christian science-第20节

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to　Science　and　Health；　Mrs。　Eddy　goes　on　to　say　〃the　Bible　and　the　above…
…named　book；　with　other　works　by　the　same　author；〃　etc。

It　is　an　unfortunate　sentence；　for　it　could　mislead　a　hasty　or　careless
reader　for　a　moment。　　Mrs。　Eddy　framed　itit　is　her　very　ownit　bears
her　trade…mark。　　〃The　Bible　and　Science　and　Health；　with　other　works　by
the　same　author；〃　could　have　come　from　no　literary　vacuum　but　the　one
which　produced　the　remark　（in　the　Autobiography）：　〃I　remember　reading；　in
my　childhood；　certain　manuscripts　containing　Scriptural　Sonnets；　besides
other　verses　and　enigmas。〃

We　know　what　she　means；　in　both　instances；　but　a　low…priced　Clerk　would
not　necessarily　know；　and　on　a　salary　like　his　he　could　quite　excusably
aver　that　the　Pastor　Emeritus　had　commanded　him　to　come　and　make
proclamation　that　she　was　author　of　the　Bible；　and　that　she　was　thinking
of　discharging　some　Scriptural　sonnets　and　other　enigmas　upon　the
congregation。　　It　could　lose　him　his　place；　but　it　would　not　be　fair；　if
it　happened　before　the　edict　about　〃Understanding　Communications〃　was
promulgated。




〃READERS〃　AGAIN

The　By…law　book　makes　a　showy　pretence　of　orderliness　and　system；　but　it
is　only　a　pretence。　　I　will　not　go　so　far　as　to　say　it　is　a　harum…scarum
jumble；　for　it　is　not　that；　but　I　think　it　fair　to　say　it　is　at　least
jumbulacious　in　places。　　For　instance；　Articles　III。　　and　IV。　　set　forth
in　much　detail　the　qualifications　and　duties　of　Readers；　she　then　skips
some　thirty　pages　and　takes　up　the　subject　again。　　It　looks　like
slovenliness；　but　it　may　be　only　art。　　The　belated　By…law　has　a
sufficiently　quiet　look；　but　it　has　a　ton　of　dynamite　in　it。　　It　makes
all　the　Christian　Science　Church　Readers　on　the　globe　the　personal
chattels　of　Mrs。　Eddy。　　Whenever　she　chooses；　she　can　stretch　her　long
arm　around　the　world's　fat　belly　and　flirt　a　Reader　out　of　his　pulpit；
though　he　be　tucked　away　in　seeming　safety　and　obscurity　in　a　lost
village　in　the　middle　of　China：

〃In　any　Church。　　Sec。　　2。　　The　Pastor　Emeritus　of　the　Mother…Church　shall
have　the　right　（through　a　letter　addressed　to　the　individual　and　Church
of　which　he　is　the　Reader）　to　remove　a　Reader　from　this　office　in　any
Church　of　Christ；　Scientist；　both　in　America　and　in　foreign　nations；　or
to　appoint　the　Reader　to　fill　any　office　belonging　to　the　Christian
Science　denomination。〃

She　does　not　have　to　prefer　charges　against　him；　she　does　not　have　to
find　him　lazy；　careless；　incompetent；　untidy；　ill…mannered；　unholy；
dishonest；　she　does　not　have　to　discover　a　fault　of　any　kind　in　him；　she
does　not　have　to　tell　him　nor　his　congregation　why　she　dismisses　and
disgraces　him　and　insults　his　meek　flock；　she　does　not　have　to　explain　to
his　family　why　she　takes　the　bread　out　of　their　mouths　and　turns　them
out…of…doors　homeless　and　ashamed　in　a　strange　land；　she　does　not　have　to
do　anything　but　send　a　letter　and　say：　〃Pack！　and　ask　no　questions！〃

Has　the　Pope　this　power？　　the　other　Pope　the　one　in　Rome。　　Has　he
anything　approaching　it？　　Can　he　turn　a　priest　out　of　his　pulpit　and
strip　him　of　his　office　and　his　livelihood　just　upon　a　whim；　a　caprice；
and　meanwhile　furnishing　no　reasons　to　the　parish？　　Not　in　America。　　And
not　elsewhere；　we　may　believe。

It　is　odd　and　strange；　to　see　intelligent　and　educated　people　among　us
worshipping　this　self…seeking　and　remorseless　tyrant　as　a　God。　　This
worship　is　deniedby　persons　who　are　themselves　worshippers　of　Mrs。
Eddy。　　I　feel　quite　sure　that　it　is　a　worship　which　will　continue　during
ages。

That　Mrs。　Eddy　wrote　that　amazing　By…law　with　her　own　hand　we　have　much
better　evidence　than　her　word。　　We　have　her　English。　　It　is　there。　　It
cannot　be　imitated。　　She　ought　never　to　go　to　the　expense　of　copyrighting
her　verbal　discharges。　　When　any　one　tries　to　claim　them　she　should　call
me；　I　can　always　tell　them　from　any　other　literary　apprentice's　at　a
glance。　　It　was　like　her　to　call　America　a　〃nation〃；　she　would　call　a
sand…bar　a　nation　if　it　should　fall　into　a　sentence　in　which　she　was
speaking　of　peoples；　for　she　would　not　know　how　to　untangle　it　and　get　it
out　and　classify　it　by　itself。　　And　the　closing　arrangement　of　that　By…
law　is　in　true　Eddysonian　form；　too。　　In　it　she　reserves　authority　to
make　a　Reader　fill　any　office　connected　with　a　Science　church…sexton；
grave…digger；　advertising…agent；　Annex…polisher；　leader　of　the　choir；
President；　Director；　Treasurer；　Clerk；　etc。　　She　did　not　mean　that。　　She
already　possessed　that　authority。　　She　meant　to　clothe　herself　with
power；　despotic　and　unchallengeable；　to　appoint　all　Science　Readers　to
their　offices；　both　at　home　and　abroad。　　The　phrase　〃or　to　appoint〃　is
another　miscarriage　of　intention；　she　did　not　mean　〃or；〃　she　meant　〃and。〃


That　By…law　puts　into　Mrs。　Eddy's　hands　absolute　command　over　the　most
formidable　force　and　influence　existent　in　the　Christian　Science　kingdom
outside　of　herself；　and　it　does　this　unconditionally　and　（by　auxiliary
force　of　Laws　already　quoted）　irrevocably。　　Still；　she　is　not　quite
satisfied。　　Something　might　happen；　she　doesn't　know　what。　　Therefore　she
drives　in　one　more　nail；　to　make　sure；　and　drives　it　deep：

〃This　By…law　can　neither　be　amended　nor　annulled；　except　by　consent　of
the　Pastor　Emeritus。〃

Let　some　one　with　a　wild　and　delirious　fancy　try　and　see　if　he　can
imagine　her　furnishing　that　consent。




MONOPOLY　OF　SPIRITUAL　BREAD

Very　properly；　the　first　qualification　for　membership　in　the　Mother…
Church　is　belief　in　the　doctrines　of　Christian　Science。

But　these　doctrines　must　not　be　gathered　from　secondary　sources。　　There
is　but　one　recognized　source。　　The　candidate　must　be　a　believer　in　the
doctrines　of　Christian　Science　〃according　to　the　platform　and　teaching
contained　in　the　Christian　Science　text…book；　'Science　and　Health；　with
Key　to　the　Scriptures；'　by　Rev。　　Mary　Baker　G。　　Eddy。〃

That　is　definite；　and　is　final。　　There　are　to　be　no　commentaries；　no
labored　volumes　of　exposition　and　explanation　by　anybody　except　Mrs。
Eddy。　　Because　such　things　could　sow　error；　create　warring　opinions；
split　the　religion　into　sects；　and　disastrously　cripple　its　power。　　Mrs。
Eddy　will　do　the　whole　of　the　explaining；　Herselfhas　done　it；　in　fact。
She　has　written　several　books。　　They　are　to　be　had　（for　cash　in　advance）；
they　are　all　sacred；　additions　to　them　can　never　be　needed　and　will　never
be　permitted。　　They　tell　the　candidate　how　to　instruct　himself；　how　to
teach　others；　how　to　do　all　things　comprised　in　the　businessand　they
close　the　door　against　all　would…be　competitors；　and　monopolize　the
trade：

〃The　Bible　and　the　abovenamed　book　＇Science　and　Health＇；　with　other
works　by　the　same　author；〃　must　be　his　only　text…books　for　the　commerce
he　cannot　forage　outside。

Mrs。　Eddy's　words　are　to　be　the　sole　elucidators　of　the　Bible　and　Science
and　Health　forever。　　Throughout　the　ages；　whenever　there　is　doubt　as　to
the　meaning　of　a　passage　in　either　of　these　books　the　inquirer　will　not
dream　of　trying　to　explain　it　to　himself；　he　would　shudder　at　the　thought
of　such　temerity；　such　profanity；　he　would　be　haled　to　the　Inquisition
and　thence　to　the　public　square　and　the　stake　if　he　should　be　caught
studying　into　text…meanings　on　his　own　hook；　he　will　be　prudent　and　seek
the　meanings　at　the　only　permitted　source；　Mrs。　Eddy's　commentaries。

Value　of　this　Strait…jacket。　　One　must　not　underrate　the　magnificence　of
this　long…headed　idea；　one　must　not　underestimate　its　giant　possibilities
in　the　matter　of　trooping　the　Church　solidly　together　and　keeping　it　so。
It　squelches　independent　inquiry；　and　makes　such　a　thing　impossible；
profane；　criminal；　it　authoritatively　settles　every　dispute　that　can
arise。　　It　starts　with　finality　a　point　which　the　Roman　Church　has
travelled　towards　fifteen　or　sixteen　centuries；　stage　by　stage；　and　has
not　yet　reached。　　The　matter　of　the　Immaculate　Conception　of　the　Virgin
Mary　was　not　authoritatively　settled　until　the　days　of　Pius　IX。
yesterday；　so　to　speak。

As　already　noticed；　the　Protestants　are　broken　up　into　a　long　array　of
sects；　a　result　of　disputes　about　the　meanings　of　texts；　disputes　made
unavoidable　by　the　absence　of　an　infallible　authority　to　submit　doubtful
passages　to。　　A　week　or　two　ago　（I　am　writing　in　the　middle　of　January；
1903）；　the　clergy　and　others　hereabouts　had　a　warm　dispute　in　the　papers
over　this　question：　Did　Jesus　anywhere　claim　to　be　God？　　It　seemed　an
easy　question；　but　it　turned　out　to　be　a　hard　one。　　It　was　ably　and
elaborately　discussed；　by　learned　men　of　several　denominations；　but　in
the　end　it　remained　unsettled。

A　week　ago；　another　discussion　broke　out。　　It　was　over　this　text：

〃Sell　all　that　thou　hast　and　distribute　unto　the　poor。〃

One　verdict　was　worded　as　follows：

〃When　Christ　answered　the　rich　young　man　and　said　for　him　to　give　to　the
poor　all　he　possessed　or　he　could　not　gain　everlasting　life；　He　did　not
mean　it　in　the　literal　sense。　　My　interpretation　of　His　words　is　that　we
should　part　with　what　comes　between　us　and　Christ。

〃There　is　no　doubt　that　Jesus　believed　that　the　rich　young　man　thought
more　of　his　wealth　than　he　did　of　his　soul；　and；　such　being　the　case；