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Escape for thy
life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in
all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be
consumed.
Genesis 19:17
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Volume 2, Number 5
The
Christian Science Standard
A MOMENTOUS
STEP
The publication by The Christian Science Board
of Directors of Bliss Knapp's book The Destiny of
The Mother Church marks a step forward in the Cause
of Christian Science. The added thirty-two page
"Appendix" containing Judge Hanna's "A Prophetic
Vision" authenticates the doctrinal views of the
book by documen-ting Mrs. Eddy's approval of these
views. The twenty page chapter, "How Divinity
Reaches Humanity," is also a new addition to the
book inserted between what were the last two
chapters of the original 1947 edition.
THE FORMER
ARCHIVIST'S LETTERS
Many related items have appeared since early
September regarding the book. Chief among these
are two letters by the former Archivist of The
Mother Church, Mr. Lee Z. Johnson (August 19 and
September 6); two letters from The Christian
Science Publishing Society, by Netty Douglass
(Septem-ber 16 and October 3); an article in the
Boston Globe by Joan Vennochi; a Time Magazine
article of October 14; and finally, The New York
Times of September 30 which gives a penetrating
report.
BOOK TO BE SOLD
AS "AUTHORIZED LITERATURE"
The former Archivist, Mr. Johnson, states in
his letter of August 19 the will stipulates "...
said church and said Publish-ing Society will cause
said book [Destiny] to continue to be so
published and to be main-tained for sale as
authorized literature of said Church...."
A NEW DEFINITION
FOR "AUTHORIZED"
In reply to Mr. Johnson's letter the Christian
Science Publishing Society sent a letter to all
members of The Mother Church, over the signature of
Netty Douglass, dated October 3 (inclosing a copy
of their letter of September 16 to all
prac-titioners) indi-cating that the term
"authorized litera-ture" has now been redefin-ed.
Where in the past "authori-zed litera-ture" meant
that which was "correct, consistent with what Mrs.
Eddy taught," (Gottschalk, Miami Herald, October
11, 1991) it now means "approved" for circulation
without regard as to its cor-rectness according to
the teachings of Mrs. Eddy.
A "DIVERGENT
VIEW"
This change is made clear from the New York
Times report of an interview with Mr. Harvey W.
Wood, Chairman of The Christian Science Board of
Directors. "He [Mr. Wood] said the dispute
over the Knapp book was being fanned by
'disgruntled former employees' and the book was
merely part of a series of historical profiles of
Eddy, not an official embrace of Mr. Knapp's
conclusions, [i.e. not authorized
literature]. He said that publishing the book
[Destiny] reflected a new openness
regarding divergent views and that people should be
able to read such a book and weigh its arguments
for themsel-ves."
The Times article
states there are at least two "wings" in the
church. Its use of this term is somewhat
misleading, because Mr. Wood and Mr. Gottschalk
represent two different "camps" of the same
doctrinal "wing." It refers to one camp, that
which Mr. Wood heads, as "what might be termed the
modernist wing of the church." The other camp it
refers to as "what might be con-sidered the
traditi-onalist wing of the church." Between these
two camps, the dispute is essentially over the
administration of church funds and entry of the
church into mass communications. Accord-ing to
Gottschalk (traditionalist camp) there are no
church resources available to support or maintain
what he terms "Mr. Wood's (modernist camp)
ill-advised media spending binge," which he claims
is at the root of the current serious financial
condition of The Mother Church.
The Times states:
"Regardless of the level of discontent, the Mother
Church has no practical mechanism for reversing the
decision to publish the book or changing the board,
which is virtually all-powerful and is
self-perpetuating." It is notewor-thy that except
for Mr. Wood, the four remaining Directors are all
members of the same 1982 Normal class in Boston.
The article implies that five individuals who
repres-ent only one doctrinal "wing" of Christian
Science have taken control of the Church labeling
the views of the opposing "wing" as dissident. The
existence of two doctrinal "wings" has long been
obvious to those who have carefully investigated
the history of the Church (see Braden
below).
Although Mr.
Gottschalk and Mr. Wood represent opposing views
(camps) regarding the administration of church
finances, they are in the same doctrinal wing of
the church. Whereas Mr. Knapp and Mr. Wood
represent the different doctrinal wings. This is
why the Times report may confuse some readers. The
Knapp bequest, because of its stipulations, is a
"wing" gift (conditional) and not a general bequest
to The Mother Church. There is also a doctrinal
"wing" wherein the Knapp book would be classed as
"authorized litera-ture" in the sense of being
"correct" in its metaphysical content and
"consis-tent with what Mrs. Eddy taught." Under
the Manual provision there is no possibility of the
supporters of the Knapp wing holding office because
the self-perpetuating Board will not allow this to
occur.
There are two
standards in the Manual governing all litera-ture
sold by the Publishing Society. The highest
standard is reserved for those publications which
contain doctrinal state-ments of Christian Science.
There is a secondary standard which covers all
other publications which cover a broad spectrum of
subjects which may be classified as providing Bible
research, church history, and items of general
Christian interest. Mr. Knapp intention-ally
restricted the publication of the Destiny book to
the higher standard. It would seem The Mother
Church is attempting to claim compliance with the
bequest specifications while simul-taneously
playing fast and loose with official church policy
as established in the Manual by Mary Baker
Eddy.
It should be
crystal clear that the Christian Science Movement
is and has been for a half century or more
comprised of two doctrinal "wings;" that Mr. Wood,
while Chairman of The Christian Science Board of
Directors, represents only one doctrinal wing of
the Church.
KNAPP ESTATE
APPROVES?
Thus we have the terms of the Knapp will
stipulating that the book be pub-lished, sold and
main-tained as "author-ized literature" but before
it has reached the church Reading Rooms the
official head of the "modernist [camp] of
the Church" tells the world through the press that
it is a "divergent view." The Times informs us
that Mr. Wood "said the executors of the Knapp
estate were consulted by the board about what was
being done and that they were satisfied the
conditions for getting the money had been met,
though he added the bequest was not yet in hand."
It is difficult to
understand how the book can be regarded as a
"divergent view" and at the same time be
"maintained as authori-zed literature" within the
meaning and intention of the Knapp estate and as
that term is defined by the Manual of The Mother
Church." In Mr. Knapp's time the term "authorized
literat-ure" was adopted by Boston as representing
the Manual Art. VIII, Sect. 11, (page 43): "No
Incorrect Litera-ture," which reads in part: "A
member of this Church shall neither buy, sell, nor
circulate Christian Science literature which is not
correct in its state-ment of the divine Principle
and rules and the demonstr-ation of Christian
Science."
Since the highest
official of the church has stated in the New York
Times that the book is divergent,--that is, it "is
not correct in its statement of the divine
Principle and rules and the demonstration of
Christian Science," how then can it (Des-tiny) be
sold in Christian Science Reading Rooms? Does not
the answer lie in what is meant in today's context
by the words "authorized literature?" And have not
the words "authorized literature" been redefin-ed
in order to receive the legacy?
THE OTHER WING
IN OFFICE
Mr. Knapp's teaching and the views expressed in
Destiny, however, were not always regarded
officially as "diver-gent." In 1925 Mr. Knapp
wrote a biography of his parents and their
association with Mrs. Eddy which he took to the
Christian Science Board of Directors for their
approval. Mr. Knapp at that time was not
interested in publishing the book but rather in
having it privately printed and copyright-ed, and
circula-ting it among his pupils and friends and to
Committees on Publication, etc. This book was
approved by the then Direc-tors. In this first
book, titled Ira O. Knapp and Flavia Stickney
Knapp, Bliss Knapp writes:
Having
gone through the preliminary steps of making Mr.
[Ira] Knapp sole trustee of the church
lot, and of causing the church to disor-ganize,
Mrs. Eddy was now ready to give a more spiritual
title to the church property. There was a
reason why the title should be held by a student
rather than by herself. She still had some
misgiv-ings as to whether her students were
suffi-ciently governed by the Christ spirit to
carry out her plan. With a desire to be rid of
future care in the event of their failure to
follow her guidance, a failure which might lead
to the breaking of the deed, she intimated that
it would be well to have the title revert to a
student rather than to herself. Of course this
student must be one who had enough spiritual
insight to accept her leadership and to
cooperate with her implicit-ly. Evidently she
realized, from what she knew of Mr. Knapp since
his first class with her, and from the prophetic
visions he had related to her, that here was at
least one of the disciples for whom she had
prayed.
When Mr. Knapp
first studied with Mrs. Eddy, the chapter on the
Apocalypse had not yet appeared in Science and
Health; but Mrs. Eddy explained to the class the
twelfth chapter of Revelation. Her explana-tion
must have conveyed a profound meaning to Mr.
Knapp, for although Mrs. Eddy made no reference
to herself personally, in explaining that
chapter, it was borne in upon him with absolute
conviction that Mary Baker Eddy was the woman
"clothed with the sun, ... and upon her head a
crown of twelve stars," de-scribed in the
Apocalypse. From that moment, Mrs. Eddy's word
was law to Mr. Knapp.
Although Ira
Knapp's knowledge of human nature had taught him
never to take any man's word for granted, all
this was completely changed where Mrs. Eddy was
concerned. He knew that she was God's messenger
to this age, one of the two divinely appointed
witnesses, and he could never question or doubt
any instruction or requirement that might come
to him from God's witness. In obeying her, he
knew that he would be doing God's will. When
Peter awakened to behold and ack-nowledge the
Christ in his Master, Jesus found in that
acknowledgment the foundation for the Church of
Christ. In Mr. Knapp's acknowledgment of God's
witness in his teacher, Mrs. Eddy found a
con-sciousness which could help her in building
The Church of Christ, Scientist. This
acknowledgment in the hearts of Christian
Scientists was the foundation upon which the
church must be built. Then the gates of hell
could not prevail against it.
A NORMAL VIEW IN
THE 1930's AND 1940's
Professor Hermann S. Hering, C.S.B., was a
prominent Christian Science teacher and lecturer,
who had the opportunity of two Normal classes with
Mr. Edward A. Kimball, C.S.D. (1900 and 1901), and
was a personal friend of Mary Baker Eddy. At Mrs.
Eddy's written invitation he served as First Reader
in The Mother Church from 1902 to 1905. He was on
the Board of Lectureship from 1905 to 1940. In a
letter to his pupils in Decem-ber, 1938, over his
personal signature Professor Hering
wrote:
It is of
first importance to see Mrs. Eddy rightly as the
woman of prophecy referred to in the Apocalypse,
as the one through whom the Comforter came, the
second coming of Christ. Unless we see that
this revelation came through Mrs. Eddy under
divine inspiration, and see it as the inspired
word of God, we are not seeing Christian Science
rightly. Jesus and Mrs. Eddy were the two
witnesses and must be seen as such. Just as
Jesus in the flesh must be seen as the one who
established the first coming of the Christ, back
of whom was the divinely royal man [cf.
S&H 313:5], so Mrs. Eddy in the flesh
must be seen as the one who established the
second coming of the Christ, back of whom was
the divinely royal woman, the God crowned woman
of the 12th chapter of the Apocalypse.
While this view of
Mrs. Eddy may not be the teaching of the Kimball
wing today, in the early days this teacher (and
many oth-ers) entirely apart from any influence by
Mr. Knapp's book taught the same revelation. This
view regarding Mrs. Eddy was "correct," authorized
teaching in that era,--and regarded at that time as
entirely consis-tent with Mrs. Eddy's teachings and
writings.
THE DIRECTORS'
1943 REPORT ON "MRS. EDDY'S PLACE"
In 1943 the Directors of The Mother Church
issued a report setting forth their official
doctrinal position on Mary Baker Eddy, the
Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science. It
was published in an article titled "Mrs. Eddy's
Place" in the June 5, 1943, Christian Science
Sentinel and also in the Chris-tian Science Journal
for July, 1943.
This report was
based on the findings of a committee of editors and
former editors over a period of five years which
submitted to the Directors a report based on
"fifty-seven pages of typewritten evidence that
Mrs. Eddy regarded herself as having fulfilled
Bible prophecy" (Destiny, page 253). At that time,
1943, their (the Board's) doctri-nal view regarding
Mrs. Eddy's place in prophecy and that of the
soon-to-be-written Destiny book (1947), were in
accord. The Destiny concepts were not at that time
considered "diver-gent." Based on the view
contained in the mid-1943 doctrinal report by the
Directors, Mr. Knapp's views were "correct." But
this doctrinal view on the part of the Board
apparent-ly underwent a change during the five
years from 1943 to 1948. A Board member resigned
in early 1947 and a new member was elected to fill
his place.
According to
reports in circulation at that time (1947), Mr.
Knapp understood from what he was told orally that
he had Board approval for a private printing and
circula-tion for his Destiny book, such as the
Board had granted him twenty-two years previou-sly
for the former book in 1925. So he made up copies
and sent them to the Direc-tors and the Trustees
and told them he was copyrighting it. He then left
for California where it was his custom to go every
year for several months in the winter.
TWO DOCTRINAL
WINGS COME INTO FOCUS
On his return to Boston early in 1948
(according to reports at the time) the Directors
had done an about face. Previously there had been
three members for the book (one a pupil of Mr.
Knapp, one a pupil of Mrs. Hoag, one a pupil of
Mrs. Eddy), and two against. The new member
represented a "swing vote," and in 1948 the swing
vote went with the op-ponents. Now not only would
the Board not allow him to circulate his book
private-ly, but ordered the burning of all copies
that had been made up. Mr. Knapp com-plied. Next,
according to report, there was an order from the
Directors to cooper-ate with an attorney of The
Mother Church to get back from the Library of
Congress the two copies filed there. Again Mr.
Knapp complied. This, however, made the Librarian
of Congress suspi-cious of some irregular tactics
and he refused to surrender the two copies stating
that it was one of the most called for books in the
Library. When the order came to burn all of his
copies of Destiny, Mr. Knapp voluntari-ly stopped
teaching but retained the word "(teach-er)" after
his name in the Journal listing until his passing,
March 14, 1958. In this experience we see the two
doctrinal wings coming into focus.
AN UNPREPARED
PUBLIC
Mr. Knapp was familiar with a "Card" by Mary
Baker Eddy in The Christian Science Journal of
August, 1890, page 193, (cf. Destiny, page 191)
which reads in part:
Mr.
Editor:--The late articles referring to me in
July issue of the Journal, contain presentiments
that I object to having uttered or written now
in regard to myself. God alone appoints the
befitt-ing path and place for each of His
children; and mankind should wait on Him, and
let the ages declare judgment. It is my
impression that at least a half century will
pass away before man is permitted to render his
public verdict on some of the momentous
questions that are now agitating the
world.
It is important to
note Mrs. Eddy did not say the July articles were
incorrect or divergent views, but only that the
world was not ready to receive them at that time.
It must also be noted that when the 1943 report
"Mrs. Eddy's Place" appeared, "at least a half
century [had passed] away." From his
experience in 1948, Mr. Knapp must have felt that
even more time was needed before the world could
accept what he (Knapp) had written.
WAS DESTINY
BEFORE ITS TIME?
From the terms of Mr. Knapp's will it is clear
that he felt the book Destiny was appearing "before
its time," just as had been the articles referred
to by Mrs. Eddy in the Journal; that a certain
additional amount of time would have to "pass away
before man is permitted to render his public
verdict on some of the momentous questions that are
... agitating the world." Mr. Knapp, however, used
a means to protect his book and doctrinal concepts.
If after fifty more years the "age" had reached
the point where it was possible "to render his
public verdict on ... the momen-tous question that
[is] now agitating the world" the Boston
Headquarters would be ready to publish Destiny as
"author-ized literature" within the 1943 Board's
acceptance, that is, as "correct, consistent with
what Mrs. Eddy taught." But the Knapp provision
does not provide that the gift go to the Church if
the Directors by that time do not view it in that
context. If not viewed in that context by the
self-perpetuating Board of Direc-tors, the gift was
to go to alternate beneficiarie-s,--Stanford
University and the Los Angeles County Museum of
Art. Obviously he was not giving that money to a
wing of the church that viewed his concepts of Mrs.
Eddy's place as "heretical" or "diver-gent,"--views
which burned his books--and while today's Board of
Direc-tors are not physical-ly burning his books
they are, never-the-less, perhaps even more
effec-tively "burning" his views before the whole
Movement and the world (see New York Times article)
and in this way possibly destroying them for all
time by branding them as divergent!
It is obvious the
terms of the Knapp estate indicate an expecta-tion
that after fifty years there would be a return to
the position of mid-1943 and before. This is
really what the will means by maintaining the
publication of Destiny as "authorized litera-ture."
Notice that the terminal date for the Church to
comply with the Knapp will terms--May 1993--is
exactly to the month fifty years from the
publica-tion of the Board's report "Mrs. Eddy's
Place" in June, 1943.
If it were the
intent of the Knapps to provide unconditional
financial support to the Cause of Christian
Science, what would be the purpose of attaching
special conditions to a gift? If Mr. Knapp had
intended the gift to go to The Mother Church
regardless of whatever doctrinal wing was in power
after fifty years, why would he have gone to the
trouble of naming alternate recipients for the
bequest completely outside of Christian Science?
The answer is that he hoped that during the
intervening fifty year period the wing of the
church which opposed his teaching would in time
change to the former doctrinal position of
mid-1943, that if it did so freely and
volun-tari-ly, it would of course willingly and
without any objections publish his book as
"author-ized" literature. It would mean that this
wing of the church would official-ly accept and
teach these concepts (which were also Mrs. Eddy's
concepts) as authori-zed doctrine. If, however,
this wing of the church did not do so within the
stated period of time, he would not want his gift
go to support a doctri-nal platform which was
steadf-astly opposed to his views (or wing). Why
should he give to a wing which was destroying all
he stood for? He was a defender of the 1943
doctrine regarding Mrs. Eddy and would not want it
wiped out. Thus the need to select alternative
benefic-iar-ies and attempt to put sufficient
controls on the gift to make certain that his
require-ments were carried out. He did not want to
benefit the wing that was opposing him.
The Board of
Directors has always known that the Knapp bequest
was avail-able, and (according to the letter by Lee
Z. Johnson) some individuals in the head-quarters
entertained the thought of qualifying for the
bequest during the serious finan-cial shortage in
the early 1970's, but no action was initiated
because the book contained what they considered
divergent doctrine. As in the early 1970's, so
again in the early 1990's the reported financial
position of The Mother Church is grave. Financial
neces-sity appears to be the sole motive behind the
action of the current Board regardless of their
published statements which attempt to deflect this
view.
Since 1948 each
successive Board of Directors has continued to
reject the Destiny book as incorrect. They
instruct their teachers that it is heresy.
According to the Lee Johnson letter, as recently as
January 25, 1991, in a letter to Teachers, the
Board of Directors declared that the leaflet "Mrs.
Eddy's Place" (discontinued in 1979) does not
repres-ent the official doctrine of the
church.
"AUTHORIZED" vs
"APPROVED"
The attempt to claim the bequest by printing
the Destiny book without accepting it as
"authorized literature" of the church (under the
meaning in Mr. Knapp's time and the Manual) is
being promoted and disguised under "The Twentieth
Century Biog-raphers Series." By labeling the book
a biography, the Board of Directors can print and
circulate the book to all Reading Rooms under two
articles. Article 21, Section 3, page 64, reads:
"The litera-ture sold or exhibited in the Reading
Rooms of Christian Science Churches shall consist
only of Science and Health with Key to the
Scrip-tures, by Mary Baker Eddy, and other writings
by this author; also the litera-ture published or
sold by The Christian Science Publishing Society."
Article 25, Section 8, page 81, reads: "Only the
Publish-ing Society of The Mother Church selects,
approves, and publishes the books and literature it
sends forth...." (first sentence only). The key
word here is "approves."
We feel this
legally critical distinction is obfus-cated in the
Netty Douglass letters. The Reading Rooms sell
many books that are "approved" by the Publish-ing
Society, such as Strong's Exhaustive Concor-dance,
The Abingdon Bible Commentary, and legitimate
biogra-phies by Powell, Tomlinson and such like.
None of these books are "authorized" as that word
is used to determine what shall and shall not be
sold as making an accurate and correct statement of
Christian Science doctrine consistent with the
teachings and writings of Mary Baker Eddy, but they
are all "approved" for sale.
When the Knapps
specified that the Destiny book be sold in the
Christian Science Reading Rooms, they required that
it be sold as "authorized literature" as that word
is used to mean making an accurate and correct
statement of Christian Science consistent with the
teachings and writings of Mary Baker Eddy and not
as "approved literature." That was the only phrase
Mr. Knapp could have used in the 1950's to express
his intention in his will and/or trust. The only
way he could convey the thought was to use the
phrase "authorized literature."
TWO DOCTRINAL
WINGS IN THE MOVEMENT
To understand why Mr. Wood labeled the Destiny
book diver-gent in the Times interview it is
neces-sary to recognize that according to
documentation there are two "schools" of Christian
Science teaching within the Movement, one of which
has been all but extin-guished from the Cause of
Chris-tian Science by a systematic process of
suppression, as for instance the selec-tion of
Normal class teachers who taught the Kimball school
exclusive-ly. Under the terms of the Manual of The
Mother Church, which contains the rules governing
The Mother Church, the self-per-petuating Board of
Directors has favored the other (the Kimball)
school of Christian Science teaching for the past
fifty years. All who did not willingly conform to
the officially acceptable school of Chris-tian
Science teaching were gradually eliminated from any
position of authority in the movement. This is
borne out in the official history of the Movement
by Robert Peel. In The Years of Author-ity
(publis-hed in 1977) Peel writes of "Hanna
[Bliss Knapp's Normal class teacher] and
Kimball [as] presumed to be the chief
representa-tives" of "two variant 'schools' of
Christian Science teaching (sometimes known as the
Boston school and the Chicago school)" (page
251).
He goes on to say
that this condition of two variant schools
"resembled Paul's work as a founder of the
Christian Church, which had involved much more than
the apostolic task of preaching the gospel. 'For
while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of
Apollos; are ye not carnal?' he had asked, then
went on to point out to the divided Corinthians
that he had planted, Apollos watered, but God gave
the increase--indeed, that Paul, Apollos, Cephas,
and all things present and to come 'are yours; and
ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.' At which
point of spiritual democracy, doctrine and polity
merged" (page 252).
TWO "VARIANT
SCHOOLS" DO NOT "MERGE"
To "merge" is defined in part as "to cause to
be swallowed up; to lose identity by absorption or
immersion in something else" (Webster). The fact
that the two teachings in Christian Science do not
merge, in spite of Mr. Peel's claims, is clear from
the vigorous controversy surrounding the Knapp
book. Today the two wings (or "schools") stand
apart in distinct contrast.
MRS. EDDY'S
SOLUTION
Peel then goes on to tell us Mrs. Eddy's
solution to the "two variant 'schools'" problem.
In his footnote #128, on page 468, he writes:
"Actually, Kimball died before the next class
(December, 1910) was given, but his pupil and
friend Bicknell Young of Chicago was chosen to
conduct it instead. In this way Mrs. Eddy
maintained the same sort of balance represen-ted by
her original choice of Hanna and Kimball for the
two successive classes." He writes: "It was one
more lesson she had learned from coming to grips
with a concrete situation [two teachings]
which threatened to divide the field" (page 252).
According to Peel's
account then Mrs. Eddy's solution was not merging
the teaching, but maintaining a balance, and in
fact the balancing of the "two 'schools'" continued
for several years after her departure.
DR. BRADEN'S
FINDINGS
In 1958, Dr. Charles S. Braden, a writer on
various religi-ons and their doctrines, in his book
Chris-tian Science Today (Dallas: Southern
Methodist University Press. 1958; reissued in 1969
with new Forward) speaks of the two teachings in
the Move-ment and refers to "the Kimball school of
thought" (page 309). He refers to the other
teaching as "of-ficialdom, in the person of Mrs.
[Annie M.] Knott" (page 311). He devotes
five pages (317 to 322) to Mr. Kimball's letter to
Judge Septimus J. Hanna at the time Hanna
(ap-pointed by Mrs. Eddy) was to begin teaching the
Normal class. On page 336, Braden writes:
"Parad-oxi-cally, both wings of the Christian
Science move-ment start out with the premise that
Mind is absolutely All-in-all. Neverthe-less it
appears that there have long been two main trends
of thought in Christian Science with respect to the
essential nature of reality." Unlike Peel, Dr.
Braden sees the two teachings in the movement as
more than just "two 'schools.'" He sees them as
two "wings" in the movement.
It became
increasingly apparent in the 1960's and 1970's that
the "school" or "wing" of which Judge Hanna, Mrs.
Knott, and Mr. Knapp were identified, and for which
school Mrs. Eddy maintained a "balance," was fast
becoming extinct in favor of the "school" or "wing"
of Mr. Kimball.
THE PATTERN OF
HISTORY
This condition of two schools is not an
exception to the rule in religious history. Rather
it seems to be the rule, according to Dr. Philip
Schaff a leading historian of the Christian Church,
an authority of such stature as to be quoted by the
Encyclopedia Britanni-ca. Dr. Schaff states in his
seven volume History of the Christian Church (New
York: Charles Scribner's Sons. 1914), Volume I,
pages 336-7, as follows:
All the
Christians of the first genera-tion were
converts from Judaism or heathenism. It could
not be expected that they should suddenly lose
the influence of opposite kinds of religious
training and blend at once in unity. Hence the
difference between Jewish and Gentile
Christianity throughout the apostolic age, more
or less visible in all departments of
ecclesiastical life, in missions, doctrine,
worship, and government. At the head of the one
division stood Peter, the apostle of the
circumcision; at the head of the other, Paul, to
whom was intrusted the apostleship of the
uncircumcision. In another form the same
difference even yet appears between the
different branches of Christendom. The Catholic
church is Jewish-Christian or Petrine in its
character; the Evangelical church is Gentile or
Pauline. And the individual members of these
bodies lean to one or the other of these leading
types.
Wherever there
is life and motion in a denomination or sect,
there will be at least two tendencies of thought
and action--whether they be called old and new
school, or high church and low church, or by any
other party name. In like manner there is no
free government without parties. It is only
stagnant waters that never run and overflow, and
corpses that never move.
The relation
between these two fundamen-tal forms of
apostolic Christianity is in general that of
authority and freedom, law and gospel, the
conservative and the progres-sive, the objective
and the subjective. These antithetic elements
are not of necessity mutually exclusive. They
are mutually complemental, and for perfect life
they must co-exist and co-operate. But in
reality they often run to extremes, and then of
course fall into irreconcilable contradiction.
Exclusive Jewish Christianity sinks into
Ebionism; exclusive Gentile Christianity into
Gnosticism. And these heresies were by no means
confined to the apostolic and post-apostolic
ages; pseudo-Petrine and pseudo Pauline errors,
in ever-varying phases, run more or less
throughout the whole history of the
church.
The different
"tendencies" or "parties" or "forms" which appear
in denomina-tions, Dr. Schaff tells us, "are
mutually comple-mental, and for perfect life they
must co-exist and co-operate." For the past half
century, in the Christian Science denomina-tion the
record reflects that those students not loyal to
the Kimball wing have been ostracized rather than
being treated even-handedly as Peel indicates Mrs.
Eddy did in footnote #128 above.
One can hardly read
the foregoing account and not recog-nize that there
are and have been since the turn of the century
"two teachings" in the Christian Science Movement,
and that by the year 1947 one teaching prevailed
over the other and would not only hold the
ascendancy thereafter, but would if possible
attempt to elimi-nate the other.
HEADQUARTERS OF
THE OTHER "WING"
As we have stated in past issues of the
Standard, our Church is committed to keeping alive
the school of Christian Science teaching that has
been all but extin-guished from the Cause of
Christian Science.
PRESERVATION AND
EXTENSION
The Church at Surfside traces its roots to a
study and metaphysical work group which first held
meetings in 1961, when more than thirty persons met
and formed a group to study and pray for the
preserva-tion and advancement of that teaching
given by Judge Hanna, Mrs. Knott, Mr. Knapp, and
others which appeared to be gradually disappearing
from the Christian Science Movement. As if by a
miracle, in 1960 one of the members acquired an
original 1947 hard cover copy of Destiny, and at
their meetings which began the following year the
two pictures by Mrs. Eddy and James Gilman from the
book were regularly dis-played. In addition to the
Bible and Mrs. Eddy's writings metaphysical
portions of the text of Destiny were also used
together with metaphysical items from Mrs. Knott,
Judge Hanna, Mr. Knapp, and others. Three of that
original group of thirty years ago are still active
in this Church.
It was the
inescapable symbolism of the two pictures in the
Destiny book and the similarity of one of them to
the picture, together with a letter, which Mrs.
Eddy gave The Mother Church Directors in 1897, and
which is reproduced on page 30 of Powell's Mary
Baker Eddy, 1950 (red cover) edition, that inspired
the formation of the original study group. This
group based its work and prayers on this letter
Mrs. Eddy sent the Directors with the "one signal"
picture and the group was at that time called the
"One Signal Commit-tee."
The letter
accompanying the picture is on page 191 of Powell's
book and reads:
Pleasant
View
Concord, N. H.
A.D. 1897
To the Board of
Christian Science
Directors:--
Mr. Ira O. Knapp
C.S.D.
Mr. Joseph Armstrong C.S.D.
Mr. Wm. B. Johnson C.S.B.
Mr. Stephen A. Chase C.S.B.
My beloved
Students,
Accept from your
teacher and former pastor a trifling memento of
her affection, that derives its sole value from
the associations connected therewith. This
silent picture can speak from your walls of one
conquest.
But may the
better trophy of our victories, be each one of
our lives gathered into one signal, for future
history to float over this church.
With love,
Mother
Mary Baker
Eddy
THOUGH "SILENT,"
IT "SPEAKS"
The picture of course is that of the original
Mother Church edifice. There is nothing floating
over the church in this picture. There is only a
clouded vacant area where a banner or standard
bearing a "one signal" device could be floated.
Over the apartment buildings adjacent to the church
there is an image of a child in prayer. It is not
"floating" over the church so it is not the "one
signal." The words "from your walls" meant that
Mrs. Eddy expected her letter and picture not to be
filed away but to be hung where it "can
speak"--even though it is a "silent picture."
THE DESTINY
PICTURES
In 1961 it was learned that the two pictures
which appear in the Destiny book were prepared by
Mrs. Eddy and James Gilman for her book Christ and
Christmas. After the pictures were finished,
however, Mrs. Eddy decided not to use the one of
the two wit-nesses "floating" above her church;
that the time was too early for that public
revela-tion. Several options were open to her in
how to dispose of the pictures so that at the
proper future time these two pictures would find
their proper way down "the posterns of time" to
that point where their deep spiritual meaning and
message would bring the greatest light. She gave
the two pictures to her house companion and
student, Miss Clara M. S. Shannon, C.S.D., of
Montreal, who about 1905 departed for London,
England, to practice and teach Chris-tian Science
there. Although Miss Shannon recog-nized Mrs. Eddy
as the Woman of prophe-cy, as did many others in
that time, yet this would not seem a humanly
logical step for their future mission. When Mr.
Knapp was in London on a lecture tour around 1920
Miss Shannon gave him the original of this two
witness picture as well as the other, both of which
appear in Destiny. Was not this another step
forward in the progress of these two pictures in
moving toward the time of preparation for that
"public verdict?" And is not the current
publication of Destiny the vehicle for these two
pictures originally intended for Christ and
Christmas a revela-tion to a now ready public? Are
they not in fact hidden keys to that
work?
WHAT IS THE
DESTINY OF THE MOTHER CHURCH?
If the members of The Mother Church do not at
this time recognize through spiritual illumination
and inspiration the true place of Mary Baker Eddy
in the fulfillment of Scriptural prophecy, then the
prophecy in Pulpit and Press 22:9 cannot be
fulfilled. The Mother Church will con-tinue on its
downward course. See Destiny page 59 entire last
paragr-aph. As the "foundation" is "acknowledged
in the hearts of the members" the church will grow
and prosper. Each life must be gathered into the
"signal" referred to by Mrs. Eddy.
THE BANNER OF
THE CROSS UNFURLED
The concept of a victory resulting from
floating a "signal" or "sign" has one well known
parallel in Christian history,--the miraculous
victory of Constantine at Milvian
Bridge.
In the late
eighteen eighties Mrs. Annie M. Knott was asked by
Mrs. Eddy to become pastor of the Christian Science
Church in Detroit. One of several books
recommended by Mrs. Eddy for help in preparing
sermons was The History of Chris-tianity, by John
S. C. Abbott, (Boston: B.B. Rus-sell. 1872;
reissued 1883 with added chapter). The event which
parallels the analogy in Mrs. Eddy's letter above
is in chapter XV, titled "Constan-tine.--The Banner
of the Cross Unfurled." To better understand her
letter it would seem helpful to summarize some
paragraphs from this chapter, pages 303 to 307,
together with quota-tions from Eusebi-us, a
contemporary Church historian and friend of
Constan-tine, in Post-Nicene Fathers of the
Christian Church (Oxford: Parker and Company.
1890):--
THE
MIRACLE OF THE SIGNAL
Since the year 312 A.D. Christians have
marvelled at the astonishing victory of the
Roman Emperor Constantine, over the pagan
usurper of his throne, in this military contest
held just nine miles from that capitol city.
Constantine was outnum-bered seven to one by the
expert troops of Maxentius. Further-more, the
soldiers of Con-stantine were weary from a long
forced march from Britain, and from contests
with the soldiery of the provinces who had gone
over to the usurping pagan emperor.
Con-stantine recognized that from every military
point of view the situation was hopeless.
Although not himself a Christian, his mother,
Helena, was, and in his extremity, before his
army was to engage in the final battle for
recovery of his capitol, he turned to that God
whom his mother had revealed to him. While "he
was praying with fervent entrea-ty, a most
marvelous sign appeared to him from heaven. ...
He said that about noon, when the day was
already beginning to decline, he saw with his
own eyes the trophy of a cross of light in the
heavens, above the sun, and bearing the
inscription 'In Hoc Signo Vinces'--In this sign
you will be victorious. And his whole army also
... witnessed the miracle [the sign or
signal in the sky]." (Post-Nicene Fathers,
page 490) This "cross of light" according to
Eusebius, Abbott, and the Encyclopedias is a
"monogram of Christ" also known as "a
Christogram."
These are the two
Greek letters, Chi and Rho, or, translated into
English, Ch and R, standing as the monogram of
Christ. For many years after the time of
Constantine this device, or "sig-nal," appeared on
the Roman coins and later was replaced with a
Calvary cross. Even to this day, the reverse sides
of many European coins bear a cross--a tradition
which had its beginning with the cross of
Constantine and his miraculous victory.
Constantine
pondered the significance of this sign, and that
night in a vision Christ Jesus appeared to him
with the same monogram which he had seen as an
illuminated figure in the sky the previous
mid-day. In the morning Constantine, being
struck with amaze-ment at the extraordinary
vision [he had during the night], and
resolving to worship no other God save Him who
had appeared to him, he sent for those who were
acquainted with the mysteries of His
[Christ's] doctrines, and enquired who
that God was, and what was intended by the sign
in the vision he had seen.
CONSTANTINE
ACCEPTS THE INCARNATION
They affirmed that He was ... the only
begotten Son of the one and only God; that the
sign which had appeared was the symbol of
immortality, and the trophy of that victory over
death which He [Christ Jesus] had gained
in time past when sojourning on earth. They
taught him also the causes of His advent, and
explained to him the true account of His
incarnation. Thus he was instructed in these
matters, and was impressed with wonder at the
divine manifestation which had been presented to
his sight. Comparing, therefore, the heavenly
vision with the interpretation given [by his
Christian chaplains], he found his judgment
confirmed; and, in the persuasion that the know-
le-dge of these things had been imparted to him
by Divine teaching, he determined thenceforth to
devote himself to the reading of the Inspired
writings. Moreover, he made the priests of God
his counsel-ors, and deemed it incumbent on him
to honor the God who had appeared to him with
all devotion. And after this, being fortified
by well-grounded hopes in Him, he hastened to
quench the threatening fire of tyranny.
(Eusebius, in Post-Nicene Fathers, page 491)
We are told that he
caused the sign or signal to be placed on the
helmets and shields of all his soldiers, and
banners to be made with this device to float over
his army. But it was not the mere placing of a
sign or symbol on shields, helmets, banners, etc.
The victory was in Constantine's receptivity and
acceptance of "the true account of His [Christ
Jesus'] incarnation." This act of inform-ing
himself as to the Christ-mission and character of
Jesus, and acknowledging Him as the Christ of God
was the foundation Rock of his mighty triumph. It
is typical of the triumphs of Chris-tianity through
the dark ages and middle ages, and it is typical of
greater victories to come. Constantine was able
that morning to inspire the utmost confidence in
his generals and in his outnumbered soldiers. The
account states that a terrible battle ensued and
the enemy utterly routed.
MILLIONS
CONVERTED TO CHRISTIANITY
The result of this triumph was the recognition
and protec-tion of Christians who had previously
been bitterly persecuted. Everywhere in the realm
Christianity was now encour-aged. The emperor
contributed liberally to the construction of
churches. Soon Constantine himself was converted,
and so popular did this new religion become that it
was necessary for public officials to be converted
from paganism in order to hold office. From a
small persecuted sect, Christianity increased by
millions almost over night and gained a measure of
liberation from the enslaving materialism and
superstitions of the ages.
The gospels make
clear that the Church of Christ could be built only
upon one foundation, that is, the "Rock" which
Jesus referred to when he said, "On this rock I
will build my church," and with that he changed the
name of his disciple, Simon, to Peter (Rock). What
was this Rock on which the church would be built?
It was the recognition, the perception, of the
incarna-tion. The word "incarnation" means "the
union of divinity with humanity in Christ"
(Webster). Science and Health speaks of "the
second appearing in the flesh of the Christ,
Truth..." (118:7) The first appearing in the
flesh of the Christ, Truth, was Christ Jesus.
There is a second appearing in the flesh of this
Christ, Truth,--an incarnation. The Rock on which
the church is built is on that ability to recognize
this incarna-tion. As Peter ex-claimed: "Thou art
the Christ, the Son of the living God."
For Peter to
recognize the advent of the Christ in the coming of
Jesus was a conquest that could not occur in the
usual process of reason and deduction. As Jesus
himself said, "... For flesh and blood hath not
revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in
heaven." (Matt. 16:17) It was a revelation to
Peter. Likewise it was to Constantine an inspired
revelation. Although he and his whole army saw the
vision of the cross of light, or the Christog-ram,
and the motto "In hoc signo vinces," yet it was not
until he saw the spiritual meaning in his night
vision, of the Christ coming to him (a form of
incarnation), that the foundati-on stone of
Christianity was brought into action in his
experience. It was not sufficient, however, for
this revelation to be in the hands of Constantine
and his principal officers only; the message which
Christ Jesus gave him was to make a standard and to
lift this standard aloft and to "gather each life"
or soldier "into one signal" and thus to lead his
armies by this sign, and subsequently the
conversion of millions.
"THE BETTER
TROPHY OF OUR VICTORIES"
What is the correlation between the "silent"
picture Mrs. Eddy sent the Directors and the two
pictures she gave Miss Shannon? With the
publication of Destiny by the Christian Science
Board of Directors, the two pictures have now
returned to complete the "silent picture," that was
to "speak from [their] walls." Clearly,
two victories are mentioned in that letter to the
Board. One is the recogn-ition of her place in
prophecy through her publica-tion of Christ and
Christmas for two months beginning December 2 in
1893, (and withhdrawn two months later after going
through two editions) when there were seeming
insurmountable obstacles to the construc-tion of
the original Mother Church edifice. The trophy of
that victory was the edifice. The next and future
victory is the fulfillment of her prophecy in
Pulpit and Press 22:9. To bring about this trophy
of victory the remaining pictures prepared for
Christ and Christmas (which were too advanced for
public accep-tance in 1897), and the related Knapp
text in Destiny, must be accepted and
understood.
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