Yesterday afternoon– Sunday– I went to the Hall where those much-advertised women Mrs Hopkins and Mrs Plunket– hold forth– Expecting to see and hear one or both of them– but they were absent. In their stead rose Mr Gesterfeld who led the Exercises and preached. Three ladies including a pianist furnished the Music– Silent prayer and scripture reading preceded the sermon from the text "Let him that holdeth the plow not turn back"Luke 9:62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. Mr G. has the German accent & lisp which rather heightens the effect of his frank hearty [?] Unclear or illegible and earnest utterances. He took the position that all our sorrows & sufferings had their root and strength in the past and that we perpetuated their hold upon us by looking back turning back and contemplating them – hence n our best good required that we should as far as possible ignore the past only referring to it now & then as a warning - our eyes being turned toward the future rather with our footing our Stronghold in the Everlasting now.

He added that ScienceEditorial Note: Christian Science owes its success to the fact that it never turns back – and the ability of Scientists themselves is measured by their power to deny out of the minds of their patiencets the remembrance of the ugly past– the horrid dream of Suffering &c. But, shall we as Scientists do this for our patients and not also for ourselves– Why should we revert to the past, either as individuals. or social organizations.

Let the dead past [?] Unclear or illegible bury its dead.Luke 9:59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. Luke 9:60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. Let our motto, as Christian Scientists, be, henceforth: "Faith Hope & Charity"I Cor 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. . Mr G. wound up by saying that charity was already bearing fruit in their midst for do day witnessed and he thanked God for it– the coming together of two of the separated and hitherto warring sections th [?] Unclear or illegible e Hopkins & Weeks factions. Gesterfeld Corrected: Gestefeld then announced that the Weeks Bible Class would meet that afternoon with theirs – and Weeks was called to the front to pour a few more drops of oil upon the waters. The latter found himself in a rather awkward position & did not acquit himself well– nor did he impress me favorably – but he stammered out that his co-worker the "Rev" Joseph Adams – would soon be here to lead the class. Meanwhile a collection was taken and Mr Gesterfeld Corrected: Gestefeld very feelingly narrated how he was called [?] Unclear or illegible quite recently to treat a young lady who was suffering from belief of paralysis induced by a fall – and after two earnest treatments heshe regained the use of her limbs & was here to day Corrected: today . He modestly said that while the result had given him great joy – he assumed no part of the credit to himself but laid it all at the feet of the Science and the teachers who had made the way known to him.

Mr G. then introduced the "Rev" Jos Adams– who alluded to charity & love which had broken down the walls of separation and brought them together- not as separate warring Schools but as Christian Scientists — and he came to them in that sense – under that broad banner & no other.

To dayCorrected:Today he recognized no Schools of C- S- but only Christian Science. Once he believed in a Single School– but now he stood on a bro [?] Unclear or illegible ader field Three months ago he deemed himself a free man – but he then labored under a delusion – when something occurred to open his eyes & now he was indeed free– free from enslavement to personality – Not long ago one of his class [?] Unclear or illegible mates at the Mass. Metaphys College– asked him here why he did not connect himself with a Church or Society– and he replied – for 30 long years I have been in the harness of the Church– enslaved to ritualism and forms which galled and fettered me so that I was not myself– the Rev Joseph Adams. Now thank God I am free & do not bow down to any personality– I owe no allegiance to any Church Organization s or Association. and do not believe in any as such whether it be Eddyite, Hopkinsite– SwatziteEditorial Note: Swartsite (A. J. Swarts) or Weekite and I shall feel at liberty to criticize error as freely in Mrs Eddy as in any rival School–

He Adams had no sooner seated himself that up jumped Gesterfeld Corrected: Gestefeld and shouted that standing there as the representative & champion of Mrs Hopkins he could not let any such disloyal sentiments as the speaker had uttered go forth as the creed of that assembly. [?] Unclear or illegible  that he believed in organization- meaning the Hopkins Organization– that he himself was an organiza [?] Unclear or illegible  tion– [?] Unclear or illegible  and furthermore that organization was necessary to carry on certain kinds of work- and he didnt propose to surrender his identity and that of his teacher even to promote so-called harmony.

"Rev" Adams seeing that he had kindled quite a good sized Corrected: good-sized blaze – quickly touched the "brother" and baegan to hem & haw with [?] Unclear or illegible explanations that he had been misunderstood — that he only meant to voice his individual opinion & not that of "everybody". Each of the speakers grew red in the face– and the audience began to take side & squirm – but finally a truce was effected and the Doxology was sung ­— Most of the Congregation remained to attend Bible Class led by Rev Adams – but I had had Enough for one day.

The good effect of the Sermon was partly destroyed by the intense show of selfishness and "personality" displayed by Mr Adams.

Here w he was denouncing "personality" in others and making a first-class Exhibitition Corrected: Exhibition of it himself. He pursued the same course while in your Class– consuming more time than any one or three others in airing his theological notions and making it so much more difficult for you to lead the others into the way of Truth. As I looked at the Reverend Egotist– who was making such an exhibition of himself— I could n but think of his rank ingratitude to you & your Cause. Cast off by a western Church— you took him, I understand– into your family – paid his fare across the continent – supported him in Boston – gave him 2 or more courses of free instruction – when others more deserving, had to pay in full & make great sacrifices– to say nothing of the private instruction & coaching – which the theAs Written:the obstinacy of his theological training & personal Egotism required – and now after all you have done for him– ten times as much I may say as you have done for any member of the laity– see wh how he deserts you and goes over to your Enemy and renders him aid and comfort.

But all this –is but a ripple of discord on the great sea of harmony.

Your cause moves steadily and grandly on–

All these rival Schools and methods are but poor systems of tillage which will eventually give place to improved systems.

In all that Weeks or Swartz Corrected: Swarts or Hopkins or Adams say or do– they are constantly paying tribute to Christian Science.