0.0 – Christian Science – 16 Books by Mary Baker Eddy – Bk 10 – Miscellaneous Writings – Chpt 10 – Inklings Historic – Subtitles

Historic, Inklings

Inklings Historic 

 1	    About the year 1862, while the author of this work
  	was at Dr. Vail's Hydropathic Institute in New
 3	Hampshire, this occurred:  A patient considered incur-
  	able left that institution, and in a few weeks returned
   	apparently well, having been healed, as he informed
 6	the patients, by one Mr. P. P. Quimby of Portland,
  	Maine. 
  	    After much consultation among ourselves, and a struggle
 9	with pride, the author, in company with several other
  	patients, left the water-cure, en route for the aforesaid
  	doctor in Portland. He proved to be a magnetic practi-
12	tioner. His treatment seemed at first to relieve her, but
  	signally failed in healing her case. 
  	    Having practised homoeopathy, it never occurred to the
15	author to learn his practice, but she did ask him how
  	manipulation could benefit the sick. He answered kindly
  	and squarely, in substance, "Because it conveys electricity
18	to them." That was the sum of what he taught her of
  	his medical profession. 
  	    The readers of my books cannot fail to see that meta-
21	physical therapeutics, as in Christian Science, are farther
  	removed from such thoughts than the nebulous system
  	is from the earth. 

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  page 379

 1	    After treating his patients, Mr. Quimby would retire
  	to an anteroom and write at his desk. I had a curiosity
 3	to know if he indited anything pathological relative to
  	his patients, and asked if I could see his pennings on
  	my case. He immediately presented them. I read the
 6	copy in his presence, and returned it to him. The com-
  	position was commonplace, mostly descriptive of the gen-
  	eral appearance, height, and complexion of the individual,
 9	and the nature of the case:  it was not at all metaphysi-
  	cal or scientific; and from his remarks I inferred that
  	his writings usually ran in the vein of thought presented
12	by these. He was neither a scholar nor a metaphysician. 
  	I never heard him say that matter was not as real as Mind,
  	or that electricity was not as potential or remedial, or
15	allude to God as the divine Principle of all healing. He
  	certainly had advanced views of his own, but they com-
  	mingled error with truth, and were not Science. On
18	his rare humanity and sympathy one could write a
  	sonnet. 
  	    I had already experimented in medicine beyond the
21	basis of materia medica, — up to the highest attenuation
  	in homoeopathy, thence to a mental standpoint not un-
  	derstood, and with phenomenally good results;¹ mean-
24	while, assiduously pondering the solution of this great
  	question:  Is it matter, or is it Mind, that heals the
  	sick? 
27	    It was after Mr. Quimby's death that I discovered,
  	in 1866, the momentous facts relating to Mind and its
  	superiority over matter, and named my discovery Chris-
30	tian Science. Yet, there remained the difficulty of ad-
  	justing in the scale of Science a metaphysical practice,

  	     ¹See Science and Health, p. 47, revised edition of 1890, and
33	 pp. 152, 153 in late editions.
 
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1	and settling the question, What shall be the outward
  	sign of such a practice:  if a divine Principle alone heals,
 3	what is the human modus for demonstrating this, — in
  	short, how can sinful mortals prove that a divine Principle
  	heals the sick, as well as governs the universe, time,
 6	space, immortality, man? 
  	    When contemplating the majesty and magnitude of
  	this query, it looked as if centuries of spiritual growth
 9	were requisite to enable me to elucidate or to dem-
  	onstrate what I had discovered:  but an unlooked-for,
  	imperative call for help impelled me to begin this stu-
12	pendous work at once, and teach the first student in
  	Christian Science. Even as when an accident, called
  	fatal to life, had driven me to discover the Science of
15	Life, I again, in faith, turned to divine help, — and com-
  	menced teaching. 
  	    My students at first practised in slightly differing
18	forms. Although I could heal mentally, without a sign
  	save the immediate recovery of the sick, my students'
  	patients, and people generally, called for a sign — a ma-
21	terial evidence wherewith to satisfy the sick that some-
  	thing was being done for them; and I said, "Suffer it
  	to be so now," for thus saith our Master. Experience,
24	however, taught me the impossibility of demonstrating
  	the Science of metaphysical healing by any outward form
  	of practice. 
27	    In April, 1883, a bill in equity was filed in the United
  	States Circuit Court in Boston, to restrain, by decree and
  	order of the Court, the unlawful publishing and use of an
30	infringing pamphlet printed and issued by a student of
  	Christian Science. 
  	    Answer was filed by the defendant, alleging that the
 
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1	copyrighted works of Mrs. Eddy were not original with
  	her, but had been copied by her, or by her direction,
 3	from manuscripts originally composed by Dr. P. P. 
  	Quimby. 
  	    Testimony was taken on the part of Mrs. Eddy, the
 6	defendant being present personally and by counsel. The
  	time for taking testimony on the part of the defendant
  	having nearly expired, he gave notice through his coun-
 9	sel that he should not put in testimony. Later, Mrs.
  	Eddy requested her lawyer to inquire of defendant's
  	counsel why he did not present evidence to support his
12	claim that Dr. Quimby was the author of her writings! 
  	Accordingly, her counsel asked the defendant's counsel
  	this question, and he replied, in substance, "There is
15	no evidence to present." 
  	    The stipulation for a judgment and a decree in favor
  	of Mrs. Eddy was drawn up and signed by counsel. 
18	It was ordered that the complainant (Mrs. Eddy)
  	recover of the defendant her cost of suit, taxed at
  	($113.09) one hundred thirteen and 9/100 dollars. 
21	    A writ of injunction was issued under the seal of the
  	said Court, restraining the defendant from directly or
  	indirectly printing, publishing, selling, giving away,
24	distributing, or in any way or manner disposing of,
  	the enjoined pamphlet, on penalty of ten thousand
  	dollars. 
27	    The infringing books, to the number of thirty-eight
  	hundred or thereabouts, were put under the edge of
  	the knife, and their unlawful existence destroyed, in
30	Boston, Massachusetts. 
  	    It has been written that "nobody can be both founder
  	and discoverer of the same thing." If this declaration
 
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 1	were either a truism or a rule, my experience would
  	contradict it and prove an exception. 
 3	    No works on the subject of Christian Science existed,
  	prior to my discovery of this Science. Before the publi-
  	cation of my first work on this doctrine, a few manu-
 6	scripts of mine were in circulation. The discovery and
  	founding of Christian Science has cost more than thirty
  	years of unremitting toil and unrest; but, comparing those
 9	with the joy of knowing that the sinner and the sick are
  	helped thereby, that time and eternity bear witness to
  	this gift of God to the race, I am the debtor. 
12	    In the latter half of the nineteenth century I discov-
  	ered the Science of Christianity, and restored the first
  	patient healed in this age by Christian Science. I taught
15	the first student in Christian Science Mind-healing; was
  	author and publisher of the first books on this subject;
  	obtained the first charter for the first Christian Science
18	church, originated its form of government, and was its
  	first pastor. I donated to this church the land on which
  	in 1894 was erected the first church edifice of this de-
21	nomination in Boston; obtained the first and only charter
  	for a metaphysical medical college, — was its first and
  	only president; was editor and proprietor of the first
24	Christian Science periodical; organized the first Chris-
  	tian Scientist Association, wrote its constitution and by-
  	laws, — as also the constitution and by-laws of the
27	National Christian Science Association; and gave it
  	The Christian Science Journal; inaugurated our denom-
  	inational form of Sunday services, Sunday School, and
30	the entire system of teaching and practising Christian
  	Science. 
  	    In 1895 I ordained that the Bible, and "Science and
 
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 1	Health with Key to the Scriptures," the Christian Science
  	textbook, be the pastor, on this planet, of all the churches
 3	of the Christian Science denomination. This ordinance
  	took effect the same year, and met with the universal ap-
  	proval and support of Christian Scientists. Whenever
 6	and wherever a church of Christian Science is established,
  	its pastor is the Bible and my book. 
  	    In 1896 it goes without saying, preeminent over igno-
 9	rance or envy, that Christian Science is founded by its
  	discoverer, and built upon the rock of Christ. The ele-
  	ments of earth beat in vain against the immortal parapets
12	of this Science. Erect and eternal, it will go on with the
  	ages, go down the dim posterns of time unharmed, and
  	on every battle-field rise higher in the estimation of
15	thinkers and in the hearts of Christians.