christian science-第29节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


disappointment　is　to　put　it　out　of　your　mind　and　think　of　something
cheerfuler。

We　outsiders　cannot　conceive　of　Mrs。　Eddy's　Christian　Science　Religion　as
being　a　sudden　and　miraculous　birth；　but　only　as　a　growth　from　a　seed
planted　by　circumstances；　and　developed　stage　by　stage　by　command　and
compulsion　of　the　same　force。　　What　the　stages　were　we　cannot　know；　but
are　privileged　to　guess。　　She　may　have　gotten　the　mental…healing　idea
from　Quimbyit　had　been　experimented　with　for　ages；　and　was　no　one's
special　property。　　＇For　the　present；　for　convenience'　sake；　let　us
proceed　upon　the　hypothesis　that　that　was　all　she　got　of　him；　and　that
she　put　up　the　rest　of　the　assets　herself。　　This　will　strain　us；　but　let
us　try　it。＇　In　each　and　all　its　forms　and　under　all　its　many　names；
mental　healing　had　had　limits；　always；　and　they　were　rather　narrow　ones
Mrs。　Eddy；　let　us　imagine；　removed　the　fence；　abolished　the　frontiers。
Not　by　expanding　mental…healing；　but　by　absorbing　its　small　bulk　into　the
vaster　bulk　of　Christian　ScienceDivine　Science；　The　Holy　Ghost；　the
Comforterwhich　was　a　quite　different　and　sublimer　force；　and　one　which
had　long　lain　dormant　and　unemployed。

The　Christian　Scientist　believes　that　the　Spirit　of　God　（life　and　love）
pervades　the　universe　like　an　atmosphere；　that　whoso　will　study　Science
and　Health　can　get　from　it　the　secret　of　how　to　inhale　that　transforming
air；　that　to　breathe　it　is　to　be　made　new；　that　from　the　new　man　all
sorrow；　all　care；　all　miseries　of　the　mind　vanish　away；　for　that　only
peace；　contentment　and　measureless　joy　can　live　in　that　divine　fluid；
that　it　purifies　the　body　from　disease；　which　is　a　vicious　creation　of
the　gross　human　mind；　and　cannot　continue　to　exist　in　the　presence　of　the
Immortal　Mind；　the　renewing　Spirit　of　God。

The　Scientist　finds　this　reasonable；　natural；　and　not　harder　to　believe
than　that　the　disease　germ；　a　creature　of　darkness；　perishes　when　exposed
to　the　light　of　the　great　suna　new　revelation　of　profane　science　which
no　one　doubts。　　He　reminds　us　that　the　actinic　ray；　shining　upon　lupus；
cures　ita　horrible　disease　which　was　incurable　fifteen　years　ago；　and
had　been　incurable　for　ten　million　years　before；　that　this　wonder；
unbelievable　by　the　physicians　at　first；　is　believed　by　them　now；　and　so
he　is　tranquilly　confident　that　the　time　is　coming　when　the　world　will　be
educated　up　to　a　point　where　it　will　comprehend　and　grant　that　the　light
of　the　Spirit　of　God；　shining　unobstructed　upon　the　soul；　is　an　actinic
ray　which　can　purge　both　mind　and　body　from　disease　and　set　them　free　and
make　them　whole。

It　is　apparent；　then；　that　in　Christian　Science　it　is　not　one　man's　mind
acting　upon　another　man's　mind　that　heals；　that　it　is　solely　the　Spirit
of　God　that　heals；　that　the　healer's　mind　performs　no　office　but　to
convey　that　force　to　the　patient；　that　it　is　merely　the　wire　which
carries　the　electric　fluid；　so　to　speak；　and　delivers　the　message。
Therefore；　if　these　things　be　true；　mental…healing　and　Science…healing
are　separate　and　distinct　processes；　and　no　kinship　exists　between　them。

To　heal　the　body　of　its　ills　and　pains　is　a　mighty　benefaction；　but　in
our　day　our　physicians　and　surgeons　work　a　thousand　miraclesprodigies
which　would　have　ranked　as　miracles　fifty　years　agoand　they　have　so
greatly　extended　their　domination　over　disease　that　we　feel　so　well
protected　that　we　are　able　to　look　with　a　good　deal　of　composure　and
absence　of　hysterics　upon　the　claims　of　new　competitors　in　that　field。

But　there　is　a　mightier　benefaction　than　the　healing　of　the　body；　and
that　is　the　healing　of　the　spiritwhich　is　Christian　Science's　other
claim。　　So　far　as　I　know；　so　far　as　I　can　find　out；　it　makes　it　good。
Personally　I　have　not　known　a　Scientist　who　did　not　seem　serene；
contented；　unharassed。　　I　have　not　found　an　outsider　whose　observation　of
Scientists　furnished　him　a　view　that　differed　from　my　own。　　Buoyant
spirits；　comfort　of　mind；　freedom　from　care　these　happinesses　we　all
have；　at　intervals；　but　in　the　spaces　between；　dear　me；　the　black　hours！
They　have　put　a　curse　upon　the　life　of　every　human　being　I　have　ever
known；　young　or　old。　　I　concede　not　a　single　exception。　　Unless　it　might
be　those　Scientists　just　referred　to。　　They　may　have　been　playing　a　part
with　me；　I　hope　they　were　not；　and　I　believe　they　were　not。

Time　will　test　the　Science's　claim。　　If　time　shall　make　it　good；　if　time
shall　prove　that　the　Science　can　heal　the　persecuted　spirit　of　man　and
banish　its　troubles　and　keep　it　serene　and　sunny　and　contentwhy；　then
Mrs。　Eddy　will　have　a　monument　that　will　reach　above　the　clouds。　　For　if
she　did　not　hit　upon　that　imperial　idea　and　evolve　it　and　deliver　it；　its
discoverer　can　never　be　identified　with　certainty；　now；　I　think。　　It　is
the　giant　feature；　it　is　the　sun　that　rides　in　the　zenith　of　Christian
Science；　the　auxiliary　features　are　of　minor　consequence　＇Let　us　still
leave　the　large　〃if〃　aside；　for　the　present；　and　proceed　as　if　it　had　no
existence。＇

It　is　not　supposable　that　Mrs。　Eddy　realized；　at　first；　the　size　of　her
plunder。　　（No；　findthat　is　the　word；　she　did　not　realize　the　size　of
her　find；　at　first。）　It　had　to　grow　upon　her；　by　degrees；　in　accordance
with　the　inalterable　custom　of　Circumstance；　which　works　by　stages；　and
by　stages　only；　and　never　furnishes　any　mind　with　all　the　materials　for　a
large　idea　at　one　time。

In　the　beginning；　Mrs。　Eddy　was　probably　interested　merely　in　the　mental…
healing　detail　And　perhaps　mainly　interested　in　it　pecuniary；　for　she　was
poor。

She　would　succeed　in　anything　she　undertook。　　She　would　attract　pupils；
and　her　commerce　would　grow。　　She　would　inspire　in　patient　and　pupil
confidence　in　her　earnestness；　her　history　is　evidence　that　she　would　not
fail　of　that。

There　probably　came　a　time；　in　due　course；　when　her　students　began　to
think　there　was　something　deeper　in　her　teachings　than　they　had　been
suspectinga　mystery　beyond　mental…healing；　and　higher。　　It　is
conceivable　that　by　consequence　their　manner　towards　her　changed　little
by　little；　and　from　respectful　became　reverent。　　It　is　conceivable　that
this　would　have　an　influence　upon　her；　that　it　would　incline　her　to
wonder　if　their　secret　thoughtthat　she　was　inspiredmight　not　be　a
well…grounded　guess。　　It　is　conceivable　that　as　time　went　on　the　thought
in　their　minds　and　its　reflection　in　hers　might　solidify　into　conviction。

She　would　remember；　then；　that　as　a　child　she　had　been　called；　more　than
once；　by　a　mysterious　voice　just　as　had　happened　to　little　Samuel。
（Mentioned　in　her　Autobiography。）　She　would　be　impressed　by　that　ancient
reminiscence；　now；　and　it　could　have　a　prophetic　meaning　for　her。

It　is　conceivable　that　the　persuasive　influences　around　her　and　within
her　would　give　a　new　and　powerful　impulse　to　her　philosophizings；　and
that　from　this；　in　time；　would　result　that　great　birth；　the　healing　of
body　and　mind　by　the　inpouring　of　the　Spirit　of　Godthe　central　and
dominant　idea　of　Christian　Scienceand　that　when　this　idea　came　she
would　not　doubt　that　it　was　an　inspiration　direct　from　Heaven。




CHAPTER　XI

＇I　must　rest　a　little；　now。　　To　sit　here　and　painstakingly　spin　out　a
scheme　which　imagines　Mrs。　Eddy；　of　all　people；　working　her　mind　on　a
plane　above　commercialism；　imagines　her　thinking；　philosophizing；
discovering　majestic　things；　and　even　imagines　her　dealing　in
sinceritiesto　be　frank；　I　find　it　a　large　contract　But　I　have　begun　it；
and　I　will　go　through　with　it。＇




CHAPTER　XII

It　is　evident　that　she　made　disciples　fast；　and　that　their　belief　in　her
and　in　the　authenticity　of　her　heavenly　ambassadorship　was　not　of　the
lukewarm　and　half…way　sort；　but　was　profoundly　earnest　and　sincere。　　Her
book　was　issued　from　the　press　in　1875；　it　began　its　work　of　convert…
making；　and　within　six　years　she　had　successfully　launched　a　new　Religion
and　a　new　system　of　healing；　and　was　teaching　them　to　crowds　of　eager
students　in　a　College　of　her　own；　at　prices　so　extraordinary　that　we　are
almost　compelled　to　accept　her　statement　（no；　her　guarded　intimation）
that　the　rates　were　arranged　on　high；　since　a　mere　human　being
unacquainted　with　commerce　and　accustomed　to　think　in　pennies　could
hardly　put　up　such　a　hand　as　that　without　supernatural　help。

From　this　stage　onwardMrs。　Eddy　being　what　she　wasthe　rest　of　the
developmentstages　would　follow　naturally　and　inevitably。

But　if　she　had　been　anybody　else；　there　would　have　been　a　different
arrangement　of　them；　with　different　results。　　Being　the　extraordinary
person　she　was；　she　realized　her　position　and　its　possibilities；　realized
the　possibilities；　and　had　the　daring　to　use　them　for　all　they　were
worth。

We　have　seen　what　her　methods　were　after　she　passed　the　stage　where　her
divine　ambassadorship　was　granted　its　executer　in　the　hearts　and　minds　of
her　followers；　we　have　seen　how　steady　and　fearless　and　calculated　and
orderly　was　her　march　thenceforth　from　conquest　to　conquest；　we　have　seen
her　strike　dead；　without　hesitancy；　any　hostile　or　questionable　force
that　rose　in　her　path：　first；　the　horde　of　pretenders　that　sprang　up　and
tried　to　take　her　Science　and　its　market　a