Page:The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany.djvu/112

84 work, the facts speak more plainly than mere assertion could. Nothing is more of a drag on a church than a heavy debt, the interest on which calls for practically all the resources of the institution. Many a clergyman can testify from his own experience how a “church debt” cramps and retards and holds back work that would otherwise be done. It is a rule in some denominations that a church edifice may not be formally dedicated until it be wholly free from debt. And the experience of many generations has affirmed its wisdom.

Boston is the Mecca for Christian Scientists all over the world. The new temple is something to be proud of. Its stately cupola is a fitting crown for the other architectural efforts in that section of the Back Bay.

Boston is near to another great demonstration of the growth of the Christian Science idea in numbers, wealth, vigor, and faithful adherence. It is a remarkable story which the gathering here tells. Its very magnitude and the cheerful optimism and energy of its followers impress even the man who cannot reconcile himself to the methods and tenets of the sect. Its hold and development are most notable.

The gathering of Christian Scientists for the dedication of the beautiful structure on Falmouth Street, which is to take place on Sunday, is notable in many ways. It