"Science and Health" as a book that
"affords an opportunity to acquire a profession by which you can
accumulate a fortune." "In the early history of Christian Science," Mrs.
Eddy says, "among my thousands of students few were wealthy. Now,
Christian Scientists are not indigent; and their comfortable fortunes
are acquired by healing mankind morally, physically, and spiritually."
Her healers should be well paid, she says. "Christian Science
demonstrates that the patient who pays what he is able to pay, is more
apt to recover than he who withholds a slight equivalent for health." In
Mrs. Eddy's book[12] she publishes a long testimonial from a man who
relates how Christian Science has helped him in his business.

This view of poverty has been generally accepted among Mrs. Eddy's
followers. One contributor to the _Journal_ writes: "We were
demonstrating over a lack of means, which we had learned was just as
much a claim of error to be overcome with truth as ever sickness or sin
was."[13]

Another contributor writes: "The lack of means is a lupine ghost sired
by the same spectre as the lack of health, and both must be met and put
to flight by the same mighty weapons of our spiritual warfare."[14]

In the files of the _Journal_ there are many reports of the material
prosperity of individual Christian Scientists. It is an evidence of
"at-oneness" with God to prosper in business just as it is to overcome
disease.

In the _Journal_ of September, 1904, a contributor says:

"Is it reasonable to believe, as we have believed, that popular
fancy, whims, climate, the state of politics, any or all of a
hundred lawless elements, are able to ruin a man's business while
he stands by and doesn't know enough even to make an intelligent
protest?"

Government, civilization, and even "climate" are demonstrated to be
unreal, but the reality and importance of "business" is never
questioned, and that each and every Christian Scientist should get on in
the world remains a matter of indubitable moment, even to Mrs. Eddy
herself.

_Mrs. Eddy's Views on Marriage_

Among the many incidental ideas which Mrs. Eddy has added to Quimbyism
are her theory that the Godhead is more feminine than masculine, and her
qualified disapproval of matrimony. Quimby himself had a large family
and saw nothing unspiritual in marriage. In defining the real purpose of
marriage Mrs. Eddy says nothing about children; "to happify existence