Your telegram was read to the Asso.Editorial Note: This is the Chicago branch of the Christian Scientist Association. which met yesterday. The Society instructs me to write to you and ask you if you will send us the charter first in order that we may form our constitution & by-laws in accordance. I have written to Dr. Buswell, telling him of our application of Nov. 20, which he did not seem to know about. The application was sent to you, by Mr. Morrill, who supposed that was all that was necessary and therefore did not write to the SecretaryAs Written:Sec’y of the Boston C.S.A.
Our Constitution is identical with that of the C.S.A. of Boston : the By-laws are as follows:
Art. 1 Officers.
Sec. 1. The officers shall be voted for by the members and a majority vote shall elect them.
Sec. 2. In the absence of the President. the duties of this office shall devolve upon the Vice-President.
Sec. 3. The election, duties, and tenure of office of the Vice-President shall be identical with those of the President.
Sec. 4. In the absence of the President and Vice-President from any meeting a President pro tem shall be chosen by a majority vote of such meeting.
Sec. 5. In the absence of the Secretary or Treasurer the vacancy shall be supplied by appointment of the Chair.
Art. 2. Meetings.
Sec. 1. This Association shall meet upon the first and third Thursdays of each month at one P.M. Amended: 1.30 P.M. instead of one P.M. Amended: The meetings of this AssociationAs Written:Asso. shall be held on the 1st Thurs. of each month at 4 P.M. instead of 1 P.M. as formerly, & once a month only.
A student’s meeting shall be held on the third Thurs. of each mo. At 4 P.M.
Sec. 2. It shall be the privilege As Written: privelege of every member of this AssociationAs Written:Asso. to be present when a special meeting is called.
Sec. 3. Special meetings &c – as in Sec. 4 of printed By-laws of Boston C.S.A.
Art. 3. Fees & Dues
Art. 3. Fees & Dues.
Sec. 1. The fee for membership shall be one dollarEditorial Note: $1.00 in 1885 is the equivalent of $26.53 in 2019.. The regular dues shall be one dollar per quarter, the quarters commencing at the first meetings in Jan. Apr. July. & Oct.
Amended: “The regular dues shall be ¢50Editorial Note: $0.50 in 1885 is the equivalent of $13.22 in 2019. per quarter.
Arts. 4, 5, & 6, identical with yours –
Your form of application for membership also adopted.
Report of last meeting.
Regular meeting of the C.S.A of Chicago held at the rooms of Messrs. Wickersham and Morrill Thursday February 5th, at 4 P.M.
Ten members present. President Brown in chair. Meeting opened by repeating the Lord’s Prayer. Minutes of last meeting read and accepted.
The SecretaryAs Written:Sec’y was then instructed to send for all the back numbers of the Journal up to Jan. 1st, 1885. the Society having subscribed for the Journal for the coming year.
A letter from the SecretaryAs Written:Sec’y of the Boston C.S.A was read, enquiring whether we were an organized body or not. There had been no report made to him, as the formal application for a charter had been sent to the President Mrs. Eddy, as requested by the Society there. A telegram from Mrs. EddyEditorial Note: This telegram is not extant. was also read, stating that the charter was ready and would be sent upon approval of our Constitution and by-laws. The SecretaryAs Written:Sec’y here was instructed to reply to the SecretaryAs Written:Sec’y in Boston, that we were an organized body with constitution & by-laws identical with theirs with the exception of necessary changes in regard to time & place of meeting, that we had made formal application to the PresidentAs Written:Pres. Mrs. Eddy for a charter, and to give a list of the members. Was also instructed to reply to Mrs. Eddy’s telegram and ask her to send us the charter that we might form our constitution & by-laws in accordance.
Report of Cases – Mr. Smith reports a case of palsy that he has had several months; that he had improved and had a great deal of hope. Miss Brown quoted Mrs. Eddy that “hope is one of the greatest stimulants one can give to a patient.”
Question; “how do we handle malicious or ignorant mesmerism?” A good way is to turn to the mortal minds and address them “you cannot harm me or anyone else, or make laws.”
Mr. Smith questions “Is it possible that anybody would do such a thing?” Miss Brown replied, “We might as well doubt that a wolf would devour a child.”
Bro. Morrill quoted, “The Prince of darkness is going about seeking whom he may devour.”I Pet 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
Other cases reported – those are most difficult where husband & wife are antagonistic – we are to direct attention to antagonistic party.
To realize spiritual creation takes us above mortal mind
Prejudice As Written: Predjudice & bigotry will hold a case as much as malicious mesmerism. also pride. It is good to treat against a belief of eternal punishment, & latent fear. Sin must be destroyed first. Bro. Sherman objects to expression “saving the soul” it is incorrect in ScienceEditorial Note: Christian Science.
Discussion about the church. Bro. M. means to draw by love, and says he never enjoyed the church work & meetings so much as now; that he will not wound people who do not know the Truth yet but will wait till they grow out of their prejudices As Written: predjudices
That Christ came first to the Jew & then to the Gentile.Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Mr. Smith says he hasn’t so much interest in attending the meetings but prefers to stay at home & study ScienceEditorial Note: Christian Science.
Miss Brown says that people sometimes need to be shocked out of their prejudicesAs Written: predjudices . Bro. M. said he had had all he could do to hold several to this ScienceEditorial Note: Christian Science who had been wounded by this very method. That one metaphysician had said when spoken to about prayer – “Prayer! I don’t want to hear anything more about it.”
A little conversation was given to indiscreet talking on this ScienceEditorial Note: Christian Science & its remedy.
Discussion whether we shall admit Dr. Avery’s students – decided that we will not admit the students of one who is not practicing Christian ScienceAs Written:C.S. but is still an M.D.
It was also thought best to agree upon a price ($100Editorial Note: $100.00 in 1885 is the equivalent of $2,653.05 in 2019.) & that students who had paid less should not be admitted.
Mrs. Eddy’s letter to the AssociationAs Written:Asso. was then read & it was voted to place it upon the minutes of the meeting on file.
Meeting then adjourned to Feb. 19.
There is a man here, Sidney Merton, from Harvard College who says he is the coming leader; he writes articles for the Sunday Inter OceanEditorial Note: Chicago Inter Ocean under the name Sidarthur. His theories are all based upon mortal mind and there was but one article which seemed to coincide with your view in a general way, “on the Millennium.” Other subjects are, “The tree of life”. “the great white throne”, “the New Jerusalem” &c. He make the tree of life & the tree of knowledge the same thing, calls the great white throne & the new Jerusalem, the faculties of the brain & the material body. He explains the second chapter of Genesis somewhat as you do.
People are writing to the Inter OceanEditorial Note: Chicago Inter Ocean from different places, to enquire what this new truth is & if this is the coming leader, for these doctrines are worthy of notice, they say.
Mrs. Beach will be led away, I am afraid by another doctrine called the Flying Roll which she says agrees with metaphysics, but it does not for it make the material body immortal. To one who does not understand Christian ScienceAs Written:C.S. these doctrines sound very much like the Truth & deceive many people, as prophesied in the Scriptures. But I believe as Miss Brown does, that all things work for the good of the whole. Mother and I send much love.