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When Mrs. Eddy said, in 1883, that a million people then acknowledged and attested the blessings of Christian Science, she did not allude to the number of persons who had become members of the Church of Christ, Scientist; she rejoiced in the number of persons who had experienced or witnessed the benefits of Christian Science healing. In this denomination, the members constitute only a fraction of the number who are interested, and they constitute only a fraction of the number who have been healed or have observed the benefits of Christian Science healing. This is the case today, even though all of these numbers are much larger than they were in 1883.
Incidentally, I offer the information that Christian Scientists are not disposed to attach much importance to the matter of numbers. Thus, the following is part of a By-Law proposed by Mrs. Eddy and adopted for the Christian Science Mother Church: "According to the Scripture they (Christian Scientists) shall turn away from personality and numbering the people" (Church Manual, Article VIII, Section 28). Christian Scientists, therefore, attach much more importance to qualities of thought than to numbers or statistics.
CLIFFORD P. SMITH
Committee on Publication
The First Church of Christ, Scientist,
Boston, Mass.
* "A corporation, organized under the laws of Massachusetts, to promote the cause of protection to American industries and other sound ideas in political science. . . . An economic, not a political, organization . . . not interested in any special group of manufacturers"—(From a letter from Mr. Marvin to Senator Robinson of Arkansas, April 7, 1924).
* The address given was 126 Starr Avenue.—ED.