Mrs. Eddy's Place          In 1943, the Christian Science Board of Directors published a position statement based on the report of a six-member committee of editors and former editors of the Christian Science periodicals appointed by the Directors in April, 1938, "to discover just what Mrs. Eddy believed concerning herself with respect to Scriptural prophecy." The committee "was given access to Mrs. Eddy's private correspondence, as well as to her published writings. After prayerfully and carefully studying the evidence, the committee made a report to the Board of Directors of fifty-seven pages of typewritten evidence that Mrs. Eddy regarded herself as having fulfilled Bible prophecy." The Christian Science Church's doctrinal position of 1943 is as follows: MRS. EDDY'S PLACE          The position of The Mother Church as to Mary Baker Eddy's place in the fulfillment of Bible prophecy is clearly set forth in the following paragraphs. These conclusions are not new; they are confirmed by our Leader's writings, and the steadily unfolding fruitage of Christian Science bears witness to their truth.          1. Mrs. Eddy as the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, understood herself to be the one chosen of God to bring the promised Comforter to the world, and, therefore, the revelator of Christ, Truth, in this age.          2. Mrs. Eddy regarded portions of Revelation (that is, Chapter 12) as pointing to her as the one who fulfilled prophecy by giving the full and final revelation of Truth; her work thus being complementary to that of Christ Jesus.          3. As Christ Jesus exemplified the fatherhood of God, she (Mrs. Eddy) revealed God's motherhood; she represents in this age the spiritual idea of God typified by the woman in the Apocalypse. (See Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 565:13-22.)          4. Mrs. Eddy considered herself to be the "God-appointed" and "God-anointed" messenger to this age, the woman chosen by God to discover the Science of Christian healing and to interpret it to mankind; she is so closely related to Christian Science that a true sense of her is essential to the understanding of Christian Science; in other words, the revelator cannot be separated from the revelation.          5. This recognition of her true status enabled her to withstand the opposition directed against her by "the dragon" (malicious animal magnetism); she was touchingly grateful to those who saw her as the woman of prophecy and who therefore trusted, obeyed, and supported her in her mission.          6. This same recognition is equally vital to our movement, for demonstration is the result of vision; the collecting of this indisputable evidence of our Leader's own view of herself and of her mission marks a great step forward; wisely utilized, this evidence will stimulate and stabilize the growth of Christian Scientists today and in succeeding generations; it will establish unity in the field with regard to the vital question of our Leader's relation to Scriptural prophecy.          As we record these important facts, we remind Christian Scientists of our Leader's words (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 308), "The Scriptures and Christian Science reveal 'the way,' and personal revelators will take their proper place in history, but will not be deified." The Christian Science Board of Directors   "Mrs. Eddy's Place" The Christian Science Board of Directors The Christian Science Journal, July, 1943 and December, 1962 Christian Science Sentinel, June 5, 1943 and November 17, 1962

 

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