Includes: Course in Divinity,
Instruction in Metaphysics,
Watches, Prayers, and Arguments, and
Gilbert Carpenter’s Collectanea
Concordance to The Blue Book

Compiled by Richard Oakes

In this age of hypnotic control, mental manipulation, subliminal suggestion, and brain-washing, the victim is often unable to defend himself from mental attacks — unless he understands the power of scientific prayer to block the influence of such mesmerism. The study of Christian Science provides this protection.

Early in her work to establish the Cause of Christian Science, Mrs. Eddy recognized the harmful, sometimes lethal, effects of silent hypnotic work. She instructed her students to handle malicious animal magnetism and aggressive mental suggestion. Workers in her home, supporting her in her work, were expected to pray daily to counteract the malicious malpractice that Mrs. Eddy was meeting. Watches, Prayers, Arguments is a collection of short, powerful treatments written or dictated by Mrs. Eddy for her workers to use in the handling of every kind of mesmerism.

One of the “Watches” states: “Mentally treat yourself that nothing can govern your actions or come to your thought that is not from divine Mind. Be strong there. So many sinister suggestions come to mind, watch! and each day commit yourself to the care of our one Parent, trust Him in all your ways for light to direct your footsteps and wisdom to enable you to separate the tares from the wheat — so that you can judge well between the human or the evil ‘suggestions’ and the good or divine impulse.” Many of these watches are included in the Blue Book, but this complete collection, with an outstanding introduction by Mr. Carpenter, is well worth having.

Collectanea relates Christian Science to daily life by bringing out its practicality and by showing how it can meet your every need here and now. Each of these passages, some only a sentence or two, imparts the spiritual strength and understanding that Mrs. Eddy expressed so naturally.
To quote a few passages from the collection: “Trust your God, our God in divine Science. There is no other way than for us to TRUST ALWAYS. This I have proven consistently for forty years. Can you, will you, do the same, my beloved student? Remember this, and live continually in the thought and attitude of trust, confident expectation of good. Nothing else can do for you what this can.”
“We understand as Christian Scientists that our varied experiences are things of the past; not so the marvelous sense of God’s presence resulting therefrom! God has placed us all in our orbit, and like the stars we are held there by His power. One does not interfere with another and we cannot fall out. Also, God is abundance. God giveth the only abundance. Mental malpractice or error cannot rob us of that abundance, either mentally, morally, physically, or intellectually. This demonstrated proves the power of Life, Truth and Love for every human need.”

“There is no fatal mistake; there is no unforgivable wrong; there is no unpardonable sin; there is no permanent injury; there is no incurable disease; there is no such thing as too late.”

“There is no fear, conscious or unconscious, that can restrain the power of divine Love to heal.”

One of the contributors, Clara Choate, wrote of the close relationship between Dr. and Mrs. Eddy and how devoted they were to each other. She gives a number of inspiring incidents of Mrs. Eddy’s stand for God’s directions above all else. Her maid, Adelaide Still was with her during her final years. She wrote: “On several occasions I saw Mrs. Eddy subdue a storm and I well remember the first time I witnessed this demonstration. It was the 3rd of August, 1907, between 4:30 and 5:30 p.m. The sky was overcast with heavy clouds and it was very dark. Mrs. Eddy sat in her chair in the study at Pleasant View watching the clouds with a smile and a rapt expression on her face. It seemed to me that she saw beyond the storm and her present surroundings and I do not think she was conscious of my presence. In a few moments the clouds broke and flecked and the storm was dissolved into its native nothingness. About half an hour later I had occasion to go to her room again when she said to me, ‘Did you see the sky?’ I said, ‘Yes, Mrs. Eddy.’ Then she said, ‘It [meaning the cloud] was never there. God’s face was never clouded.’” These memoirs reveal the spiritual power with which Mrs. Eddy handled animal magnetism from the earliest days of the Cause to the time she left us.

One by one, Mr. Carpenter read and commented on these letters, relating them to specific events and persons, and then suggesting the spiritual reason she had for writing them. Quite often a letter would lead to a discussion that answered long-standing questions about Science. These talks were recorded by Gilbert Carpenter, Jr., and edited as transcripts. In time a few copies of the first three volumes of Precepts were published for private use.

The subject-matter was so sensitive, and opposition by the Directors was so threatening, that he did not distribute them as he did the other books he published. However, he made certain that copies were preserved for posterity by placing a few transcripts and books with close friends. They are important for both their historical and metaphysical content. Few of her students seemed to understand Mrs. Eddy’s teaching on animal magnetism and malicious malpractice as Mr. Carpenter did, and he shared this invaluable insight as he discussed these letters.

One by one, Mr. Carpenter read and commented on these letters, relating them to specific events and persons, and then suggesting the spiritual reason she had for writing them. Quite often a letter would lead to a discussion that answered long-standing questions about Science. These talks were recorded by Gilbert Carpenter, Jr., and edited as transcripts. In time a few copies of the first three volumes of Precepts were published for private use.

The subject-matter was so sensitive, and opposition by the Directors was so threatening, that he did not distribute them as he did the other books he published. However, he made certain that copies were preserved for posterity by placing a few transcripts and books with close friends. They are important for both their historical and metaphysical content. Few of her students seemed to understand Mrs. Eddy’s teaching on animal magnetism and malicious malpractice as Mr. Carpenter did, and he shared this invaluable insight as he discussed these letters.

One by one, Mr. Carpenter read and commented on these letters, relating them to specific events and persons, and then suggesting the spiritual reason she had for writing them. Quite often a letter would lead to a discussion that answered long-standing questions about Science. These talks were recorded by Gilbert Carpenter, Jr., and edited as transcripts. In time a few copies of the first three volumes of Precepts were published for private use.

The subject-matter was so sensitive, and opposition by the Directors was so threatening, that he did not distribute them as he did the other books he published. However, he made certain that copies were preserved for posterity by placing a few transcripts and books with close friends. They are important for both their historical and metaphysical content. Few of her students seemed to understand Mrs. Eddy’s teaching on animal magnetism and malicious malpractice as Mr. Carpenter did, and he shared this invaluable insight as he discussed these letters.

Quite often a letter would lead to a discussion that answered long-standing questions about Science. These talks were recorded by Gilbert Carpenter, Jr., and edited as transcripts. In time a few copies of the first three volumes of Precepts were published for private use. The subject-matter was so sensitive, and opposition by the Directors was so threatening, that he did not distribute them as he did the other books he published. However, he made certain that copies were preserved for posterity by placing a few transcripts and books with close friends.

They are important for both their historical and metaphysical content. Few of her students seemed to understand Mrs. Eddy’s teaching on animal magnetism and malicious malpractice as Mr. Carpenter did, and he shared this invaluable insight as he discussed these letters.

One by one, Mr. Carpenter read and commented on these letters, relating them to specific events and persons, and then suggesting the spiritual reason she had for writing them. Quite often a letter would lead to a discussion that answered long-standing questions about Science. These talks were recorded by Gilbert Carpenter, Jr., and edited as transcripts. In time a few copies of the first three volumes of Precepts were published for private use.

The subject-matter was so sensitive, and opposition by the Directors was so threatening, that he did not distribute them as he did the other books he published. However, he made certain that copies were preserved for posterity by placing a few transcripts and books with close friends. They are important for both their historical and metaphysical content. Few of her students seemed to understand Mrs. Eddy’s teaching on animal magnetism and malicious malpractice as Mr. Carpenter did, and he shared this invaluable insight as he discussed these letters.