christian science-第26节

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liberties　of　the　branch　Churches；　and　in　the　same　breath　disclaiming　all
official　control　over　their　affairs；　she　smites　them　on　the　mouth　with
thisthe　very　mouth　that　was　watering　for　those　nobby　ground…floor
honors

〃No　First　Members。　　Branch　Churches　shall　not　organize　with　First
Members；　that　special　method　of　organization　being　adapted　to　the　Mother…
Church　alone。〃

And　so；　first　members　being　prohibited；　we　pierce　through　the　cloud　of
Mrs。　Eddy's　English　and　perceive　that　they　must　then　necessarily　organize
with　Subsequent　Members。　　There　is　no　other　way。　　It　will　occur　to　them
by…and…by　to　found　an　aristocracy　of　Early　Subsequent　Members。　　There　is
no　By…law　against　it。




〃THE〃

I　uncover　to　that　imperial　word。　　And　to　the　mind；　too；　that　conceived
the　idea　of　seizing　and　monopolizing　it　as　a　title。　　I　believe　it　is　Mrs。
Eddy's　dazzlingest　invention。　　For　show；　and　style；　and　grandeur；　and
thunder　and　lightning　and　fireworks　it　outclasses　all　the　previous
inventions　of　man；　and　raises　the　limit　on　the　Pope。　　He　can　never　put
his　avid　hand　on　that　word　of　wordsit　is　pre…empted。　　And　copyrighted；
of　course。　　It　lifts　the　Mother…Church　away　up　in　the　sky；　and
fellowships　it　with　the　rare　and　select　and　exclusive　little　company　of
the　THE's　of　deathless　glorypersons　and　things　whereof　history　and　the
ages　could　furnish　only　single　examples；　not　two：　the　Saviour；　the
Virgin；　the　Milky　Way；　the　Bible；　the　Earth；　the　Equator；　the　Devil；　the
Missing　Link　and　now　The　First　Church；　Scientist。　　And　by　clamor　of
edict　and　By…law　Mrs。　Eddy　gives　personal　notice　to　all　branch　Scientist
Churches　on　this　planet　to　leave　that　THE　alone。

She　has　demonstrated　over　it　and　made　it　sacred　to　the　Mother…Church：

〃The　article　'The'　must　not　be　used　before　the　titles　of　branch
Churches

〃Nor　written　on　applications　for　membership　in　naming　such　churches。〃

Those　are　the　terms。　　There　can　and　will　be　a　million　First　Churches　of
Christ；　Scientist；　scattered　over　the　world；　in　a　million　towns　and
villages　and　hamlets　and　cities；　and　each　may　call　itself　（suppressing
the　article）；　〃First　Church　of　Christ。　　Scientist〃it　is　permissible；
and　no　harm；　but　there　is　only　one　The　Church　of　Christ；　Scientist；　and
there　will　never　be　another。　　And　whether　that　great　word　fall　in　the
middle　of　a　sentence　or　at　the　beginning　of　it；　it　must　always　have　its
capital　T。

I　do　not　suppose　that　a　juvenile　passion　for　fussy　little　worldly　shows
and　vanities　can　furnish　a　match　to　this；　anywhere　in　the　history　of　the
nursery。　　Mrs。　Eddy　does　seem　to　be　a　shade　fonder　of　little　special
distinctions　and　pomps　than　is　usual　with　human　beings。

She　instituted　that　immodest　〃The〃　with　her　own　hand；　she　did　not　wait
for　somebody　else　to　think　of　it。




A　LIFE…TERM　MONOPOLY

There　is　but　one　human　Pastor　in　the　whole　Christian　Science　world；　she
reserves　that　exalted　place　to　herself。




A　PERPETUAL　ONE

There　is　but　one　other　object　in　the　whole　Christian　Science　world
honored　with　that　title　and　holding　that　office：　it　is　her　book；　the
Annex　permanent　Pastor　of　The　First　Church；　and　of　all　branch　Churches。

With　her　own　hand　she　draughted　the　By…laws　which　make　her　the　only
really　absolute　sovereign　that　lives　to…day　in　Christendom。

She　does　not　allow　any　objectionable　pictures　to　be　exhibited　in　the　room
where　her　book　is　sold；　nor　any　indulgence　in　idle　gossip　there；　and　from
the　general　look　of　that　By…law　I　judge　that　a　lightsome　and　improper
person　can　be　as　uncomfortable　in　that　place　as　he　could　be　in　heaven。




THE　SANCTUM　SANCTORUM　AND　SACRED　CHAIR

In　a　room　in　The　First　Church　of　Christ；　Scientist；　there　is　a　museum　of
objects　which　have　attained　to　holiness　through　contact　with　Mrs。　Eddy
among　them　an　electrically　lighted　oil…picture　of　a　chair　which　she　used
to　sit　in　and　disciples　from　all　about　the　world　go　softly　in　there；　in
restricted　groups；　under　proper　guard；　and　reverently　gaze　upon　those
relics。　　It　is　worship。　　Mrs。　Eddy　could　stop　it　if　she　was　not　fond　of
it；　for　her　sovereignty　over　that　temple　is　supreme。

The　fitting…up　of　that　place　as　a　shrine　is　not　an　accident；　nor　a
casual；　unweighed　idea；　it　is　imitated　from　ageold　religious　custom。
In　Treves　the　pilgrim　reverently　gazes　upon　the　Seamless　Robe；　and　humbly
worships；　and　does　the　same　in　that　other　continental　church　where　they
keep　a　duplicate；　and　does　likewise　in　the　Church　of　the　Holy　Sepulchre；
in　Jerusalem；　where　memorials　of　the　Crucifixion　are　preserved；　and　now；
by　good　fortune　we　have　our　Holy　Chair　and　things；　and　a　market　for　our
adorations　nearer　home。

But　is　there　not　a　detail　that　is　new；　fresh；　original？　　Yes；　whatever
old　thing　Mrs。　Eddy　touches　gets　something　new　by　the　contact　something
not　thought　of　before　by　any　one　something　original；　all　her　own；　and
copyrightable。　　The　new　feature　is　self　worshipexhibited　in　permitting
this　shrine　to　be　installed　during　her　lifetime；　and　winking　her　sacred
eye　at　it。

A　prominent　Christian　Scientist　has　assured　me　that　the　Scientists　do　not
worship　Mrs。　Eddy；　and　I　think　it　likely　that　there　may　be　five　or　six　of
the　cult　in　the　world　who　do　not　worship　her；　but　she　herself　is
certainly　not　of　that　company。　　Any　healthy…minded　person　who　will
examine　Mrs。　Eddy's　little　Autobiography　and　the　Manual　of　By…laws
written　by　her　will　be　convinced　that　she　worships　herself；　and　that　she
brings　to　this　service　a　fervor　of　devotion　surpassing　even　that　which
she　formerly　laid　at　the　feet　of　the　Dollar；　and　equalling　any　which
rises　to　the　Throne　of　Grace　from　any　quarter。

I　think　this　is　as　good　a　place　as　any　to　salve　a　hurt　which　I　was　the
means　of　inflicting　upon　a　Christian　Scientist　lately。　　The　first　third
of　this　book　was　written　in　1899　in　Vienna。　　Until　last　summer　I　had
supposed　that　that　third　had　been　printed　in　a　book　which　I　published
about　a　year　latera　hap　which　had　not　happened。　　I　then　sent　the
chapters　composing　it　to　the　North　American　Review；　but　failed。　　in　one
instance；　to　date　them。　　And　so；　In　an　undated　chapter　I　said　a　lady　told
me　〃last　night〃　so　and　so。　　There　was　nothing　to　indicate　to　the　reader
that　that　〃last　night〃　was　several　years　old；　therefore　the　phrase　seemed
to　refer　to　a　night　of　very　recent　date。　　What　the　lady　had　told　me　was；
that　in　a　part　of　the　Mother…Church　in　Boston　she　had　seen　Scientists
worshipping　a　portrait　of　Mrs。　Eddy　before　which　a　light　was　kept
constantly　burning。

A　Scientist　came　to　me　and　wished　me　to　retract　that　〃untruth。〃　　He　said
there　was　no　such　portrait；　and　that　if　I　wanted　to　be　sure　of　it　I　could
go　to　Boston　and　see　for　myself。　　I　explained　that　my　〃last　night〃　meant
a　good　while　ago；　that　I　did　not　doubt　his　assertion　that　there　was　no
such　portrait　there　now；　but　that　I　should　continue　to　believe　it　had
been　there　at　the　time　of　the　lady's　visit　until　she　should　retract　her
statement　herself。　　I　was　at　no　time　vouching　for　the　truth　of　the
remark；　nevertheless　I　considered　it　worth　par。

And　yet　I　am　sorry　the　lady　told　me；　since　a　wound　which　brings　me　no
happiness　has　resulted。　　I　am　most　willing　to　apply　such　salve　as　I　can。
The　best　way　to　set　the　matter　right　and　make　everything　pleasant　and
agreeable　all　around　will　be　to　print　in　this　place　a　description　of　the
shrine　as　it　appeared　to　a　recent　visitor；　Mr。　Frederick　W。　　Peabody；　of
Boston。　　I　will　copy　his　newspaper　account；　and　the　reader　will　see　that
Mrs。　Eddy's　portrait　is　not　there　now：

〃We　lately　stood　on　the　threshold　of　the　Holy　of　Holies　of　the　Mother…
Church；　and　with　a　crowd　of　worshippers　patiently　waited　for　admittance
to　the　hallowed　precincts　of　the　'Mother's　Room。'　Over　the　doorway　was　a
sign　informing　us　that　but　four　persons　at　a　time　would　be　admitted；　that
they　would　be　permitted　to　remain　but　five　minutes　only；　and　would　please
retire　from　the　'Mother's　Room'　at　the　ringing　of　the　bell。　　Entering
with　three　of　the　faithful；　we　looked　with　profane　eyes　upon　the
consecrated　furnishings。　　A　show…woman　in　attendance　monotonously
announced　the　character　of　the　different　appointments。　　Set　in　a　recess
of　the　wall　and　illumined　with　electric　light　was　an　oil…painting　the
show…woman　seriously　declared　to　be　a　lifelike　and　realistic　picture　of
the　Chair　in　which　the　Mother　sat　when　she　composed　her　'inspired'　work。
It　was　a　picture　of　an　old…fashioned？　　country；　hair　cloth　rocking…chair；
and　an　exceedingly　commonplace…looking　table　with　a　pile　of　manuscript；
an　ink…bottle；　and　pen　conspicuously　upon　it。　　On　the　floor　were　sheets
of　manuscript。　　'The　mantel…piece　is　of　pure　onyx；'　continued　the　show…
woman；　'and　the　beehive　upon　the　window…sill　is　made　from　one　solid　block
of　onyx；　the　rug　is　made　of　a　hundred　breasts　of　eider…down　ducks；　and
the　toilet…room　you　see　in　the　corner　is　of　the　latest　design；　with　gold…
plated　drain…pipes；　the　painted　windows　are　from　the　Mother's　poem；
〃Christ　and　Christmas；〃　and　that　case　contains　complete　copies　of　all　the
Mother's　books。'　The　chairs　upon　which　the　sacred　person　of　the　Mother
had　reposed　were　protected　from　sacrilegious　touch　by　a　broad　band　of
satin　ribbon。　　My　companions　expr