第5章

类别:其他 作者:Mark Twain字数:17413更新时间:19/01/04 15:11:24
Aweekago,anotherdiscussionbrokeout。Itwasoverthistext: \"Sellallthatthouhastanddistributeuntothepoor。\" Oneverdictwaswordedasfollows: \"WhenChristansweredtherichyoungmanandsaidforhimtogivetothepoorallhepossessedorhecouldnotgaineverlastinglife,Hedidnotmeanitintheliteralsense。MyinterpretationofHiswordsisthatweshouldpartwithwhatcomesbetweenusandChrist。 \"ThereisnodoubtthatJesusbelievedthattherichyoungmanthoughtmoreofhiswealththanhedidofhissoul,and,suchbeingthecase,itwashisdutytogiveupthewealth。 \"EveryoneofusknowsthatthereissomethingweshouldgiveupforChrist。Thosewhoaretruebelieversandfollowersknowwhattheyhavegivenup,andthosewhoarenotyetfollowersknowdownintheirheartswhattheymustgiveup。\" Tenclergymenofvariousdenominationswereinterviewed,andnineofthemagreedwiththatverdict。Thatdidnotsettlethematter,becausethetenthsaidthelanguageofJesuswassostraitanddefinitethatitexplaineditself:\"Sellall,\"notapercentage。 Thereisamostunusualfeatureaboutthatdispute:theninepersonswhodecidedalike,quotednotasingleauthorityinsupportoftheirposition。IdonotknowwhenIhaveseentraineddisputantsdothelikeofthatbefore。Theninemerelyfurnishedtheirownopinions,foundedupon——nothingatall。Intheotherdispute(\"DidJesusanywhereclaimtobeGod?\")thesamekindofmen——trainedandlearnedclergymen——backeduptheirargumentswithchapterandverse。Onbothsides。Plentyofverses。Werenoreinforcingversestobefoundinthepresentcase?Itlooksthatway。 Theopinionofthenineseemsstrangetome,foritisunsupportedbyauthority,whiletherewasatleastconstructiveauthorityfortheoppositeview。 Itishair-splittingdifferencesofopinionoverdisputedtext-meaningsthathavedividedintomanysectsaonceunitedChurch。Onemayinferfromsomeofthenamesinthefollowinglistthatsomeofthedifferencesareveryslight——soslightastobenotdistinctlyimportant,perhaps—— yettheyhavemovedgroupstowithdrawfromcommunionstowhichtheybelongedandsetupasectoftheirown。Thelist——accompaniedbyvariousChurchstatisticsfor1902,compiledbyRev。Dr。H。K。 Carroll——waspublished,January8,1903,intheNewYorkChristianAdvocate: Adventists(6bodies),Baptists(13bodies),Brethren(Plymouth)(4 bodies),Brethren(River)(3bodies),Catholics(8bodies),CatholicApostolic,Christadelphians,ChristianConnection,ChristianCatholics,ChristianMissionaryAssociation,ChristianScientists,ChurchofGod(Wine-brennarian),ChurchoftheNewJerusalem,Congregationalists,DisciplesofChrist,Dunkards(4bodies),Evangelical(2bodies),Friends(4bodies),FriendsoftheTemple,GermanEvangelicalProtestant,GermanEvangelicalSynod,Independentcongregations,Jews(2bodies),Latter-daySaints(2bodies),Lutherans(22bodies),Mennonites(12bodies),Methodists(17bodies),Moravians,Presbyterians(12bodies),ProtestantEpiscopal(2bodies),Reformed(3bodies),Schwenkfeldians,SocialBrethren,Spiritualists,SwedishEvangelicalMiss。Covenant(Waldenstromians),Unitarians,UnitedBrethren(2bodies),Universalists,Totalofsectsandsplits——139。 Inthepresentmonth(February),Mr。E。I。Lindh,A……M。,hascommunicatedtotheBostonTranscriptahopefularticleonthesolutionoftheproblemofthe\"dividedchurch。\"Dividedisnottooviolentaterm。Subdividedcouldhavebeenpermittedifhehadthoughtofit。Hecamenearthinkingofit,forhementionssomeofthesubdivisionshimself:\"the12kindsofPresbyterians,the17kindsofMethodists,the13kindsofBaptists,etc。\"Heoverlookedthe12kindsofMennonitesandthe22kindsofLutherans,buttheyareinRev。Mr。Carroll\'slist。 Altogether,76splitsunder5flags。TheLiteraryDigest(February14th) ispleasedwithMr。Lindh\'soptimisticarticle,andalsowiththesignsofthetimes,andperceivesthat\"theideaofChurchunityisintheair。\" Now,then,isnotMrs。Eddyprofoundlywiseinforbidding,foralltime,allexplanationsofherreligionexceptsuchassheshallletontobeherown? Ithinkso。Ithinktherecanbenodoubtofit。Inaway,theywillbeherown;for,nomatterwhichmemberofherclericalstaffshallfurnishtheexplanations,notalineofthemwillsheeverallowtobeprinteduntilsheshallhaveapprovedit,acceptedit,copyrightedit,cabbagedit。Wemaydependonthatwithafour-aceconfidence。 THENEWINFALLIBILITY AllinpropertimeMrs。Eddy\'sfactorywilltakeholdofthatCommandment,andexplainitforgoodandall。Itmaybethatonememberoftheshiftwillvotethattheword\"all\"meansall;itmaybethattenmembersoftheshiftwillvotethat\"all\"meansonlyapercentage;butitisMrs。Eddy,nottheeleven,whowilldothedeciding。Andifshesaysitispercentage,thenpercentageitis,forevermore——andthatiswhatI amexpecting,forshedoesn\'tsellallherself,noranyconsiderablepartofit,andasregardsthepoor,shedoesn\'tdeclareanydividend;butifshesays\"all\"meansall,thenallitis,totheendoftime,andnofollowerofherswilleverbeallowedtoreconstructthattext,orshrinkit,orinflateit,ormeddlewithitinanywayatall。Evento-day—— righthereinthebeginning——sheisthesolepersonwho,inthematterofChristianScienceexegesis,isprivilegedtoexploittheSpiralTwist。 TheChristianworldhastwoInfalliblesnow。 Ofequalpower?Forthepresentonly。WhenLeoXIII。passestohisrestanotherInfalliblewillascendhisthrone;others,andyetothers,andstillotherswillfollowhim,andbeasinfallibleashe,anddecidequestionsofdoctrineaslongastheymaycomeup,alldownthefarfuture;butMaryBakerG。EddyistheonlyInfalliblethatwilleveroccupytheSciencethrone。ManyaSciencePopewillsucceedher,butshehasclosedtheirmouths;theywillrepeatandreverentlypraiseandadoreherinfallibilities,butventurenonethemselves。InhergraveshewillstilloutrankallotherPopes,betheyofwhatChurchtheymay。Shewillholdthesupremestofearthlytitles,TheInfallible——withacapitalT。 Manyintheworld\'shistoryhavehadahungerforsuchnuggetsandslicesofpowerastheymightreasonablyhopetograboutofanempire\'sorareligion\'sassets,butMrs。Eddyistheonlypersonaliveordeadwhohaseverstruckforthewholeofthem。Forsmallthingsshehastheeyeofamicroscope,forlargeonestheeyeofatelescope,andwhatevershesees,shewants。Wantsitall。 THESACREDPOEMS WhenMrs。Eddy\'s\"sacredrevelations\"(thatisthelanguageoftheBy- laws)arereadinpublic,theirauthorshipmustbenamed。TheBy-lawstwicecommandthis,thereforewementionittwice,tobefair。 Butitisalsocommandedthatwhenamemberpubliclyquotes\"fromthepoemsofourPastorEmeritus\"theauthorshipshallbenamed。Forthesearesacred,too。TherearekindlypeoplewhomaysuspectahiddengenerosityinthatBy-law;theymaythinkitistheretoprotecttheOfficialReaderfromthesuspicionofhavingwrittenthepoemshimself。 SuchdonotknowMrs。Eddy。Shedoesaninordinatedealofprotecting,butinnodistinctlynamedandspecifiedcaseinherhistoryhasNumberTwobeentheobjectofit。Instanceshavebeenclaimed,buttheyhavefailedofproof,andevenofplausibility。 \"Membersshallalsoinstructtheirstudents\"tolookoutandadvertisetheauthorshipwhentheyreadthosepoemsandthings。NotonMrs。Eddy\'saccount,but\"forthegoodofourCause。\" THECHURCHEDIFICE 1。Mrs。Eddygavetheland。Itwasnotofmuchvalueatthetime,butitisveryvaluablenow。 2。HerpeoplebuilttheMother-Churchedificeonit,atacostoftwohundredandfiftythousanddollars。 3。Thentheygavethewholepropertytoher。 4。ThenshegaveittotheBoardofDirectors。SheistheBoardofDirectors。Shetookitoutofonepocketandputitintheother。 5。Sec。10(ofthedeed)。\"WheneversaidDirectorsshalldeterminethatitisinexpedienttomaintainpreaching,reading,orspeakinginsaidchurchinaccordancewiththetermsofthisdeed,theyareauthorizedandrequiredtoreconveyforthwithsaidlotoflandwiththebuildingthereontoMaryBakerG。Eddy,herheirsandassignsforever,byaproperdeedofconveyance。\" Sheisnevercareless,neverslipshod,aboutamatterofbusiness。 OwningthepropertythroughherBoardofWaxworkswassafeenough,stillitwassoundbusinesstosetanothergriponittocoveraccidents,andshedidit。Herbarkers(whatacuriousname;Iwonderifitiscopyrighted);herbarkerspersistentlyadvertisetothepublichergenerosityingivingawayapieceoflandwhichcostheratrifle,andatwo——hundred——and——fifty——thousand——dollarchurchwhichcosthernothing; andtheycanhardlyspeakoftheunselfishnessofitwithoutbreakingdownandcrying;yettheyknowshegavenothingaway,andneverintendedto。However,suchisthehumanrace。OftenitdoesseemsuchapitythatNoahandhispartydidnotmisstheboat。 SomeofthehostilesthinkthatMrs。Eddy\'sideainprotectingthispropertyintheinterestofherheirs,andinaccumulatingagreatmoneyfortune,is,thatshemayleavehernaturalheirswellprovidedforwhenshegoes。Ithinkitisamistake。Ithinksheisoflateyearsgivingherselflargeconcernaboutonlyoneinterest-herpowerandglory,andtheperpetuationandworshipofherName——withacapitalN。HerChurchisherpetheir,andIthinkitwillgetherwealth。Itisthetorchwhichistolighttheworldandtheageswithherglory。 Ithinksheonceprizedmoneyfortheeaseandcomfortitcouldbring,theshowyvanitiesitcouldfurnish,andthesocialpromotionitcouldcommand;forwehaveseenthatshewasbornintotheworldwithlittlewaysandinstinctsandaspirationsandaffectationsthatareduplicatesofourown。Idonotthinkhermoney-passionhaseverdiminishedinferocity,Idonotthinkthatshehaseverallowedadollarthathadnofriendstogetbyheralive,butIthinkherreasonforwantingithaschanged。Ithinkshewantsitnowtoincreaseandestablishandperpetuateherpowerandglorywith,nottoaddtohercomfortsandluxuries,nottofurnishpaintandfussandfeathersforvaindisplay。I thinkherambitionshavesoaredawayabovethefuss-and-featherstage。 Shestilllikesthelittleshowsandvanities——afactwhichsheexposedinapublicutterancetwoorthreedaysagowhenshewasnotnoticing—— butIthinkshedoesnotplacealargevalueuponthemnow。Shecouldbuildamightyandfar-shiningbrass-mountedpalaceifshewantedto,butshedoesnotdoit。Shewouldhavehadthatkindofanambitionintheearlyscrabblingtimes。ShecouldgotoEnglandto-dayandbeworshipedbyearls,andgetacomet\'sattentionfromthemillion,ifshecaredforsuchthings。Shewouldhavegoneintheearlyscrabblingdaysformuchlessthananearl,andbeenvainofit,andgladtoshowoffbeforetheremainsoftheScotchkin。Butthosethingsareverysmalltohernow—— nexttoinvisible,observedthroughthecloud-rackfromthedizzysummitwheresheperchesinthesegreatdays。Shedoesnotwantthatchurchpropertyforherself。Itisworthbutaquarterofamillion——asumshecouldcallinfromherfar-spreadflocksto-morrowwithaliftofherhand。Notasqueezeofit,justalift。Itwouldcomewithoutamurmur; comegratefully,comegladly。AndifherglorystoodinmoreneedofthemoneyinBostonthanitdoeswhereherflocksarepropagatingit,shewouldliftthehand,Ithink。 SheisstillreachingfortheDollar,shewillcontinuetoreachforit; butnotthatshemayspendituponherself;notthatshemayspendituponcharities;notthatshemayindemnifyanearlydeprivationandclotheherselfinablazeofNorthAdamsgauds;notthatshemayhaveninebreedsofpieforbreakfast,asonlytherichNew-Englandercan;notthatshemayindulgeanypettymaterialvanityorappetitethatoncewashersandprizedandnursed,butthatshemayapplythatDollartostatelieruses,andplaceitwhereitmaycastthemetallicsheenofhergloryfarthestacrosstherecedingexpansesoftheglobe。 PRAYER AbriefandgoodoneisfurnishedinthebookofBy-laws。TheScientistisrequiredtoprayiteveryday。 THELORD\'SPRAYER-AMENDED ThisisnotintheBy-laws,itisinthefirstchapterofScienceandHealth,editionof1902。Idonotfinditintheeditionof1884。Itisprobablethatithadnotatthattimebeenhandeddown。ScienceandHealth\'s(latest)renderingofits\"spiritualsense\"isasfollows: \"OurFather-MotherGod\'all-harmonious,adorableOne。Thykingdomiswithinus,Thouartever-present。Enableustoknow——asinheaven,soonearth——Godissupreme。Giveusgraceforto-day;feedthefamishedaffections。AndinfiniteLoveisreflectedinlove。AndLoveleadethusnotintotemptation,butdeliverethfromsin,disease,anddeath。ForGodisnowandforeverallLife,Truth,andLove。\" IfIthoughtmyopinionwasdesiredandwouldbeproperlyrevered,I shouldsaythatinmyjudgmentthatisasgoodapieceofcarpenteringasanyofthoseelevenCommandment——expertscoulddowiththematerialafteralltheirpractice。Inoticeonlyonedoubtfulplace。\"Leadusnotintotemptation\"seemstometobeaverydefiniterequest,andthatthenewrenderingturnsthedefiniterequestintoadefiniteassertion。IshallbegladtohavethatturnedbacktotheoldwayandthemarksoftheSpiralTwistremoved,orvarnishedover;thenIshallbesatisfied,andwilldothebestIcanwithwhatisleft。Atthesametime,Idofeelthattheshrinkageinourspiritualassetsisgettingserious。FirsttheCommandments,nowthePrayer。Ineverexpectedtoseethesesteadyoldreliablesecuritieswatereddowntothis。Andthisisnotthewholeofit。LastsummerthePresbyteriansextendedtheCallingandElectionsuffragetonearlyeverybodyentitledtosalvation。Theydidnotevenstopthere,butletoutalltheunbaptizedAmericaninfantswehadbeenaccumulatingfortwohundredyearsandmore。TherearesomethatbelievetheywouldhavelettheScotchonesout,too,iftheycouldhavedoneit。 Everythingisgoingtoruin;innolongtimeweshallhavenothingleftbuttheloveofGod。 THENEWUNPARDONABLESIN \"WorkingAgainsttheCause。Sec。2。IfamemberofthisChurchshallworkagainsttheaccomplishmentofwhattheDiscovererandFounderofChristianScienceunderstandsisadvantageoustotheindividual,tothisChurch,andtotheCauseofChristianScience\"——outhegoes。Forever。 ThemembermaythinkthatwhatheisdoingwilladvancetheCause,butheisnotinvitedtodoanythinking。Morethanthat,heisnotpermittedtodoany——ashewillclearlygatherfromthisBy-law。WhenapersonjoinsMrs。Eddy\'sChurchhemustleavehisthinkerathome。Leaveitpermanently。Tomakesurethatitwillnotgooffsometimeorotherwhenheisnotwatching,itwillbesafestforhimtospikeit。Ifheshouldforgethimselfandthinkjustonce,theBy-lawprovidesthatheshallbefiredout-instantly-forever-noreturn。 \"ItshallbethedutyofthisChurchimmediatelytocallameeting,anddropforeverthenameofthismemberfromitsrecords。\" My,butitbreathesatoweringindignation! Thereareforgivableoffenses,butthisisnotoneofthem;thereareadmonitions,probations,suspensions,inseveralminorcases;mercyisshownthederelict,inthosecasesheisgentlyused,andintimehecangetbackintothefold——evenwhenhehasrepeatedhisoffence。Butlethimthink,justonce,withoutgettinghisthinkersettoEddytime,andthatisenough;hisheadcomesoff。Thereisnosecondoffence,andthereisnogateopentothatlostsheep,everagain。 \"Thisrulecannotbechanged,amended,orannulled,exceptbyunanimousvoteofalltheFirstMembers。\" ThesamebeingMrs。Eddy。ItisnaivelyslyandprettytoseeherkeepputtingforwardFirstMembers,andBoardsofThisandThat,andotherbroideriesandrufflesofherraiment,asiftheywereindependententities,insteadofapartofherclothes,andcoulddothingsallbythemselveswhenshewasoutsideofthem。 Mrs。Eddydidnotneedtocopyrightthesentencejustquoted,itsEnglishwouldprotectit。Nonebutshewouldhaveshovelledthatcomicallysuperfluous\"all\"inthere。 TheformerUnpardonableSinhasgoneoutofservice。WemayframethenewChristianScienceonethus: \"WhatsoeverMembershallthink,andwithoutOurMother\'spermissionactuponhisthink,thesameshallbecutofffromtheChurchforever。\" IthasbeensaidthatImakemanymistakesaboutChristianSciencethroughbeingignorantofthespiritualmeaningsofitsterminology。I believeitistrue。IhavebeenmisledallthistimebythatwordMember,becausetherewasnoonetotellmethatitsspiritualmeaningwasSlave。 AXEANDBLOCK ThereisaBy-lawwhichforbidsMemberstopracticehypnotism;thepenaltyisexcommunication。 1。Ifamemberisfoundtobeamentalpractitioner—— 2。Complaintistobeenteredagainsthim—— 3。BythePastorEmeritus,andbynoneelse; 4。Nomemberisallowedtomakecomplainttoherinthematter; 5。UponMrs。Eddy\'smere\"complaint\"——unbackedbyevidenceorproof,andwithoutgivingtheaccusedachancetobeheard——\"hisnameshallbedroppedfromthisChurch。\" Mrs。Eddyhasonlytosayamemberisguilty——thatisall。Thatendsit。 Itisnotacaseofhe\"may\"becutofffromChristianSciencesalvation,itisacaseofhe\"shall\"be。Herserfsmustseetoit,andnotsayaword。 DoestheotherPopepossessthisprodigiousandirresponsiblepower? Certainlynotinourday。 SomemaybecurioustoknowhowMrs。Eddyfindsoutthatamemberispracticinghypnotism,sincenooneisallowedtocomebeforeherthroneandaccusehim。ShehasexplainedthisinChristianScienceHistory,firstandsecondeditions,page16: \"Ipossessaspiritualsenseofwhatthemaliciousmentalpractitionerismentallyarguingwhichcannotbedeceived;Icandiscerninthehumanmindthoughts,motives,andpurposes,andneithermentalargumentsnorpsychicpowercanaffectthisspiritualinsight。\" Amarvelouswoman;withahungerforpowersuchashasneverbeenseenintheworldbefore。Nothing,littleorbig,thatcontainsanyseedorsuggestionofpowerescapesheravariciouseye;andwhenonceshegetsthateyeonit,herremorselessgripfollows。Thereisn\'taChristianScientistwhoisn\'tecclesiasticallyasmuchherpropertyasifshehadboughthimandpaidforhim,andcopyrightedhimandgotacharter。Shecannotbesatisfiedwhenshehashandcuffedamember,andputaleg-chainandballonhimandpluggedhisearsandremovedhisthinker,shegoesonwrappingneedlesschainsroundandroundhim,justasaspiderwould。 Forshetrustsnoone,believesinnoone\'shonesty,judgeseveryonebyherself。AlthoughwehaveseenthatshehasabsoluteandirresponsiblecommandoverherspectralBoardsandovereveryofficialandservantofherChurch,athomeandabroad,overeveryminutedetailofherChurch\'sgovernment,presentandfuture,andcanpurgehermembershipofguiltyorsuspectedpersonsbyvariousplausibleformalitiesandwhenevershewill,sheisstillnotcontent,butmustsetherqueermindtoworkandinventawaybywhichshecantakeamember——anymember——byneckandcropandflinghimoutwithoutanythingresemblingaformalityatall。 Sheissoleaccuserandsolewitness,andhertestimonyisfinalandcarriesuncompromisingandirremediabledoomwithit。 TheSole-WitnessCourt!ItshouldmaketheCouncilofTenandtheCouncilofThreeturnintheirgravesforshame,toseehowlittletheyknewaboutsatanicconcentrationsofirresponsiblepower。HerewehaveoneAccuser,oneWitness,oneJudge,oneHeadsman——andallfourbunchedtogetherinMrs。Eddy,theInspiredofGod,HisLatestThoughttoHisPeople,NewMemberoftheHolyFamily,theEqualofJesus。 WhenaMemberisnotsatisfactorytoMrs。Eddy,andyetisblamelessinhislifeandfaultlessinhismembershipandinhisChristianSciencewalkandconversation,shallheholduphisheadandtilthishatoveroneearandimaginehimselfsafebecauseoftheseperfections?Why,inthatverymomentMrs。EddywillcastthatspiritualX-rayofhersthroughhisdungareesandsay: \"Iseehishypnotismworking,amonghisinsides——removehimtotheblock!\" Whatshallitprofithimtoknowitisn\'tso?Nothing。Histestimonyisofnovalue。Noonewantsit,noonewillaskforit。Heisnotpresenttoofferit(hedoesnotknowhehasbeenaccused),andifheweretheretoofferit,itwouldnotbelistenedto。 ItwasoutofpowersapproachingMrs。Eddy\'s——thoughnotequallingthem——thattheInquisitionandthedevastationsoftheInterdictgrew。Shewilltransmithers。Themanborntwocenturiesfromnowwillthinkhehasarrivedinhell;andallingoodtimehewillthinkheknowsit。 Vastconcentrationsofirresponsiblepowerhaveneverinanyagebeenusedmercifully,andthereisnothingtosuggestthattheChristianSciencePapacyisgoingtospendmoneyonnovelties。 SeveralChristianScientistshaveaskedmetorefrainfromprophecy。 Thereisnoprophecyinourdaybuthistory。Buthistoryisatrustworthyprophet。Historyisalwaysrepeatingitself,becauseconditionsarealwaysrepeatingthemselves。Outofduplicatedconditionshistoryalwaysgetsaduplicateproduct。 READINGLETTERSATMEETINGS IwonderifthereisanythingaMembercandothatwillnotraiseMrs。 Eddy\'sjealousy?TheBy-lawsseemtohunthimfrompillartopostallthetime,andturnallhisthoughtsandactsandwordsintosinsagainstthemeekandlowlynewdeityofhisworship。Apparentlyherjealousyneversleeps。Apparentlyanytriflecanoffendit,andbutonepenaltyappeaseit——excommunication。TheBy-lawsmightproperlyandreasonablybeentitledLawsfortheCoddlingandComfortingofOurMother\'sPettyJealousies。TheBy-lawnamedattheheadofthisparagraphreadsitstransgressoroutoftheChurchifheshallcarryaletterfromMrs。Eddytothecongregationandforgettoreaditorfailtoreadthewholeofit。 HONESTYREQUISITE Dishonestmembersaretobeadmonished;iftheycontinueindishonestpractices,excommunicationfollows。Consideringwhoitisthatdraughtedthislaw,thereisacertainamountofhumorinit。 FURTHERAPPLICATIONSOFTHEAXE HerefollowthetitlesofsomemoreBy-lawswhoseinfringementispunishablebyexcommunication: SilenceEnjoined。 Misteaching。 DeparturefromTenets。 ViolationofChristianFellowship。 MoralOffences。 IllegalAdoption。 BrokenBy-laws。 ViolationofBy-laws。(Whatisthedifference?) FormulasForbidden。 OfficialAdvice。(ForbidsTom,Dick,andHarry\'sclack。) UnworthyofMembership。 FinalExcommunication。 OrganizingChurches。 ThislooksasifMrs。EddyhaddevotedalargeshareofhertimeandtalenttoinventingwaystogetridofherChurchmembers。Yetinanotherplacesheseemstoinvitemembership。Notinanyurgentway,itistrue,stillshethrowsoutabaittosuchaslikenoticeanddistinction(inotherwords,theHumanRace)。Page82: \"Itisimportantthattheseseeminglystrictconditionsbecompliedwith,asthenamesoftheMembersoftheMother-ChurchwillberecordedinthehistoryoftheChurchandbecomeapartthereof。\" Weallwanttobehistorical。 MORESELF-PROTECTIONS TheHymnal。ThereisaChristianScienceHymnal。Entrancetoitwasclosedin1898。ChristianSciencestudentswhomakehymnsnowadaysmaypossiblygetthemsungintheMother-Church,\"butnotunlessapprovedbythePastorEmeritus。\"Art。XXVII,Sec。2。 SoloSingers。Mrs。EddyhascontributedthewordsofthreeofthehymnsintheHymnal。Twoofthemappearinitsixtimesaltogether,eachofthembeingsettothreeoriginalformsofmusicalanguish。Mrs。Eddy,alwaysthoughtful,haspromulgatedaBy-lawrequiringthesingingofoneofherthreehymnsintheMotherChurch\"asoftenasonceeachmonth。\" Itisagoodidea。AcongregationcouldgettiredofevenMrs。Eddy\'smuseinthecourseoftime,withoutthecordializingincentiveofcompulsion。Weallknowhowwearisomethesweetestandtouchingestthingscanbecome,throughrep-rep-repetition,andstillrep-rep- repetition,andmorerep-rep-repetition-like\"thesweetby-and-by,inthesweetby-and-by,\"forinstance,and\"Tah-rah-rahboom-de-aye\";andsurelyitisnotlikelythatMrs。Eddy\'smachinehasturnedoutgoodsthatcouldoutwearthosegreatheart-stirrers,withouttheassistanceofthelash。 \"O\'erWaitingHarpstringsoftheMind\"isprettygood,quitefairtomiddling——thewholesevenofthestanzas——butrepetitionwouldbecertaintotaketheexcitementoutofitinthecourseoftime,eveniftherewerefourteen,andthenitwouldsoundlikethemultiplicationtable,andwouldceasetosave。Thecongregationwouldbeperfectlysuretogettired;infact,didgettired——hencethecompulsoryBy-law。Itisameasurebornofexperience,notforesight。 TheBy-lawssaythat\"ifasolosingershallneglectorrefusetosingalone\"oneofthosethreehymnsasoftenasonceamonth,andoftenerifsodirectedbytheBoardofDirectors——whichisMrs。Eddy——thesinger\'ssalaryshallbestopped。Itiscircumstantialevidencethatsomesoloistsneglectedthissacramentandothersrefusedit。Atleastthatisthecharitableviewtotakeofit。Thereisonlyoneotherviewtotake:thatMrs。Eddydidreallyforeseethattherewouldbesingerswhowouldsomedaygettiredofdoingherhymnsandproclaimingtheauthorship,unlesspersuadedbyaBylaw,withapenaltyattached。Theideacouldofcourseoccurtoherwisehead,forshewouldknowthataseven-stanzabreakmightwellbeacalamitousstrainuponasoloist,andthathemightthereforeavoiditifunwatched。Hecouldnotcurtailit,forthewholeofanythingthatMrs。Eddydoesissacred,andcannotbecut。 BOARDOFEDUCATION Itconsistsoffourmembers,oneofwhomisPresidentofit。Itsmembersareelectedannually。SubjecttoMrs。Eddy\'sapproval。Art。XXX。,Sec。 2。 SheownstheBoard——istheBoard。 Mrs。EddyisPresidentoftheMetaphysicalCollege。Ifatanytimesheshallvacatethatoffice,theDirectorsoftheCollege(thatistosay,Mrs。Eddy)\"shall\"electtothevacancythePresidentoftheBoardofEducation(whichismerelyre-electingherself)。 Itisanothercaseof\"PastorEmeritus。\"Shegivesuptheshadowofauthority,butkeepsagoodfirmholdonthesubstance。 PUBLICTEACHERS Applicantsforadmissiontothisindustrymustpassathoroughthreedays\'examinationbeforetheBoardofEducation\"inScienceandHealth,chapteron\'Recapitulation\';thePlatformofChristianScience;page403 ofChristianSciencePractice,fromlinesecondtothesecondparagraphofpage405;andpage488,secondandthirdparagraphs。\" BOARDOFLECTURESHIP ThelecturersareexceedinglyimportantservantsofMrs。Eddy,andshechoosesthemwithgreatcare。Eachofthemhasanappointedterritoryinwhichtoperformhisduties——intheNorth,theSouth,theEast,theWest,inCanada,inGreatBritain,andsoon——andeachmuststicktohisownterritoryandnotforagebeyonditsboundaries。Ithinkitgoeswithoutsaying——fromwhatwehaveseenofMrs。Eddy——thatnolectureisdelivereduntilshehasexaminedandapprovedit,andthatthelecturerisnotallowedtochangeitafterwards。 ThemembersoftheBoardofLectureshipareelectedannually—— \"SubjecttotheapprovalofRev。MaryBakerG。Eddy。\" MISSIONARIES Therearebutfour。Theyareelected——liketherestofthedomestics—— annually。SofarasIcandiscover,notasingleservantoftheSacredHouseholdhasasteadyjobexceptMrs。Eddy。Itisplainthatshetrustsnohumanbeingbutherself。 THEBY-LAWS ThebranchChurchesarestrictlyforbiddentousethem。 SofarasIcansee,theycouldnotdoitiftheywantedto。TheBy-lawsaremerelythevoiceofthemasterissuingcommandstotheservants。 Thereisnothingandnobodyfortheservantstore-utterthemto。 Thatuselessedictisrepeatedinthelittlebook,afewpagesfartheron。Thereareseveralotherrepetitionsofprohibitionsinthebookthatcouldbespared-theyonlytakeuproomfornothing。 THECREED Itiscopyrighted。Idonotknowwhy,butIsupposeitistokeepadventurersfromsomedayclaimingthattheyinventedit,andnotMrs。 Eddyandthat\"strangeProvidence\"thathassuggestedsomanycleverthingstoher。 NoChange。ItisforbiddentochangetheCreed。Thatisimportant,atanyrate。 COPYRIGHT IcanunderstandwhyMrs。EddycopyrightedtheearlyeditionsandrevisionsofScienceandHealth,andwhyshehadamaniaforcopyrightingeveryscrapofeverysortthatcamefromherpeninthosejejunedayswhentobeinprintprobablyseemedawonderfuldistinctiontoherinherprovincialobscurity,butwhysheshouldcontinuethisdeliriuminthesedaysofhergodshipandherfar-spreadfame,Icannotexplaintomyself。 AndparticularlyasregardsScienceandHealth。Sheknows,now,thatthatAnnexisgoingtoliveformanycenturies;andso,whatgoodisafleetingforty-two-yearcopyrightgoingtodoit? Nowaperpetualcopyrightwouldbequiteanothermatter。Iwouldliketogiveherahint。Letherstrikeforaperpetualcopyrightonthatbook。 Thereisprecedentforit。Thereisonebookintheworldwhichbearsthecharmedlifeofperpetualcopyright(afactnotknowntotwentypeopleintheworld)。ByahardyperversionofprivilegeonthepartofthelawmakingpowertheBiblehasperpetualcopyrightinGreatBritain。 Thereisnojustificationforitinfairness,andnoexplanationofitexceptthattheChurchisstrongenoughtheretohaveitsway,rightorwrong。TherecentRevisedVersionenjoysperpetualcopyright,too——astrongerprecedent,even,thantheotherone。 Now,then,whatistheAnnexbutaRevisedVersionitself?Whichofcourseitis——Lord\'sPrayerandall。WiththatpairofformidableBritishprecedentstoproceedupon,whatCongressofours—— Buthowshort-sightedIam。Mrs。Eddyhasthoughtofitlongago。Shethinksofeverything。Sheknowsshehasonlytokeephercopyrightof1902alivethroughitsfirststageoftwenty-eightyears,andperpetuityisassured。AChristianScienceCongresswillreignintheCapitolthen。 Sheprobablyattachessmallvaluetothefirstedition(1875)。AlthoughitwasaRevelationfromonhigh,itwasslim,lank,incomplete,paddedwithbalesofrefuserags,andpuffsfromlassoedcelebritiestofillitout,anuncreditablebook,abookeasilysparable,abooknottobementionedinthesameyearwiththesleek,fat,concise,compact,compressed,andcompetentAnnexofto-day,initsdaintyflexiblecovers,gilt——edges,roundedcorners,twinscrew,spiraltwist,compensationbalance,Testament-counterfeit,andallthat;abookjustborntocurluponthehymn-book-shelfinchurchandlookjusttoosweetandholyforanything。Yes,Iseenowwhatshewascopyrightingthatchildfor。 CHRISTIANSCIENCEPUBLISHINGASSOCIATION ItistrueinmattersofbusinessMrs。Eddythinksofeverything。Shethoughtofanorgan,todisseminatetheTruthasitwasinMrs。Eddy。 Straightwayshestartedone——theChristianScienceJournal。 Itistrue——inmattersofbusinessMrs。Eddythinksofeverything。AssoonasshehadgottheChristianScienceJournalsufficientlyindebttomakeitspresenceonthepremisesdisagreeabletoher,itoccurredtohertomakesomebodyapresentofit。Whichshedid,alongwithitsdebts。 Itwasinthesummerof1889。ThevictimselectedwasherChurch—— called,inthosedays,TheNationalChristianScientistAssociation。 Shedeliveredthissorrowtothoselambsasa\"gift\"inconsiderationoftheir\"loyaltytoourgreatcause。\" Also——stillthinkingofeverything——shetoldthemtoretainMr。BaileyintheeditorshipandmakeMr。Nixonpublisher。Wedonotknowwhatitwasshehadagainstthosemen;neitherdoweknowwhethershescoredonBaileyornot,weonlyknowthatGodprotectedNixon,andforthatIamsincerelyglad,althoughIdonotknowNixonandhaveneverevenseenhim。 NixontooktheJournalandtherestofthePublishingSociety\'sliabilities,anddemonstratedoverthemduringthreeyears,thenbroughtinhisreport: \"Onassumingmydutiesaspublisher,therewasnotadollarinthetreasury;butonthecontrarytheSocietyowedunpaidprintingandpaperbillstotheamountofseveralhundreddollars,nottomentionacontingentliabilityofmanymorehundreds\"——representedbyadvance—— subscriptionspaidfortheJournalandthe\"Series,\"thewhichgoodsMrs。 Eddyhadnotdelivered。Andcouldn\'t,verywell,perhaps,onaMetaphysicalCollegeincomeofbutafewthousanddollarsaday,oraweek,orwhateveritwasinthosemagnificentlyflourishingtimes。ThestrugglingJournalhadswallowedupthoseadvance-payments,butits\"claim\"wasasevereoneandtheyhadfailedtocureit。ButNixoncureditinhisdiligentthreeyears,andjoyouslyreportedthenewsthathehadclearedoffallthedebtsandnowhadafatsixthousanddollarsinthebank。 ItmadeMrs。Eddy\'smouthwater。 AtthetimethatMrs。EddyhadunloadedthatdismalgiftontoherNationalAssociation,shehadfollowedherinveteratecustom:shehadtiedastringtoitshindleg,andkeptoneendofithitchedtoherbelt。WehaveseenherdothatinthecaseoftheBostonMosque。Whenshedeedsproperty,sheputsinthatstring-clause。Itprovidesthatundercertainconditionsshecanpullthestringandlandthepropertyinthecherishedhomeofitshappyyouth。InthepresentcaseshebelievedthatshehadmadeprovisionthatifatanytimetheNationalChristianScienceAssociationshoulddissolveitselfbyaformalvote,shecouldpull。 AyearafterNixon\'shandsomereport,shewritestheAssociationthatshehasa\"uniquerequesttolaybeforeit。\"Ithasdissolved,andsheisnotquitesurethattheChristianScienceJournalhas\"alreadyfallenintoherhands\"bythatact,thoughit\"seems\"tohertohavemetwiththataccident;soshewouldliketohavethematterdecidedbyaformalvote。Butwhetherthereisadoubtornot,\"Iseethewisdom,\"shesays,\"ofagainowningthisChristianSciencewaif。\" Ithinkthatthatisunassailableevidencethatthewaifwasmakingmoney,handsdown。 Shepulledhergiftin。AfewyearslatershedonatedthePublishingSociety,alongwithitsrealestate,itsbuildings,itsplant,itspublications,anditsmoney——thewholeworthtwenty——twothousanddollars,andfreeofdebt——to——Well,totheMother-Church! Thatistosay,toherself。ThereisanactcountofitintheChristianScienceJournal,andofhowshehadalreadymadesomeotherhandsomegifts——toherChurch——andothersto——toherCausebesides\"analmostcountlessnumberofprivatecharities\"ofcloudyamountandotherwiseindefinite。Thislandslideofgenerositiesoverwhelmedoneofherliterarydomestics。Whilehewasinthatconditionhetriedtoexpresswhathefelt: \"Letusendeavortoliftupourheartsinthankfulnessto……ourMotherinIsraelfortheseevidencesofgenerosityandself-sacrificethatappealtoourdeepestsenseofgratitude,evenwhilesurpassingourcomprehension。\" Ayearortwolater,Mrs。EddypromulgatedsomeBy-lawsofaself- sacrificingsortwhichassuagedhim,perhaps,andperhapsenabledhissurpassedcomprehensiontomakeasprintandcatchup。ThesearetobefoundinArt。XII。,entitled。 THECHRISTIANSCIENCEPUBLISHINGSOCIETY ThisArticleputsthewholepublishingbusinessintothehandsofapublishingBoard——special。Mrs。Eddyappointstoitsvacancies。 Theprofitsgosemi-annuallytotheTreasureroftheMother-Church。Mrs。 EddyownstheTreasurer。 EditorsandpublishersoftheChristianScienceJournalcannotbeelectedorremovedwithoutMrs。Eddy\'sknowledgeandconsent。 Everycandidateforemploymentinahighcapacityoralowone,ontheotherperiodicalsorinthepublishinghouse,mustfirstbe\"acceptedbyMrs。Eddyassuitable。\"And\"bytheBoardofDirectors\"——whichissurplusage,sinceMrs。EddyownstheBoard。 Ifatanytimeaweeklyshallbestarted,\"itshallbeownedbyTheFirstChurchofChrist,Scientist\"——whichisMrs。Eddy。 CHAPTERVIII IthinkthatanyonewhowillcarefullyexaminetheBy-laws(Ihaveplacedalloftheimportantonesbeforethereader),willarriveattheconclusionthatoflateyearsthemaster-passioninMrs。Eddy\'sheartisahungerforpowerandglory;andthatwhileherhungerformoneystillremains,shewantsitnowfortheexpansionandextensionitcanfurnishtothatpowerandglory,ratherthanwhatitcandoforhertowardssatisfyingminorandmeanerambitions。 Iwishtoenlargealittleuponthismatter。IthinkitisquiteclearthatthereasonwhyMrs。Eddyhasconcentratedinherselfallpowers,alldistinctions,allrevenuesthatarewithinthecommandoftheChristianScienceChurchUniversalisthatshedesiresandintendstodevotethemtothepurposejustsuggested——theupbuildingofherpersonalglory—— hers,andnooneelse\'s;that,andthecontinuingofhername\'sgloryaftersheshallhavepassedaway。Ifshehasoverlookedasinglepower,howsoeverminute,Icannotdiscoverit。Ifshehasfoundone,largeorsmall,whichshehasnotseizedandmadeherown,thereisnorecordofit,notraceofit。InherforagingsanddepredationssheusuallyputsforwardtheMother-Church——alayfigure——andhidesbehindit。Whereas,sheisinmanifestrealitytheMother-Churchherself。Ithasanimpressivearrayofofficials,andcommittees,andBoardsofDirection,ofEducation,ofLectureship,andsoon——geldings,everyone,shadows,spectres,apparitions,wax-figures:sheissupremeoverthemall,shecanabolishthemwhenshewill;blowthemoutasshewouldacandle。SheisherselftheMother-Church。NowthereisoneBy-lawwhichsaysthattheMother-Church: \"shallbeofficiallycontrolledbynootherchurch。\" Thatdoesnotsurpriseus——weknowbytherestoftheBy-lawsthatthatisaquiteirrelevantremark。Yetwedovaguelyandhazilywonderwhyshetakesthetroubletosayit;whyshewastesthewords;whatherobjectcanbe——seeingthatthatemergencyhasbeeninsomany,manyways,andsoeffectivelyanddrasticallybarredoffandmadeimpossible。Thenpresentlytheobjectbeginstodawnuponus。Thatis,itdoesafterwehavereadtherestoftheBy-lawthreeorfourtimes,wonderingandadmiringtoseeMrs。Eddy——Mrs。Eddy——Mrs。Eddy,ofallpersons——throwingawaypower!——makingafairexchange——doingafairthingforoncemore,analmostgenerousthing!Thenwelookitthroughyetoncemoreunsatisfied,alittlesuspicious——andfindthatitisnothingbutasly,thinmake-believe,andthateventheverytitleofitisasarcasmandembodiesafalsehood——\"self\"government: \"LocalSelf-Government。TheFirstChurchofChrist,Scientist,inBoston,Massachusetts,shallassumenoofficialcontrolofotherchurchesofthisdenomination。Itshallbeofficiallycontrolledbynootherchurch。\" Ithasamostpiousanddeceptivegive-and-takeairofperfectfairness,unselfishness,magnanimity——almostgodliness,indeed。Butitisallart。 IntheBy-laws,Mrs。Eddy,speakingbythemouthofherotherself,theMother-Church,proclaimsthatshewillassumenoofficialcontrolofotherchurches-branchchurches。WeexaminetheotherBy-laws,andtheyanswersomeimportantquestionsforus: 1。WhatisabranchChurch?ItisabodyofChristianScientists,organizedintheoneandonlypermissibleway——byamember,ingoodstanding,oftheMother-Church,andwhoisalsoapupilofoneofMrs。 Eddy\'saccreditedstudents。Thatistosay,oneofherproperties。Noothercandoit。Thereareotherindispensablerequisites;whatarethey? 2。ThenewChurchcannotenteruponitsfunctionsuntilitsmembershaveindividuallysigned,andpledgedallegianceto,aCreedfurnishedbyMrs。 Eddy。 3。Theyareobligedtostudyherbooks,andordertheirlivesbythem。 Andtheymustreadnooutsidereligiousworks。 4。Theymustsingthehymnsandpraytheprayersprovidedbyher,andusenoothersintheservices,exceptbyherpermission。 5。Theycannothavepreachersandpastors。Herlaw。 6。IntheirChurchtheymusthavetwoReaders——amanandawoman。 7。Theymustreadtheservicesframedandappointedbyher。 8。She——notthebranchChurch——appointsthoseReaders。 9。She——notthebranchChurch——dismissesthemandfillsthevacancies。 1O。ShecandothiswithoutconsultingthebranchChurch,andwithoutexplaining。 11。ThebranchChurchcanhaveareligiouslecturefromtimetotime。 ByapplyingtoMrs。Eddy。Thereisnootherway。 12。ButthebranchChurchcannotselectthelecturer。Mrs。Eddydoesit。 13。ThebranchChurchpayshisfee。