christian science-第28节

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made　for　thirty…five　or　forty　cents　in　large　editions　is　put　at　three
dollars　because　the　publisher　has　to　pay　author；　middleman；　and
advertising；　and　if　the　price　were　much　below　three　the　profit　accruing
would　not　pay　him　fairly　for　his　time　and　labor。　　At　the　same　time；　if　he
could　get　ten　dollars　for　the　book　he　would　take　it；　and　his　morals　would
not　fall　under　criticism。

But　if　he　were　an　inspired　person　commissioned　by　the　Deity　to　receive
and　print　and　spread　broadcast　among　sorrowing　and　suffering　and　poor　men
a　precious　message　of　healing　and　cheer　and　salvation；　he　would　have　to
do　as　Bible　Societies　dosell　the　book　at　a　pinched　margin　above　cost　to
such　as　could　pay；　and　give　it　free　to　all　that　couldn't；　and　his　name
would　be　praised。　　But　if　he　sold　it　at　seven　hundred　per　cent。　profit
and　put　the　money　in　his　pocket；　his　name　would　be　mocked　and　derided。
Just　as　Mrs。　Eddy's　is。　　And　most　justifiably；　as　it　seems　to　me。

The　complete　Bible　contains　one　million　words。　　The　New　Testament　by
itself　contains　two　hundred　and　forty　thousand　words。

My　'84　edition　of　Science　and　Health　contains　one　hundred　and　twenty
thousand　words　just　half　as　many　as　the　New　Testament。

Science　and　Health　has　since　been　so　inflated　by　later　inspirations　that
the　1902　edition　contains　one　hundred　and　eighty　thousand　wordsnot
counting　the　thirty　thousand　at　the　back；　devoted　by　Mrs。　Eddy　to
advertising　the　book's　healing　abilitiesand　the　inspiring　continues
right　along。

If　you　have　a　book　whose　market　is　so　sure　and　so　great　that　you　can　give
a　printer　an　everlasting　order　for　thirty　or　forty　or　fifty　thousand
copies　a　year　he　will　furnish　them　at　a　cheap　rate；　because　whenever
there　is　a　slack　time　in　his　press…room　and　bindery　he　can　fill　the　idle
intervals　on　your　book　and　be　making　something　instead　of　losing。　　That
is　the　kind　of　contract　that　can　be　let　on　Science　and　Health　every　year。
I　am　obliged　to　doubt　that　the　three…dollar　Science　and　Health　costs　Mrs。
Eddy　above　fifteen　cents；　or　that　the　six　dollar　copy　costs　her　above
eighty　cents。　　I　feel　quite　sure　that　the　average　profit　to　her　on　these
books；　above　cost　of　manufacture；　is　all　of　seven　hundred　per　cent。

Every　proper　Christian　Scientist　has　to　buy　and　own　（and　canvass　for）
Science　and　Health　（one　hundred　and　eighty　thousand　words）；　and　he　must
also　own　a　Bible　（one　million　words）。　　He　can　buy　the　one　for　from　three
to　six　dollars；　and　the　other　for　fifteen　cents。　　Or；　if　three　dollars　is
all　the　money　he　has；　he　can　get　his　Bible　for　nothing。　　When　the　Supreme
Being　disseminates　a　saving　Message　through　uninspired　agentsthe　New
Testament；　for　instance　it　can　be　done　for　five　cents　a　copy；　but　when
He　sends　one　containing　only　two…thirds　as　many　words　through　the　shop　of
a　Divine　Personage；　it　costs　sixty　times　as　much。　　I　think　that　in
matters　of　such　importance　it　is　bad　economy　to　employ　a　wild…cat　agency。

Here　are　some　figures　which　are　perfectly　authentic；　and　which　seem　to
justify　my　opinion。

〃These　＇Bible＇　societies；　inspired　only　by　a　sense　of　religious　duty；　are
issuing　the　Bible　at　a　price　so　small　that　they　have　made　it　the　cheapest
book　printed。　　For　example；　the　American　Bible　Society　offers　an　edition
of　the　whole　Bible　as　low　as　fifteen　cents　and　the　New　Testament　at　five
cents；　and　the　British　Society　at　sixpence　and　one　penny；　respectively。
These　low　prices；　made　possible　by　their　policy　of　selling　the　books　at
cost　or　below　cost；〃　etc。New　York　Sun；　February　25；　1903。




CHAPTER　IX

We　may　now　make　a　final　footing…up　of　Mrs。　Eddy；　and　see　what　she　is；　in
the　fulness　of　her　powers。　　She　is

The　Massachusetts　Metaphysical　College
Pastor　Emeritus；
President；
Board　of　Directors；
Board　of　Education；
Board　of　Lectureships；
Future　Board　of　Trustees；
Proprietor　of　the　Publishing…House　and　Periodicals；
Treasurer；
Clerk；
Proprietor　of　the　Teachers；
Proprietor　of　the　Lecturers；
Proprietor　of　the　Missionaries；
Proprietor　of　the　Readers；
Dictator　of　the　Services；　sole　Voice　of　the　Pulpit；
Proprietor　of　the　Sanhedrin；
Sole　Proprietor　of　the　Creed。　　（Copyrighted。）；
Indisputable　Autocrat　of　the　Branch　Churches；　with　their　life　and　death
in　her　hands；
Sole　Thinker　for　The　First　Church　（and　the　others）；
Sole　and　Infallible　Expounder　of　Doctrine；　in　life　and　in　death；
Sole　permissible　Discoverer；　Denouncer；　Judge；　and　Executioner　of
Ostensible　Hypnotists；
Fifty…handed　God　of　Excommunicationwith　a　thunderbolt　in　every　hand；
Appointer　and　Installer　of　the　Pastor　of　all　the　Churchesthe　Perpetual
Pastor…Universal；　Science　and　Health；　〃the　Comforter。〃




CHAPTER　X

There　she　stands…painted　by　herself。　　No　witness　but　herself　has　been
allowed　to　testify。　　She　stands　there　painted　by　her　acts；　and　decorated
by　her　words。　　When　she　talks；　she　has　only　a　decorative　value　as　a
witness；　either　for　or　against　herself；　for　she　deals　mainly　in
unsupported　assertion；　and　in　the　rare　cases　where　she　puts　forward　a
verifiable　fact　she　gets　out　of　it　a　meaning　which　it　refuses　to　furnish
to　anybody　else。　　Also；　when　she　talks；　she　is　unstable；　she　wanders；　she
is　incurably　inconsistent；　what　she　says　to…day　she　contradicts　tomorrow。

But　her　acts　are　consistent。　　They　are　always　faithful　to　her；　they　never
misinterpret　her；　they　are　a　mirror　which　always　reflects　her　exactly；
precisely；　minutely；　unerringly；　and　always　the　same；　to　date；　with　only
those　progressive　little　natural　changes　in　stature；　dress；　complexion；
mood；　and　carriage　that　markexteriorlythe　march　of　the　years　and
record　the　accumulations　of　experience；　while　interiorlythrough　all
this　steady　drift　of　evolution　the　one　essential　detail；　the　commanding
detail；　the　master　detail　of　the　make…up　remains　as　it　was　in　the
beginning；　suffers　no　change　and　can　suffer　none；　the　basis　of　the
character；　the　temperament；　the　disposition；　that　indestructible　iron
framework　upon　which　the　character　is　built；　and　whose　shape　it　must
take；　and　keep；　throughout　life。　　We　call　it　a　person's　nature。

The　man　who　is　born　stingy　can　be　taught　to　give　liberallywith　his
hands；　but　not　with　his　heart。　　The　man　born　kind　and　compassionate　can
have　that　disposition　crushed　down　out　of　sight　by　embittering
experience；　but　if　it　were　an　organ　the　post…mortem　would　find　it　still
in　his　corpse。　　The　man　born　ambitious　of　power　and　glory　may　live　long
without　finding　it　out；　but　when　the　opportunity　comes　he　will　know；　will
strike　for　the　largest　thing　within　the　limit　of　his　chances　at　the　time…
constable；　perhapsand　will　be　glad　and　proud　when　he　gets　it；　and　will
write　home　about　it。　　But　he　will　not　stop　with　that　start；　his　appetite
will　come　again；　and　by…and…by　again；　and　yet　again；　and　when　he　has
climbed　to　police　commissioner　it　will　at　last　begin　to　dawn　upon　him
that　what　his　Napoleon　soul　wants　and　was　born　for　is　something　away
higher　uphe　does　not　quite　know　what；　but　Circumstance　and　Opportunity
will　indicate　the　direction　and　he　will　cut　a　road　through　and　find　out。

I　think　Mrs。　Eddy　was　born　with　a　far…seeing　business…eye；　but　did　not
know　it；　and　with　a　great　organizing　and　executive　talent；　and　did　not
know　it；　and　with　a　large　appetite　for　power　and　distinction；　and　did　not
know　it。　　I　think　the　reason　that　her　make　did　not　show　up　until　middle
life　was　that　she　had　General　Grant's　luck　Circumstance　and　Opportunity
did　not　come　her　way　when　she　was　younger。　　The　qualities　that　were　born
in　her　had　to　wait　for　circumstance　and　opportunitybut　they　were　there：
they　were　there　to　stay；　whether　they　ever　got　a　chance　to　fructify　or
not。　　If　they　had　come　early；　they　would　have　found　her　ready　and
competent。　　And　theynot　shewould　have　determined　what　they　would　set
her　at　and　what　they　would　make　of　her。　　If　they　had　elected　to
commission　her　as　second…assistant　cook　in　a　bankrupt　boarding…house；
I　know　the　rest　of　itI　know　what　would　have　happened。　　She　would　have
owned　the　boarding…house　within　six　months；　she　would　have　had　the　late
proprietor　on　salary　and　humping　himself；　as　the　worldly　say；　she　would
have　had　that　boarding…house　spewing　money　like　a　mint；　she　would　have
worked　the　servants　and　the　late　landlord　up　to　the　limit；　she　would　have
squeezed　the　boarders　till　they　wailed；　and　by　some　mysterious　quality
born　in　her　she　would　have　kept　the　affections　of　certain　of　the　lot
whose　love　and　esteem　she　valued；　and　flung　the　others　down　the　back
area；　in　two　years　she　would　own　all　the　boarding…houses　in　the　town；　in
five　all　the　boarding…houses　in　the　State；　in　twenty　all　the　hotels　in
America；　in　forty　all　the　hotels　on　the　planet；　and　would　sit　at　home
with　her　finger　on　a　button　and　govern　the　whole　combination　as　easily　as
a　bench…manager　governs　a　dog…show。

It　would　be　a　grand　thing　to　see；　and　I　feel　a　kind　of　disappointment
but　never　mind；　a　religion　is　better　and　larger；　and　there　is　more　to　it。
And　I　have　not　been　steeping　myself　in　Christian　Science　all　these　weeks
without　finding　out　that　the　one　sensible　thing　to　do　with　a
disappointment　is　to　put　it　out　of　your　mind　and　think　of　something
cheerfuler。

We　outsiders　cannot　conceive　of　Mrs。　Eddy's　Christ