christian science-第15节

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for　her；　for　as　a　rule　she　is　not　a　very　definite　person；　even　when　she
seems　to　be　trying　her　best　to　be　clear　and　positive。　　Speaking　of　the
early　days　when　her　Science　was　beginning　to　unfold　itself　and　gather
form　in　her　mind；　she　says　（Autobiography；　page　43）：

〃The　divine　hand　led　me　into　a　new　world　of　light　and　Life；　a　fresh
universeold　to　God；　but　new　to　His　'little　one。'〃

She　being　His　little　one；　as　I　understand　it。

The　divine　hand　led　her。　　It　seems　to　mean　〃God　inspired　me〃；　but　when　a
person　uses　metaphors　instead　of　statisticsand　that　is　Mrs。　Eddy's
common　fashionone　cannot　always　feel　sure　about　the　intention。

＇Page　56。＇　〃Even　the　Scripture　gave　no　direct　interpretation　of　the
Scientific　basis　for　demonstrating　the　spiritual　Principle　of　healing；
until　our　Heavenly　Father　saw　fit；　through　the　Key　to　the　Scriptures；　in
Science　and　Health；　to　unlock　this　'mystery　of　godliness。'〃

Another　baffling　metaphor。　　If　she　had　used　plain　forecastle　English；　and
said　〃God　wrote　the　Key　and　I　put　it　in　my　book〃；　or　if　she　had　said　〃God
furnished　me　the　solution　of　the　mystery　and　I　put　it　on　paper〃；　or　if
she　had　said　〃God　did　it　all；〃　then　we　should　understand；　but　her　phrase
is　open　to　any　and　all　of　those　translations；　and　is　a　Key　which　unlocks
nothingfor　us。　　However；　it　seems　to　at　least　mean　〃God　inspired　me；〃
if　nothing　more。

There　was　personal　and　intimate　communion；　at　any　rate　we　get　that　much
out　of　the　riddles。　　The　connection　extended　to　business；　after　the
establishment　of　the　teaching　and　healing　industry。

＇Page　71。＇　〃When　God　impelled　me　to　set　a　price　on　my　instruction；〃　etc。
Further　down：　〃God　has　since　shown　me；　in　multitudinous　ways；　the　wisdom
of　this　decision。〃

She　was　not　able　to　think　of　a　〃financial　equivalent〃meaning　a
pecuniary　equivalentfor　her　〃instruction　in　Christian　Science　Mind…
healing。〃　　In　this　emergency　she　was　〃led〃　to　charge　three　hundred
dollars　for　a　term　of　〃twelve　half…days。〃　　She　does　not　say　who　led　her；
she　only　says　that　the　amount　greatly　troubled　her。　　I　think　it　means
that　the　price　was　suggested　from　above；　〃led〃　being　a　theological　term
identical　with　our　commercial　phrase　〃personally　conducted。〃　　She　〃shrank
from　asking　it；　but　was　finally　led；　by　a　strange　providence；　to　accept
this　fee。〃　　〃Providence〃　is　another　theological　term。　　Two　leds　and　a
providence；　taken　together；　make　a　pretty　strong　argument　for
inspiration。　　I　think　that　these　statistics　make　it　clear　that　the　price
was　arranged　above。　　This　view　is　constructively　supported　by　the　fact；
already　quoted；　that　God　afterwards　approved；　〃in　multitudinous　ways；〃
her　wisdom　in　accepting　the　mentioned　fee。　　〃Multitudinous　ways〃
multitudinous　encoringsuggests　enthusiasm。　　Business　enthusiasm。　　And
it　suggests　nearness。　　God's　nearness　to　his　〃little　one。〃　　Nearness；　and
a　watchful　personal　interest。　　A　warm；　palpitating；　Standard…Oil
interest；　so　to　speak。　　All　this　indicates　inspiration。　　We　may　assume；
then；　two　inspirations：　one　for　the　book；　the　other　for　the　business。

The　evidence　for　inspiration　is　further　augmented　by　the　testimony　of
Rev。　　George　Tomkins；　D。D。；　already　quoted；　that　Mrs。　Eddy　and　her　book
were　foretold　in　Revelation；　and　that　Mrs。　Eddy　〃is　God's　brightest
thought　to　this　age；　giving　us　the　spiritual　interpretation　of　the　Bible
in　the　'　little　book'〃　of　the　Angel。

I　am　aware　that　it　is　not　Mr。　Tomkins　that　is　speaking；　but　Mrs。　Eddy。
The　commissioned　lecturers　of　the　Christian　Science　Church　have　to　be
members　of　the　Board　of　Lectureship。　　（By…laws　Sec。　　2；　p。　　70。）　The
Board　of　Lectureship　is　selected　by　the　Board　of　Directors　of　the　Church。
（By…laws；　Sec。　　3；　p。　　70。）　The　Board　of　Directors　of　the　Church　is　the
property　of　Mrs。　Eddy。　　（By…laws；　p。　　22。）　Mr。　Tomkins　did　not　make　that
statement　without　authorization　from　headquarters。　　He　necessarily　got　it
from　the　Board　of　Directors；　the　Board　of　Directors　from　Mrs。　Eddy；　Mrs。
Eddy　from　the　Deity。　　Mr。　Tomkins　would　have　been　turned　down　by　that
procession　if　his　remarks　had　been　unsatisfactory　to　it。

It　may　be　that　there　is　evidence　somewhereas　has　been　claimedthat
Mrs。　Eddy　has　charged　upon　the　Deity　the　verbal　authorship　of　Science　and
Health。　　But　if　she　ever　made　the　charge；　she　has　withdrawn　it　（as　it
seems　to　me）；　and　in　the　most　formal　and　unqualified；　of　all　ways。　　See
Autobiography；　page　57：

〃When　the　demand　for　this　book　increased　。　　。　　。　　the　copyright　was
infringed。　　I　entered　a　suit　at　Law；　and　my　copyright　was　protected。〃

Thus　it　is　plain　that　she　did　not　plead　that　the　Deity　was　the　（verbal）
Author；　for　if　she　had　done　that；　she　would　have　lost　her　caseand　with
rude　promptness。　　It　was　in　the　old　days　before　the　Berne　Convention　and
before　the　passage　of　our　amended　law　of　1891；　and　the　court　would　have
quoted　the　following　stern　clause　from　the　existing　statute　and　frowned
her　out　of　the　place：

〃No　Foreigner　can　acquire　copyright　in　the　United　States。〃

To　sum　up。　　The　evidence　before　me　indicates　three　things：

1。　　That　Mrs。　Eddy　claims　the　verbal　author　ship　for　herself。
2。　　That　she　denies　it　to　the　Deity。
3。　　Thatin　her　beliefshe　wrote　the　book　under　the　inspiration　of　the
Deity；　but　furnished　the　language　herself。

In　one　place　in　the　Autobiography　she　claims　both　the　language　and　the
ideas；　but　when　this　witness　is　testifying；　one　must　draw　the　line
somewhere；　or　she　will　prove　both　sides　of　her　case…nine　sides；　if
desired。

It　is　too　true。　　Much　too　true。　　Many；　many　times　too　true。　　She　is　a
most　trying　witnessthe　most　trying　witness　that　ever　kissed　the　Book；　I
am　sure。　　There　is　no　keeping　up　with　her　erratic　testimony。　　As　soon　as
you　have　got　her　share　of　the　authorship　nailed　where　you　half　hope　and
half　believe　it　will　stay　and　cannot　be　joggled　loose　any　more；　she
joggles　it　loose　againor　seems　to；　you　cannot　be　sure；　for　her　habit　of
dealing　in　meaningless　metaphors　instead　of　in　plain；　straightforward
statistics；　makes　it　nearly　always　impossible　to　tell　just　what　it　is　she
is　trying　to　say。　　She　was　definite　when　she　claimed　both　the　language
and　the　ideas　of　the　book。　　That　seemed　to　settle　the　matter。　　It　seemed
to　distribute　the　percentages　of　credit　with　precision　between　the
collaborators：　ninety…two　per　cent。　　to　Mrs。　Eddy；　who　did　all　the　work；
and　eight　per　cent。　　to　the　Deity；　who　furnished　the　inspiration　not
enough　of　it　to　damage　the　copyright　in　a　country　closed　against
Foreigners；　and　yet　plenty　to　advertise　the　book　and　market　it　at　famine
rates。　　Then　Mrs。　Eddy　does　not　keep　still；　but　fetches　around　and　comes
forward　and　testifies　again。　　It　is　most　injudicious。　　For　she　resorts　to
metaphor　this　time；　and　it　makes　trouble；　for　she　seems　to　reverse　the
percentages　and　claim　only　the　eight　per　cent。　　for　her　self。　　I　quote
from　Mr。　Peabody's　book　（Eddyism；　or　Christian　Science。　　Boston：　15　Court
Square；　price　twenty…five　cents）：

〃Speaking　of　this　book；　Mrs。　Eddy；　in　January　last　（I901）　said：　'I　should
blush　to　write　of　Science　and　Health；　with　Key　to　the　Scriptures；　as　I
have；　were　it　of　human　origin；　and　I；　apart　from　God；　its　author；　but　as
I　was　only　a　scribe　echoing　the　harmonies　of　Heaven　in　divine
metaphysics；　I　cannot　be　supermodest　of　the　Christian　Science　text…
book。〃'

Mr。　Peabody's　comment：

〃Nothing　could　be　plainer　than　that。　　Here　is　a　distinct　avowal　that　the
book　entitled　Science　and　Health　was　the　work　of　Almighty　God。〃

It　does　seem　to　amount　to　that。　　She　was　only　a　〃scribe。〃　　Confound　the
word；　it　is　just　a　confusion；　it　has　no　determinable　meaning　there；　it
leaves　us　in　the　air。　　A　scribe　is　merely　a　person　who　writes。　　He　may　be
a　copyist；　he　may　be　an　amanuensis；　he　may　be　a　writer　of　originals；　and
furnish　both　the　language　and　the　ideas。　　As　usual　with　Mrs。　Eddy；　the
connection　affords　no　help〃echoing〃　throws　no　light　upon　〃scribe。〃　　A
rock　can　reflect　an　echo；　a　wall　can　do　it；　a　mountain　can　do　it；　many
things　can　do　it；　but　a　scribe　can't。　　A　scribe　that　could　reflect　an
echo　could　get　over　thirty　dollars　a　week　in　a　side…show。　　Many
impresarios　would　rather　have　him　than　a　cow　with　four　tails。　　If　we
allow　that　this　present　scribe　was　setting　down　the　〃harmonies　of
Heaven〃and　certainly　that　seems　to　have　been　the　case　then　there　was
only　one　way　to　do　it　that　I　can　think　of：　listen　to　the　music　and　put
down　the　notes　one　after　another　as　they　fell。　　In　that　case　Mrs。　Eddy
did　not　invent　the　tune；　she　only　entered　it　on　paper。　　Therefore
dropping　the　metaphorshe　was　merely　an　amanuensis；　and　furnished
neither　the　language　of　Science　and　Health　nor　the　ideas。　　It　reduces　her
to　eight　per　cent。　　（and　the　dividends　on　that　and　the　rest）。

Is　that　it？　　We　shall　never　know。　　For　Mrs。　Eddy　is　liable　to　testify
again　at　any　time。　　But　until　she　does　it；　I　think　we　must　conclude　that
the　Deity　was　Author　of　the　whole　book；　and　Mrs。　Eddy　merely　His
telephone　and　stenographer。　　Granting　this；　her　claim　as　the　Voice　of　God
stands…for　the　presentjustified　and　established。




POSTSCRIPT

I　overlooked　something。　　It　appears　that　there　was　more　of　that　utterance
than　Mr。　Peabody　has　quoted　in　the　above　paragraph。