christian science-第30节

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tried　to　take　her　Science　and　its　market　away　from　hershe　crushed　them；
she　obliterated　them；　when　her　own　National　Christian　Science　Association
became　great　in　numbers　and　influence；　and　loosely　and　dangerously
garrulous；　and　began　to　expound　the　doctrines　according　to　its　own
uninspired　notions；　she　took　up　her　sponge　without　a　tremor　of　fear　and
wiped　that　Association　out；　when　she　perceived　that　the　preachers　in　her
pulpits　were　becoming　afflicted　with　doctrine…tinkering；　she　recognized
the　danger　of　it；　and　did　not　hesitate　nor　temporize；　but　promptly
dismissed　the　whole　of　them　in　a　day；　and　abolished　their　office
permanently；　we　have　seen　that；　as　fast　as　her　power　grew；　she　was
competent　to　take　the　measure　of　it；　and　that　as　fast　as　its　expansion
suggested　to　her　gradually　awakening　native　ambition　a　higher　step　she
took　it；　and　so；　by　this　evolutionary　process；　we　have　seen　the　gross
money…lust　relegated　to　second　place；　and　the　lust　of　empire　and　glory
rise　above　it。　　A　splendid　dream；　and　by　force　of　the　qualities　born　in
her　she　is　making　it　come　true。

These　qualitiesand　the　capacities　growing　out　of　them　by　the　nurturing
influences　of　training；　observation；　and　experience　seem　to　be　clearly
indicated　by　the　character　of　her　career　and　its　achievements。　　They　seem
to　be：

A　clear　head　for　business；　and　a　phenomenally　long　one；
Clear　understanding　of　business　situations；
Accuracy　in　estimating　the　opportunities　they　offer；
Intelligence　in　planning　a　business　move；
Firmness　in　sticking　to　it　after　it　has　been　decided　upon；
Extraordinary　daring；
Indestructible　persistency；
Devouring　ambition；
Limitless　selfishness；
A　knowledge　of　the　weaknesses　and　poverties　and　docilities　of　human
nature　and　how　to　turn　them　to　account　which　has　never　been　surpassed；　if
ever　equalled；

Andnecessarilythe　foundation…stone　of　Mrs。　Eddy's　character　is　a
never…wavering　confidence　in　herself。

It　is　a　granite　character。　　Andquite　naturallya　measure　of　the　talc
of　smallnesses　common　to　human　nature　is　mixed　up　in　it　and　distributed
through　it。　　When　Mrs。　Eddy　is　not　dictating　servilities　from　her　throne
in　the　clouds　to　her　official　domestics　in　Boston　or　to　her　far…spread
subjects　round　about　the　planet；　but　is　down　on　the　ground；　she　is　kin　to
us　and　one　of　us：　sentimental　as　a　girl；　garrulous；　ungrammatical；
incomprehensible；　affected；　vain　of　her　little　human　ancestry；　unstable；
inconsistent；　unreliable　in　statement；　and　naively　and　everlastingly
self…contradictory…oh；　trivial　and　common　and　commonplace　as　the
commonest　of　us！　just　a　Napoleon　as　Madame　de　Remusat　saw　him；　a　brass
god　with　clay　legs。




CHAPTER　XIII

In　drawing　Mrs。　Eddy's　portrait　it　has　been　my　purpose　to　restrict　myself
to　materials　furnished　by　herself；　and　I　believe　I　have　done　that。　　If　I
have　misinterpreted　any　of　her　acts；　it　was　not　done　intentionally。

It　will　be　noticed　that　in　skeletonizing　a　list　of　the　qualities　which
have　carried　her　to　the　dizzy　summit　which　she　occupies；　I　have　not
mentioned　the　power　which　was　the　commanding　force　employed　in　achieving
that　lofty　flight。　　It　did　not　belong　in　that　list；　it　was　a　force　that
was　not　a　detail　of　her　character；　but　was　an　outside　one。　　It　was　the
power　which　proceeded　from　her　people's　recognition　of　her　as　a
supernatural　personage；　conveyer　of　the　Latest　Word；　and　divinely
commissioned　to　deliver　it　to　the　world。　　The　form　which　such　a
recognition　takes；　consciously　or　unconsciously；　is　worship；　and　worship
does　not　question　nor　criticize；　it　obeys。　　The　object　of　it　does　not
need　to　coddle　it；　bribe　it；　beguile　it；　reason　with　it；　convince　itit
commands　it；　that　is　sufficient；　the　obedience　rendered　is　not　reluctant；
but　prompt　and　whole…hearted。　　Admiration　for　a　Napoleon；　confidence　in
him；　pride　in　him；　affection　for　him；　can　lift　him　high　and　carry　him
far；　and　these　are　forms　of　worship；　and　are　strong　forces；　but　they　are
worship　of　a　mere　human　being；　after　all；　and　are　infinitely　feeble；　as
compared　with　those　that　are　generated　by　that　other　worship；　the　worship
of　a　divine　personage。　　Mrs。　Eddy　has　this　efficient　worship；　this　massed
and　centralized　force；　this　force　which　is　indifferent　to　opposition；
untroubled　by　fear；　and　goes　to　battle　singing；　like　Cromwell's　soldiers；
and　while　she　has　it　she　can　command　and　it　will　obey；　and　maintain　her
on　her　throne；　and　extend　her　empire。

She　will　have　it　until　she　dies；　and　then　we　shall　see　a　curious　and
interesting　further　development　of　her　revolutionary　work　begin。




CHAPTER　XIV

The　President　and　Board　of　Directors　wil1　succeed　her；　and　the　government
will　go　on　without　a　hitch。　　The　By…laws　will　bear　that　interpretation。
All　the　Mother…Church's　vast　powers　are　concentrated　in　that　Board。　　Mrs。
Eddy's　unlimited　personal　reservations　make　the　Board's　ostensible
supremacy；　during　her　life；　a　sham；　and　the　Board　itself　a　shadow。　　But
Mrs。　Eddy　has　not　made　those　reservations　for　any　one　but　herselfthey
are　distinctly　personal；　they　bear　her　name；　they　are　not　usable　by
another　individual。　　When　she　dies　her　reservations　die；　and　the　Board's
shadow…powers　become　real　powers；　without　the　change　of　any　important　By…
law；　and　the　Board　sits　in　her　place　as　absolute　and　irresponsible　a
sovereign　as　she　was。

It　consists　of　but　five　persons；　a　much　more　manageable　Cardinalate　than
the　Roman　Pope's。　　I　think　it　will　elect　its　Pope　from　its　own　body；　and
that　it　will　fill　its　own　vacancies。　　An　elective　Papacy　is　a　safe　and
wise　system；　and　a　long…liver。




CHAPTER　XV

We　may　take　that　up　now。

It　is　not　a　single　if；　but　a　several…jointed　one；　not　an　oyster；　but　a
vertebrate。

1。　　Did　Mrs。　Eddy　borrow　from　Quimby　the　Great　Idea；　or　only　the　little
one；　the　old…timer；　the　ordinary　mental…healing…healing　by　〃mortal〃　mind？

2。　　If　she　borrowed　the　Great　Idea；　did　she　carry　it　away　in　her　head；　or
in　manuscript？

3。　　Did　she　hit　upon　the　Great　Idea　herself？　　By　the　Great　Idea　I　mean；
of　course；　the　conviction　that　the　Force　involved　was　still　existent；　and
could　be　applied　now　just　as　it　was　applied　by　Christ's　Disciples　and
their　converts；　and　as　successfully。
4。　　Did　she　philosophize　it；　systematize　it；　and　write　it　down　in　a　book？

5。　　Was　it　she；　and　not　another；　that　built　a　new　Religion　upon　the　book
and　organized　it？

I　think　No。　　5　can　be　answered　with　a　Yes；　and　dismissed　from　the
controversy。　　And　I　think　that　the　Great　Idea；　great　as　it　was；　would
have　enjoyed　but　a　brief　activity；　and　would　then　have　gone　to　sleep
again　for　some　more　centuries；　but　for　the　perpetuating　impulse　it　got
from　that　organized　and　tremendous　force。

As　for　Nos。　　1；　2；　and　4；　the　hostiles　contend　that　Mrs。　Eddy　got　the
Great　Idea　from　Quimby　and　carried　it　off　in　manuscript。　　But　their
testimony；　while　of　consequence；　lacks　the　most　important　detail；　so　far
as　my　information　goes；　the　Quimby　manuscript　has　not　been　produced。　　I
think　we　cannot　discuss　No。　1　and　No。　2　profitably。　　Let　them　go。

For　me；　No。　3　has　a　mild　interest；　and　No。　4　a　violent　one。

As　regards　No。　　3；　Mrs。　Eddy　was　brought　up；　from　the　cradle；　an　old…
time；　boiler…iron；　Westminster…Catechism　Christian；　and　knew　her　Bible　as
well　as　Captain　Kydd　knew　his；　〃when　he　sailed；　when　he　sailed；〃　and
perhaps　as　sympathetically。　　The　Great　Idea　had　struck　a　million　Bible…
readers　before　her　as　being　possible　of　resurrection　and　applicationit
must　have　struck　as　many　as　that；　and　been　cogitated；　indolently；
doubtingly；　then　dropped　and　forgottenand　it　could　have　struck　her；　in
due　course。　　But　how　it　could　interest　her；　how　it　could　appeal　to　her
with　her　make　this　a　thing　that　is　difficult　to　understand。

For　the　thing　back　of　it　is　wholly　gracious　and　beautiful：　the　power；
through　loving　mercifulness　and　compassion；　to　heal　fleshly　ills　and
pains　and　grief　allwith　a　word；　with　a　touch　of　the　hand！　　This　power
was　given　by　the　Saviour　to　the　Disciples；　and　to　all　the　converted。
Allevery　one。　　It　was　exercised　for　generations　afterwards。　　Any
Christian　who　was　in　earnest　and　not　a　make…believe；　not　a　policy
Christian；　not　a　Christian　for　revenue　only；　had　that　healing　power；　and
could　cure　with　it　any　disease　or　any　hurt　or　damage　possible　to　human
flesh　and　bone。　　These　things　are　true；　or　they　are　not。　　If　they　were
true　seventeen　and　eighteen　and　nineteen　centuries　ago　it　would　be
difficult　to　satisfactorily　explain　why　or　how　or　by　what　argument　that
power　should　be　nonexistent　in　Christians　now。

To　wish　to　exercise　it　could　occur　to　Mrs。　Eddybut　would　it？

Grasping；　sordid；　penurious；　famishing　for　everything　she　seesmoney；
power；　glory　vain；　untruthful；　jealous；　despotic；　arrogant；　insolent；
pitiless　where　thinkers　and　hypnotists　are　concerned；　illiterate；
shallow；　incapable　of　reasoning　outside　of　commercial　lines；　immeasurably
selfish

Of　course　the　Great　Idea　could　strike　her；　we　have　to　grant　that；　but　why
it　should　interest　her　is　a　question　which　can　easily　overstrain　the
imagination　and　bring　on　nervous　prostration；　or　something　like　that；　and
is　better　left　alone　by　the　judicious；　it　seems　to　me

Unless　we　call　to　our　help