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Rh Sketch of Its Origin and Growth — The Montreal Branch “If you would found a new faith, go to Boston,” has been said by a great American writer. This is no idle word, but a fact borne out by circumstances. Boston can fairly claim to be the hub of the logical universe, and an accurate census of the religious faiths which are to be found there to-day would probably show a greater number of them than even Max O'Rell's famous enumeration of John Bull's creeds.

Christian Science, or the Principle of divine healing, is one of those movements which seek to give expression to a higher spirituality. Founded twenty-five years ago, it was still practically unknown a decade since, but to-day it numbers over a quarter of a million of believers, the majority of whom are in the United States, and is rapidly growing. In Canada, also, there is a large number of members. Toronto and Montreal have strong churches, comparatively, while in many towns and villages single believers or little knots of them are to be found.

It was exactly one hundred years from the date of the Declaration of Independence, when on July 4, 1876, the first Christian Scientist Association was organized by seven persons, of whom the foremost was Mrs. Eddy. The church was founded in April, 1879, with twenty-six members, and a charter was obtained two months later.