Page:The Life of Mary Baker G. Eddy.djvu/403

Rh a number of Mrs. Eddy's strongest students quietly dropped out of her Christian Scientists' Association and began to investigate the subject of mental healing from another side, helping to form the nucleus of what was later to become the "New Thought" movement.

Mrs. Eddy at once saw the danger of liberal study and investigation on the part of her students. As a direct rebuke to those who had become interested in the writings of Dr. Evans, she issued instructions to the members of the Christian Scientists' Association that they should read no other works upon mental healing than those written by herself, and she printed in the Journal a set of rules to the effect that all teachers of Christian Science should require that their students read no literature upon the subject of mind cure but her own. To prevent liberal discussion and possible "conspiracy," she introduced a by-law that no two of the members of the Association should meet to discuss Christian Science or mental healing without inviting all other members of the Association to be present at their discussion. Her idea apparently was that one of her personal representatives should always be on hand to direct the discourse into safe channels. These restrictions cost her the allegiance of thoughtful students like Dr. J. W. Winkley and his wife.

Mrs. Eddy was now facing the gravest problem which had confronted her since the founding of her church. How was she to keep Christian Science from having a literature? How was she to prevent all these people whom she had stirred and had interested in metaphysical healing from writing books upon it which might prove a satisfactory and become as popular