I herewith request to withdraw from the Christian Scientist Assocn. My reasons are manifold. 1st. I joined without my usual careful thoughts- impulsively– hoping to reap great spiritual benefits- & believing that such membership was almost vital to spiritual growth. I repented at first meeting, when the oath of secrecy was read– for 2nd I am opposed on principle to secret societies, and am on record before the public as so opposed, & I cannot belong to one, whatever its high object.

3rd. I have suffered more physical pain (severer & more frequent) since studying X'n ScienceExpanded:Christian Science & abandoning the material relief found in simple medicinal remedies - & as I do not regard it so great a sin to take medicine as to break the simplest moral or X'nExpanded:Christian law, I wish to be free in that regard. My mother has long since returned to medicine & my duty to her, & to the world demands my return also, should I, like Miss AlcottEditorial Note: Louisa May Alcott had published an article in the Woman's Journal, April 18, 1885, about how she had tried mind cure, under the treatment of Anna B. Newman, for headaches and writer’s cramp and it had not helped her. (thoExpanded:though having "orthodox" healers!) not find any demonstration in X'n ScienceExpanded:Christian Science for me. Your claim is that this ScienceEditorial Note: Christian Science heals sin & sickness in all cases, including that apparent or inferential victor over the Almighty, Mesmerism.

I hold no wilful Corrected: willful sin of any kind & struggle hard with my faults. I have not found X'n ScienceExpanded:Christian Science practically any stronger help than found in my X'nExpanded:Christian faith before. While my bodily aailments have increased, thoExpanded:though they have been borne with a fortitude & loyalty to this scienceEditorial Note: Christian Science, which to my friends seem doggedly obstin [?] Unclear or illegible ate & wickedly wrong ― While I dismiss mesmerism with the statement that no human being nor aggregation of human beings holds the power to mesmerise Corrected: mesmerize me- I have stood up almost single handedCorrected:single-handed against [?] Unclear or illegible  an inflamed nation when about to commit a judicial murder upon a vicious but insane wretchEditorial Note: Charles J. Guiteau, the assassin of President James A. Garfield.- & I have no fear of man nor devil. The self-mesmerism of subtest Corrected: subtlest mortal mind, of course I believe I am liable to, as all are, but that again is simply the power of [?] Unclear or illegible  one's own personal sin, – & I believe the attitude of this association toward mesmerism to be morally pernicious, unhealthful & bordering on insanity.

4th I have never been able to heal the simplest case of belief in sickness in others- As you know, I do not believe in using this holy gift of the Holy Ghost for merchandizeCorrected:merchandise, & making money out of it- but desired simply to heal the poor without money & without priceIsa 55:1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. . I have never received one penny from the many attempts I have made to heal, & should have counted it robbery had I accepted it from any oneCorrected:anyone, for I have not had the slightest demonstration.

5th My life has been practically thrown away the past year while waiting to be girded with the armorEph 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Eph 6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; Eph 6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Eph 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. Eph 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: of this Truth of X'n ScienceExpanded:Christian Science- I have literally done nothing except in smallest private personal ways for Humanity, because I wished to wait & prepare myself to fight not Effect, but Cause.

6th (') I object to being a member of an Assocn where members are not allowed to withdraw at option & without being expelled- & without characters being blackened for honest differences of opinion [?] Unclear or illegible  I object to the artfully deceptive term "self-expulsion, [?] Unclear or illegible  rendering a member liable on any false- malicious or mistaken- charge of wrong conduct to an ex parteEditorial Note: Ex parte is a term indicating a legal decision that is reached and imposed without all involved in the case being present. expulsion, termed self-expulsion- a worldly legal court or ordinary purpose Assocn, (to say nothing of all bodies of christendomCorrected:Christendom) are above such methods. To me this is the most [?] Unclear or illegible  horrible as mesmerism is the most pernicious feature of this accocn.

7th I object to hearing Col Smith stigmatized as "a defaulter" as "dishonest" & of having "robbed the Assocn of '$500 00/100Editorial Note: $500.00 in 1885 is the equivalent of $13,178.22 in 2019."- It is a libellous Corrected: libelous statement & should be so treated by him in the Courts. There is an honest difference of opinion with regard to a certain financial charge made by him, & my opinion, formed as judicially as I am capable of, & as I am sure [?] Unclear or illegible  the judge of any Probate Court would endorse, (with no interest for him above my interest in the Prest, or any other member of the Assocn) decidedly coincides with his view of the matter, & I say this with a knowledge of the documentary evidence in the Case. But, admitting for argument's sake that he is dishonest, he is entitled to be officially informed thru a committee of the Assocn (& not unofficially which I felt it my Duty toward him as a member of the Assocn to do) of the Charges against him, & he should be given an opportunity to be heard in defense. Any other method, any ex parteEditorial Note: Ex parte is a term indicating a legal decision that is reached and imposed without all involved in the case being present. method is unworthy of such an Assocn- it is lower than the lowest standards governing human law in its relation to society.

8th I object to the retrogression in Civilization & Christendom which revives the worst forms of Romanis [?] Unclear or illegible h doctrineEditorial Note: Doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church. – such as papal infallibility & the surrender of individual judgment & conscience to those of any leader, however spiritual, pure & true- & 2nd restrictiveness toward literature on kindred or relative topics- Always to trust the Masses to find Truth out of all the Knowledge they can command, is my motto.

9th I have repudiated the doctrine of ElectionEditorial Note: The Doctrine of Election is a Calvinist teaching that God elects or predestines some individuals to be saved while others are predestined to be damned. as an outgrown fallacy, long since but shdExpanded:should be forced to adopt it as a logical deduction from claims & statements made in the Assocn–

10th I do not like the tone of the Journal - the organ of the Assocn [?] Unclear or illegible  which as a member I am sponser Corrected: sponsor for [?] Unclear or illegible , in a measure-

These nine ten reasons I count sufficient to secure for me an immediate acceptance of my request to withdraw- At all events I count the date of my resignation as legal dissolution from membership in this Assocn. If any attacks are to be made upon me of any kind, I ask permission to be present & hear them, & opportunity to reply accorded me–

Withal I think it of the smallest consequence to be stabbed in the dark, so far as all fair-minded true souls are concerned- but for the sake of others would I demand this prerogative, hoping to establish this precedent, & thus far to have elevated the standard of your assocn which holds such [?] Unclear or illegible  possibilities for noble [?] Unclear or illegible  ends-

I consider that X'n scienceExpanded:Christian Science (tho I object strongly to that term) holds a great Truth, & that it will be a factor in Christian History toward spiritualizing our too-material Christianity. I believe that many falsely mistaken Claims are made- & I certainly regard the healing of the body as of the very least consequence of all taught for Christian Science- I believe it of consequence, however, when stripped of mercenary iness, & when Cures made can be investigated for what they are worth, & not exaggeration of facts given out- Then we have a solid foundation of Truth upon which to explore further, go up higher, & accomplish still greater things– I hold my own theory why I have not been able to heal, [?] Unclear or illegible  to some degree, & why I am not so well as before I relinquished medicines of a very simple but effective nature - That the ignorant or malicious mind or minds of any mental any human being or beings are at all responsible, I most emphatically deny- If so why did not Mrs Crosse to whom you sent me, touch me one particle– If the ScienceEditorial Note: Christian Science be true, & healing can be done by an honest earnest child of God, whose object is unselfish, then I believe I may sometime heal- In which case I shall of course recognize to whom I [?] Unclear or illegible  am indebted- I consider our teacher has more spiritual light in certain directions than any preacher or teacher I ever heard, & it is not many weeks since I so stated to a very eminent DivineEditorial Note: Possibly Phillips Brooks.

With kindest wishes for each member of the assocn, I renew my request for withdrawal because my work for God & Humanity lies in a different pathway-