Faulty Gospel

One of the faulty copies of the Christian Science gospel, Science and Health, with Key to the Scriptures, came up for auction sale in Manhattan last week. It was a first (1875) edition and contained many printer's errors. Mary Baker Eddy knew of 66. Economical, she disliked reprinting the whole volume; honest she listed the errata on a separate leaf. Because one of these errata leaves was in the book offered for sale last week,

Mrs. C. Bigelow of Manhattan paid $725 for it.

Mary Baker Glover Patterson Eddy (1821-1910) twice widowed, once divorced, created a sect that now shows all signs of permanency. Its central tenet, as everyone knows, is that spirit alone is real. Matter is the projection of mind; disease, "error" of thought. Members of her Church of Christ, Scientist, come to meetings. "Readers" recite sections of Science and Health, with Key to the Scriptures; at certain services fellow-believers rise and tell "experiences," express thanks for "favors" done them in misery. They have the consolation of being well regimented in one of 2,200 Christian Science congregations.