christian science-第25节

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Eddy　owns　the　Treasurer。

Editors　and　publishers　of　the　Christian　Science　Journal　cannot　be　elected
or　removed　without　Mrs。　Eddy's　knowledge　and　consent。

Every　candidate　for　employment　in　a　high　capacity　or　a　low　one；　on　the
other　periodicals　or　in　the　publishing　house；　must　first　be　〃accepted　by
Mrs。　Eddy　as　suitable。〃　　And　〃by　the　Board　of　Directors〃which　is
surplusage；　since　Mrs。　Eddy　owns　the　Board。

If　at　any　time　a　weekly　shall　be　started；　〃it　shall　be　owned　by　The　First
Church　of　Christ；　Scientist〃which　is　Mrs。　Eddy。




CHAPTER　VIII

I　think　that　any　one　who　will　carefully　examine　the　By…laws　（I　have
placed　all　of　the　important　ones　before　the　reader）；　will　arrive　at　the
conclusion　that　of　late　years　the　master…passion　in　Mrs。　Eddy's　heart　is
a　hunger　for　power　and　glory；　and　that　while　her　hunger　for　money　still
remains；　she　wants　it　now　for　the　expansion　and　extension　it　can　furnish
to　that　power　and　glory；　rather　than　what　it　can　do　for　her　towards
satisfying　minor　and　meaner　ambitions。

I　wish　to　enlarge　a　little　upon　this　matter。　　I　think　it　is　quite　clear
that　the　reason　why　Mrs。　Eddy　has　concentrated　in　herself　all　powers；　all
distinctions；　all　revenues　that　are　within　the　command　of　the　Christian
Science　Church　Universal　is　that　she　desires　and　intends　to　devote　them
to　the　purpose　just　suggestedthe　upbuilding　of　her　personal　glory
hers；　and　no　one　else's；　that；　and　the　continuing　of　her　name's　glory
after　she　shall　have　passed　away。　　If　she　has　overlooked　a　single　power；
howsoever　minute；　I　cannot　discover　it。　　If　she　has　found　one；　large　or
small；　which　she　has　not　seized　and　made　her　own；　there　is　no　record　of
it；　no　trace　of　it。　　In　her　foragings　and　depredations　she　usually　puts
forward　the　Mother…Churcha　lay　figureand　hides　behind　it。　　Whereas；
she　is　in　manifest　reality　the　Mother…Church　herself。　　It　has　an
impressive　array　of　officials；　and　committees；　and　Boards　of　Direction；
of　Education；　of　Lectureship；　and　so　ongeldings；　every　one；　shadows；
spectres；　apparitions；　wax…figures：　she　is　supreme　over　them　all；　she　can
abolish　them　when　she　will；　blow　them　out　as　she　would　a　candle。　　She　is
herself　the　Mother…Church。　　Now　there　is　one　By…law　which　says　that　the
Mother…Church：

〃shall　be　officially　controlled　by　no　other　church。〃

That　does　not　surprise　uswe　know　by　the　rest　of　the　By…laws　that　that
is　a　quite　irrelevant　remark。　　Yet　we　do　vaguely　and　hazily　wonder　why
she　takes　the　trouble　to　say　it；　why　she　wastes　the　words；　what　her
object　can　beseeing　that　that　emergency　has　been　in　so　many；　many　ways；
and　so　effectively　and　drastically　barred　off　and　made　impossible。　　Then
presently　the　object　begins　to　dawn　upon　us。　　That　is；　it　does　after　we
have　read　the　rest　of　the　By…law　three　or　four　times；　wondering　and
admiring　to　see　Mrs。　EddyMrs。　EddyMrs。　Eddy；　of　all　personsthrowing
away　power！　making　a　fair　exchangedoing　a　fair　thing　for　once　more；
an　almost　generous　thing！　　Then　we　look　it　through　yet　once　more
unsatisfied；　a　little　suspiciousand　find　that　it　is　nothing　but　a　sly；
thin　make…believe；　and　that　even　the　very　title　of　it　is　a　sarcasm　and
embodies　a　falsehood〃self〃　government：

〃Local　Self…Government。　　The　First　Church　of　Christ；　Scientist；　in
Boston；　Massachusetts；　shall　assume　no　official　control　of　other　churches
of　this　denomination。　　It　shall　be　officially　controlled　by　no　other
church。〃

It　has　a　most　pious　and　deceptive　give…and…take　air　of　perfect　fairness；
unselfishness；　magnanimityalmost　godliness；　indeed。　　But　it　is　all　art。


In　the　By…laws；　Mrs。　Eddy；　speaking　by　the　mouth　of　her　other　self；　the
Mother…Church；　proclaims　that　she　will　assume　no　official　control　of
other　churches…branch　churches。　　We　examine　the　other　By…laws；　and　they
answer　some　important　questions　for　us：

1。　　What　is　a　branch　Church？　　It　is　a　body　of　Christian　Scientists；
organized　in　the　one　and　only　permissible　wayby　a　member；　in　good
standing；　of　the　Mother…Church；　and　who　is　also　a　pupil　of　one　of　Mrs。
Eddy's　accredited　students。　　That　is　to　say；　one　of　her　properties。　　No
other　can　do　it。　　There　are　other　indispensable　requisites；　what　are
they？

2。　　The　new　Church　cannot　enter　upon　its　functions　until　its　members　have
individually　signed；　and　pledged　allegiance　to；　a　Creed　furnished　by　Mrs。
Eddy。

3。　　They　are　obliged　to　study　her　books；　and　order　their　lives　by　them。
And　they　must　read　no　outside　religious　works。

4。　　They　must　sing　the　hymns　and　pray　the　prayers　provided　by　her；　and
use　no　others　in　the　services；　except　by　her　permission。

5。　　They　cannot　have　preachers　and　pastors。　　Her　law。

6。　　In　their　Church　they　must　have　two　Readersa　man　and　a　woman。

7。　　They　must　read　the　services　framed　and　appointed　by　her。

8。　　Shenot　the　branch　Church　appoints　those　Readers。

9。　　Shenot　the　branch　Churchdismisses　them　and　fills　the　vacancies。

1O。　　She　can　do　this　without　consulting　the　branch　Church；　and　without
explaining。

11。　　The　branch　Church　can　have　a　religious　lecture　from　time　to　time。
By　applying　to　Mrs。　Eddy。　　There　is　no　other　way。

12。　　But　the　branch　Church　cannot　select　the　lecturer。　　Mrs。　Eddy　does
it。

13。　　The　branch　Church　pays　his　fee。

14。　　The　harnessing　of　all　Christian　Science　wedding…teams；　members　of
the　branch　Church；　must　be　done　by　duly　authorized　and　consecrated
Christian　Science　functionaries。　　Her　factory　is　the　only　one　that　makes
and　licenses　them。

＇15。　　Nothing　is　said　about　christenings。　　It　is　inferable　from　this　that
a　Christian　Science　child　is　born　a　Christian　Scientist　and　requires　no
tinkering。＇

＇16。　　Nothing　is　said　about　funerals。　　It　is　inferable；　then；　that　a
branch　Church　is　privileged　to　do　in　that　matter　as　it　may　choose。＇

To　sum　up。　　Are　any　important　Church…functions　absent　from　the　list？　　I
cannot　call　any　to　mind。　　Are　there　any　lacking　ones　whose　exercise　could
make　the　branch　in　any　noticeable　way　independent　of　the　Mother。　　Church？
even　in　any　trifling　degree？　　I　think　of　none。　　If　the　named　functions
were　abolished　would　there　still　be　a　Church　left？　　Would　there　be　even　a
shadow　of　a　Church　left？　　Would　there　be　anything　at　all　left？　　even　the
bare　name？

Manifestly　not。　　There　isn't　a　single　vital　and　essential　Church…function
of　any　kind；　that　is　not　named　in　the　list。　　And　over　every　one　of　them
the　Mother…Church　has　permanent　and　unchallengeable　control；　upon　every
one　of　them　Mrs。　Eddy　has　set　her　irremovable　grip。　　She　holds；　in
perpetuity；　autocratic　and　indisputable　sovereignty　and　control　over
every　branch　Church　in　the　earth；　and　yet　says；　in　that　sugary；　naive；
angel…beguiling　way　of　hers；　that　the　Mother…Church：

〃shall　assume　no　official　control　of　other　churches　of　this
denomination。〃

Whereas　in　truth　the　unmeddled…with　liberties　of　a　branch　Christian
Science　Church　are　but　very；　very　few　in　number；　and　are　these：

1。　　It　can　appoint　its　own　furnace…stoker；　winters。
2。　　It　can　appoint　its　own　fan…distributors；　summers。
3。　　It　can；　in　accordance　with　its　own　choice　in　the　matter；　burn；　bury；
or　preserve　members　who　are　pretending　to　be　deadwhereas　there　is　no
such　thing　as　death。
4。　　It　can　take　up　a　collection。

The　branch　Churches　have　no　important　liberties；　none　that　give　them　an
important　voice　in　their　own　affairs。　　Those　are　all　locked　up；　and　Mrs。
Eddy　has　the　key。　　〃Local　Self…Government　〃　is　a　large　name　and　sounds
well；　but　the　branch　Churches　have　no　more　of　it　than　have　the　privates
in　the　King　of　Dahomey's　army。




〃MOTHER…CHURCH　UNIQUE〃

Mrs。　Eddy；　with　an　envious　and　admiring　eye　upon　the　solitary　and
rivalless　and　world…shadowing　majesty　of　St。　　Peter's；　reveals　in　her　By…
laws　her　purpose　to　set　the　Mother…Church　apart　by　itself　in　a　stately
seclusion　and　make　it　duplicate　that　lone　sublimity　under　the　Western
sky。　　The　By…law　headed　〃Mother…Church　Unique　〃says

〃In　its　relation　to　other　Christian　Science　churches；　the　Mother…Church
stands　alone。

〃It　occupies　a　position　that　no　other　Church　can　fill。

〃Then　for　a　branch　Church　to　assume　such　position　would　be　disastrous　to
Christian　Science；

〃Therefore〃

Therefore　no　branch　Church　is　allowed　to　have　branches。　　There　shall　be
no　Christian　Science　St。　Peter's　in　the　earth　but　just　one　the　Mother…
Church　in　Boston。




〃NO　FIRST　MEMBERS〃

But　for　the　thoughtful　By…law　thus　entitled；　every　Science　branch　in　the
earth　would　imitate　the　Mother…Church　and　set　up　an　aristocracy。　　Every
little　group　of　ground…floor　Smiths　and　Furgusons　and　Shadwells　and
Simpsons　that　organized　a　branch　would　assume　that　great　title；　of　〃First
Members；〃　along　with　its　vast　privileges　of　〃discussing〃　the　weather　and
casting　blank　ballots；　and　soon　there　would　be　such　a　locust…plague　of
them　burdening　the　globe　that　the　title　would　lose　its　value　and　have　to
be　abolished。

But　where　business　and　glory　are　concerned；　Mrs。　Eddy　thinks　of
everything；　and　so　she　did　not　fail　to　take　care　of　her　Aborigines；　her
stately　and　exclusive　One　Hundred；　her　college　of　functionless　cardinals；
her　Sanhedrin　of　Privileged　Talkers　（Limited）。　　After　taking　away　all　the
liberties　of　the　branch　Churches；　and　in　the　same　br