christian science-第21节

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more　of　his　wealth　than　he　did　of　his　soul；　and；　such　being　the　case；　it
was　his　duty　to　give　up　the　wealth。

〃Every　one　of　us　knows　that　there　is　something　we　should　give　up　for
Christ。　　Those　who　are　true　believers　and　followers　know　what　they　have
given　up；　and　those　who　are　not　yet　followers　know　down　in　their　hearts
what　they　must　give　up。〃

Ten　clergymen　of　various　denominations　were　interviewed；　and　nine　of　them
agreed　with　that　verdict。　　That　did　not　settle　the　matter；　because　the
tenth　said　the　language　of　Jesus　was　so　strait　and　definite　that　it
explained　itself：　〃Sell　all；〃　not　a　percentage。

There　is　a　most　unusual　feature　about　that　dispute：　the　nine　persons　who
decided　alike；　quoted　not　a　single　authority　in　support　of　their
position。　　I　do　not　know　when　I　have　seen　trained　disputants　do　the　like
of　that　before。　　The　nine　merely　furnished　their　own　opinions；　founded
uponnothing　at　all。　　In　the　other　dispute　（〃Did　Jesus　anywhere　claim　to
be　God？〃）　the　same　kind　of　mentrained　and　learned　clergymenbacked　up
their　arguments　with　chapter　and　verse。　　On　both　sides。　　Plenty　of
verses。　　Were　no　reinforcing　verses　to　be　found　in　the　present　case？　　It
looks　that　way。

The　opinion　of　the　nine　seems　strange　to　me；　for　it　is　unsupported　by
authority；　while　there　was　at　least　constructive　authority　for　the
opposite　view。

It　is　hair…splitting　differences　of　opinion　over　disputed　text…meanings
that　have　divided　into　many　sects　a　once　united　Church。　　One　may　infer
from　some　of　the　names　in　the　following　list　that　some　of　the　differences
are　very　slightso　slight　as　to　be　not　distinctly　important；　perhaps
yet　they　have　moved　groups　to　withdraw　from　communions　to　which　they
belonged　and　set　up　a　sect　of　their　own。　　The　listaccompanied　by
various　Church　statistics　for　1902；　compiled　by　Rev。　　Dr。　　H。　　K。
Carrollwas　published；　January　8；　1903；　in　the　New　York　Christian
Advocate：

Adventists　（6　bodies）；　Baptists　（13　bodies）；　Brethren　（Plymouth）　（4
bodies）；　Brethren　（River）　（3　bodies）；　Catholics　（8　bodies）；　Catholic
Apostolic；　Christadelphians；　Christian　Connection；　Christian　Catholics；
Christian　Missionary　Association；　Christian　Scientists；　Church　of　God
（Wine…brennarian）；　Church　of　the　New　Jerusalem；　Congregationalists；
Disciples　of　Christ；　Dunkards　（4　bodies）；　Evangelical　（2　bodies）；　Friends
（4　bodies）；　Friends　of　the　Temple；　German　Evangelical　Protestant；　German
Evangelical　Synod；　Independent　congregations；　Jews　（2　bodies）；　Latter…day
Saints　（2　bodies）；　Lutherans　（22　bodies）；　Mennonites　（12　bodies）；
Methodists　（17　bodies）；　Moravians；　Presbyterians　（12　bodies）；　Protestant
Episcopal　（2　bodies）；　Reformed　（3　bodies）；　Schwenkfeldians；　Social
Brethren；　Spiritualists；　Swedish　Evangelical　Miss。　　Covenant
（Waldenstromians）；　Unitarians；　United　Brethren　（2　bodies）；　Universalists；

Total　of　sects　and　splits139。

In　the　present　month　（February）；　Mr。　E。　　I。　　Lindh；　A。。M。；　has
communicated　to　the　Boston　Transcript　a　hopeful　article　on　the　solution
of　the　problem　of　the　〃divided　church。〃　　Divided　is　not　too　violent　a
term。　　Subdivided　could　have　been　permitted　if　he　had　thought　of　it。　　He
came　near　thinking　of　it；　for　he　mentions　some　of　the　subdivisions
himself：　〃the　12　kinds　of　Presbyterians；　the　17　kinds　of　Methodists；　the
13　kinds　of　Baptists；　etc。〃　　He　overlooked　the　12　kinds　of　Mennonites　and
the　22　kinds　of　Lutherans；　but　they　are　in　Rev。　　Mr。　Carroll's　list。
Altogether；　76　splits　under　5　flags。　　The　Literary　Digest　（February　14th）
is　pleased　with　Mr。　Lindh's　optimistic　article；　and　also　with　the　signs
of　the　times；　and　perceives　that　〃the　idea　of　Church　unity　is　in　the
air。〃

Now；　then；　is　not　Mrs。　Eddy　profoundly　wise　in　forbidding；　for　all　time；
all　explanations　of　her　religion　except　such　as　she　shall　let　on　to　be
her　own？

I　think　so。　　I　think　there　can　be　no　doubt　of　it。　　In　a　way；　they　will　be
her　own；　for；　no　matter　which　member　of　her　clerical　staff　shall　furnish
the　explanations；　not　a　line　of　them　will　she　ever　allow　to　be　printed
until　she　shall　have　approved　it；　accepted　it；　copyrighted　it；　cabbaged
it。　　We　may　depend　on　that　with　a　four…ace　confidence。




THE　NEW　INFALLIBILITY

All　in　proper　time　Mrs。　Eddy's　factory　will　take　hold　of　that
Commandment；　and　explain　it　for　good　and　all。　　It　may　be　that　one　member
of　the　shift　will　vote　that　the　word　〃all〃　means　all；　it　may　be　that　ten
members　of　the　shift　will　vote　that　〃all〃　means　only　a　percentage；　but　it
is　Mrs。　Eddy；　not　the　eleven；　who　will　do　the　deciding。　　And　if　she　says
it　is　percentage；　then　percentage　it　is；　forevermore　and　that　is　what　I
am　expecting；　for　she　doesn't　sell　all　herself；　nor　any　considerable　part
of　it；　and　as　regards　the　poor；　she　doesn't　declare　any　dividend；　but　if
she　says　〃all〃　means　all；　then　all　it　is；　to　the　end　of　time；　and　no
follower　of　hers　will　ever　be　allowed　to　reconstruct　that　text；　or　shrink
it；　or　inflate　it；　or　meddle　with　it　in　any　way　at　all。　　Even　to…day
right　here　in　the　beginningshe　is　the　sole　person　who；　in　the　matter　of
Christian　Science　exegesis；　is　privileged　to　exploit　the　Spiral　Twist。
The　Christian　world　has　two　Infallibles　now。

Of　equal　power？　　For　the　present　only。　　When　Leo　XIII。　　passes　to　his
rest　another　Infallible　will　ascend　his　throne；　others；　and　yet　others；
and　still　others　will　follow　him；　and　be　as　infallible　as　he；　and　decide
questions　of　doctrine　as　long　as　they　may　come　up；　all　down　the　far
future；　but　Mary　Baker　G。　　Eddy　is　the　only　Infallible　that　will　ever
occupy　the　Science　throne。　　Many　a　Science　Pope　will　succeed　her；　but　she
has　closed　their　mouths；　they　will　repeat　and　reverently　praise　and　adore
her　infallibilities；　but　venture　none　themselves。　　In　her　grave　she　will
still　outrank　all　other　Popes；　be　they　of　what　Church　they　may。　　She　will
hold　the　supremest　of　earthly　titles；　The　Infalliblewith　a　capital　T。
Many　in　the　world's　history　have　had　a　hunger　for　such　nuggets　and　slices
of　power　as　they　might　reasonably　hope　to　grab　out　of　an　empire's　or　a
religion's　assets；　but　Mrs。　Eddy　is　the　only　person　alive　or　dead　who　has
ever　struck　for　the　whole　of　them。　　For　small　things　she　has　the　eye　of　a
microscope；　for　large　ones　the　eye　of　a　telescope；　and　whatever　she　sees；
she　wants。　　Wants　it　all。




THE　SACRED　POEMS

When　Mrs。　Eddy's　〃sacred　revelations〃　（that　is　the　language　of　the　By…
laws）　are　read　in　public；　their　authorship　must　be　named。　　The　By…laws
twice　command　this；　therefore　we　mention　it　twice；　to　be　fair。

But　it　is　also　commanded　that　when　a　member　publicly　quotes　〃from　the
poems　of　our　Pastor　Emeritus〃　the　authorship　shall　be　named。　　For　these
are　sacred；　too。　　There　are　kindly　people　who　may　suspect　a　hidden
generosity　in　that　By…law；　they　may　think　it　is　there　to　protect　the
Official　Reader　from　the　suspicion　of　having　written　the　poems　himself。
Such　do　not　know　Mrs。　Eddy。　　She　does　an　inordinate　deal　of　protecting；
but　in　no　distinctly　named　and　specified　case　in　her　history　has　Number
Two　been　the　object　of　it。　　Instances　have　been　claimed；　but　they　have
failed　of　proof；　and　even　of　plausibility。

〃Members　shall　also　instruct　their　students〃　to　look　out　and　advertise
the　authorship　when　they　read　those　poems　and　things。　　Not　on　Mrs。　Eddy's
account；　but　〃for　the　good　of　our　Cause。〃




THE　CHURCH　EDIFICE

1。　　Mrs。　Eddy　gave　the　land。　　It　was　not　of　much　value　at　the　time；　but
it　is　very　valuable　now。
2。　　Her　people　built　the　Mother…Church　edifice　on　it；　at　a　cost　of　two
hundred　and　fifty　thousand　dollars。
3。　　Then　they　gave　the　whole　property　to　her。
4。　　Then　she　gave　it　to　the　Board　of　Directors。　　She　is　the　Board　of
Directors。　　She　took　it　out　of　one　pocket　and　put　it　in　the　other。
5。　　Sec。　　10　（of　the　deed）。　　〃Whenever　said　Directors　shall　determine
that　it　is　inexpedient　to　maintain　preaching；　reading；　or　speaking　in
said　church　in　accordance　with　the　terms　of　this　deed；　they　are
authorized　and　required　to　reconvey　forthwith　said　lot　of　land　with　the
building　thereon　to　Mary　Baker　G。　　Eddy；　her　heirs　and　assigns　forever；
by　a　proper　deed　of　conveyance。〃

She　is　never　careless；　never　slipshod；　about　a　matter　of　business。
Owning　the　property　through　her　Board　of　Waxworks　was　safe　enough；　still
it　was　sound　business　to　set　another　grip　on　it　to　cover　accidents；　and
she　did　it。　　Her　barkers　（what　a　curious　name；　I　wonder　if　it　is
copyrighted）；　her　barkers　persistently　advertise　to　the　public　her
generosity　in　giving　away　a　piece　of　land　which　cost　her　a　trifle；　and　a
twohundredandfiftythousanddollar　church　which　cost　her　nothing；
and　they　can　hardly　speak　of　the　unselfishness　of　it　without　breaking
down　and　crying；　yet　they　know　she　gave　nothing　away；　and　never　intended
to。　　However；　such　is　the　human　race。　　Often　it　does　seem　such　a　pity
that　Noah　and　his　party　did　not　miss　the　boat。

Some　of　the　hostiles　think　that　Mrs。　Eddy's　idea　in　protecting　this
property　in　the　interest　of　her　heirs；　and　in　accumulating　a　great　money
fortune；　is；　that　she　may　leave　her　natural　heirs　well　provided　for　when
she　goes。　　I　think　it　is　a　mistake。　　I　think　she　is　of　late　years　giving
herself　large　concern　about　only　one　interest…her　power　and