christian science-第8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！


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　from　two　hundred　millions　of　people；　but　they　keep　the　bulk
of　the　result　at　home。　　The　Boston　Pope　of　by…and…by　will　draw　his
dollar…a…head　capitation…tax　from　three　hundred　millions　of　the　human
race；　and　the　Annex　and　the　rest　of　his　book…shop　stock　will　fetch　in　as
much　more；　and　his　Metaphysical　Colleges；　the　annual　Pilgrimage　to　Mrs。
Eddy's　tomb；　from　all　over　the　world…admission；　the　Christian…Science
Dollar　（payable　in　advance）　purchases　of　consecrated　glass　beads；
candles；　memorial　spoons；　aureoled　chrome…portraits　and　bogus　autographs
of　Mrs。　Eddy；　cash　offerings　at　her　shrine　no　crutches　of　cured　cripples
received；　and　no　imitations　of　miraculously　restored　broken　legs　and
necks　allowed　to　be　hung　up　except　when　made　out　of　the　Holy　Metal　and
proved　by　fire…assay；　cash　for　miracles　worked　at　the　tomb：　these　money…
sources；　with　a　thousand　to　be　yet　invented　and　ambushed　upon　the
devotee；　will　bring　the　annual　increment　well　up　above　a　billion。　　And
nobody　but　the　Trust　will　have　the　handling　of　it。　　In　that　day；　the
Trust　will　monopolize　the　manufacture　and　sale　of　the　Old　and　New
Testaments　as　well　as　the　Annex；　and　raise　their　price　to　Annex　rates；
and　compel　the　devotee　to　buy　（for　even　to…day　a　healer　has　to　have　the
Annex　and　the　Scriptures　or　he　is　not　allowed　to　work　the　game）；　and　that
will　bring　several　hundred　million　dollars　more。　　In　those　days；　the
Trust　will　have　an　income　approaching　five　million　dollars　a　day；　and　no
expenses　to　be　taken　out　of　it；　no　taxes　to　pay；　and　no　charities　to
support。　　That　last　detail　should　not　be　lightly　passed　over　by　the
reader；　it　is　well　entitled　to　attention。

No　charities　to　support。　　No；　nor　even　to　contribute　to。　　One　searches　in
vain　the　Trust's　advertisements　and　the　utterances　of　its　organs　for　any
suggestion　that　it　spends　a　penny　on　orphans；　widows；　discharged
prisoners；　hospitals；　ragged　schools；　night　missions；　city　missions；
libraries；　old　people's　homes；　or　any　other　object　that　appeals　to　a
human　being's　purse　through　his　heart。

I　have　hunted；　hunted；　and　hunted；　by　correspondence　and　otherwise；　and
have　not　yet　got　upon　the　track　of　a　farthing　that　the　Trust　has　spent
upon　any　worthy　object。　　Nothing　makes　a　Scientist　so　uncomfortable　as　to
ask　him　if　he　knows　of　a　case　where　Christian　Science　has　spent　money　on
a　benevolence；　either　among　its　own　adherents　or　elsewhere。　　He　is
obliged　to　say　〃No〃　And　then　one　discovers　that　the　person　questioned　has
been　asked　the　question　many　times　before；　and　that　it　is　getting　to　be　a
sore　subject　with　him。　　Why　a　sore　subject？　　Because　he　has　written　his
chiefs　and　asked　with　high　confidence　for　an　answer　that　will　confound
these　questionersand　the　chiefs　did　not　reply。　　He　has　written　again；
and　then　againnot　with　confidence；　but　humbly；　nowand　has　begged　for
defensive　ammunition　in　the　voice　of　supplication。　　A　reply　does　at　last
come　to　this　effect：　〃We　must　have　faith　in　Our　Mother；　and　rest　content
in　the　conviction　that　whatever　She　does　with　the　money　it　is　in
accordance　with　orders　from　Heaven；　for　She　does　no　act　of　any　kind
without　first　'demonstrating　over'　it。〃

That　settles　itas　far　as　the　disciple　is　concerned。　　His　mind　is
satisfied　with　that　answer；　he　gets　down　his　Annex　and　does　an
incantation　or　two；　and　that　mesmerizes　his　spirit　and　puts　that　to
sleepbrings　it　peace。　　Peace　and　comfort　and　joy；　until　some　inquirer
punctures　the　old　sore　again。

Through　friends　in　America　I　asked　some　questions；　and　in　some　cases　got
definite　and　informing　answers；　in　other　cases　the　answers　were　not
definite　and　not　valuable。　　To　the　question；　〃Does　any　of　the　money　go　to
charities？〃　the　answer　from　an　authoritative　source　was：　〃No；　not　in　the
sense　usually　conveyed　by　this　word。〃　　（The　italics　are　mine。）　That
answer　is　cautious。　　But　definite；　I　thinkutterly　and　unassailably
definitealthough　quite　Christian…Scientifically　foggy　in　its　phrasing。
Christian…Science　testimony　is　generally　foggy；　generally　diffuse；
generally　garrulous。　　The　writer　was　aware　that　the　first　word　in　his
phrase　answered　the　question　which　I　was　asking；　but　he　could　not　help
adding　nine　dark　words。　　Meaningless　ones；　unless　explained　by　him。　　It
is　quite　likely；　as　intimated　by　him；　that　Christian　Science　has　invented
a　new　class　of　objects　to　apply　the　word　〃charity〃　to；　but　without　an
explanation　we　cannot　know　what　they　are。　　We　quite　easily　and　naturally
and　confidently　guess　that　they　are　in　all　cases　objects　which　will
return　five　hundred　per　cent。　on　the　Trust's　investment　in　them；　but
guessing　is　not　knowledge；　it　is　merely；　in　this　case；　a　sort　of　nine…
tenths　certainty　deducible　from　what　we　think　we　know　of　the　Trust's
trade　principles　and　its　sly　and　furtive　and　shifty　ways。

Sly？　　Deep？　　Judicious？　　The　Trust　understands　its　business。　　The　Trust
does　not　give　itself　away。　　It　defeats　all　the　attempts　of　us
impertinents　to　get　at　its　trade　secrets。　　To　this　day；　after　all　our
diligence；　we　have　not　been　able　to　get　it　to　confess　what　it　does　with
the　money。　　It　does　not　even　let　its　own　disciples　find　out。　　All　it　says
is；　that　the　matter　has　been　〃demonstrated　over。〃　　Now　and　then　a　lay
Scientist　says；　with　a　grateful　exultation；　that　Mrs。　Eddy　is　enormously
rich；　but　he　stops　there；　as　to　whether　any　of　the　money　goes　to　other
charities　or　not；　he　is　obliged　to　admit　that　he　does　not　know。　　However；
the　Trust　is　composed　of　human　beings；　and　this　justifies　the　conjecture
that　if　it　had　a　charity　on　its　list　which　it　was　proud　of；　we　should
soon　hear　of　it。

〃Without　money　and　without　price。〃　　Those　used　to　be　the　terms。　　Mrs。
Eddy's　Annex　cancels　them。　　The　motto　of　Christian　Science　is；　〃The
laborer　is　worthy　of　his　hire。〃　　And　now　that　it　has　been　〃demonstrated
over；〃　we　find　its　spiritual　meaning　to　be；　〃Do　anything　and　everything
your　hand　may　find　to　do；　and　charge　cash　for　it；　and　collect　the　money
in　advance。〃　　The　Scientist　has　on　his　tongue's　end　a　cut…and…dried；
Boston…supplied　set　of　rather　lean　arguments；　whose　function　is　to　show
that　it　is　a　Heaven…commanded　duty　to　do　this；　and　that　the　croupiers　of
the　game　have　no　choice　but　to　obey。

The　Trust　seems　to　be　a　reincarnation。　　Exodus　xxxii。　4。

I　have　no　reverence　for　the　Trust；　but　I　am　not　lacking　in　reverence　for
the　sincerities　of　the　lay　membership　of　the　new　Church。　　There　is　every
evidence　that　the　lay　members　are　entirely　sincere　in　their　faith；　and　I
think　sincerity　is　always　entitled　to　honor　and　respect；　let　the
inspiration　of　the　sincerity　be　what　it　may。　　Zeal　and　sincerity　can
carry　a　new　religion　further　than　any　other　missionary　except　fire　and
sword；　and　I　believe　that　the　new　religion　will　conquer　the　half　of
Christendom　in　a　hundred　years。　　I　am　not　intending　this　as　a　compliment
to　the　human　race；　I　am　merely　stating　an　opinion。　　And　yet　I　think　that
perhaps　it　is　a　compliment　to　the　race。　　I　keep　in　mind　that　saying　of　an
orthodox　preacherquoted　further　back。　　He　conceded　that　this　new
Christianity　frees　its　possessor's　life　from　frets；　fears；　vexations；
bitterness；　and　all　sorts　of　imagination…propagated　maladies　and　pains；
and　fills　his　world　with　sunshine　and　his　heart　with　gladness。　　If
Christian　Science；　with　this　stupendous　equipmentand　final　salvation
addedcannot　win　half　the　Christian　globe；　I　must　be　badly　mistaken　in
the　make…up　of　the　human　race。

I　think　the　Trust　will　be　handed　down　like　Me　other　Papacy；　and　will
always　know　how　to　handle　its　limitless　cash。　　It　will　press　the　button；
the　zeal；　the　energy；　the　sincerity；　the　enthusiasm　of　its　countless
vassals　will　do　the　rest。




CHAPTER　VIII

The　power　which　a　man's　imagination　has　over　his　body　to　heal　it　or　make
it　sick　is　a　force　which　none　of　us　is　born　without。　　The　first　man　had
it；　the　last　one　will　possess　it。　　If　left　to　himself；　a　man　is　most
likely　to　use　only　the　mischievous　half　of　the　forcethe　half　which
invents　imaginary　ailments　for　him　and　cultivates　them；　and　if　he　is　one
of　thesevery　wise　people；　he　is　quite　likely　to　scoff　at　the　beneficent
half　of　the　force　and　deny　its　existence。　　And　so；　to　heal　or　help　that
man；　two　imaginations　are　required：　his　own　and　some　outsider's。　　The
outsider；　B；　must　imagine　that　his　incantations　are　the　healing…power
that　is　curing　A；　and　A　must　imagine　that　this　is　so。　　I　think　it　is　not
so；　at　all；　but　no　matter；　the　cure　is　effected；　and　that　is　the　main
thing。　　The　outsider's　work　is　unquestionably　valuable；　so　valuable　that
it　may　fairly　be　likened　to　the　essential　work　performed　by　the　engineer
when　he　handles　the　throttle　and　turns　on　the　steam；　the　actual　power　is
lodged　exclusively　in　the　engine；　but　if　the　engine　were　left　alone　it
would　never　start　of　itself。　　Whether　the　engineer　be　named　Jim；　or　Bob；
or　Tom；　it　is　all　onehis　services　are　necessary；　and　he　is　entitled　to
such　wage　as　he　can　get　you　to　pay。　　Whether　he　be　named　Christian
Scientist；　or　Mental　Scientist；　or　Mind　Curist；　or　King's…Evil　Expert；　or
Hypnotist；　it　is　all　one；　he　is　merely　the　Engineer；　he　simply　turns　on
the　same　old　steam　and　the　engine　does　the　whole　work。

The　Christian…Scientist　engineer　drives　exactly　the　same　trade　as　the
other　engineers；　yet　he　out…prospers　the　whole　of　them　put　together。

Is　it　because　he　has　captured　the　takingest　name？　　I　think　that　that　is
only　a　small　part　of　it。　　I　think　that　the　secret　of　his　high　prosperity
lies　elsewhere。

The　Christian　Scientist　has　organized　the　business。　　Now　that　was
certainly　a　gigantic　idea。　　Electricity；　in　limitless　volume；　has　existed
in　the　air　and　the　rocks　and　the　earth　and　everywhere　since　time　began
and　was　going　to　waste　all　the　while。　　In　our　time　we　have　organized　that
scattered　and　wandering　force　and　set　it　to　work；　and　backed　the　business
with　capital；　and　concentrated　it　in　few　and　competent　hands；　and　the
results　are　as　we　see。

The　Christian　Scientist　has　taken　a　force　which　has　been　lying　idle　in
every　member　of　the　human　race　since　time　began；　and　has　organiz