christian science-第22节

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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　glory；　and
the　perpetuation　and　worship　of　her　Namewith　a　capital　N。　　Her　Church
is　her　pet　heir；　and　I　think　it　will　get　her　wealth。　　It　is　the　torch
which　is　to　light　the　world　and　the　ages　with　her　glory。

I　think　she　once　prized　money　for　the　ease　and　comfort　it　could　bring；
the　showy　vanities　it　could　furnish；　and　the　social　promotion　it　could
command；　for　we　have　seen　that　she　was　born　into　the　world　with　little
ways　and　instincts　and　aspirations　and　affectations　that　are　duplicates
of　our　own。　　I　do　not　think　her　money…passion　has　ever　diminished　in
ferocity；　I　do　not　think　that　she　has　ever　allowed　a　dollar　that　had　no
friends　to　get　by　her　alive；　but　I　think　her　reason　for　wanting　it　has
changed。　　I　think　she　wants　it　now　to　increase　and　establish　and
perpetuate　her　power　and　glory　with；　not　to　add　to　her　comforts　and
luxuries；　not　to　furnish　paint　and　fuss　and　feathers　for　vain　display。　　I
think　her　ambitions　have　soared　away　above　the　fuss…and…feather　stage。
She　still　likes　the　little　shows　and　vanitiesa　fact　which　she　exposed
in　a　public　utterance　two　or　three　days　ago　when　she　was　not　noticing
but　I　think　she　does　not　place　a　large　value　upon　them　now。　　She　could
build　a　mighty　and　far…shining　brass…mounted　palace　if　she　wanted　to；　but
she　does　not　do　it。　　She　would　have　had　that　kind　of　an　ambition　in　the
early　scrabbling　times。　　She　could　go　to　England　to…day　and　be　worshiped
by　earls；　and　get　a　comet's　attention　from　the　million；　if　she　cared　for
such　things。　　She　would　have　gone　in　the　early　scrabbling　days　for　much
less　than　an　earl；　and　been　vain　of　it；　and　glad　to　show　off　before　the
remains　of　the　Scotch　kin。　　But　those　things　are　very　small　to　her　now
next　to　invisible；　observed　through　the　cloud…rack　from　the　dizzy　summit
where　she　perches　in　these　great　days。　　She　does　not　want　that　church
property　for　herself。　　It　is　worth　but　a　quarter　of　a　milliona　sum　she
could　call　in　from　her　far…spread　flocks　to…morrow　with　a　lift　of　her
hand。　　Not　a　squeeze　of　it；　just　a　lift。　　It　would　come　without　a　murmur；
come　gratefully；　come　gladly。　　And　if　her　glory　stood　in　more　need　of　the
money　in　Boston　than　it　does　where　her　flocks　are　propagating　it；　she
would　lift　the　hand；　I　think。

She　is　still　reaching　for　the　Dollar；　she　will　continue　to　reach　for　it；
but　not　that　she　may　spend　it　upon　herself；　not　that　she　may　spend　it
upon　charities；　not　that　she　may　indemnify　an　early　deprivation　and
clothe　herself　in　a　blaze　of　North　Adams　gauds；　not　that　she　may　have
nine　breeds　of　pie　for　breakfast；　as　only　the　rich　New…Englander　can；　not
that　she　may　indulge　any　petty　material　vanity　or　appetite　that　once　was
hers　and　prized　and　nursed；　but　that　she　may　apply　that　Dollar　to
statelier　uses；　and　place　it　where　it　may　cast　the　metallic　sheen　of　her
glory　farthest　across　the　receding　expanses　of　the　globe。




PRAYER

A　brief　and　good　one　is　furnished　in　the　book　of　By…laws。　　The　Scientist
is　required　to　pray　it　every　day。




THE　LORD'S　PRAYER…AMENDED

This　is　not　in　the　By…laws；　it　is　in　the　first　chapter　of　Science　and
Health；　edition　of　1902。　　I　do　not　find　it　in　the　edition　of　1884。　　It　is
probable　that　it　had　not　at　that　time　been　handed　down。　　Science　and
Health's　（latest）　rendering　of　its　〃spiritual　sense〃　is　as　follows：

〃Our　Father…Mother　God'　all…harmonious；　adorable　One。　　Thy　kingdom　is
within　us；　Thou　art　ever…present。　　Enable　us　to　knowas　in　heaven；　so　on
earthGod　is　supreme。　　Give　us　grace　for　to…day；　feed　the　famished
affections。　　And　infinite　Love　is　reflected　in　love。　　And　Love　leadeth　us
not　into　temptation；　but　delivereth　from　sin；　disease；　and　death。　　For
God　is　now　and　forever　all　Life；　Truth；　and　Love。〃

If　I　thought　my　opinion　was　desired　and　would　be　properly　revered；　I
should　say　that　in　my　judgment　that　is　as　good　a　piece　of　carpentering　as
any　of　those　eleven　Commandmentexperts　could　do　with　the　material　after
all　their　practice。　　I　notice　only　one　doubtful　place。〃　　Lead　us　not　into
temptation〃　seems　to　me　to　be　a　very　definite　request；　and　that　the　new
rendering　turns　the　definite　request　into　a　definite　assertion。　　I　shall
be　glad　to　have　that　turned　back　to　the　old　way　and　the　marks　of　the
Spiral　Twist　removed；　or　varnished　over；　then　I　shall　be　satisfied；　and
will　do　the　best　I　can　with　what　is　left。　　At　the　same　time；　I　do　feel
that　the　shrinkage　in　our　spiritual　assets　is　getting　serious。　　First　the
Commandments；　now　the　Prayer。　　I　never　expected　to　see　these　steady　old
reliable　securities　watered　down　to　this。　　And　this　is　not　the　whole　of
it。　　Last　summer　the　Presbyterians　extended　the　Calling　and　Election
suffrage　to　nearly　everybody　entitled　to　salvation。　　They　did　not　even
stop　there；　but　let　out　all　the　unbaptized　American　infants　we　had　been
accumulating　for　two　hundred　years　and　more。　　There　are　some　that　believe
they　would　have　let　the　Scotch　ones　out；　too；　if　they　could　have　done　it。
Everything　is　going　to　ruin；　in　no　long　time　we　shall　have　nothing　left
but　the　love　of　God。




THE　NEW　UNPARDONABLE　SIN

〃Working　Against　the　Cause。　　Sec。　　2。　　If　a　member　of　this　Church　shall
work　against　the　accomplishment　of　what　the　Discoverer　and　Founder　of
Christian　Science　understands　is　advantageous　to　the　individual；　to　this
Church；　and　to　the　Cause　of　Christian　Science〃out　he　goes。　　Forever。

The　member　may　think　that　what　he　is　doing　will　advance　the　Cause；　but　he
is　not　invited　to　do　any　thinking。　　More　than　that；　he　is　not　permitted
to　do　anyas　he　will　clearly　gather　from　this　By…law。　　When　a　person
joins　Mrs。　Eddy's　Church　he　must　leave　his　thinker　at　home。　　Leave　it
permanently。　　To　make　sure　that　it　will　not　go　off　some　time　or　other
when　he　is　not　watching；　it　will　be　safest　for　him　to　spike　it。　　If　he
should　forget　himself　and　think　just　once；　the　By…law　provides　that　he
shall　be　fired　out…instantly…forever…no　return。

〃It　shall　be　the　duty　of　this　Church　immediately　to　call　a　meeting；　and
drop　forever　the　name　of　this　member　from　its　records。〃

My；　but　it　breathes　a　towering　indignation！

There　are　forgivable　offenses；　but　this　is　not　one　of　them；　there　are
admonitions；　probations；　suspensions；　in　several　minor　cases；　mercy　is
shown　the　derelict；　in　those　cases　he　is　gently　used；　and　in　time　he　can
get　back　into　the　foldeven　when　he　has　repeated　his　offence。　　But　let
him　think；　just　once；　without　getting　his　thinker　set　to　Eddy　time；　and
that　is　enough；　his　head　comes　off。　　There　is　no　second　offence；　and
there　is　no　gate　open　to　that　lost　sheep；　ever　again。

〃This　rule　cannot　be　changed；　amended；　or　annulled；　except　by　unanimous
vote　of　all　the　First　Members。〃

The　same　being　Mrs。　Eddy。　　It　is　naively　sly　and　pretty　to　see　her　keep
putting　forward　First　Members；　and　Boards　of　This　and　That；　and　other
broideries　and　ruffles　of　her　raiment；　as　if　they　were　independent
entities；　instead　of　a　part　of　her　clothes；　and　could　do　things　all　by
themselves　when　she　was　outside　of　them。

Mrs。　Eddy　did　not　need　to　copyright　the　sentence　just　quoted；　its　English
would　protect　it。　　None　but　she　would　have　shovelled　that　comically
superfluous　〃all〃　in　there。

The　former　Unpardonable　Sin　has　gone　out　of　service。　　We　may　frame　the
new　Christian　Science　one　thus：

〃Whatsoever　Member　shall　think；　and　without　Our　Mother's　permission　act
upon　his　think；　the　same　shall　be　cut　off　from　the　Church　forever。〃

It　has　been　said　that　I　make　many　mistakes　about　Christian　Science
through　being　ignorant　of　the　spiritual　meanings　of　its　terminology。　　I
believe　it　is　true。　　I　have　been　misled　all　this　time　by　that　word
Member；　because　there　was　no　one　to　tell　me　that　its　spiritual　meaning
was　Slave。




AXE　AND　BLOCK

There　is　a　By…law　which　forbids　Members　to　practice　hypnotism；　the
penalty　is　excommunication。

1。　　If　a　member　is　found　to　be　a　mental　practitioner
2。　　Complaint　is　to　be　entered　against　him
3。　　By　the　Pastor　Emeritus；　and　by　none　else；
4。　　No　member　is　allowed　to　make　complaint　to　her　in　the　matter；
5。　　Upon　Mrs。　Eddy's　mere　〃complaint〃unbacked　by　evidence　or　proof；　and
without　giving　the　accused　a　chance　to　be　heard〃　his　name　shall　be
dropped　from　this　Church。〃

Mrs。　Eddy　has　only　to　say　a　member　is　guiltythat　is　all。　　That　ends　it。
It　is　not　a　case　of　he　〃may〃　be　cut　off　from　Christian　Science　salvation；
it　is　a　case　of　he　〃shall〃　be。　　Her　serfs　must　see　to　it；　and　not　say　a
word。

Does　the　other　Pope　possess　this　prodigious　and　irresponsible　power？
Certainly　not　in　our　day。

Some　may　be　curious　to　know　how　Mrs。　Eddy　finds　out　that　a　member　is
practicing　hypnotism；　since　no　one　is　allowed　to　come　before　her　throne
and　accuse　him。　　She　has　explained　this　in　Christian　Science　History；
first　and　second　editions；　page　16：

〃I　possess　a　spiritual　sense　of　what　the　malicious　mental　practitioner　is
mentally　arguing　which　cannot　be　deceived；　I　can　discern　in　the　human
mind　thoughts；　motives；　and　purposes；　and　neither　mental　arguments　nor
psychic　power　can　affect　this　spiritual　insight。〃

A　marvelous　woman；