Obedience To Our Leader's Directives

[RV Roseville]

I wanted to note that while listening to the Bible Lesson online from The Mother Church, it was a great disappointment today to hear the second Reader replace what Mary Baker Eddy ordered be read with something else for the final correct correlative scripture.  Instead he read from some other unknown Bible version, the source of which he did not report.  Thus on January 10TH, 2016, the correlative scripture I John 3:1-3, as prescribed in the Christian Science Quarterly on page 60,  January-March edition and ordered clearly by Mary Baker Eddy, was not read.  While the ideas shared were in line with I John 3:1-3, they where not the actual citation required in accordance with our Leader's plan and legacy.  See my paper next for history on this.

                The Preeminence  of The King James Version in the Christian Science Bible Lesson

 In  recent and continuing Christian Science history at issue has been the question in the field of whether The Bible Lesson should incorporate citations in The Quarterly from versions other than that from the King James Version.  It is reasonable to understand why thoughtful members in the field would question such, to them, erroneous usage.

  The resulting action taken by a goodly number of Branch Churches has been to provide what they understand to be the correct source (KJV), by passing out handouts with citations from the King James Version on those Sundays when The Quarterly coming from Boston has used citations from other Bible versions.  Many contending for the uniformity of the King James Version have solid history behind their position from specific steps taken by the Discoverer, Founder of Christian Science and the Pastor Emeritus of its church, Mary Baker Eddy.  

     By the end of the opening month of 1902, the 226th edition of  "Science and Health With Key To The Scriptures" was sent out to the field.  One important and essential edit accomplished towards its release is the fact that Mrs. Eddy made the executive decision that all Bible citations in the textbook be sourced from the King James Version alone.  Towards this effort Mrs. Eddy had the appointed help of Edward A. Kimball and  William P. McKenzie.  The history bearing this out is found on pages 205 and  206, in the amplified edition of the book, "MARY BAKER EDDY: CHRISTIAN HEALER", by Yvonne Cache von Fettweis and Robert Townsend  Warneck.  

A deeper research finds correspondence from Mary Baker Eddy to one of her assistant editors, the Rev. James Henry Wiggin, berating him as far back as 1885, for attempting to insert citations from other Bible versions.  See document  Accession:L02166 from The Mary Baker Eddy Library for this letter which soundly advises Wiggin that Mrs. Eddy will stand for no other version in her book than the King James Version that was known as both "our common version" and the Authorized Version. See reference in Prose Works for "our common version", and  Science and Health, page 488:13, 523:21, referencing "our version",  page 576:26. 

With knowledge of what has so far been shared in this discussion it is fairly simple to logically deduce that when Mrs. Eddy laid the cornerstone of The Mother Church on May 21, 1894, and subsequently appointed The Bible and "Science and Health", in December 1894, as pastor of  her Church, nine years after correspondence such as went out to Wiggin as mentioned above, that though it was not until 1902, she carefully made sure all referencing citations in her textbook were from the King James Version alone, and with further reference in her textbook to 'our version", -- we may deduce that The Bible that along with "Science and Health", that is our pastor is not just any Bible.  It is the King James Version.  It is not necessary to dig up the Church cornerstones to come to this conclusion.One need only consider these chapters of Christian Science history to know "our version", is the KVJ. 

Citations from other versions were infrequently found in The Quarterly until Mrs. Eddy advised her editor, Annie Knott,  who was was on the Bible Lesson Committee of her wishes in 1903.  Annie Knott tells us that, "Many years ago Mrs. Eddy decided that the Authorized Version of the Bible, known as the King James Version, should be used at all our services, because it expressed the truth with sufficient clearness to enable every earnest student to demonstrate its power. (See Bible Study, the Christian Science Sentinel, April 12, 1913, p. 631.  Also see "The Christian Science Lesson-Sermon as Established by Mary Baker Eddy, by Kathleen Wagner Starrett, Library Notes,A Daystar Foundation Publication, Volume 21. Number One, Winter 2015.)   

It also should be noted of course that each chapter in "Science and Health With Key To The Scriptures", opens with a Bible citation from the King James Version. This is further collaborated by the "List of the Scriptural Quotations in Science and  Health with Key to the Scriptures", beginning on page 611, in that wonderful source book approved by Mrs. Eddy,  entitled "A Complete CONCORDANCE  to the Writings of Mary Baker Eddy".  To verify yourself the source for these opening chapter verses, one must first research each citation in question using either Cruden's Bible Concordance or a source such as BibleGateway.com, for the KJV and then looking up your result in the list mentioned above on page 611.  You will find it every time!  

    As regards The Bible Lesson, Mary Baker Eddy not only provides for an Explanatory Note at the start, but she also concludes prior to the Benediction, which by this time we hope henceforth will be chosen from The King James Version alone, -- with a *specific* directive that the "scientific statement of being" be read followed by these words, "and the correlative SCRIPTURE according to I John 3: 1-3. "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.  And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure."    It should be clear that she allowed for no other version here no matter how closely to the ideas found in I John 3: 1-3.  I say this because it should be made known for the record that on January 10TH, 2016, the reading by the Second Reader for The First Church of Christ Scientist in Boston, Massachusetts in disobedience diverged from this directive and instead chose another *unnamed* version. This order by Mary Baker Eddy Eddy regarding that final correlative scripture, I  John 3:1,2,3, is found in Volume III of The Christian Science Sentinel, of 1901, on page 460.  

Thus, the importance of correlating the textbook with Mrs. Eddy's chosen Scripture(s) according to The King James Version appears reasonable for the field to understand especially when some of the history of the Founder's clear requirements is researched  and reviewed.  

     An added piece of history showing the *complete* correlation between The Bible and the Christian Science textbook was available until about two years after Mrs. Eddy passed.  Maintaining its special place, that being the *last* testimony given in the last chapter, Fruitage, with Mrs. Eddy's approval and surviving several updates to the testimonies found in  Fruitage, when Mrs. Eddy was here, the testimony bearing the final correlative citation as our leader approved and the last correlative citation from the King James Version in the textbook was later without any explanation, and again contrary to what had been approved by Mrs. Eddy, was  moved from its significant *last* place in the textbook to second from last. This final correlative Scripture that Mrs. Eddy approved was located on the final page 700, and reads "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path", (KJV Psalms 119:105).   

     It is curious that the significant location of that final KJV Bible verse found in the textbook's chapter Fruitage, disappeared in the last century, and then the book called the Concordance which included a special list for all KJV Bible citations found in Science and Health, including the opening verses for each chapter, was discontinued and no longer carried for sale in branch church Reading Rooms during the beginning of the 21ST century.  

Our Leader's and Pastor Emeritus'landmarks should not be so disregarded.  It leads to succeeding errors errors such as the recent inclusion of texts sourced other than from the King James Version.  

For the sake of one's increased spirituality in consciousness and uniformity desired by Mrs. Eddy as she wished be provided in The Quarterly with exclusive utilization of  citations from the King James Version it is imperative to obey her directives.    Those hoping to work in respect and obedience to our Pastor Emeritus indeed are justified in finding that The King James Version alone is essential for feeding the field with the bread of Truth found in the weekly Bible Lessons.     

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