Page:The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany.djvu/79

Rh to devise means to pay our pastor, so as to keep her with us, as there is no one in the world who could take her place in teaching us the Science of Life.” May 26 of the same year the following resolutions were passed: “That the members of the Church of Christ, and all others now interested in said church, do most sincerely regret that our pastor, Mrs. Eddy, feels it her duty to tender her resignation, and while we feel that she has not met with the support that she should have reason to expect, we venture to hope she will remain with us. That it would be a serious blow to her Cause to have the public services discontinued at a time when there is such an interest manifested on the part of the people, and we know of no one who is so able as she to lead us to the higher understanding of Christianity, whereby to heal the sick and reform the sinner. It was moved to instruct the Clerk to have our pastor remain with us for a few Sundays if not permanently.”

At a meeting of the church, December 15, 1880, an invitation was extended to Mrs. Eddy to accept the pastorate for the ensuing year; but, as the records state, “she gave no definite answer, believing that it was for the interest of the Cause, and her duty, to go into new fields to teach and preach.” An interesting record relative to this very early work of the church, and its appreciation of Mrs. Eddy's tireless labors, is that of July 20, 1881, which reads, “That we, the members of The Church of Christ, Scientist, tender to our beloved pastor, Mrs. Eddy, the heartfelt thanks and gratitude shared by all who have attended the services, in appreciation of her earnest endeavors, her arduous labors, and successful instructions to heal the sick, and reform