christian science-第34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！


provided　a　prodigality　of　ways　and　forms　whereby　she　can　rid　herself　of
any　functionary　in　the　government　whenever　she　wants　to。　　The　officials
are　all　shadows；　save　herself；　she　is　the　only　reality。　　She　allows　no
one　to　hold　office　more　than　a　year　no　one　gets　a　chance　to　become
over…popular　or　over…useful；　and　dangerous。　　〃Excommunication〃　is　the
favorite　penalty…it　is　threatened　at　every　turn。　　It　is　evidently　the　pet
dread　and　terror　of　the　Church's　membership。

The　member　who　thinks；　without　getting　his　thought　from　Mrs。　Eddy　before
uttering　it；　is　banished　permanently。　　One　or　two　kinds　of　sinners　can
plead　their　way　back　into　the　fold；　but　this　one；　never。　　To　thinkin
the　Supreme　Churchis　the　New　Unpardonable　Sin。

To　nearly　every　severe　and　fierce　rule；　Mrs。　Eddy　adds　this　rivet：　〃This
By…law　shall　not　be　changed　without　the　consent　of　the　Pastor　Emeritus。〃

Mrs。　Eddy　is　the　entire　Supreme　Church；　in　her　own　person；　in　the　matter
of　powers　and　authorities。

Although　she　has　provided　so　many　ways　of　getting　rid　of　unsatisfactory
members　and　officials；　she　was　still　afraid　she　might　have　left　a　life…
preserver　lying　around　somewhere；　therefore　she　devised　a　rule　to　cover
that　defect。　　By　applying　it；　she　can　excommunicate　（and　this　is
perpetual　again）　every　functionary　connected　with　the　Supreme　Church；　and
every　one　of　the　twenty…five　thousand　members　of　that　Church；　at　an
hour's　noticeand　do　it　all　by　herself　without　anybody's　help。

By　authority　of　this　astonishing　By…law；　she　has　only　to　say　a　person
connected　with　that　Church　is　secretly　practicing　hypnotism　or　mesmerism；
whereupon；　immediate　excommunication；　without　a　hearing；　is　his　portion！
She　does　not　have　to　order　a　trial　and　produce　evidenceher　accusation
is　all　that　is　necessary。

Where　is　the　Pope？　and　where　the　Czar？　　As　the　ballad　says：

　　　　　〃Ask　of　the　winds　that　far　away
　　　　　With　fragments　strewed　the　sea！〃

The　Branch　Church's　pulpit　is　occupied　by　two　〃Readers。〃　　Without　them
the　Branch　Church　is　as　dead　as　if　its　throat　had　been　cut。　　To　have
control；　then；　of　the　Readers；　is　to　have　control　of　the　Branch　Churches。
Mrs。　Eddy　has　that　controla　control　wholly　without　limit；　a　control
shared　with　no　one。

1。　　No　Reader　can　be　appointed　to　any　Church　in　the　Christian　Science
world　without　her　express　approval。

2。　　She　can　summarily　expel　from　his　or　her　place　any　Reader；　at　home　or
abroad；　by　a　mere　letter　of　dismissal；　over　her　signature；　and　without
furnishing　any　reason　for　it；　to　either　the　congregation　or　the　Reader。

Thus　she　has　as　absolute　control　over　all　Branch　Churches　as　she　has　over
the　Supreme　Church。　　This　power　exceeds　the　Pope's。

In　simple　truth；　she　is　the　only　absolute　sovereign　in　all　Christendom。
The　authority　of　the　other　sovereigns　has　limits；　hers　has　none；　none
whatever。　　And　her　yoke　does　not　fret；　does　not　offend。　　Many　of　the
subjects　of　the　other　monarchs　feel　their　yoke；　and　are　restive　under　it；
their　loyalty　is　insincere。　　It　is　not　so　with　this　one's　human　property；
their　loyalty　is　genuine；　earnest；　sincere；　enthusiastic。　　The　sentiment
which　they　feel　for　her　is　one　which　goes　out　in　sheer　perfection　to　no
other　occupant　of　a　throne；　for　it　is　love；　pure　from　doubt；　envy；
exaction；　fault…seeking；　a　love　whose　sun　has　no　spotthat　form　of　love；
strong；　great；　uplifting；　limitless；　whose　vast　proportions　are
compassable　by　no　word　but　one；　the　prodigious　word；　Worship。　　And　it　is
not　as　a　human　being　that　her　subjects　worship　her；　but　as　a　supernatural
one；　a　divine　one；　one　who　has　comradeship　with　God；　and　speaks　by　His
voice。

Mrs。　Eddy　has　herself　created　all　these　personal　grandeurs　and
autocracieswith　others　which　I　have　not　（in　this　article）　mentioned。
They　place　her　upon　an　Alpine　solitude　and　supremacy　of　power　and
spectacular　show　not　hitherto　attained　by　any　other　self…seeking　enslaver
disguised　in　the　Christian　name；　and　they　persuade　me　that；　although　she
may　regard　〃self…deification　as　blasphemous；〃　she　is　as　fond　of　it　as　I
am　of　pie。

She　knows　about　〃Our　Mother's　Room〃　in　the　Supreme　Church　in　Boston
above　referred　tofor　she　has　been　in　it。　　In　a　recently　published　North
American　Review　article；　I　quoted　a　lady　as　saying　Mrs。　Eddy's　portrait
could　be　seen　there　in　a　shrine；　lit　by　always…burning　lights；　and　that
C。S。　disciples　came　and　worshiped　it。　　That　remark　hurt　the　feelings　of
more　than　one　Scientist。　　They　said　it　was　not　true；　and　asked　me　to
correct　it。　　I　comply　with　pleasure。　　Whether　the　portrait　was　there　four
years　ago　or　not；　it　is　not　there　now；　for　I　have　inquired。　　The　only
object　in　the　shrine　now；　and　lit　by　electricsand　worshipedis　an　oil…
portrait　of　the　horse…hair　chair　Mrs。　Eddy　used　to　sit　in　when　she　was
writing　Science　and　Health！　　It　seems　to　me　that　adulation　has　struck
bottom；　here。

Mrs。　Eddy　knows　about　that。　　She　has　been　there；　she　has　seen　it；　she　has
seen　the　worshippers。　　She　could　abolish　that　sarcasm　with　a　word。　　She
withholds　the　word。　　Once　more　I　seem　to　recognize　in　her　exactly　the
same　appetite　for　self…deification　that　I　have　for　pie。　　We　seem　to　be
curiously　alike；　for　the　love　of　self…deification　is　really　only　the
spiritual　form　of　the　material　appetite　for　pie；　and　nothing　could　be
more　strikingly　Christian…Scientifically　〃harmonious。〃

I　note　this　phrase：

〃Christian　Science　eschews　divine　rights　in　human　beings。〃

〃Rights〃　is　vague；　I　do　not　know　what　it　means　there。　　Mrs。　Eddy　is　not
well　acquainted　with　the　English　language；　and　she　is　seldom　able　to　say
in　it　what　she　is　trying　to　say。　　She　has　no　ear　for　the　exact　word；　and
does　not　often　get　it。　　〃Rights。〃　　Does　it　mean　〃honors？〃　〃attributes？〃

〃Eschews。〃　　This　is　another　umbrella　where　there　should　be　a　torch；　it
does　not　illumine　the　sentence；　it　only　deepens　the　shadows。　　Does　she
mean　〃denies？〃　〃refuses？〃　〃forbids？〃　or　something　in　that　line？　　Does　she
mean：

〃Christian　Science　denies　divine　honors　to　human　beings？〃　Or：

〃Christian　Science　refuses　to　recognize　divine　attributes　in　human
beings？〃　Or：

〃Christian　Science　forbids　the　worship　of　human　beings？〃

The　bulk　of　the　succeeding　sentence　is　to　me　a　tunnel；　but；　when　I　emerge
at　this　end　of　it；　I　seem　to　come　into　daylight。　　Then　I　seem　to
understand　both　sentenceswith　this　result：

〃Christian　Science　recognizes　but　one　God；　forbids　the　worship　of　human
beings；　and　refuses　to　recognize　the　possession　of　divine　attributes　by
any　member　of　the　race。〃

I　am　subject　to　correction；　but　I　think　that　that　is　about　what　Mrs。　Eddy
was　intending　to　convey。　　Has　her　Englishwhich　is　always　difficult　to
mebeguiled　me　into　misunderstanding　the　following　remark；　which　she
makes　（calling　herself　〃we；〃　after　an　old　regal　fashion　of　hers）　in　her
preface　to　her　Miscellaneous　Writings？

〃While　we　entertain　decided　views　as　to　the　best　method　for　elevating　the
race　physically；　morally；　and　spiritually；　and　shall　express　these　views
as　duty　demands；　we　shall　claim　no　especial　gift　from　our　divine　organ；
no　supernatural　power。〃

Was　she　meaning　to　say：

〃Although　I　am　of　divine　origin　and　gifted　with　supernatural　power；　I
shall　not　draw　upon　these　resources　in　determining　the　best　method　of
elevating　the　race？〃

If　she　had　left　out　the　word　〃our；〃　she　might　then　seem　to　say：

〃I　claim　no　especial　or　unusual　degree　of　divine　origin〃

Which　is　awkwardmost　awkward；　for　one　either　has　a　divine　origin　or
hasn't；　shares　in　it；　degrees　of　it；　are　surely　impossible。　　The　idea　of
crossed　breeds　in　cattle　is　a　thing　we　can　entertain；　for　we　are　used　to
it；　and　it　is　possible；　but　the　idea　of　a　divine　mongrel　is　unthinkable。

Well；　then；　what　does　she　mean？　　I　am　sure　I　do　not　know；　for　certain。
It　is　the　word　〃our〃　that　makes　all　the　trouble。　　With　the　〃our〃　in；　she
is　plainly　saying　〃my　divine　origin。〃　　The　word　〃from〃　seems　to　be
intended　to　mean　〃on　account　of。〃　　It　has　to　mean　that　or　nothing；　if
〃our〃　is　allowed　to　stay。　　The　clause　then　says：

〃I　shall　claim　no　especial　gift　on　account　of　my　divine　origin。〃

And　I　think　that　the　full　sentence　was　intended　to　mean　what　I　have
already　suggested：

〃Although　I　am　of　divine　origin；　and　gifted　with　supernatural　power；　I
shall　not　draw　upon　these　resources　in　determining　the　best　method　of
elevating　the　race。〃

When　Mrs。　Eddy　copyrighted　that　Preface　seven　years　ago；　she　had　long
been　used　to　regarding　herself　as　a　divine　personage。　　I　quote　from　Mr。
F。　W。　Peabody's　book：

〃In　the　Christian　Science　Journal　for　April；　1889；　when　it　was　her
property；　and　published　by　her；　it　was　claimed　for　her；　and　with　her
sanction；　that　she　was　equal　with　Jesus；　and　elaborate　effort　was　made　to
establish　the　claim。〃

〃Mrs。　Eddy　has　distinctly　authorized　the　claim　in　her　behalf；　that　she
herself　was　the　chosen　successor　to　and　equal　of　Jesus。〃

The　following　remark　in　that　April　number；　quoted　by　Mr。　Peabody；
indicates　that　her　claim　had　been　previously　made；　and　had　excited
〃horror〃　among　some　〃good　people〃：

〃Now；　a　word　about　the　horror　many　good　people　have　of　our　making　the
Author　of　Science　and　Health　'equal　with　Jesus。'〃

Surely；　if　it　had　excited　horror　in　Mrs。　Eddy　also；　she　would　have
published　a　disclaimer。　　She　owned　the　paper；　she　could　say　what　she
pleased　in　its　columns。　　Instead　of　rebuking　her　editor；　she　lets　him
rebuke　those　〃good　people〃　for　objecting　to　the　claim。

These　things　seem　to　throw　light　upon　those　words；　〃our　＇my＇　divine
origin。〃

It　may　be　that　〃Christian　Science　eschews　divine　rights　in　human　beings；〃
and　forbids　worship　of　any　but　〃one　God；　one　Christ〃；　but；　if　that　is　the
case；　it　looks　as　if　Mrs。　Eddy　is　a　very　unsound　Christian　Scientist；　and
needs　disciplining。　　I　believe　she　has　a　serious　malady〃self…
deification〃；　and　that　it　will　be　well　to　have　one　of　the　experts
demonstrate　over　it。

Meantime；　let　her　go　on　livingfor　my　sake。　　Closely　examined；
painstakingly　studied；　she　is　easily　the　most　interesting　person　on　the
planet；　and；　in　several　ways；　as　easily　the　most　extraordinary　woman　that
was　ever　born　upon　it。


P。S。Since　I　wrote　the　foregoing；　Mr。　McCrackan's　article　appeared　（in
the　March　number　of　the