demonstration as the dedication of this vast
21	temple. The statistics have been ridiculed by the hostile
  	as mere guesswork, but one cannot sneer away the two-
  	million-dollar stone edifice or the thirty thousand wor-
24	shippers who entered its portals Sunday. 


  	                        [Rochester (N. Y.) Post Express] 

  	    There are two things to be said in favor of Christian
27	Science. Its growth has been wonderfully rapid, and due
  	apparently to nothing save the desire in the human heart
  	for some such comfort as it promises. Christian Scientists,
 
                   As Chronicled by the Newspapers                  93


 1	as a class, so far as the writer knows them, are happy,
  	gentle, and virtuous. They are multiplying without
 3	efforts at proselytizing; they are in no wise at war with
  	society; and they have little of the spirit of bigotry. The
  	dedication of their great church in Boston is a material
 6	evidence of their prosperity; and it may be said that if
  	their opinions seem visionary, there is nothing in them
  	to attract any class save the moderately well-to-do, the
 9	intelligent, and the well-behaved. It has been said
  	cynically that a religion prospers according to the pledges
  	which it holds out to its votaries; and though Christian
12	Science promises nothing in the way of gratifying the
  	passions or attaining dominion over others, yet it has
  	rare lures for weary hearts, — physical health and spiritual
15	peace. 


  	                          [Topeka (Kan.) Daily Capital] 

  	    Those of us who do not accept the doctrine of Christian
18	Science are possibly too prone to approach it in a spirit
  	of levity, too often disposed to touch upon it with the
  	tongue of facetiousness. Too often we see only its ridic-
21	ulous phases, attaching meanwhile no importance to
  	the saneness and common sense which underlie many of
  	the practices in its name. And many of us have missed
24	entirely its tremendous growth and the part it has come
  	to play in the economy of our social and religious life. 
  	    To those of us who have overlooked these essentials of
27	its hold upon the public, certain statistics brought to light
  	by the great meeting of the church now being held in
  	Boston will come in the nature of a revelation. In 1890
30	the faith had but an insignificant following. To-day its
  	adherents number hundreds of thousands, and if the
 
                The First Church of Christ, Scientist                   94


 1	growth continues in like proportion through another
  	decade every other sect will be left behind in the race for
 3	numerical supremacy. The figures given out by the
  	church itself have been ridiculed by the hostile as mere
  	guesswork, but some of the evidence appears in the con-
 6	crete and cannot be combated. "One cannot sneer away
  	the two-million-dollar stone edifice or the thirty thousand
  	worshippers who entered its portals Sunday," says the
 9	Springfield Republican. Neither can we overlook the
  	steady, consistent growth of the sect in every commu-
  	nity in which it has found a foothold. In the adherence
12	of its converts to the faith, and in the absence of dissent
  	among them in the interpretation of its tenets, there is
  	also much to convince the skeptic. 


15	                               [Albany (N. Y.) Knickerbocker] 

  	    The remarkable growth and the apparent permanency
  	of Christian Science were noted in the recent dedication in
18	Boston of the magnificent new temple of the cult. When
  	the doors were opened to the public, the structure was free
  	from debt. While the dedicatory services were being held
21	at different hours of the day, forty thousand Christian Sci-
  	entists from every State in the Union and from many for-
  	eign countries were in attendance. 
24	    Although Mrs. Eddy, the Founder of Christian Science,
  	was not in attendance, she sent greetings in which she
  	declared that the "crowning ultimate" of the church
27	"rises to a mental monument, a superstructure high above
  	the work of men's hands, even the outcome of their
  	hearts, giving to the material a spiritual significance — 
30	the speed, beauty, and achievements of goodness." 
  	    But a few years ago, men there were who predicted that
 
                   As Chronicled by the Newspapers                  95


 1	Christian Science would soon be included among the cults
  	which flourish for a time like a green bay-tree, and are
 3	then forgotten. Those predictions have not been verified. 
  	The church which has been built upon the tenets first
  	presented by Mrs. Eddy is being constantly strengthened
 6	by members who represent the intelligence of many
  	communities in different parts of the world. 


  	                     [Mexican Herald, City of Mexico, Mex.] 

 9	    The dedication of the magnificent Christian Science
  	church in Boston has brought that cheerful and pros-
  	perous body of believers before the press gallery of com-
12	mentators. They have built a huge church, which has
  	cost them about two million dollars, and it has a dome
  	which rivals that of the famous old Massachusetts State
15	House. During the great assembly of forty thousand
  	Christian Scientists in Boston they were described in the
  	newspapers of the Hub as a contented and well-dressed
18	body of people. 
  	    The faith of these people is certainly great. They go
  	about telling of miracles performed in this twentieth cen-
21	tury when "advanced" clergymen of other denominations
  	are avowing their disbelief in the miraculous. 
  	    The higher critics and the men of science may think
24	they can banish faith in the supernatural, but no religion
  	of growth and vitality exists without faith in the things
  	unseen. 


27	                            [Sandusky (Ohio) Star-Journal] 

  	    It is doubtful if, since the days of the primitive Chris-
  	tians, there has been such a wonderful demonstration of
30	religious faith and enlightened zeal as that exhibited at
 
                The First Church of Christ, Scientist                   96


 1	Boston, Sunday, when forty thousand Christian Scientists
  	from all parts of the world assembled to participate in
 3	the dedication of the extension of The Mother Church
  	of that denomination. These people were of the highest
  	order of intelligence, many of them prominent figures in
 6	the social and business world, and none of them afflicted
  	with the slightest trace of fanaticism. The gathering
  	can in no sense, save one, be compared with those of
 9	Mecca and the Hindu shrines, where fanaticism domi-
  	nates everything else. The one point of resemblance is
  	that the Christian Scientists are thoroughly in earnest
12	and take joy in attesting their faith in the creed of the
  	church of their choice. It is a faith based upon rea-
  	son, and reached only through intelligent and unbiased
15	study and comparison with other creeds. 
  	    A remarkable feature, perhaps the most remarkable, of
  	the gathering was the generosity of its adherents towards
18	their church. The building they were in Boston to dedi-
  	cate cost approximately two million dollars. Members
  	were invited to contribute what they could to pay for it. 
21	The money was sent in such quantities that before the day
  	set for the dedication arrived the fund was full to over-
  	flowing and the members were asked to quit giving. 


24	                                    [Peoria (Ill.) Journal] 

  	    It is the custom to sneer at Christian Science, but it is
  	evident that the cult will soon be beyond the sneering
27	point. The dedication of what is known as The Mother
  	Church extension in Boston, the other day, was attended
  	by people from all parts of the United States. And they
30	were people of intelligence. 
  	    The fact is that Christian Science just goes a little
 
                   As Chronicled by the Newspapers                  97


 1	beyond what almost every one is inclined to admit. The
  	best physicians now admit the power of mind over matter. 
 3	They believe that firm faith on the part of a sick per-
  	son, for instance, will go far towards making the patient
  	well. These same physicians, however, ridicule the idea
 6	of a patient getting well without the use of medicine. 
  	It has yet to be shown that of the sick who abjure
  	medicine a larger proportion have died than among
 9	those who were medically treated. The Journal has
  	kept no books on the subject, and is not a Christian
  	Scientist, but believes that if the figures could be given
12	they might show that the Scientists have a little the
  	advantage so far as this goes. 


  	                   [Nebraska State Journal, Lincoln, Neb.] 

15	    Zion's Herald, a rather bitter critic of Mrs. Eddy and
  	her cult, speaks of "the audacious, stupendous, inex-
  	plicable faith of this well-dressed, good-looking, emi-
18	nently respectable, evidently wealthy congregation in
  	their teacher and her utterances." The opening of the
  	new Mother Church of the Christian Science faith
21	at Boston has opened the eyes of the country anew to
  	the growth of the new church and the zeal of its
  	membership. 


24	                               [Athol (Mass.) Transcript] 

  	    The Christian Scientists who descended upon Boston
  	to the number of forty thousand last week to dedicate the
27	new temple, just built at a cost of two million dollars, have
  	mostly departed, but Boston has not yet recovered from
  	the effects produced by that stupendous gathering. The
30	incidents witnessed during the week were calculated to
 
                The First Church of Christ, Scientist                   98


 1	impress the most determined skeptic. Forty thousand
  	people truly make up a mighty host, but these, it is de-
 3	clared, are but a twentieth of the Christian Science army
  	in this country to-day, and this is the wonderful growth
  	of less than a score of years. Christian Science may be
 6	anything that its foes try to prove it to be, but that mag-
  	nificent church, holding five thousand people, dedicated
  	free from debt, and the centre of an enthusiasm and rever-
 9	ence of worship such as religious annals hardly parallel
  	in modern times, is a tangible reality, and critics who
  	seek the light must have done with scoffs and jeers if
12	they would deal with the phenomenon with any effect. 


  	                                 [Portland (Ore.) Telegram] 

  	    The last issue of the Christian Science Sentinel contains
15	a rather remarkable announcement to the effect that
  	friends were requested to send no more money for the
  	building of the church which was recently dedicated at
18	Boston. This structure cost about two million dollars,
  	and all of the funds required to build it were raised in a
  	little less than three years. It was dedicated absolutely
21	free of debt, and no member of the church anywhere,
  	in this country or elsewhere, was asked to contribute a
  	dollar. Contributions were entirely voluntary. No re-
24	sort was had to any of the latter-day methods of raising
  	money. The record is one of which any church might
  	well be proud. 


27	                                  [Portland (Me.) Advertiser] 

  	    The erection in Boston of the two-million-dollar church
  	of the Christian Scientists and its dedication free from
30	debt has been a wonderful achievement, but as our con-
 
                   As Chronicled by the Newspapers                  99


 1	temporary, the Boston Times, comments, it is but one of
  	the marvellous, great, and really good things that this
 3	sect is doing. It says: "A faith which is able to raise
  	its believers above the suffering of petty ills; a religion
  	that makes the merry heart that doeth good like a
 6	medicine, not a necessity, but a pleasure and an essen-
  	tial; a cult able to promote its faith with so great an
  	aggregation of good and beneficial works, is welcomed
 9	within our midst and bidden Godspeed." 


  	                            [Denver (Col.) Republican] 

  	    Christian Scientists are a remarkably optimistic body
12	of people, and it must be said in their behalf that they
  	are enthusiasts whenever their form of religion is con-
  	cerned. They have recently built a splendid cathedral in
15	Boston, seating five thousand people, at a cost of two
  	million dollars, and when it was dedicated there was not a
  	cent of indebtedness left. Thirty thousand of the faith,
18	coming from all parts of the world, attended the dedicatory
  	exercises, and the press reports state that the contribution
  	baskets when passed around were literally stuffed and
21	jammed with money. 
  	    Less than a generation ago there was not a Christian
  	Science church in the land. To-day there are hundreds
24	of such churches. The denomination has grown with a
  	rapidity that is startling, and the end is not yet. 


  	                               [Bridgeport (Conn.) Standard] 

27	    Facts and figures are stubborn things, and ignore them
  	as we may their existence points out their meaning and
  	leaves no choice but the acceptance of them at their
30	face value. The recent dedication of a Christian Science
 
                The First Church of Christ, Scientist                  100


 1	temple in Boston has inevitably brought out in connection
  	with the event some of the facts and figures belonging to
 3	it, which are as remarkable in their aggregate as they are
  	unmistakable in their trend. The temple recently dedi-
  	cated at Boston cost about two million dollars and is
 6	therefore the property of no poverty-stricken sect. On
  	the Sunday of the dedication, thirty thousand worshippers
  	were present in the building, coming from all, or nearly
 9	all, parts of the country, and representing a vast number
  	of the followers of the cult. 
  	    It is only twenty-five years, or thereabout, since the
12	Christian Science sect made its appearance as a dis-
  	tinctive organization among religious bodies, but its
  	members are numbered by thousands to-day, and they
15	are very generally of a class who are reputable, intelli-
  	gent, and who think for themselves.
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