christian science-第27节

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had　reposed　were　protected　from　sacrilegious　touch　by　a　broad　band　of
satin　ribbon。　　My　companions　expressed　their　admiration　in　subdued　and
reverent　tones；　and　at　the　tinkling　of　the　bell　we　reverently　tiptoed　out
of　the　room　to　admit　another　delegation　of　the　patient　waiters　at　the
door。〃

Now；　then；　I　hope　the　wound　is　healed。　　I　am　willing　to　relinquish　the
portrait；　and　compromise　on　the　Chair。　　At　the　same　time；　if　I　were　going
to　worship　either；　I　should　not　choose　the　Chair。

As　a　picturesquely　and　persistently　interesting　personage；　there　is　no
mate　to　Mrs。　Eddy；　the　accepted　Equal　of　the　Saviour。　　But　some　of　her
tastes　are　so　different　from　His！　　I　find　it　quite　impossible　to　imagine
Him；　in　life；　standing　sponsor　for　that　museum　there；　and　taking　pleasure
in　its　sumptuous　shows。　　I　believe　He　would　put　that　Chair　in　the　fire；
and　the　bell　along　with　it；　and　I　think　He　would　make　the　show…woman　go
away。　　I　think　He　would　break　those　electric　bulbs；　and　the　〃mantel…piece
of　pure　onyx；〃　and　say　reproachful　things　about　the　golden　drain…pipes　of
the　lavatory；　and　give　the　costly　rug　of　duck…breasts　to　the　poor；　and
sever　the　satin　ribbon　and　invite　the　weary　to　rest　and　ease　their　aches
in　the　consecrated　chairs。　　What　He　would　do　with　the　painted　windows　we
can　better　conjecture　when　we　come　presently　to　examine　their
peculiarities。




THE　CHRISTIAN　SCIENCE　PASTOR…UNIVERSAL

When　Mrs。　Eddy　turned　the　pastors　out　of　all　the　Christian　Science
churches　and　abolished　the　office　for　all　time　as　far　as　human　occupancy
is　concernedshe　appointed　the　Holy　Ghost　to　fill　their　place。　　If　this
language　be　blasphemous；　I　did　not　invent　the　blasphemy；　I　am　merely
stating　a　fact。　　I　will　quote　from　page　227　of　Science　and　Health
（edition　1899）；　as　a　first　step　towards　an　explanation　of　this　startling
mattera　passage　which　sets　forth　and　classifies　the　Christian　Science
Trinity：

〃Life；　Truth；　and　Love　constitute　the　triune　God；　or　triply　divine
Principle。　　They　represent　a　trinity　in　unity；　three　in　one　the　same　in
essence；　though　multiform　in　office：　God　the　Father；　Christ　the　type　of
Sonship；　Divine　Science；　or　the　Holy　Comforter。　　。　　。

〃The　Holy　Ghost；　or　Spirit；　reveals　this　triune　Principle；　and　（the　Holy
Ghost）　is　expressed　in　Divine　Science；　which　is　the　Comforter；　leading
into　all　Truth；　and　revealing　the　divine　Principle　of　the　universe
universal　and　perpetual　harmony。〃

I　will　cite　another　passage。　　Speaking　of　Jesus

〃His　students　then　received　the　Holy　Ghost。　　By　this　is　meant；　that　by
all　they　had　witnessed　and　suffered　they　were　roused　to　an　enlarged
understanding　of　Divine　Science；　even　to　the　spiritual　interpretation　。
。　　。　　of　His　teachings；〃　etc。

Also；　page　579；　in　the　chapter　called　the　Glossary：

〃HOLY　GHOST。　　Divine　Science；　the　developments　of　Life；　Truth；　and　Love。〃

The　Holy　Ghost　reveals　the　massed　spirit　of　the　fused　trinity；　this
massed　spirit　is　expressed　in　Divine　Science；　and　is　the　Comforter；
Divine　Science　conveys　to　men　the　〃spiritual　interpretation〃　of　the
Saviour's　teachings。　　That　seems　to　be　the　meaning　of　the　quoted
passages。

Divine　Science　is　Christian　Science；　the　book　Science　and　Health　is　a
〃revelation〃　of　the　whole　spirit　of　the　Trinity；　and　is　therefore　〃The
Holy　Ghost〃；　it　conveys　to　men　the　〃spiritual　interpretation〃　of　the
Bible's　teachings。　　and　therefore　is　〃the　Comforter。〃

I　do　not　find　this　analyzing　work　easy；　I　would　rather　saw　wood；　and　a
person　can　never　tell　whether　he　has　added　up　a　Science　and　Health　sum
right　or　not；　anyway；　after　all　his　trouble。　　Neither　can　he　easily　find
out　whether　the　texts　are　still　on　the　market　or　have　been　discarded　from
the　Book；　for　two　hundred　and　fifty…eight　editions　of　it　have　been
issued；　and　no　two　editions　seem　to　be　alike。　　The　annual　changesin
technical　terminology；　in　matter　and　wording；　in　transpositions　of
chapters　and　verses；　in　leaving　out　old　chapters　and　verses　and　putting
in　new　onesseem　to　be　next　to　innumerable；　and　as　there　is　no　index；
there　is　no　way　to　find　a　thing　one　wants　without　reading　the　book
through。　　If　ever　I　inspire　a　Bible…Annex　I　will　not　rush　at　it　in　a
half…digested；　helter…skelter　way　and　have　to　put　in　thirty…eight　years
trying　to　get　some　of　it　the　way　I　want　it；　I　will　sit　down　and　think　it
out　and　know　what　it　is　I　want　to　say　before　I　begin。　　An　inspirer　cannot
inspire　for　Mrs。　Eddy　and　keep　his　reputation。　　I　have　never　seen　such
slipshod　work；　bar　the　ten　that　interpreted　for　the　home　market　the　〃sell
all　thou　hast。〃　　I　have　quoted　one　〃spiritual〃　rendering　of　the　Lord's
Prayer；　I　have　seen　one　other　one；　and　am　told　there　are　five　more。　　Yet
the　inspirer　of　Mrs。　Eddy　the　new　Infallible　casts　a　complacent　critical
stone　at　the　other　Infallible　for　being　unable　to　make　up　its　mind　about
such　things。　　Science　and　Health；　edition　1899；　page　33：

〃The　decisions；　by　vote　of　Church　Councils；　as　to　what　should　and　should
not　be　considered　Holy　Writ；　the　manifest　mistakes　in　the　ancient
versions：　the　thirty　thousand　different　readings　in　the　Old　Testament　and
the　three　hundred　thousand　in　the　Newthese　facts　show　how　a　mortal　and
material　sense　stole　into　the　divine　record；　darkening；　to　some　extent；
the　inspired　pages　with　its　own　hue。〃

To　some　extent；　yesspeaking　cautiously。　　But　it　is　nothing；　really
nothing；　Mrs。　Eddy　is　only　a　little　way　behind；　and　if　her　inspirer　lives
to　get　her　Annex　to　suit　him　that　Catholic　record　will　have　to　〃go　'way
back　and　set　down；〃　as　the　ballad　says。　　Listen　to　the　boastful　song　of
Mrs。　Eddy's　organ；　the　Christian　Science　Journal　for　March；　1902；　about
that　year's　revamping　and　half…soling　of　Science　and　Health；　whose
official　name　is　the　Holy　Ghost；　the　Comforter；　and　who　is　now　the
Official　Pastor　and　Infallible　and　Unerring　Guide　of　every　Christian
Science　church　in　the　two　hemispheres；　hear　Simple　Simon　that　met　the
pieman　brag　of　the　Infallible's　fallibility：

〃Throughout　the　entire　book　the　verbal　changes　are　so　numerous　as　to
indicate　the　vast　amount　of　time　and　labor　Mrs。　Eddy　has　devoted　to　this
revision。　　The　time　and　labor　thus　bestowed　is　relatively　as　great　as
that　of　the　committee　who　revised　the　Bible。。。。　　Thus　we　have
additional　evidence　of　the　herculean　efforts　our　beloved　Leader　has　made
and　is　constantly　making　for　the　promulgation　of　Truth　and　the
furtherance　of　her　divinely　bestowed　mission；〃　etc。

It　is　a　steady　job。　　I　could　help　inspire　if　desired；　I　am　not　doing　much
now；　and　would　work　for　half…price；　and　should　not　object　to　the　country。




PRICE　OF　THE　PASTOR…UNIVERSAL

The　price　of　the　Pastor…Universal；　Science　and　Health；　called　in　Science
literature　the　Comforterand　by　that　other　sacred　Name　is　three
dollars　in　cloth；　as　heretofore；　six　when　it　is　finely　bound；　and　shaped
to　imitate　the　Testament；　and　is　broken　into　verses。　　Margin　of　profit
above　cost　of　manufacture；　from　five　hundred　to　seven　hundred　per　cent。；
as　already　noted　In　the　profane　subscription…trade；　it　costs　the
publisher　heavily　to　canvass　a　three…dollar　book；　he　must　pay　the　general
agent　sixty　per　cent。　commissionthat　is　to　say；　one　dollar　and　eighty…
cents。　　Mrs。　Eddy　escapes　this　blistering　tax；　because　she　owns　the
Christian　Science　canvasser；　and　can　compel　him　to　work　for　nothing。
Read　the　following　commandnot　request　fulminated　by　Mrs。　Eddy；　over
her　signature；　in　the　Christian　Science　Journal　for　March；　1897；　and
quoted　by　Mr。　Peabody　in　his　book。　　The　book　referred　to　is　Science　and
Health：

〃It　shall　be　the　duty　of　all　Christian　Scientists　to　circulate　and　to
sell　as　many　of　these　books　as　they　can。〃

That　is　flung　at　all　the　elect；　everywhere　that　the　sun　shines；　but　no
penalty　is　shaken　over　their　heads　to　scare　them。　　The　same　command　was
issued　to　the　members　（numbering　to…day　twenty…five　thousand）　of　The
Mother…Church；　also；　but　with　it　went　a　threat；　of　the　infliction；　in
case　of　disobedience；　of　the　most　dreaded　punishment　that　has　a　place　in
the　Church's　list　of　penalties　for　transgressions　of　Mrs。　Eddy's　edicts
excommunication：

〃If　a　member　of　The　First　Church　of　Christ；　Scientist；　shall　fail　to　obey
this　injunction；　it　will　render　him　liable　to　lose　his　membership　in　this
Church。　　MARY　BAKER　EDDY。〃

It　is　the　spirit　of　the　Spanish　Inquisition。

None　but　accepted　and　well　established　gods　can　venture　an　affront　like
that　and　do　it　with　confidence。　　But　the　human　race　will　take　anything
from　that　class。　　Mrs。　Eddy　knows　the　human　race；　knows　it　better　than
any　mere　human　being　has　known　it　in　a　thousand　centuries。　　My　confidence
in　her　human…beingship　is　getting　shaken；　my　confidence　in　her　godship　is
stiffening。




SEVEN　HUNDRED　PER　CENT。

A　Scientist　out　West　has　visited　a　booksellerwith　intent　to　find　fault
with　meand　has　brought　away　the　information　that　the　price　at　which
Mrs。　Eddy　sells　Science　and　Health　is　not　an　unusually　high　one　for　the
size　and　make　of　the　book。　　That　is　true。　　But　in　the　book…tradethat
profit…devourer　unknown　to　Mrs。　Eddy's　booka　three…dollar　book　that　is
made　for　thirty…five　or　forty　cents　in　large　editions　is　put　at　three
dollars　because　the　publisher　has　to　p