Page:The Life of Mary Baker G. Eddy.djvu/121

Rh revealed to her the principle of Christian Science. They assert that, on the other hand, they can clearly prove that she obtained the basic ideas of her system from Phineas P. Quimby. They can prove their contention, they add, from the sworn testimony of many reputable witnesses. They do not rely, however, chiefly upon personal testimony. They put forth as the chief witness against Mrs. Eddy, Mrs. Eddy herself. They seek to disprove practically all her later statements regarding Quimby by quoting from her own admitted writings and from letters.

They assert that Mrs. Eddy obtained from Quimby, not only her ideas, but the very name of her new religion. Mrs. Eddy herself says that in 1866 she named her discovery Christian Science. Quimby, however, called his theory Christian Science at least as early as 1863. In a manuscript written in that year, entitled "Aristocracy and Democracy," he used these identical words. In the main, however, Quimby called his theory the "Science of Health and Happiness," the "Science of Christ," and many times simply "Science."