Watching Point 456

456 — WATCH lest you be guilty of steadying the ark in feeling that part of your responsibility is to try to hold other students in line, — your friends, fellow members, patients or students. Augusta Stetson had a group of prominent students, whom she endeavored to keep in line by prophesying dire happenings, if they turned away from her. She really resorted to animal magnetism when she did this, and made a reality of the fear of malpractice.

Once Mrs. Eddy wrote, “God will number His people and separate the chaff from the wheat, despite our endeavors to hold all who name His name in the beauty of holiness and bonds of Love.” She could not hold all students in line, so she trusted them to God. If they were worthy and sincere, He would watch over them; if they were unworthy and unwilling to put God ahead of matter or mortal mind, they would go the way of chaff. No one is following our Leader who tries to keep others in line by coercive methods.