christian science-第24节

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The　lecturers　are　exceedingly　important　servants　of　Mrs。　Eddy；　and　she
chooses　them　with　great　care。　　Each　of　them　has　an　appointed　territory　in
which　to　perform　his　dutiesin　the　North；　the　South；　the　East；　the　West；
in　Canada；　in　Great　Britain；　and　so　onand　each　must　stick　to　his　own
territory　and　not　forage　beyond　its　boundaries。　　I　think　it　goes　without
sayingfrom　what　we　have　seen　of　Mrs。　Eddythat　no　lecture　is　delivered
until　she　has　examined　and　approved　it；　and　that　the　lecturer　is　not
allowed　to　change　it　afterwards。

The　members　of　the　Board　of　Lectureship　are　elected　annually

〃Subject　to　the　approval　of　Rev。　　Mary　Baker　G。　　Eddy。〃




MISSIONARIES

There　are　but　four。　　They　are　electedlike　the　rest　of　the　domestics
annually。　　So　far　as　I　can　discover；　not　a　single　servant　of　the　Sacred
Household　has　a　steady　job　except　Mrs。　Eddy。　　It　is　plain　that　she　trusts
no　human　being　but　herself。




THE　BY…LAWS

The　branch　Churches　are　strictly　forbidden　to　use　them。

So　far　as　I　can　see；　they　could　not　do　it　if　they　wanted　to。　　The　By…laws
are　merely　the　voice　of　the　master　issuing　commands　to　the　servants。
There　is　nothing　and　nobody　for　the　servants　to　re…utter　them　to。

That　useless　edict　is　repeated　in　the　little　book；　a　few　pages　farther
on。　　There　are　several　other　repetitions　of　prohibitions　in　the　book　that
could　be　spared…they　only　take　up　room　for　nothing。




THE　CREED
It　is　copyrighted。　　I　do　not　know　why；　but　I　suppose　it　is　to　keep
adventurers　from　some　day　claiming　that　they　invented　it；　and　not　Mrs。
Eddy　and　that　〃strange　Providence〃　that　has　suggested　so　many　clever
things　to　her。

No　Change。　　It　is　forbidden　to　change　the　Creed。　　That　is　important；　at
any　rate　。



COPYRIGHT

I　can　understand　why　Mrs。　Eddy　copyrighted　the　early　editions　and
revisions　of　Science　and　Health；　and　why　she　had　a　mania　for　copyrighting
every　scrap　of　every　sort　that　came　from　her　pen　in　those　jejune　days
when　to　be　in　print　probably　seemed　a　wonderful　distinction　to　her　in　her
provincial　obscurity；　but　why　she　should　continue　this　delirium　in　these
days　of　her　godship　and　her　far…spread　fame；　I　cannot　explain　to　myself。
And　particularly　as　regards　Science　and　Health。　　She　knows；　now；　that
that　Annex　is　going　to　live　for　many　centuries；　and　so；　what　good　is　a
fleeting　forty…two…year　copyright　going　to　do　it？

Now　a　perpetual　copyright　would　be　quite　another　matter。　　I　would　like　to
give　her　a　hint。　　Let　her　strike　for　a　perpetual　copyright　on　that　book。
There　is　precedent　for　it。　　There　is　one　book　in　the　world　which　bears
the　charmed　life　of　perpetual　copyright　（a　fact　not　known　to　twenty
people　in　the　world）。　　By　a　hardy　perversion　of　privilege　on　the　part　of
the　lawmaking　power　the　Bible　has　perpetual　copyright　in　Great　Britain。
There　is　no　justification　for　it　in　fairness；　and　no　explanation　of　it
except　that　the　Church　is　strong　enough　there　to　have　its　way；　right　or
wrong。　　The　recent　Revised　Version　enjoys　perpetual　copyright；　tooa
stronger　precedent；　even；　than　the　other　one。

Now；　then；　what　is　the　Annex　but　a　Revised　Version　itself？　　Which　of
course　it　isLord's　Prayer　and　all。　　With　that　pair　of　formidable
British　precedents　to　proceed　upon；　what　Congress　of　ours

But　how　short…sighted　I　am。　　Mrs。　Eddy　has　thought　of　it　long　ago。　　She
thinks　of　everything。　　She　knows　she　has　only　to　keep　her　copyright　of
1902　alive　through　its　first　stage　of　twenty…eight　years；　and　perpetuity
is　assured。　　A　Christian　Science　Congress　will　reign　in　the　Capitol　then。
She　probably　attaches　small　value　to　the　first　edition　（1875）。　　Although
it　was　a　Revelation　from　on　high；　it　was　slim；　lank；　incomplete；　padded
with　bales　of　refuse　rags；　and　puffs　from　lassoed　celebrities　to　fill　it
out；　an　uncreditable　book；　a　book　easily　sparable；　a　book　not　to　be
mentioned　in　the　same　year　with　the　sleek；　fat；　concise；　compact；
compressed；　and　competent　Annex　of　to…day；　in　its　dainty　flexible　covers；
giltedges；　rounded　corners；　twin　screw；　spiral　twist；　compensation
balance；　Testament…counterfeit；　and　all　that；　a　book　just　born　to　curl　up
on　the　hymn…book…shelf　in　church　and　look　just　too　sweet　and　holy　for
anything。　　Yes；　I　see　now　what　she　was　copyrighting　that　child　for。




CHRISTIAN　SCIENCE　PUBLISHING　ASSOCIATION

It　is　true　in　matters　of　business　Mrs。　Eddy　thinks　of　everything。　　She
thought　of　an　organ；　to　disseminate　the　Truth　as　it　was　in　Mrs。　Eddy。
Straightway　she　started　onethe　Christian　Science　Journal。

It　is　truein　matters　of　business　Mrs。　Eddy　thinks　of　everything。　　As
soon　as　she　had　got　the　Christian　Science　Journal　sufficiently　in　debt　to
make　its　presence　on　the　premises　disagreeable　to　her；　it　occurred　to　her
to　make　somebody　a　present　of　it。　　Which　she　did；　along　with　its　debts。
It　was　in　the　summer　of　1889。　　The　victim　selected　was　her　Church
called；　in　those　days；　The　National　Christian　Scientist　Association。

She　delivered　this　sorrow　to　those　lambs　as　a　〃gift〃　in　consideration　of
their　〃loyalty　to　our　great　cause。〃

Alsostill　thinking　of　everythingshe　told　them　to　retain　Mr。　Bailey　in
the　editorship　and　make　Mr。　Nixon　publisher。　　We　do　not　know　what　it　was
she　had　against　those　men；　neither　do　we　know　whether　she　scored　on
Bailey　or　not；　we　only　know　that　God　protected　Nixon；　and　for　that　I　am
sincerely　glad；　although　I　do　not　know　Nixon　and　have　never　even　seen
him。

Nixon　took　the　Journal　and　the　rest　of　the　Publishing　Society's
liabilities；　and　demonstrated　over　them　during　three　years；　then　brought
in　his　report：

〃On　assuming　my　duties　as　publisher；　there　was　not　a　dollar　in　the
treasury；　but　on　the　contrary　the　Society　owed　unpaid　printing　and　paper
bills　to　the　amount　of　several　hundred　dollars；　not　to　mention　a
contingent　liability　of　many　more　hundreds〃represented　by　advance
subscriptions　paid　for　the　Journal　and　the　〃Series；〃　the　which　goods　Mrs。
Eddy　had　not　delivered。　　And　couldn't；　very　well；　perhaps；　on　a
Metaphysical　College　income　of　but　a　few　thousand　dollars　a　day；　or　a
week；　or　whatever　it　was　in　those　magnificently　flourishing　times。　　The
struggling　Journal　had　swallowed　up　those　advance…payments；　but　its
〃claim〃　was　a　severe　one　and　they　had　failed　to　cure　it。　　But　Nixon　cured
it　in　his　diligent　three　years；　and　joyously　reported　the　news　that　he
had　cleared　off　all　the　debts　and　now　had　a　fat　six　thousand　dollars　in
the　bank。

It　made　Mrs。　Eddy's　mouth　water。

At　the　time　that　Mrs。　Eddy　had　unloaded　that　dismal　gift　on　to　her
National　Association；　she　had　followed　her　inveterate　custom：　she　had
tied　a　string　to　its　hind　leg；　and　kept　one　end　of　it　hitched　to　her
belt。　　We　have　seen　her　do　that　in　the　case　of　the　Boston　Mosque。　　When
she　deeds　property；　she　puts　in　that　string…clause。　　It　provides　that
under　certain　conditions　she　can　pull　the　string　and　land　the　property　in
the　cherished　home　of　its　happy　youth。　　In　the　present　case　she　believed
that　she　had　made　provision　that　if　at　any　time　the　National　Christian
Science　Association　should　dissolve　itself　by　a　formal　vote；　she　could
pull。

A　year　after　Nixon's　handsome　report；　she　writes　the　Association　that　she
has　a　〃unique　request　to　lay　before　it。〃　　It　has　dissolved；　and　she　is
not　quite　sure　that　the　Christian　Science　Journal　has　〃already　fallen
into　her　hands〃　by　that　act；　though　it　〃seems〃　to　her　to　have　met　with
that　accident；　so　she　would　like　to　have　the　matter　decided　by　a　formal
vote。　　But　whether　there　is　a　doubt　or　not；　〃I　see　the　wisdom；〃　she　says；
〃of　again　owning　this　Christian　Science　waif。〃

I　think　that　that　is　unassailable　evidence　that　the　waif　was　making
money；　hands　down。

She　pulled　her　gift　in。　　A　few　years　later　she　donated　the　Publishing
Society；　along　with　its　real　estate；　its　buildings；　its　plant；　its
publications；　and　its　moneythe　whole　worth　twentytwo　thousand
dollars；　and　free　of　debtto　Well；　to　the　Mother…Church！

That　is　to　say；　to　herself。　　There　is　an　act　count　of　it　in　the　Christian
Science　Journal；　and　of　how　she　had　already　made　some　other　handsome
gifts　to　her　Churchand　others　to　to　her　Cause　besides　〃an　almost
countless　number　of　private　charities〃　of　cloudy　amount　and　otherwise
indefinite。　　This　landslide　of　generosities　overwhelmed　one　of　her
literary　domestics。　　While　he　was　in　that　condition　he　tried　to　express
what　he　felt：

〃Let　us　endeavor　to　lift　up　our　hearts　in　thankfulness　to　。　　。　　。　　our
Mother　in　Israel　for　these　evidences　of　generosity　and　self…sacrifice
that　appeal　to　our　deepest　sense　of　gratitude；　even　while　surpassing　our
comprehension。〃

A　year　or　two　later；　Mrs。　Eddy　promulgated　some　By…laws　of　a　self…
sacrificing　sort　which　assuaged　him；　perhaps；　and　perhaps　enabled　his
surpassed　comprehension　to　make　a　sprint　and　catch　up。　　These　are　to　be
found　in　Art。　　XII。；　entitled。




THE　CHRISTIAN　SCIENCE　PUBLISHING　SOCIETY

This　Article　puts　the　whole　publishing　business　into　the　hands　of　a
publishing　Boardspecial。　　Mrs。　Eddy　appoints　to　its　vacancies。

The　profits　go　semi…annually　to　the　Treasurer　of　the　Mother…Church。　　Mrs。
Eddy　owns　the　Treasurer。

Editors　and　publishers　of　the　Christian　Science　Journal　cannot　be　elect