[1] This communion was originally observed once each quarter and then
twice a year. Since 1899 it has been observed but once a year, on the
second Sunday in June. No "material" emblems, such as bread and wine,
are offered, and the communion is one of silent thought. On Monday the
directors meet and transact the business of the year, and on Tuesday
the officers' reports are read. As most members of the branch churches
are also members of the Mother Church, thousands of Christian
Scientists from all over the United States visit Boston at this time.
[2] At the 1898 communion there was no invitation from Mrs. Eddy, but
a number of communicants went up to Concord to see her house and to
see her start out upon her daily drive. In June, 1899, Mrs. Eddy came
to Boston and briefly addressed the annual business meeting of the
church. In 1902 and 1903 there were no formal pilgrimages, although
hundreds of Christian Scientists went to Concord to catch a glimpse of
Mrs. Eddy upon her drive.
[3] February, 1899.
[4] Calvin Frye.
[5] In a notice to the churches, 1897, Mrs. Eddy says:
"The Bible and the Christian Science text-book are our only preachers.
We shall now read scriptural texts and their co-relative passages from
our text-book--these comprise our sermon. The canonical writings,
together with the word of our text-book, corroborating and explaining
the Bible texts in their denominational, spiritual import and
application to all ages, past, present and future, constitute a sermon
undivorced from truth, uncontaminated or fettered by human hypotheses
and authorized by Christ."
[6] For the text of these by-laws see Christian Science Manual (1904),
Articles IV and XXIII.
[7] Mrs. Eddy stated in regard to this ruling that it was to have
immediate effect only in the Mother Church, adding: "Doubtless the
churches adopting this by-law will discriminate its adaptability to
their conditions. But if now is not the time the branch churches can
wait for the favored moment to act on this subject."
[8] Church Manual (11th ed.), Article XXXII.
[9] Ibid. (3d ed.), Article VIII, Sec. 5.
[10] Church Manual (43d ed.), Article I, Sec. 5.
[11] Ibid. (43d ed.), Article I, Sec. 2.
[12] Ibid. (43d ed.), Article I, Sec. 4. Ibid. (11th ed.), Article
XXIII, Sec. 2.
[13] Ibid. (43d ed.), Article I, Sec. 3.
[14] Formerly the Executive Members were permitted to fix the salaries
of the Readers, but in the last edition of the Manual this privilege
seems to have been withdrawn.
[15] Church Manual (43d ed.), Article VI.
[16] Church Manual (43d ed.), Article XXVIII.
[17] Ibid. (11th ed.), Article XXIII.
[18] Ibid. (43d ed.), Article IV.
[19] Ibid. (43d ed.), Article XXXIV, Sec. 1.
[20] Ibid. (43d ed.), Article XXXIV, Sec. 2.
[21] Ibid. (43d ed.), Article XXXIV, Sec. 4.
[22] Church Manual (11th ed.). Article XV.
[23] Ibid. (43d ed.), Article XXVI.
[24] Church Manual (43d ed.), Article XXII, Sec. 4.
[25] "Christian Science History," by Mary B. G. Eddy (1st ed.), page
16.
[26] In June, 1907, there were 3,515 authorized Christian Science
"healers" in the world; 3,268 of these are practising in the United
States, 1 in Alaska, 63 in the Dominion of Canada, 5 in Mexico, 1 in
Cuba, 1 in South Africa, 18 in Australia, 1 in China, 105 in England,
5 in Ireland, 9 in Scotland, 7 in France, 15 in Germany, 4 in Holland,
1 in India, 1 in Italy, 1 in the Philippine Islands, 1 in Russia, 1 in
South America, 7 in Switzerland.
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