Report of meeting held June 4,1885.

Regular meeting of the C.S.A. of ChicagoEditorial Note: The Christian Science Association of Chicago was a branch of the C.S.A in Boston, Massachusetts., held at the rooms of Mrs. Philbrick and Miss Beecher -Thurs. June 4, at 4.30 P.M.

PresidentAs Written:Pres. Brown in chair.

8 membersAs Written:mem. out of 17, present.

Minutes of previous. meeting read and accepted.

Unfinished business.

Report of BrotherAs Written:Bro. Morrill concerning article written for Daily News. It was refused on the ground that it was an advertisement for Mrs. Eddy & her school & that if one was written in answer to his article he would published it free, having written his article to call out in answer. Miss Brown said our article was a complete refutation for all charges lately made against Christian ScienceAs Written:C.S. & that it ought to be published, showing so clearly the contrast in expense of a course in Christian ScienceAs Written:C.S. & a medical education, and, she added, the press is treated not to publish our side. BrotherAs Written:Bro. Morrill remarked that a business man told him that it would be well to let the News & Current alone, for they would either mutilate the article or else put in something else in the same paper to spoil the effect of ours.

Dr. R. Sherman remarked it would cost too much to pay for the article for it would have cost $100Editorial Note: $100.00 in 1885 is the equivalent of $2,651.63 in 2020. to published the article defining Christian ScienceAs Written:C.S. in the TribuneEditorial Note: Chicago Tribune.

B. Sherman says we are known by our works & can't be expected to answer all that is said about us, but Miss Brown said that we, as Paul, should reply for fear of being misunderstood. However as the malicious article was published so long ago Apr. 23, the excitement is past & as we hadn’t a full meeting the question was dropped.

Report of committeeAs Written:com. appointed to average raise in quarterAs Written:qr. dues to meet running expenses. $1.00Editorial Note: $1.00 in 1885 is the equivalent of $26.52 in 2020. per quarterAs Written:qr. was decided upon by the committeeAs Written:com. as sufficient to meet all expenses & leave a surplus. This change in the quarterAs Written:qr. dues will involve a change in the by-laws. B. Sherman thought perhaps it would be better to love special assessments each quarterAs Written:qr. After some discussion the report was accepted.

As the acceptance of this report involved a change in the by-laws, it was moved & seconded that Art. 3. Sec.1. be amended by striking out present amendment carried. This concluded the unfinished business.

Miss Brown remarked that constitution ought to be read to the members. She then read an extract from a private letterEditorial Note: See L10996 from Mrs. Eddy to herself, comparing Christian ScienceAs Written:C.S. to a ship or vessel As Written: vasel riding the storm & dependent for its safety on the whole crew, from the captainAs Written:capt. & the officers to the least in the ship. the duty of one being as important as another; for if one neglects his duty he will help sink the ship, but if all do their duty from to the least to the greatest, then the ship will be brought safely into the harbor.

Miss Brown then repeated & emphasized what she had just read.

She also said that a more persistent effort than ever was being made to bring the causeEditorial Note: The cause of Christian Science. into disrepute & break up the AssoEditorial Note: The Christian Science Association of Chicago was a branch of the C.S.A in Boston, Massachusetts.; which calls for more faithful work, & more faithful prompt attendance at the meetings upon the part of the members.

Also if one member has anything against another to go straight to that member instead of talking outside to others.

That the mesmerists try to create jealousy, envy & malice.

Miss Bickford says, the members should make an effort to come.

Miss Brown says we are here for mutual help & benefit & should offer help to one another & not wait to be asked; for nothing is so disastrous as the above named elements of jealousy et ceteraAs Written:&c.

She mentioned that she had heard a report of dissatisfaction then she repeated that the safety of the causeEditorial Note: The cause of Christian Science. depends upon the least as well as the greatest. She then offered help to any member. She again desires us all is be frank & if one has anythingAs Written:any thing against another to go straight to that one, & to no one else - for we must have fidelity & unity. She also urges us to distribute literature & left 50 Defenses of C.S. for free distribution & told all members to come for more when we wanted them - for "nothing will being failure quicker than moral cowardice."

She then said that the constitution, by-laws, & platform will be strictly enforced & that if we had had a full meeting the constitutionAs Written:cons- would have been read, & the questionAs Written:ques. of dissatisfaction brought up. B. Sherman remarked, of we had members who disagreed he didn't know it. We are to have our constitution printed & a radical change in its enforcement. The SecretaryAs Written:Sec'y was ordered to send for the latest issue of the constitutionAs Written:cons. of Boston C. S. A.

B. Sherman thinks it is duty of all members to go east if they intend to teach so that their students may come in & the Asso.Editorial Note: The Christian Science Association of Chicago was a branch of the C.S.A in Boston, Massachusetts. grow - Miss Brown thinks it will grow fast enough anywayAs Written:any way.

Mr. Morrill thinks we are losing valuable help by not admitting certain ones who are practicing but would not be admitted under the charter - but he is reminded that we run the risk of losing the charter by so doing. East, only Mrs. Eddy students are admitted & not even students of normal class can be admitted.

Miss Bickford then brought up a little matter coming from students of Dr. B. Sherman’s students, who claimed that a patient was healed, only to relapse again - it was explained that they could only relapse under mal. mes., argument of old beliefs, poison et ceteraAs Written:&c, & when healed they are less liable to have the trouble than before or no more liable than if they never had it.

Report of cases. Mrs. Philbrick asks advice in a case of epileptic fits. Miss Brown says destroy fear or general principles, for epilepsy in one of the greatest possible fears - she has healed several.

Also treatment will bring out the cause when it is not known consciously.

Discussion of Faith Cure -

The remark that faith cure does not heal was brought up. R. Sherman said mesmerism heals rapidly but does not stand & that the future will show what will stand. He explained that only understanding really heals; that faith is a belief, though the highest form of belief - that when understanding heals it may be latent, but it heals thoroughly - faith prays to a personal God. Understanding to infinite God.

Mr. Morrill quotes faith cure in Mind in NatureEditorial Note: This was a periodical being published at the time by the Cosmic Publishing Company in Chicago, Illinois. Its full title was Mind in Nature: A Popular Journal of Psychical, Medical, and Scientific Information. - he thinks we will have more help & less labor by admitting honest faith cure.

Miss Brown remarks, this is a C. S. AEditorial Note: The Christian Science Association of Chicago was a branch of the C.S.A in Boston, Massachusetts. & we are ScientistsEditorial Note: Christian Scientists & are to let faith cure alone.

R. Sherman asks - what is it that cures in faith cure; is it faith of healer or is it God. Mr. Morrill answers, it requires faith of healer & patient.

R. Sherman says - Is faith cure not the mind of healer over patient or one mind over another, which is inadmissible As Written: inadmissable in ScienceEditorial Note: Christian Science. Miss Brown had several who had tried faith cure but had since been healed by her.

Mr. Morrill admits we are beyond faith cure, but that we should recognize the Church.

Miss Brown says we had better be in harmony with the PrinciplesAs Written:Prin of our ScienceEditorial Note: Christian Science than to try to be with the church & faith cure - & that it was no good to discuss faith cure anyway.

R. Sherman moved that all question discussing merits of the Christian ScienceAs Written:C.S. be suppressed. Mr. Morrill says he has been constantly harmed by Christian ScientistsAs Written:C.S's. scouting & saying unchristian things about faith cure & wants Christian ScientistsAs Written:C.S's not to say anythingAs Written:any thing about faith cure to any but themselves.

Miss Brown says we are not supposed to say anythingAs Written:any thing of the discussions at the meetings to outsides - & that so many go out to heal who are not Christian ScientistsAs Written:C.S's & do harm by what they say & request us to exercise charity to all which claims God for PrinciplesAs Written:Prin.

Mr. Morrill spoke of the mention of faith cure in article defining Christian ScienceAs Written:C.S. & that very unjustly, he was not allowed by Miss Brown to discuss it at that meeting when the article was read. But Miss Brown said that it was out of order then as now to bring up a discussion of faith cure & that she should do this same thing every time viz: not to allow a discussion of faith cure are at any time.

The motion to suppress any discussion of the merits of Christian ScienceAs Written:C.S. relative to faith cure or any other belief was then carried. Members are supposed to subscribe to platform of Christian ScienceAs Written:C.S. before joining.

Miss Brown then stated that the spell of mal. mes. had been broken with great success for all including younger members, by the following argument:

"There is no mal. mes. no envy, no jealously, no hatred, no revenge; there is but one mind that can talk and that is God"

B. Sherman’s suggestion that selfishness be added was carried out.

Mental work done.

Miss Brown remarked that she would give more for seven that were harmonious than 50 that were not.

The questions of promptness & full attendance & of fining tardy & absent members - & enforcing the constitution in regard to absent members was left for a full meeting next month.

Meeting then adjournedAs Written:adj. to July 2 –

Miss I. A. Beecher – SecretaryAs Written:Sec - Will you please send the latest issue of the constitution & by-laws of Boston C.S. A. including all the latest changes viz: concerning the decision in regard to admitting only students of normal class or otherwise.