Page:The Life of Mary Baker G. Eddy.djvu/412

358 the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand) then let them which be in Judea, flee to the mountain," where I have found my refuge.

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At that meeting at Tremont Temple, Mrs. Eddy saw trouble enough ahead. She caused the new secretary, Mr. Johnson, to send out a general call to the Association to meet her at the college June 14; but, meaning to have matters well arranged before that, she sent telegrams to a few of her most zealous partisans, asking them to meet at her house on June 9, five days before the day set for the general meeting. The telegram which she sent to New York read: "Come to the college Saturday, June 9th. I will be there. I have a message from God that will do you good." When Mrs. Eddy learned that word of this first meeting had got out among the members of the Association, she sent another telegram to New York, saying: "The message will be delivered in Chicago. Go there." (The annual convention of the National Association was to convene in Chicago June 13, and Mrs. Eddy went there with Mr. Johnson, Mr. Frye, and a number of her faithful students from Boston.)

What the rebellious students wanted to do was simply to leave the Christian Scientists' Association, but that was not so easy as it might seem. There were two by-laws of the Association which were very formidable obstacles to withdrawal. They read:

Resolved, That every one who wishes to withdraw without reason shall be considered to have broken his oath.

Resolved, That breaking the Christian Scientists' oath is immorality.