A great Christian Science Church was dedicated in Boston on Sunday, the
6th inst. It is located at Norway and Falmouth streets, and is intended
to be a testimonial to the discoverer and founder of Christian Science,
the Rev. Mary Baker Eddy. The building is fireproof, and cost over
$200,000. It is entirely paid for, and contributions for its erection
came from every state in the Union, and from many lands. The auditorium
is said to seat between fourteen and fifteen hundred, and was thronged
at the four services on the day of dedication. The sermon prepared by
Mrs. Eddy was read by Mrs. Bemis. It rehearsed the significance of the
building, and reënunciated the truths which will find emphasis there.
From the description we judge that it is one of the most beautiful
buildings in Boston, and, indeed, in all New England. Whatever may be
thought of the peculiar tenets of the Christian Scientists, and whatever
difference of opinion there may be concerning the organization of such a
church, there can be no question but that the adherents of this church
have proved their faith by their works.
(_American Art Journal_, New York, January 26, 1895.)
"OUR PRAYER IN STONE."
Such is the excellent name given to a new Boston church. Few people
outside its own circles, realize how extensive is the belief in
Christian Science. There are several sects of mental healers, but this
new edifice on Back Bay, just off Huntington avenue, not far from the
big Mechanics building and the proposed site of the new Music hall,
belongs to the followers of Rev. Mary Baker Glover Eddy, a lady born of
an old New Hampshire family, who, after many vicissitudes, found herself
in Lynn, Mass., healed by the power of Divine Mind, and thereupon
devoted herself to imparting this faith to her fellow beings. Coming to
Boston about 1880 she began teaching, gathered an association of
students, and organized a church. For several years past she has lived
in Concord, N.H., near her birthplace, owning a beautiful estate called
Pleasant View; but thousands of believers throughout this country have
joined the Mother Church in Boston and have now erected this edifice at
a cost of over two hundred thousand dollars, every bill being paid.
Its appearance is shown in the pictures we are permitted to publish. In
the belfry is a set of tubular chimes. Inside is a basement room,
capable of division into seven excellent class rooms, by the use of
movable partitions. The main auditorium has wide galleries, and will
seat over a thousand in its exceedingly comfortable pews. Scarcely any
woodwork is to be found. The floors are all mosaic, the steps marble,
and the walls stone. It is rather dark, often too much so for
comfortable reading, as all the windows are of colored glass, with
pictures symbolic of the tenets of the organization. In the ceiling is a
beautiful sunburst window. Adjoining the chancel is a pastor's study;
but for an indefinite time their prime instructor has ordained that the
only pastor shall be the Bible, with her book called "SCIENCE AND HEALTH
WITH KEY TO THE SCRIPTURES." In the tower is a room devoted to her, and
called Mother's Room, furnished with all conveniences for living, should
she wish to make it a home by day or night. Therein is a portrait of her
in stained glass; and an electric light, behind an antique lamp, kept
perpetually burning in her honor; though she has not yet visited her
temple, which was dedicated on New Year's Sunday, in a somewhat novel
way.
There was no special sentence or prayer of consecration; but continuous
services were held from nine to four o'clock, every hour and a half, so
long as there were attendants; and some people heard these exercises
four times repeated. The printed program was for some reason not
followed, certain hymns and psalms being omitted. There was singing by a
choir and congregation. The _pater noster_ was repeated in the way
peculiar to Christian Scientists, the congregation repeating one
sentence and the leader responding with its parallel interpretation by
Mrs. Eddy. Antiphonal paragraphs were read from the book of Revelation
and her work respectively. The sermon, prepared by Mrs. Eddy, was well
adapted for its purpose, and read by a professional elocutionist, not an
adherent of the order, Mrs. Henrietta Clark Bemis, in a clear, emphatic
style. The solo singer, however, was a Scientist, Miss Elsie Lincoln;
and on the platform sat Joseph Armstrong, formerly of Kansas, and now
the business manager of the publication society, with the other members
of the Christian Science Board of Directors--Ira C. Knapp, Edward P.
Bates, Stephen A. Chase,--gentlemen officially connected with the
movement. The children of believing families collected the money for the
Mother Room, and seats were especially set apart for them at the second
dedicatory service. Before one service was over and the auditors left by
the rear doors, the front vestibule and street (despite the snowstorm)
were crowded with others, waiting admission.
On the next Sunday the new order of service went into operation. There
was no address of any sort, no notices, no explanation of Bible or their
text-book. Judge Hanna, who was a Colorado lawyer before coming into
this work, presided, reading in clear, manly, and intelligent tones, the
quarterly Bible lesson, which happened that day to be on Jesus' miracle
of loaves and fishes. Each paragraph he supplemented first with
illustrative Scripture parallels, as set down for him, and then by
passages selected for him from Mrs. Eddy's book. The place was again
crowded, many having remained over a week from among the thousands of
adherents who had come to Boston for this auspicious occasion from all
parts of the country. The organ, made by Farrand & Votey in Detroit, at
a cost of eleven thousand dollars, is the gift of a wealthy Universalist
gentleman, but was not ready for the opening. It is to fill the recess
behind the spacious platform, and is described as containing pneumatic
windchests throughout, and having an æolian attachment. It is of
three-manual compass, C.C.C. to C.4, 61 notes; and pedal compass, C.C.C.
to F.30. The great organ has double open diapason (stopped bass),
open diapason, dulciana, viola di gambi, doppel flute, hohl flute,
octave, octave quint, superoctave, and trumpet,--65 pipes each. The
swell organ has bourdon, open diapason, salicional, æoline, stopped
diapason, gemshorn, flute harmonique, flageolet, cornet--3 ranks,
183,--cornopean, oboe, vox humana--61 pipes each. The choir organ,
enclosed in separate swell-box, has geigen principal, dolce, concert
flute, quintadena, fugara, flute d'amour, piccolo harmonique,
clarinet,--61 pipes each. The pedal organ has open diapson, bourden,
lieblich gedeckt (from stop 10), violoncello-wood,--30 pipes each.
Couplers: swell to great; choir to great; swell to choir; swell to great
octaves, swell to great sub-octaves; choir to great sub-octaves; swell
octaves; swell to pedal; great to pedal; choir to pedal. Mechanical
accessories: swell tremulant, choir tremulant, bellows signal; wind
indicator. Pedal movements: three affecting great and pedal stops, three
affecting swell and pedal stops; great to pedal reversing pedal;
crescendo and full organ pedal; balanced great and choir pedal; balanced
swell pedal.
Beautiful suggestions greet you in every part of this unique church,
which is practical as well as poetic, and justifies the name given by
Mrs. Eddy, which stands at the head of this sketch. J.H.W.
(_Boston Journal_, January 7, 1895.)