  Much is said at this date, 1889, about Mrs. Eddy's [20] Massachusetts Metaphysical College being the only chartered College of Metaphysics. To make this plain, the Publishing Committee of the Christian Scientist Association has published in the Boston Traveler the following:— [25] “To benefit the community, and more strongly mark the difference between true and false teachers of mental healing, the following history and statistics are officially submitted:— “Rev. Mary Baker G. Eddy obtained a college charter [1] in January, 1881, with all the rights and privileges per- taining thereunto (including the right to grant degrees) under Act of 1874, Chapter 375, Section 4. “This Act was repealed from and after January 31, [5] 1882. Mrs. Eddy's grant for a college, for metaphysical purposes only, is the first on record in history, and no charters were granted for similar colleges, except hers, from January, 1881, till the repealing of said Act in January, 1882. [10] “The substance of this Act is at present incorporated in Public Statutes, Chapter 115, Section 2, with the fol- lowing important restrictions: In accordance with Statutes of 1883, Chapter 268, any officer, agent, or servant of any corporation or association, who confers, or authorizes [15] to be conferred, any diploma or degree, shall be pun- ished by a fine not less than five hundred dollars and not more than one thousand dollars. “All the mind-healing colleges (except Rev. Mrs. Eddy's) have simply an incorporated grant, which may [20] be called a charter, such as any stock company may ob- tain for any secular purposes; but these so-called char- ters bestow no rights to confer degrees. Hence to name these institutions, under such charters, colleges, is a fraud- ulent claim. There is but one legally chartered college [25] of metaphysics, with powers to confer diplomas and de- grees, and that is the Massachusetts Metaphysical College, of which Rev. Mrs. Eddy is founder and president.” I have endeavored to act toward all students of Chris- tian Science with the intuition and impulse of love. If [30] certain natures have not profited by my rebukes,— some time, as Christian Scientists, they will know the [1] value of these rebukes. I am thankful that the neo- phyte will be benefited by experience, although it will cost him much, and in proportion to its worth. I close my College in order to work in other directions, [5] where I now seem to be most needed, and where none other can do the work. I withdraw from an overwhelm- ing prosperity. My students have never expressed so grateful a sense of my labors with them as now, and never have been so capable of relieving my tasks as at [10] present. God bless my enemies, as well as the better part of mankind, and gather all my students, in the bonds of love and perfectness, into one grand family of Christ's followers. [15] Loyal Christian Scientists should go on in their pres- ent line of labor for a good and holy cause. Their insti- tutes have not yet accomplished all the good they are capable of accomplishing; therefore they should con- tinue, as at present, to send out students from these [20] sources of education, to promote the growing interest in Christian Science Mind-healing. There are one hundred and sixty applications lying on the desk before me, for the Primary class in the Massa- |
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