christian science-第7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!
his lips; then removed it carefully; and seated himself in the window。〃
It had seemed to the mother too wonderful to be true; that first time;
but now she was convinced that 〃neither imagination nor accident had
anything to do with it。〃 Later; little Gordon let the author of his
being see him do it。 After that he did it frequently; probably every
time anybody was looking。 I would rather have that child than a chromo。
If this tale has any object; it is to intimate that the inspired book was
supernaturally able to convey a sense of its sacred and awful character
to this innocent little creature; without the intervention of outside
aids。 The magazine is not edited with high…priced discretion。 The
editor has a 〃claim;〃 and he ought to get it treated。
Among other witnesses there is one who had a 〃jumping toothache;〃 which
several times tempted her to 〃believe that there was sensation in matter;
but each time it was overcome by the power of Truth。〃 She would not
allow the dentist to use cocaine; but sat there and let him punch and
drill and split and crush the tooth; and tear and slash its ulcerations;
and pull out the nerve; and dig out fragments of bone; and she wouldn't
once confess that it hurt。 And to this day she thinks it didn't; and I
have not a doubt that she is nine…tenths right; and that her Christian…
Science faith did her better service than she could have gotten out of
cocaine。
There is an account of a boy who got broken all up into small bits by an
accident; but said over the Scientific Statement of Being; or some of the
other incantations; and got well and sound without having suffered any
real pain and without the intrusion of a surgeon。
Also; there is an account of the restoration to perfect health; in a
single night; of a fatally injured horse; by the application of Christian
Science。 I can stand a good deal; but I recognize that the ice is
getting thin; here。 That horse had as many as fifty claims; how could he
demonstrate over them? Could he do the All…Good; Good…Good; Good…
Gracious; Liver; Bones; Truth; All down but Nine; Set them up on the
Other Alley? Could he intone the Scientific Statement of Being? Now;
could he? Wouldn't it give him a relapse? Let us draw the line at
horses。 Horses and furniture。
There is plenty of other testimonies in the magazine; but these quoted
samples will answer。 They show the kind of trade the Science is driving。
Now we come back to the question; Does the Science kill a patient here
and there and now and then? We must concede it。 Does it compensate for
this? I am persuaded that it can make a plausible showing in that
direction。 For instance: when it lays its hand upon a soldier who has
suffered thirty years of helpless torture and makes him whole in body and
mind; what is the actual sum of that achievement? This;。I think: that it
has restored to life a subject who had essentially died ten deaths a year
for thirty years; and each of them a long and painful one。 But for its
interference that man in the three years which have since elapsed; would
have essentially died thirty times more。 There are thousands of young
people in the land who are now ready to enter upon a life…long death
similar to that man's。 Every time the Science captures one of these and
secures to him life…long immunity from imagination…manufactured disease;
it may plausibly claim that in his person it has saved three hundred
lives。 Meantime; it will kill a man every now and then。 But no matter;
it will still be ahead on the credit side。
'NOTE。I have received several letters (two from educated and ostensibly
intelligent persons); which contained; in substance; this protest: 〃I
don't object to men and women chancing their lives with these people; but
it is a burning shame that the law should allow them to trust their
helpless little children in their deadly hands。 〃Isn't it touching?
Isn't it deep? Isn't it modest? It is as if the person said: 〃I know
that to a parent his child is the core of his heart; the apple of his
eye; a possession so dear; so precious that he will trust its life in no
hands but those which he believes; with all his soul; to be the very best
and the very safest; but it is a burning shame that the law does not
require him to come to me to ask what kind of healer I will allow him to
call。〃 The public is merely a multiplied 〃me。〃M。T。'
CHAPTER VII
〃We consciously declare that Science and Health; with Key to the
Scriptures; was foretold; as well as its author; Mary Baker Eddy; in
Revelation x。 She is the 'mighty angel;' or God's highest thought to
this age (verse 1); giving us the spiritual interpretation of the Bible
in the 'little book open' (verse 2)。 Thus we prove that Christian
Science is the second coming of Christ…Truth…Spirit。〃 Lecture by Dr。
George Tomkins; D。D。 C。S。
There you have it in plain speech。 She is the mighty angel; she is the
divinely and officially sent bearer of God's highest thought。 For the
present; she brings the Second Advent。 We must expect that before she
has been in her grave fifty years she will be regarded by her following
as having been herself the Second Advent。 She is already worshiped; and
we must expect this feeling to spread; territorially; and also to deepen
in intensity。
Particularly after her death; for then; as any one can foresee; Eddy…
Worship will be taught in the Sunday…schools and pulpits of the cult。
Already whatever she puts her trade…mark on; though it be only a
memorial…spoon; is holy and is eagerly and gratefully bought by the
disciple; and becomes a fetish in his house。 I say bought; for the
Boston Christian…Science Trust gives nothing away; everything it has is
for sale。 And the terms are cash; and not only cash; but cash in
advance。 Its god is Mrs。 Eddy first; then the Dollar。 Not a spiritual
Dollar; but a real one。 From end to end of the Christian Science
literature not a single (material) thing in the world is conceded to be
real; except the Dollar。 But all through and through its advertisements
that reality is eagerly and persistently recognized。
The Dollar is hunted down in all sorts of ways; the Christian…Science
Mother…Church and Bargain…Counter in Boston peddles all kinds of
spiritual wares to the faithful; and always on the one conditioncash;
cash in advance。 The Angel of the Apocalypse could not go there and get
a copy of his own pirated book on credit。 Many; many precious Christian…
Science things are to be had there for cash: Bible Lessons; Church
Manual; C。 S。 Hymnal; History of the building of the Mother…Church; lot
of Sermons; Communion Hymn; 〃Saw Ye My Saviour;〃 by Mrs。 Eddy; half a
dollar a copy; 〃words used by special permission of Mrs。 Eddy。〃 Also we
have Mrs。 Eddy's and the Angel's little Blue…Annex in eight styles of
binding at eight kinds of war…prices; among these a sweet thing in
〃levant; divinity circuit; leather lined to edge; round corners; gold
edge; silk sewed; each; prepaid; 6;〃 and if you take a million you get
them a shilling cheaper that is to say; 〃prepaid; 5。75。〃 Also we have
Mrs。 Eddy's Miscellaneous Writings; at 'andsome big prices; the divinity…
circuit style heading the exertions; shilling discount where you take an
edition Next comes Christ and Christmas; by the fertile Mrs。 Eddya
poemwould God I could see it! price 3; cash in advance。 Then
follow five more books by Mrs。 Eddy; at highwayman's rates; some of them
in 〃leatherette covers;〃 some of them in 〃pebble cloth;〃 with divinity…
circuit; compensation…balance; twin…screw; and the other modern
improvements; and at the same bargain…counter can be had The Christian
Science Journal。
Christian…Science literary discharges are a monopoly of the Mother…Church
Headquarters Factory in Boston; none genuine without the trade…mark of
the Trust。 You must apply there and not elsewhere。
One hundred dollars for it。 And I have a case among my statistics where
the student had a three weeks' course and paid three hundred for it。
The Trust does love the Dollar; when it isn't a spiritual one。
In order to force the sale of Mrs Eddy's Bible…Annex; no healer;
Metaphysical…College…bred or other; is allowed to practice the game
unless he possesses a copy of that book。 That means a large and
constantly augmenting income for the Trust。 No C。S。 family would
consider itself loyal or pious or pain…proof without an Annex or two in
the house。 That means an income for the Trust; in the near future; of
millions; not thousands…millions a year。
No member; young or old; of a branch Christian…Scientist church can
acquire and retain membership in the Mother…Church unless he pay
〃capitation tax〃 (of 〃not less than a dollar;〃 say the By…Laws) to the
Boston Trust every year。 That means an income for the Trust; in the near
future; oflet us venture to saymillions more per year。
It is a reasonably safe guess that in America in 1920 there will be ten
million Christian Scientists; and three millions in Great Britain; that
these figures will be trebled in 1930; that in America in 1920 the
Christian Scientists will be a political force; in 1930 politically
formidable; and in 1940 the governing power in the Republicto remain
that; permanently。 And I think it a reasonable guess that the Trust
(which is already in our day pretty brusque in its ways) will then be the
most insolent and unscrupulous and tyrannical politico…religious master
that has dominated a people since the palmy days of the Inquisition。 And
a stronger master than the strongest of bygone times; because this one
will have a financial strength not dreamed of by any predecessor; as
effective a concentration of irresponsible power as any predecessor has
had; in the railway; the telegraph; and the subsidized newspaper; better
facilities for watching and managing his empire than any predecessor has
had; and; after a generation or two; he will probably divide Christendom
with the Catholic Church。
The Roman Church has a perfect organization; and it has an effective
centralization of powerbut not of its cash。 Its multitude of Bishops
are rich; but their riches remain in large measure in their own hands。
They collect