Boston Herald
From Pulpit and Press by Mary Baker Eddy
Page 40
[Boston Herald, January 7, 1895]
[Extract]
A TEMPLE GIVEN TO GOD — DEDICATION OF THE
MOTHER CHURCH OF CHRISTIAN SCIENCE
NOVEL METHOD OF ENABLING SIX THOUSAND BELIEVERS TO
ATTEND THE EXERCISES — THE SERVICE REPEATED FOUR
TIMES — SERMON BY REV. MARY BAKER EDDY, FOUNDER OF
THE DENOMINATION — BEAUTIFUL ROOM WHICH THE CHILDREN
BUILT
With simple ceremonies, four times repeated, in the
presence of four different congregations, aggregating
18 nearly six thousand persons, the unique and costly edifice
erected in Boston at Norway and Falmouth Streets as a
home for The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and a
21 testimonial to the Discoverer and Founder of Christian
Science, Rev. Mary Baker Eddy, was yesterday dedicated
to the worship of God.
Page 41
1 The structure came forth from the hands of the artisans
with every stone paid for — with an appeal, not for more
3 money, but for a cessation of the tide of contributions
which continued to flow in after the full amount needed
was received. From every State in the Union, and from
6 many lands, the love-offerings of the disciples of Christian
Science came to help erect this beautiful structure, and
more than four thousand of these contributors came to
9 Boston, from the far-off Pacific coast and the Gulf States
and all the territory that lies between, to view the new-
built temple and to listen to the Message sent them by
12 the teacher they revere.
From all New England the members of the denomina-
tion gathered; New York sent its hundreds, and even
15 from the distant States came parties of forty and fifty.
The large auditorium, with its capacity for holding from
fourteen hundred to fifteen hundred persons, was hopelessly
18 incapable of receiving this vast throng, to say nothing of
nearly a thousand local believers. Hence the service was
repeated until all who wished had heard and seen; and
21 each of the four vast congregations filled the church to
repletion.
At 7 :30 a. m. the chimes in the great stone tower, which
24 rises one hundred and twenty-six feet above the earth,
rung out their message of “On earth peace, good will
toward men.”
27 Old familiar hymns — “All hail the power of Jesus’
name,” and others such — were chimed until the hour for
the dedication service had come.
30 At 9 a. m. the first congregation gathered. Before this
Page 42
1 service had closed the large vestry room and the spacious
lobbies and the sidewalks around the church were all
3 filled with a waiting multitude. At l0:30 o’clock another
service began, and at noon still another. Then there was
an intermission, and at 3 p. m. the service was repeated
6 for the last time.
There was scarcely even a minor variation in the exer-
cises at any one of these services. At 10:30 a. m., how-
9 ever, the scene was rendered particularly interesting by
the presence of several hundred children in the central
pews. These were the little contributors to the building
12 fund, whose money was devoted to the “Mother’s Room,”
a superb apartment intended for the sole use of Mrs. Eddy.
These children are known in the church as the “Busy
15 Bees,” and each of them wore a white satin badge with a
golden beehive stamped upon it, and beneath the beehive
the words, “Mother’s Room,” in gilt letters.
18 The pulpit end of the auditorium was rich with the
adornment of flowers. On the wall of the choir gallery
above the platform, where the organ is to be hereafter
21 placed, a huge seven-pointed star was hung — a star of
lilies resting on palms, with a centre of white immortelles,
upon which in letters of red were the words: “Love-
24 Children’s Offering — 1894.”
In the choir and the steps of the platform were potted
palms and ferns and Easter lilies. The desk was wreathed
27 with ferns and pure white roses fastened with a broad
ribbon bow. On its right was a large basket of white
carnations resting on a mat of palms, and on its left a vase
30 filled with beautiful pink roses.
Page 43
1 Two combined choirs — that of First Church of Christ,
Scientist, of New York, and the choir of the home church,
3 numbering thirty-five singers in all — led the singing,
under the direction, respectively, of Mr. Henry Lincoln
Case and Miss Elsie Lincoln.
6 Judge S. J. Hanna, editor of The Christian Science
Journal, presided over the exercises. On the platform
with him were Messrs. Ira O. Knapp, Joseph Armstrong,
9 Stephen A. Chase, and William B. Johnson, who compose
the Board of Directors, and Mrs. Henrietta Clark Bemis,
a distinguished elocutionist, and a native of Concord, New
12 Hampshire.
The utmost simplicity marked the exercises. After an
organ voluntary, the hymn, “Laus Deo, it is done!”
15 written by Mrs. Eddy for the corner-stone laying last
spring, was sung by the congregation. Selections from the
Scriptures and from “Science and Health with Key to the
18 Scriptures,” were read by Judge Hanna and Dr. Eddy.
A few minutes of silent prayer came next, followed by
the recitation of the Lord’s Prayer, with its spiritual inter-
21 pretation as given in the Christian Science textbook.
The sermon prepared for the occasion by Mrs. Eddy,
which was looked forward to as the chief feature of the
24 dedication, was then read by Mrs. Bemis. Mrs. Eddy
remained at her home in Concord, N. H., during the day,
because, as heretofore stated in The Herald, it is her
27 custom to discourage among her followers that sort of
personal worship which religious teachers so often receive.
Before presenting the sermon, Mrs. Bemis read the fol-
30 lowing letter from a former pastor of the church: —
Page 44
1 “To Rev. Mary Baker Eddy
“Dear Teacher, Leader, Guide: — ‘Laus Deo, it is done!’
3 At last you begin to see the fruition of that you have worked,
toiled, prayed for. The ‘prayer in stone’ is accomplished.
Across two thousand miles of space, as mortal sense puts
6 it, I send my hearty congratulations. You are fully occu-
pied, but I thought you would willingly pause for an
instant to receive this brief message of congratulation.
9 Surely it marks an era in the blessed onward work of
Christian Science. It is a most auspicious hour in your
eventful career. While we all rejoice, yet the mother in
12 Israel, alone of us all, comprehends its full significance.
“Yours lovingly,
“LANSON P. NORCROSS”