A Short time ago we read a criticism of Christian Science, or, more properly speaking, of the critic's misconception of the subject, and found among other errata the statement that Christian Science is dying out; that, as a movement, it had reached its maximum some time ago and is now on the wane. The lack of information displayed by this critic is inexcusable in view of all that has been published on the subject, yet for the benefit of those who may be misled by such reckless statements we give the following facts.
Mrs. Eddy's discovery of Christian Science was in 1866, her book, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," was published in 1875, the first church of the denomination was organized in 1879, and the Mother Church was built in 1894 and dedicated January 6, 1895. On this latter date the Mother Church had a membership of about four thousand, and the text-book, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," was in its ninety-first edition of one thou-' sand copies each. This was practically sixteen years after the organization of the church and twenty years after the first publication of Science and Health. To-day there are about eight hundred organized churches and societies, the membership of the Mother Church is in round numbers seven times what it was in January, 1895, and the number of copies of the Christian Science text-book in circulation has increased over two hundred thousand in these nine years. Not less remarkable is the fact that the Mother Church edifice dedicated in 1895 is in process of receiving an addition which will have a seating capacity five times as great as that of the original building.
The progress of the Christian Science denomination disclosed by its record of outward growth has attracted widespread attention, but the record would be valueless if it did not take into consideration the good that has been done to those who have accepted Christian Science as their religion. Through the understanding of God and of the Scripture, that has been brought to the world by Mrs. Eddy, the sick have been healed, sinners have been reformed, the sorrowing have been comforted, and it is in these works that the real history of Christian Science is written. It is to these works that Christian Scientists must refer for the faith that is in them.
