christian science-第23部分

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！


other　can　do　it。　　There　are　other　indispensable　requisites；　what　are
they？

2。　　The　new　Church　cannot　enter　upon　its　functions　until　its　members　have
individually　signed；　and　pledged　allegiance　to；　a　Creed　furnished　by　Mrs。
Eddy。

3。　　They　are　obliged　to　study　her　books；　and　order　their　lives　by　them。
And　they　must　read　no　outside　religious　works。

4。　　They　must　sing　the　hymns　and　pray　the　prayers　provided　by　her；　and
use　no　others　in　the　services；　except　by　her　permission。

5。　　They　cannot　have　preachers　and　pastors。　　Her　law。

6。　　In　their　Church　they　must　have　two　Readersa　man　and　a　woman。

7。　　They　must　read　the　services　framed　and　appointed　by　her。

8。　　Shenot　the　branch　Church　appoints　those　Readers。

9。　　Shenot　the　branch　Churchdismisses　them　and　fills　the　vacancies。

1O。　　She　can　do　this　without　consulting　the　branch　Church；　and　without
explaining。

11。　　The　branch　Church　can　have　a　religious　lecture　from　time　to　time。
By　applying　to　Mrs。　Eddy。　　There　is　no　other　way。

12。　　But　the　branch　Church　cannot　select　the　lecturer。　　Mrs。　Eddy　does
it。

13。　　The　branch　Church　pays　his　fee。

14。　　The　harnessing　of　all　Christian　Science　wedding…teams；　members　of
the　branch　Church；　must　be　done　by　duly　authorized　and　consecrated
Christian　Science　functionaries。　　Her　factory　is　the　only　one　that　makes
and　licenses　them。

＇15。　　Nothing　is　said　about　christenings。　　It　is　inferable　from　this　that
a　Christian　Science　child　is　born　a　Christian　Scientist　and　requires　no
tinkering。＇

＇16。　　Nothing　is　said　about　funerals。　　It　is　inferable；　then；　that　a
branch　Church　is　privileged　to　do　in　that　matter　as　it　may　choose。＇

To　sum　up。　　Are　any　important　Church…functions　absent　from　the　list？　　I
cannot　call　any　to　mind。　　Are　there　any　lacking　ones　whose　exercise　could
make　the　branch　in　any　noticeable　way　independent　of　the　Mother。　　Church？
even　in　any　trifling　degree？　　I　think　of　none。　　If　the　named　functions
were　abolished　would　there　still　be　a　Church　left？　　Would　there　be　even　a
shadow　of　a　Church　left？　　Would　there　be　anything　at　all　left？　　even　the
bare　name？

Manifestly　not。　　There　isn't　a　single　vital　and　essential　Church…function
of　any　kind；　that　is　not　named　in　the　list。　　And　over　every　one　of　them
the　Mother…Church　has　permanent　and　unchallengeable　control；　upon　every
one　of　them　Mrs。　Eddy　has　set　her　irremovable　grip。　　She　holds；　in
perpetuity；　autocratic　and　indisputable　sovereignty　and　control　over
every　branch　Church　in　the　earth；　and　yet　says；　in　that　sugary；　naive；
angel…beguiling　way　of　hers；　that　the　Mother…Church：

〃shall　assume　no　official　control　of　other　churches　of　this
denomination。〃

Whereas　in　truth　the　unmeddled…with　liberties　of　a　branch　Christian
Science　Church　are　but　very；　very　few　in　number；　and　are　these：

1。　　It　can　appoint　its　own　furnace…stoker；　winters。
2。　　It　can　appoint　its　own　fan…distributors；　summers。
3。　　It　can；　in　accordance　with　its　own　choice　in　the　matter；　burn；　bury；
or　preserve　members　who　are　pretending　to　be　deadwhereas　there　is　no
such　thing　as　death。
4。　　It　can　take　up　a　collection。

The　branch　Churches　have　no　important　liberties；　none　that　give　them　an
important　voice　in　their　own　affairs。　　Those　are　all　locked　up；　and　Mrs。
Eddy　has　the　key。　　〃Local　Self…Government　〃　is　a　large　name　and　sounds
well；　but　the　branch　Churches　have　no　more　of　it　than　have　the　privates
in　the　King　of　Dahomey's　army。




〃MOTHER…CHURCH　UNIQUE〃

Mrs。　Eddy；　with　an　envious　and　admiring　eye　upon　the　solitary　and
rivalless　and　world…shadowing　majesty　of　St。　　Peter's；　reveals　in　her　By…
laws　her　purpose　to　set　the　Mother…Church　apart　by　itself　in　a　stately
seclusion　and　make　it　duplicate　that　lone　sublimity　under　the　Western
sky。　　The　By…law　headed　〃Mother…Church　Unique　〃says

〃In　its　relation　to　other　Christian　Science　churches；　the　Mother…Church
stands　alone。

〃It　occupies　a　position　that　no　other　Church　can　fill。

〃Then　for　a　branch　Church　to　assume　such　position　would　be　disastrous　to
Christian　Science；

〃Therefore〃

Therefore　no　branch　Church　is　allowed　to　have　branches。　　There　shall　be
no　Christian　Science　St。　Peter's　in　the　earth　but　just　one　the　Mother…
Church　in　Boston。




〃NO　FIRST　MEMBERS〃

But　for　the　thoughtful　By…law　thus　entitled；　every　Science　branch　in　the
earth　would　imitate　the　Mother…Church　and　set　up　an　aristocracy。　　Every
little　group　of　ground…floor　Smiths　and　Furgusons　and　Shadwells　and
Simpsons　that　organized　a　branch　would　assume　that　great　title；　of　〃First
Members；〃　along　with　its　vast　privileges　of　〃discussing〃　the　weather　and
casting　blank　ballots；　and　soon　there　would　be　such　a　locust…plague　of
them　burdening　the　globe　that　the　title　would　lose　its　value　and　have　to
be　abolished。

But　where　business　and　glory　are　concerned；　Mrs。　Eddy　thinks　of
everything；　and　so　she　did　not　fail　to　take　care　of　her　Aborigines；　her
stately　and　exclusive　One　Hundred；　her　college　of　functionless　cardinals；
her　Sanhedrin　of　Privileged　Talkers　（Limited）。　　After　taking　away　all　the
liberties　of　the　branch　Churches；　and　in　the　same　breath　disclaiming　all
official　control　over　their　affairs；　she　smites　them　on　the　mouth　with
thisthe　very　mouth　that　was　watering　for　those　nobby　ground…floor
honors

〃No　First　Members。　　Branch　Churches　shall　not　organize　with　First
Members；　that　special　method　of　organization　being　adapted　to　the　Mother…
Church　alone。〃

And　so；　first　members　being　prohibited；　we　pierce　through　the　cloud　of
Mrs。　Eddy's　English　and　perceive　that　they　must　then　necessarily　organize
with　Subsequent　Members。　　There　is　no　other　way。　　It　will　occur　to　them
by…and…by　to　found　an　aristocracy　of　Early　Subsequent　Members。　　There　is
no　By…law　against　it。




〃THE〃

I　uncover　to　that　imperial　word。　　And　to　the　mind；　too；　that　conceived
the　idea　of　seizing　and　monopolizing　it　as　a　title。　　I　believe　it　is　Mrs。
Eddy's　dazzlingest　invention。　　For　show；　and　style；　and　grandeur；　and
thunder　and　lightning　and　fireworks　it　outclasses　all　the　previous
inventions　of　man；　and　raises　the　limit　on　the　Pope。　　He　can　never　put
his　avid　hand　on　that　word　of　wordsit　is　pre…empted。　　And　copyrighted；
of　course。　　It　lifts　the　Mother…Church　away　up　in　the　sky；　and
fellowships　it　with　the　rare　and　select　and　exclusive　little　company　of
the　THE's　of　deathless　glorypersons　and　things　whereof　history　and　the
ages　could　furnish　only　single　examples；　not　two：　the　Saviour；　the
Virgin；　the　Milky　Way；　the　Bible；　the　Earth；　the　Equator；　the　Devil；　the
Missing　Link　and　now　The　First　Church；　Scientist。　　And　by　clamor　of
edict　and　By…law　Mrs。　Eddy　gives　personal　notice　to　all　branch　Scientist
Churches　on　this　planet　to　leave　that　THE　alone。

She　has　demonstrated　over　it　and　made　it　sacred　to　the　Mother…Church：

〃The　article　'The'　must　not　be　used　before　the　titles　of　branch
Churches

〃Nor　written　on　applications　for　membership　in　naming　such　churches。〃

Those　are　the　terms。　　There　can　and　will　be　a　million　First　Churches　of
Christ；　Scientist；　scattered　over　the　world；　in　a　million　towns　and
villages　and　hamlets　and　cities；　and　each　may　call　itself　（suppressing
the　article）；　〃First　Church　of　Christ。　　Scientist〃it　is　permissible；
and　no　harm；　but　there　is　only　one　The　Church　of　Christ；　Scientist；　and
there　will　never　be　another。　　And　whether　that　great　word　fall　in　the
middle　of　a　sentence　or　at　the　beginning　of　it；　it　must　always　have　its
capital　T。

I　do　not　suppose　that　a　juvenile　passion　for　fussy　little　worldly　shows
and　vanities　can　furnish　a　match　to　this；　anywhere　in　the　history　of　the
nursery。　　Mrs。　Eddy　does　seem　to　be　a　shade　fonder　of　little　special
distinctions　and　pomps　than　is　usual　with　human　beings。

She　instituted　that　immodest　〃The〃　with　her　own　hand；　she　did　not　wait
for　somebody　else　to　think　of　it。




A　LIFE…TERM　MONOPOLY

There　is　but　one　human　Pastor　in　the　whole　Christian　Science　world；　she
reserves　that　exalted　place　to　herself。




A　PERPETUAL　ONE

There　is　but　one　other　object　in　the　whole　Christian　Science　world
honored　with　that　title　and　holding　that　office：　it　is　her　book；　the
Annex　permanent　Pastor　of　The　First　Church；　and　of　all　branch　Churches。

With　her　own　hand　she　draughted　the　By…laws　which　make　her　the　only
really　absolute　sovereign　that　lives　to…day　in　Christendom。

She　does　not　allow　any　objectionable　pictures　to　be　exhibited　in　the　room
where　her　book　is　sold；　nor　any　indulgence　in　idle　gossip　there；　and　from
the　general　look　of　that　By…law　I　judge　that　a　lightsome　and　improper
person　can　be　as　uncomfortable　in　that　place　as　he　could　be　in　heaven。




THE　SANCTUM　SANCTORUM　AND　SACRED　CHAIR

In　a　room　in　The　First　Church　of　Christ；　Scientist；　there　is　a　museum　of
objects　which　have　attained　to　holiness　through　contact　with　Mrs。　Eddy
among　them　an　electrically　lighted　oil…picture　of　a　chair　which　she　used
to　sit　in　and　disciples　from　all　about　the　world　go　softly　in　there；　in
restricted　groups；　under　proper　guard；　and　reverently　gaze　upon　those
relics。　　It　is　worship。　　Mrs。　Eddy　could　stop　it　if　she　was　not　fond　of
it；　for　her　sovereignty　over　that　temple　is　supreme。

The　fitting…up　of　that　place　as　a　shrine　is　not　an　accident；　nor　a
casual；　unweighed　idea；　it　is　imitated　from　ageold　religious　custom。
In　Treves　the　pilgrim　reverently　gazes　upon　the　Seamless　Robe；　and　humbly
worships；　and　does　the　same　in　that　other　continental　church　where　they
keep　a　duplicate；　and　does　likewise　in　the　Church　of　the　Holy　Sepulchre；
in　Jerusalem；　where　memorials　of　the　Crucifixion　are　preserved；　and　now；
by　good　fortune　we　have　our　Holy　Chair　and　things；　and　a　market　for　our
adorations　nearer　home。

But　is　there　not　a　detail　that　is　new；　fresh；　original？　　Yes；　whatever
old　thing　Mrs。　Eddy　touches　gets　something　new　by　the　contact　something
not　thought　of　before　by　any　one　something　original；　all　her　own；　and
copyrightable。　　The　new　feature　is　self　worshipexhibited　in　permitting
this　shrine　to　be　installed　during　her　lifetime；　and　winking　her　sacred
eye　at　it。

A　prominent　Christian　Scientist　has　assured　me　that　the　Scientists　do　not
worship　Mrs。　Eddy；　and　I　think　it　likely　that　there　may　be　five　or　six