Think——noteitwell。\'
\'But——whatdoesitmean?\'
\'Listen,andyouwillknow。Iquoteherinspiredwordsagain:\"IntheopeningoftheSixthSeal,typicalofsixthousandyearssinceAdam,thereisonedistinctivefeaturewhichhasspecialreferencetothepresentage。Thus:
\'\"Revelationxii。1。Andthereappearedagreatwonderinheaven——awomanclothedwiththesun,andthemoonunderherfeet,anduponherheadacrownoftwelvestars。\"
\'ThatisourHead,ourChief,ourDiscovererofChristianScience——
nothingcanbeplainer,nothingsurer。Andnotethis:
\'\"Revelationxii。6。Andthewomanfledintothewilderness,whereshehadaplacepreparedofGod。\"
\'ThatisBoston。\'
\'Irecogniseit,madam。Thesearesublimethingsandimpressive;Ineverunderstoodthesepassagesbefore;pleasegoonwiththe——withthe——
proofs。\'
\'Verywell。Listen:
\'\"AndIsawanothermightyangelcomedownfromheaven,clothedwithacloud;andarainbowwasuponhishead,andhisfacewasasitwerethesun,andhisfeetaspillarsoffire。Andhehadinhishandalittlebook。\"
\'Alittlebook,merelyalittlebook——couldwordsbemodester?Yethowstupendousitsimportance!Doyouknowwhatbookthatwas?\'
\'Wasit——\'
\'Iholditinmyhand——\"ChristianScience\"!\'
\'Love,Livers,Lights,Bones,Truth,Kidneys,oneofaseries,aloneandwithoutequal——itisbeyondimaginationandwonder!\'
\'HearourFounder\'seloquentwords:\"Thenwillavoicefromharmonycry,\'Goandtakethelittlebook;takeitandeatitup,anditshallmakethybellybitter;butitshallbeinthymouthsweetashoney。\'Mortal,obeytheheavenlyevangel。TakeupDivineScience。Readitfrombeginningtoend。Studyit,ponderit。Itwillbeindeedsweetatitsfirsttaste,whenithealsyou;butmurmurnotoverTruth,ifyoufinditsdigestionbitter。\"YounowknowthehistoryofourdearandholyScience,sir,andthatitsoriginisnotofthisearth,butonlyitsdiscovery。Iwillleavethebookwithyouandwillgo,now,butgiveyourselfnouneasiness——IwillgiveyouabsenttreatmentfromnowtillI
gotobed。\'
III
Underthepowerfulinfluenceoftheneartreatmentandtheabsenttreatmenttogether,mybonesweregraduallyretreatinginwardanddisappearingfromview。Thegoodwordtookabriskstart,now,andwentonquiteswiftly。Mybodywasdiligentlystrainingandstretching,thiswayandthat,toaccommodatetheprocessesofrestoration,andeveryminuteortwoIheardadullclickinsideandknewthatthetwoendsofafracturehadbeensuccessfullyjoined。Thismuffledclickingandgrittingandgrindingandraspingcontinuedduringthenextthreehours,andthenstopped——theconnectionshadallbeenmade。Allexceptdislocations;therewereonlysevenofthese:hips,shoulders,knees,neck;sothatwassoonover;oneafteranothertheyslippedintotheirsocketswithasoundlikepullingadistantcork,andIjumpedupasgoodasnew,astoframework,andsentforthehorse-doctor。
IwasobligedtodothisbecauseIhadastomach-acheandacoldinthehead,andIwasnotwillingtotrustthesethingsanylongerinthehandsofawomanwhomIdidnotknow,andinwhoseabilitytosuccessfullytreatmerediseaseIhadlostallconfidence。Mypositionwasjustifiedbythefactthatthecoldandtheachehadbeeninherchargefromthefirst,alongwiththefractures,buthadexperiencednotashadeofrelief;andindeedtheachewasevengrowingworseandworse,andmoreandmorebitter,now,probablyonaccountoftheprotractedabstentionfromfoodanddrink。
Thehorse-doctorcame,apleasantmanandfullofhopeandprofessionalinterestinthecase。Inthematterofsmellhewasprettyaromatic,infactquitehorsey,andItriedtoarrangewithhimforabsenttreatment,butitwasnotinhisline,sooutofdelicacyIdidnotpressit。Helookedatmyteethandexaminedmyhock,andsaidmyageandgeneralconditionwerefavourabletoenergeticmeasures;thereforehewouldgivemesomethingtoturnthestomach-acheintothebottsandthecoldintheheadintotheblindstaggers;thenheshouldbeonhisownbeatandwouldknowwhattodo。Hemadeupabucketofbran-mash,andsaidadipperfulofiteverytwohours,alternatedwithadrenchwithturpentineandaxle-greaseinit,wouldeitherknockmyailmentsoutofmeintwenty-fourhoursorsointerestmeinotherwaysastomakemeforgettheywereonthepremises。Headministeredmyfirstdosehimself,thentookhisleave,sayingIwasfreetoeatanddrinkanythingIpleasedandinanyquantityIliked。ButIwasnothungryanymore,anddidnotcareforfood。
Itookupthe\'ChristianScientist\'bookandreadhalfofit,thentookadipperfulofdrenchandreadtheotherhalf。Theresultingexperienceswerefullofinterestandadventure。AllthroughtherumblingsandgrindingsandquakingsandeffervescingsaccompanyingtheevolutionoftheacheintothebottsandthecoldintotheblindstaggersIcouldnotethegenerousstruggleformasterygoingonbetweenthemashandthedrenchandtheliterature;andoftenIcouldtellwhichwasahead,andcouldeasilydistinguishtheliteraturefromtheotherswhentheotherswereseparate,thoughnotwhentheyweremixed;forwhenabran-mashandaneclecticdrencharemixedtogethertheylookjustliketheApodicticalPrincipleoutonalark,andnoonecantellitfromthat。Thefinishwasreachedatlast,theevolutionswerecompleteandafinesuccess;butIthinkthatthisresultcouldhavebeenachievedwithfewermaterials。
Ibelievethemashwasnecessarytotheconversionofthestomach-acheintotheboots,butIthinkonecoulddeveloptheblindstaggersoutoftheliteraturebyitself;also,thatblindstaggersproducedinthiswaywouldbeofabetterqualityandmorelastingthananyproducedbytheartificialprocessesofahorse-doctor。
Forofallthestrange,andfrantic,andincomprehensible,anduninterpretablebookswhichtheimaginationofmanhascreated,surelythisoneistheprizesample。Itiswrittenwithalimitlessconfidenceandcomplacency,andwithadashandstirandearnestnesswhichoftencompeltheeffectsofeloquence,evenwhenthewordsdonotseemtohaveanytraceablemeaning。Thereareplentyofpeoplewhoimaginetheyunderstandthebook;Iknowthis,forIhavetalkedwiththem;butinallcasestheywerepeoplewhoalsoimaginedthattherewerenosuchthingsaspain,sickness,anddeath,andnorealitiesintheworld;nothingactuallyexistentbutMind。Itseemstometomodifythevalueoftheirtestimony。WhenthesepeopletalkaboutChristianSciencetheydoasMrs。Fullerdid;theydonotusetheirownlanguage,butthebook\'s;theypouroutthebook\'sshowyincoherences,andleaveyoutofindoutlaterthattheywerenotoriginating,butmerelyquoting;theyseemtoknowthevolumebyheart,andtorevereitastheywouldaBible——anotherBible,perhapsIoughttosay。PlainlythebookwaswrittenunderthementaldesolationsoftheThirdDegree,andIfeelsurethatnonebutthemembershipofthatDegreecandiscovermeaningsinit。Whenyoureadityouseemtobelisteningtoalivelyandaggressiveandoracularspeechdeliveredinanunknowntongue,aspeechwhosespirityougetbutnottheparticulars;or,tochangethefigure,youseemtobelisteningtoavigorousinstrumentwhichismakinganoiseitthinksisatune,butwhichtopersonsnotmembersofthebandisonlythemartialtootingofatrombone,andmerelystirsthesoulthroughthenoisebutdoesnotconveyameaning。
Thebook\'sserenitiesofself-satisfactiondoalmostseemtosmackofaheavenlyorigin——theyhavenoblood-kinintheearth。Itismorethanhumantobesoplacidlycertainaboutthings,andsofinelysuperior,andsoairilycontentwithone\'sperformance。WithouteverpresentinganythingwhichmayrightfullybecalledbythestrongnameofEvidence,andsometimeswithoutevenmentioningareasonforadeductionatall,itthundersoutthestartlingwords,\'IhaveProved\'soandso!IttakesthePopeandallthegreatgunsofhischurchinbatteryassembledtoauthoritativelysettleandestablishthemeaningofasoleandsingleunclarifiedpassageofScripture,andthisatvastcostoftimeandstudyandreflection,buttheauthorofthisworkissuperiortoallthat:shefindsthewholeBibleinanunclarifiedcondition,andatsmallexpenseoftimeandnoexpenseofmentaleffortsheclarifiesitfromlidtolid,reorganisesandimprovesthemeanings,thenauthoritativelysettlesandestablishesthemwithformulaewhichyoucannottellfrom\'Lettherebelight!\'and\'Hereyouhaveit!\'Itisthefirsttimesincethedawn-daysofCreationthataVoicehasgonecrashingthroughspacewithsuchplacidandcomplacentconfidenceandcommand。
IV
Aworduponaquestionofauthorship。Notthatquite;but,rather,aquestionofemendationandrevision。WeknowthattheBible-AnnexwasnotwrittenbyMrs。Eddy,butwashandeddowntohereighteenhundredyearsagobytheAngeloftheApocalypse;butdidshetranslateitalone,ordidshehavehelp?Thereseemstobeevidencethatshehadhelp。Fortherearefourseveralcopyrightsonit——1875,1885,1890,1894。ItdidnotcomedowninEnglish,forinthatlanguageitcouldnothaveacquiredcopyright——therewerenocopyrightlawseighteencenturiesago,andinmyopinionnoEnglishlanguage——atleastupthere。ThismakesitsubstantiallycertainthattheAnnexisatranslation。Then,wasnotthefirsttranslationcomplete?Ifitwas,onwhatgroundswerethelatercopyrightsgranted?
Isurmisethatthefirsttranslationwaspoor;andthatafriendorfriendsofMrs。EddymendeditsEnglishthreetimes,andfinallygotitintoitspresentshape,wherethegrammarisplentygoodenough,andthesentencesaresmoothandplausiblethoughtheydonotmeananything。I
thinkIamrightinthissurmise,forMrs。EddycannotwriteEnglishto-day,andthisisargumentthatshenevercould。Iamnotabletoguesswhodidthemending,butIthinkitwasnotdonebyanymemberoftheEddyTrust,norbytheeditorsofthe\'ChristianScienceJournal,\'
fortheirEnglishisnotmuchbetterthanMrs。Eddy\'s。
However,astothemainpoint:itiscertainthatMrs。EddydidnotdoctortheAnnex\'sEnglishherself。Heroriginal,spontaneous,undoctoredEnglishfurnishesampleproofofthis。Herearesamplesfromrecentarticlesfromherunappeasablepen;doublecolumnedwiththemareacoupleofpassagesfromtheAnnex。Itwillbeseenthattheythrowlight。Theitalicsaremine:
1。\'Whatplaguespot,\'Thereforetheefficientorbacilliweresicgnawingremedyistodestroythesicattheheartofthispatient\'sunfortunatebelief,metropolis……andbringingbybothsilentlyandaudiblyitonbendedknee?arguingtheoppositefactsinWhy,itwasaninstitutethatregardtoharmoniousbeinghadentereditsvitalssicrepresentingmanasthat,amongotherthings,healthfulinsteadofdiseased,taughtgames,\'etcetera。P。andshowingthatitis670,\'C。S。Journal,\'articleimpossibleformattertosuffer,entitled\'ANarrative-bytofeelpainorheat,tobeMaryBakerG。Eddy。\'thirstyorsick。\'P。375,Annex。
2。\'Parkssprangupsic……
electricstreetcarsrun\'Manisneversick;forsicmerrilythroughseveralMindisnotsick,andmatterstreets,concretesidewalkscannotbe。Afalsebeliefandmacadamisedroadsdottedisboththetempterandthesictheplace,\'etcetera。tempted,thesinandtheIbid。sinner,thediseaseandits3。\'Shornsicofitscause。Itiswelltobecalmsuburbsithadindeedlittleinsickness;tobehopefulislefttoadmire,savetosicstillbetter;buttosuchasfancyaskeletonunderstandthatsicknessisnotabovegroundbreathingsicreal,andthatTruthcanslowlythroughabarrensicdestroyit,isbestofall,forbreast。\'Ibid。itistheuniversalandperfectremedy。\'Chapterxii。,Annex。
Younoticethecontrastbetweenthesmooth,plausible,elegant,addledEnglishofthedoctoredAnnexandthelumbering,ragged,ignorantoutputofthetranslator\'snatural,spontaneous,andunmedicatedpenwork。TheEnglishoftheAnnexhasbeenslickedupbyaveryindustriousandpainstakinghand——butitwasnotMrs。Eddy\'s。
IfMrs。EddyreallywroteortranslatedtheAnnex,heroriginaldraftwasexactlyinharmonywiththeEnglishofherplague-spotorbacilliwhichweregnawingattheinsidesofthemetropolisandbringingitsheartonbendedknee,thusexposingtotheeyetherestoftheskeletonbreathingslowlythroughabarrenbreast。Anditborelittleornoresemblancetothebookaswehaveitnow——nowthatthesalariedpolisherhasholystonedallofthegenuineEddytiesoutofit。
Willtheplague-spotarticlegointoavolumejustasitstands?Ithinknot。Ithinkthepolisherwilltakeoffhiscoatandvestandcravatand\'demonstrateover\'itacoupleofweeksandsweatitintoashapesomethinglikethefollowing——andthenMrs。Eddywillpublishitandleavepeopletobelievethatshedidthepolishingherself:
1。Whatinjuriousinfluencewasitthatwasaffectingthecity\'smorals?
Itwasasocialclubwhichpropagatedaninterestinidleamusements,disseminatedaknowledgeofgames,etcetera。
2。Bythemagicofthenewandnoblerinfluencesthesterilespacesweretransformedintowoodedparks,themerryelectriccarreplacedthemelancholy\'bus,smoothconcretethetempestuousplanksidewalk,themacadamisedroadtheprimitivecorduroy,etcetera。
3。Itspleasantsuburbsgone,therewaslittlelefttoadmiresavethewreckedgraveyardwithitsuncannyexposures。
TheAnnexcontainsonesoleandsolitaryhumorousremark。ThereisamostelaborateandvoluminousIndex,anditisprecededbythisnote:
\'ThisIndexwillenablethestudenttofindanythoughtorideacontainedinthebook。\'
V
Noonedoubts——certainlynotI——thatthemindexercisesapowerfulinfluenceoverthebody。Fromthebeginningoftime,thesorcerer,theinterpreterofdreams,thefortune-teller,thecharlatan,thequack,thewildmedicine-man,theeducatedphysician,themesmerist,andthehypnotisthavemadeuseoftheclient\'simaginationtohelpthemintheirwork。Theyhaveallrecognisedthepotencyandavailabilityofthatforce。Physicianscuremanypatientswithabreadpill;theyknowthatwherethediseaseisonlyafancy,thepatient\'sconfidenceinthedoctorwillmakethebreadpilleffective。
Faithinthedoctor。Perhapsthatistheentirething。Itseemstolooklikeit。InoldtimestheKingcuredtheking\'sevilbythetouchoftheroyalhand。Hefrequentlymadeextraordinarycures。Couldhisfootmanhavedoneit?No——notinhisownclothes。DisguisedastheKing,couldhehavedoneit?Ithinkwemaynotdoubtit。IthinkwemayfeelsurethatitwasnottheKing\'stouchthatmadethecureinanyinstance,butthepatient\'sfaithintheefficacyofaKing\'stouch。Genuineandremarkablecureshavebeenachievedthroughcontactwiththerelicsofasaint。Isitnotlikelythatanyotherboneswouldhavedoneaswellifthesubstitutionhadbeenconcealedfromthepatient?WhenIwasaboy,afarmer\'swifewholivedfivemilesfromourvillage,hadgreatfameasafaith-doctor——thatwaswhatshecalledherself。Suffererscametoherfromallaround,andshelaidherhanduponthemandsaid,\'Havefaith——
itisallthatisnecessary,\'andtheywentawaywelloftheirailments。
Shewasnotareligiouswoman,andpretendedtonooccultpowers。Shesaidthatthepatient\'sfaithinherdidthework。SeveraltimesIsawhermakeimmediatecuresofseveretoothaches。Mymotherwasthepatient。InAustriathereisapeasantwhodrivesagreattradeinthissortofindustryandhasboththehighandthelowforpatients。Hegetsintoprisoneverynowandthenforpractisingwithoutadiploma,buthisbusinessisasbriskaseverwhenhegetsout,forhisworkisunquestionablysuccessfulandkeepshisreputationhigh。InBavariathereisamanwhoperformedsomanygreatcuresthathehadtoretirefromhisprofessionofstage-carpenteringinordertomeetthedemandofhisconstantlyincreasingbodyofcustomers。Hegoesonfromyeartoyeardoinghismiracles,andhasbecomeveryrich。Hepretendstonoreligioushelps,nosupernaturalaids,butthinksthereissomethinginhismake-upwhichinspirestheconfidenceofhispatients,andthatitisthisconfidencewhichdoestheworkandnotsomemysteriouspowerissuingfromhimself。
Withinthelastquarterofacentury,inAmerica,severalsectsofcurershaveappearedundervariousnamesandhavedonenotablethingsinthewayofhealingailmentswithouttheuseofmedicines。TherearetheMindCure,theFaithCure,thePrayerCure,theMental-ScienceCure,andtheChristian-ScienceCure;andapparentlytheyalldotheirmiracleswiththesameoldpowerfulinstrument——thepatient\'simagination。Differingnames,butnodifferenceintheprocess。Buttheydonotgivethatinstrumentthecredit;eachsectclaimsthatitswaydiffersfromthewaysoftheothers。
Theyallachievesomecures,thereisnoquestionaboutit;andtheFaithCureandthePrayerCureprobablydonoharmwhentheydonogood,sincetheydonotforbidthepatienttohelpoutthecurewithmedicinesifhewantsto;buttheothersbarmedicines,andclaimabilitytocureeveryconceivablehumanailmentthroughtheapplicationoftheirmentalforcesalone。Theyclaimabilitytocuremalignantcancer,andotheraffectionswhichhaveneverbeencuredinthehistoryoftherace。Therewouldseemtobeanelementofdangerhere。Ithasthelookofclaimingtoomuch,I
think。Publicconfidencewouldprobablybeincreasediflesswereclaimed。
Ibelieveitmightbeshownthatallthe\'mind\'sectsexceptChristianSciencehavelucidintervals;intervalsinwhichtheybetraysomediffidence,andineffectconfessthattheyarenottheequalsoftheDeity;butiftheChristianScientistevenstopswithbeingmerelytheequaloftheDeity,itisnotclearlyprovablebyhisChristian-ScienceAmendedBible。IntheusualBibletheDeityrecognisespain,disease,anddeathasfacts,buttheChristianScientistknowsbetter。Knowsbetter,andisnotdiffidentaboutsayingso。
TheChristianScientistwasnotabletocuremystomach-acheandmycold;
butthehorse-doctordidit。ThisconvincesmethatChristianScienceclaimstoomuch。Inmyopinionitoughttoletdiseasesaloneandconfineitselftosurgery。Thereitwouldhaveeverythingitsownway。
Thehorse-doctorchargedmethirtykreutzers,andIpaidhim;infactI
doubleditandgavehimashilling。Mrs。Fullerbroughtinanitemisedbillforacrateofbrokenbonesmendedintwohundredandthirty-fourplaces——onedollarperfracture。
\'NothingexistsbutMind?\'
\'Nothing,\'sheanswered。\'Allelseissubstanceless,allelseisimaginary。\'
Igaveheranimaginarycheque,andnowsheissuingmeforsubstantialdollars。Itlooksinconsistent。
VI
Letusconsiderthatweareallpartiallyinsane。Itwillexplainustoeachother,itwillunriddlemanyriddles,itwillmakeclearandsimplemanythingswhichareinvolvedinhauntingandharassingdifficultiesandobscuritiesnow。
Thoseofuswhoarenotintheasylum,andnotdemonstrablyduethere,areneverthelessnodoubtinsaneinoneortwoparticulars——Ithinkwemustadmitthis;butIthinkthatweareotherwisehealthy-minded。I
thinkthatwhenweallseeonethingalike,itisevidencethatasregardsthatonething,ourmindsareperfectlysound。Nowtherearereallyseveralthingswhichwedoallseealike;thingswhichweallaccept,andaboutwhichwedonotdispute。Forinstance,wewhoareoutsideoftheasylumallagreethatwaterseeksitslevel;thatthesungiveslightandheat;thatfireconsumes;thatfogisdamp;that6times6arethirty-six;that2from10leaveeight;that8and7arefifteen。
Theseareperhapstheonlythingsweareagreedabout;butalthoughtheyaresofew,theyareofinestimablevalue,becausetheymakeaninfalliblestandardofsanity。Whosoeveracceptsthemweknowtobesubstantiallysane;sufficientlysane;intheworkingessentials,sane。
Whoeverdisputesasingleoneofthemweknowtobewhollyinsane,andqualifiedfortheasylum。
Verywell,themanwhodisputesnoneofthemweconcedetobeentitledtogoatlarge——butthatisconcessionenough;wecannotgoanyfurtherthanthat;forweknowthatinallmattersofmereopinionthatsamemanisinsane——justasinsaneasweare;justasinsaneasShakespearewas,justasinsaneasthePopeis。Weknowexactlywheretoputourfingeruponhisinsanity;itiswherehisopiniondiffersfromours。
Thatisasimplerule,andeasytoremember。WhenI,athoughtfulandunbiasedPresbyterian,examinetheKoran,IknowthatbeyondanyquestioneveryMohammedanisinsane;notinallthings,butinreligiousmatters。
WhenathoughtfulandunbiasedMohammedanexaminestheWestminsterCatechism,heknowsthatbeyondanyquestionIamspirituallyinsane。I
cannotprovetohimthatheisinsane,becauseyounevercanproveanythingtoalunatic——forthatisapartofhisinsanityandtheevidenceofit。HecannotprovetomethatIaminsane,formymindhasthesamedefectthatafflictshis。Alldemocratsareinsane,butnotoneofthemknowsit;nonebuttherepublicansandmugwumpsknowit。Alltherepublicansareinsane,butonlythedemocratsandmugwumpscanperceiveit。Theruleisperfect;inallmattersofopinionouradversariesareinsane。WhenIlookaroundmeIamoftentroubledtoseehowmanypeoplearemad。Tomentiononlyafew:
TheAtheist,TheShakers,TheInfidel,TheMillerites,TheAgnostic,TheMormons,TheBaptist,TheLaurenceOliphantTheMethodist,Harrisites,TheCatholic,andtheotherTheGrandLama\'speople,115Christiansects,theTheMonarchists,Presbyterianexcepted,TheImperialists,The72Mohammedansects,TheDemocrats,TheBuddhist,TheRepublicansbutnotTheBlavatsky-Buddhist,theMugwumps,TheNationalist,TheMind-Curists,TheConfucian,TheFaith-Curists,TheSpiritualist,TheMentalScientists,The2,000EastIndianTheAllopaths,sects,TheHomeopaths,ThePeculiarPeople,TheElectropaths,TheSwedenborgians,The——butthere\'snoendtothelist;therearemillionsofthem!Andallinsane;eachinhisownway;insaneastohispetfadoropinion,butotherwisesaneandrational。
Thisshouldmoveustobecharitabletowardoneanother\'slunacies。I
recognisethatinhisspecialbelieftheChristianScientistisinsane,becausehedoesnotbelieveasIdo;butIhailhimasmymateandfellowbecauseIamasinsaneashe——insanefromhispointofview,andhispointofviewisasauthoritativeasmineandworthasmuch。Thatistosay,worthabrassfarthing。Uponagreatreligiousorpoliticalquestiontheopinionofthedullestheadintheworldisworththesameastheopinionofthebrightestheadintheworld——abrassfarthing。Howdowearriveatthis?Itissimple:Theaffirmativeopinionofastupidmanisneutralisedbythenegativeopinionofhisstupidneighbour——nodecisionisreached;theaffirmativeopinionoftheintellectualgiantGladstoneisneutralisedbythenegativeopinionoftheintellectualgiantCardinalNewman——nodecisionisreached。Opinionsthatprovenothingare,ofcourse,withoutvalue——anybutadeadpersonknowsthatmuch。Thisobligesustoadmitthetruthoftheunpalatablepropositionjustmentionedabove——thatindisputedmatterspoliticalandreligiousoneman\'sopinionisworthnomorethanhispeer\'s,andhenceitfollowsthatnoman\'sopinionpossessesanyrealvalue。Itisahumblingthought,butthereisnowaytogetaroundit:allopinionsuponthesegreatsubjectsarebrass-farthingopinions。
Itisamereplainsimplefact——asclearandascertainasthat8and7
makefifteen。Andbyitwerecognisethatweareallinsane,asconcernsthosematters。Ifweweresaneweshouldallseeapoliticalorreligiousdoctrinealike,therewouldbenodispute:itwouldbeacaseof8and7——justasitisinheaven,whereallaresaneandnoneinsane。
Therethereisbutonereligion,onebelief,theharmonyisperfect,thereisneveradiscordantnote。
UnderprotectionofthesepreliminariesIsupposeImaynowrepeatwithoutoffencethattheChristianScientistisinsane。Imeanhimnodiscourtesy,andIamnotcharging——norevenimagining——thatheisinsanerthantherestofthehumanrace。Ithinkheismorepicturesquelyinsanethatsomeofus。Atthesametime,Iamquitesurethatinoneimportantandsplendidparticularheissanerthanisthevastbulkoftherace。
Whyisheinsane?Itoldyoubefore:itisbecausehisopinionsarenotours。Iknowofnootherreason,andIdonotneedanyother;itistheonlywaywehaveofdiscoveringinsanitywhenitisnotviolent。Itismerelythepicturesquenessofhisinsanitythatmakesitmoreinterestingthanmykindoryours。Forinstance,considerhis\'littlebook\'——theonedescribedinthepreviousarticle;the\'littlebook\'exposedintheskyeighteencenturiesagobytheflamingangeloftheApocalypseandhandeddowninourdaytoMrs。MaryBakerG。EddyofNewHampshireandtranslatedbyher,wordforword,intoEnglishwithhelpofapolisher,andnowpublishedanddistributedinhundredsofeditionsbyherataclearprofitpervolume,abovecost,of700percent。!——aprofitwhichdistinctlybelongstotheangeloftheApocalypse,andlethimcollectitifhecan;a\'littlebook\'whichtheC。S。veryfrequentlycallsbyjustthatname,andalwaysinclosedinquotation-markstokeepitshighoriginexultantlyinmind;a\'littlebook\'which\'explains\'andreconstructsandnew-paintsanddecoratestheBibleandputsamansardroofonitandalightning-rodandalltheothermodernimprovements;alittlebookwhichforthepresentaffectstotravelinyokewiththeBibleandbefriendlytoit,andwithinhalfacenturywillhitchitintherear,andthenceforthtraveltandem,itselfinthelead,inthecominggreatmarchofChristianScientismthroughtheProtestantdominionsoftheplanet。
PerhapsIamputtingthetandemarrangementtoofaraway;perhapsfiveyearsmightbenearerthemarkthanfifty;foraVienneseladytoldmelastnightthatintheChristianScienceMosqueinBostonshenoticedsomethingswhichseemtometopromiseashorteningoftheinterval;ononesidetherewasadisplayoftextsfromtheNewTestament,signedwiththeSaviour\'sinitials,\'J。C。;\'andontheoppositesideadisplayoftextsfromthe\'littlebook\'signed——withtheauthor\'smereinitials?
No——signedwithMrs。MaryBakerG。Eddy\'snameinfull。PerhapstheAngeloftheApocalypselikesthiskindofpiracy。ImadethisremarklightlytoaChristianScientistthismorning,buthedidnotreceiveitlightly,butsaiditwasjestinguponholythings;hesaidtherewasnopiracy,fortheangeldidnotcomposethebook,heonlybroughtit——\'Godcomposedit。\'Icouldhaveretortedthatitwasacaseofpiracyjustthesame;thatthedisplayedtextsshouldbesignedwiththeAuthor\'sinitials,andthattosignthemwiththetranslator\'strainofnameswasanothercaseof\'jestinguponholythings。\'However,Ididnotsaythesethings,forthisScientistwasalargeperson,andalthoughbyhisowndoctrinewehavenosubstance,butarefictionsandunrealities,Iknewhecouldhitmeanimaginaryblowwhichwouldfurnishmeanimaginarypainwhichcouldlastmeaweek。TheladysaidthatinthatMosquethereweretwopulpits;inoneofthemwasamanwiththeFormerBible,intheotherawomanwithMrs。Eddy\'sapocalypticAnnex;andfromthesebooksthemanandthewomanwerereadingverseandverseabout:
\'HungryonesthrongtoheartheBiblereadinconnectionwiththetext-bookofChristianScience,\"ScienceandHealth,withKeytotheScriptures,\"byMaryBakerG。Eddy。Theseareouronlypreachers。
TheyarethewordofGod。\'——ChristianScienceJournal,October1898。
Arethesethingspicturesque?TheVienneseladytoldmethatinachapeloftheMosquetherewasapictureorimageofMrs。Eddy,andthatbeforeitburnsanever-extinguishedlight。Isthatpicturesque?HowlongdoyouthinkitwillbebeforetheChristianScientistwillbeworshippingthatimageandprayingtoit?HowlongdoyouthinkitwillbebeforeitisclaimedthatMrs。EddyisaRedeemer,aChrist,orChrist\'sequal?
Alreadyherarmyofdisciplesspeakofherreverentlyas\'OurMother。\'
HowlongwillitbebeforetheyplaceheronthestepsoftheThronebesidetheVirgin——andlaterastephigher?First,MarytheVirginandMarytheMatron;later,withachangeofPrecedence,MarytheMatronandMarytheVirgin。Lettheartistgetreadywithhiscanvasandhisbrushes;thenewRenaissanceisonitsway,andtherewillbemoneyinaltar-canvases——athousandtimesasmuchasthePopesandtheirChurcheverspentontheOldMasters;fortheirricheswereaspovertyascomparedwithwhatisgoingtopourintothetreasure-chestoftheChristian-ScientistPapacyby-and-by,letusnotdoubtit。Wewillexaminethefinancialoutlookpresentlyandseewhatitpromises。A
favouritesubjectofthenewOldMasterwillbethefirstverseofthetwelfthchapterofRevelation——aversewhichMrs。EddysaysinherAnnextotheScriptureshas\'onedistinctivefeaturewhichhasspecialreferencetothepresentage\'——andtoher,asisratherpointedlyindicated:
\'Andthereappearedagreatwonderinheaven——awomanclothedwiththesunandthemoonunderherfeet,\'etc。
ThewomanclothedwiththesunwillbeaportraitofMrs。Eddy。
IsitinsanitytobelievethatChristianScientismisdestinedtomakethemostformidableshowthatanynewreligionhasmadeintheworldsincethebirthandspreadofMohammedanism,andthatwithinacenturyfromnowitmaystandsecondtoRomeonly,innumbersandpowerinChristendom?
Ifthisisawilddreamitwillnotbeeasytoproveitissojustyet,I
think。Thereseemsargumentthatitmaycometrue。TheChristian-Science\'boom\'isnotyetfiveyearsold;yetalreadyithas500churchesand1,000,000membersinAmerica。
Ithasitsstart,yousee,anditisaphenomenallygoodone。Moreover,itislatterlyspreadingwithaconstantlyacceleratingswiftness。Ithasabetterchancetogrowandprosperandachievepermanencythananyotherexisting\'ism;\'forithasmoretoofferthananyother。Thepastteachesusthat,inordertosucceed,amovementlikethismustnotbeamerephilosophy,itmustbeareligion;also,thatitmustnotclaimentireoriginality,butcontentitselfwithpassingforanimprovementonanexistingreligion,andshowitshandlater,whenstrongandprosperous——likeMohammedanism。
Next,theremustbemoney——andplentyofit。
Next,thepowerandauthorityandcapitalmustbeconcentratedinthegripofasmallandirresponsibleclique,withnobodyoutsideprivilegedtoaskquestionsorfindfault。
Next,asbeforeremarked,itmustbaititshookwithsomenewandattractiveadvantagesoverthebaitsofferedbytheotherreligions。
Anewmovementequippedwithsomeoftheseendowments——likespiritualism,forinstance——maycountuponaconsiderablesuccess;anewmovementequippedwiththebulkofthem——likeMohammedanism,forinstance——maycountuponawidelyextendedconquest。Mormonismhadalltherequisitesbutone——ithadnothingnewandnothingvaluabletobaitwith;and,besides,itappealedtothestupidandtheignorantonly。Spiritualismlackedtheimportantdetailofconcentrationofmoneyandauthorityinthehandsofanirresponsibleclique。
Theaboveequipmentisexcellent,admirable,powerful,butnotperfect。
Thereisyetanotherdetailwhichisworththewholeofitputtogether——
andmore;adetailwhichhasneverbeenjoinedinthebeginningofareligiousmovementtoasupremelygoodworkingequipmentsincetheworldbegan,untilnow:anewpersonagetoworship。ChristianityhadtheSaviour,butatfirstandforgenerationsitlackedmoneyandconcentratedpower。InMrs。Eddy,ChristianSciencepossessesthenewpersonageforworship,andinaddition——hereintheverybeginning——aworkingequipmentthathasnotaflawinit。Inthebeginning,Mohammedanismhadnomoney;andithasneverhadanythingtoofferitsclientbutheaven——nothingherebelowthatwasvaluable。Inadditiontoheavenhereafter,ChristianSciencehaspresenthealthandacheerfulspirittooffer——forcash——andincomparisonwiththisbribeallotherthis-worldbribesarepoorandcheap。Yourecognisethatthisestimateisadmissible,doyounot?
TowhomdoesBellamy\'s\'Nationalism\'appeal?Necessarilytothefew:
peoplewhoreadanddream,andarecompassionate,andtroubledforthepoorandthehard-driven。TowhomdoesSpiritualismappeal?Necessarilytothefew;its\'boom\'haslastedforhalfacenturyandIbelieveitclaimsshortoffourmillionsofadherentsinAmerica。WhoareattractedbySwedenborgianismandsomeoftheotherfineanddelicate\'isms?\'Thefewagain:Educatedpeople,sensitivelyorganised,withsuperiormentalendowments,whoseekloftyplanesofthoughtandfindtheircontentmentthere。AndwhoareattractedbyChristianScience?Thereisnolimit;
itsfieldishorizonless;itsappealisasuniversalasistheappealofChristianityitself。Itappealstotherich,thepoor,thehigh,thelow,thecultured,theignorant,thegifted,thestupid,themodest,thevain,thewise,thesilly,thesoldier,thecivilian,thehero,thecoward,theidler,theworker,thegodly,thegodless,thefreeman,theslave,theadult,thechild;theywhoareailing,theywhohavefriendsthatareailing。Tomassitinaphrase,itsclienteleistheHumanRace?Willitmarch?Ithinkso。
VII
Rememberitsprincipalgreatoffer:toridtheRaceofpainanddisease。
Canitdoit?Inlargemeasure,yes。Howmuchofthepainanddiseaseintheworldiscreatedbytheimaginationsofthesufferers,andthenkeptalivebythosesameimaginations?Four-fifths?NotanythingshortofthatIshouldthink。CanChristianSciencebanishthatfour-fifths?
Ithinkso。Cananyotherorganisedforcedoit?NonethatIknowof。
Wouldthisbeanewworldwhenthatwasaccomplished?Andapleasanterone——foruswellpeople,aswellasforthosefussyandfrettingsickones?Woulditseemasiftherewasnotasmuchgloomyweatherasthereusedtobe?Ithinkso。
InthemeantimewouldtheScientistkilloffagoodmanypatients?I
thinkso。Morethangetkilledoffnowbythelegalisedmethods?Iwilltakeupthatquestionpresently。
AtpresentIwishtoaskyoutoexaminesomeoftheScientist\'sperformances,asregisteredinhismagazine,\'TheChristianScienceJournal\'——Octobernumber,1898。First,aBaptistclergymangivesusthistruepictureof\'theaverageorthodoxChristian\'——andhecouldhaveaddedthatitisatruepictureoftheaveragecivilisedhumanbeing:
\'Heisaworriedandfrettedandfearfulman;afraidofhimselfandhispropensities,afraidofcoldsandfevers,afraidoftreadingonserpentsordrinkingdeadlythings。\'
Thenhegivesusthiscontrast:
\'TheaverageChristianScientisthasputallanxietyandfrettingunderhisfeet。HedoeshaveavictoryoverfearandcarethatisnotachievedbytheaverageorthodoxChristian。\'
Hehasputallanxietyandfrettingunderhisfeet。Whatproportionofyourearningsorincomewouldyoubewillingtopayforthatframeofmind,yearinyearout?Itreallyoutvaluesanypricethatcanbeputuponit。Wherecanyoupurchaseit,atanyoutlayofanysort,inanyChurchoroutofit,excepttheScientist\'s?
Well,itistheanxietyandfrettingaboutcolds,andfevers,anddraughts,andgettingourfeetwet,andaboutforbiddenfoodeateninterrorofindigestion,thatbringsonthecoldandthefeverandtheindigestionandthemostofourotherailments;andso,iftheSciencecanbanishthatanxietyfromtheworldIthinkitcanreducetheworld\'sdiseaseandpainaboutfour-fifths。
InthisOctobernumbermanyoftheredeemedtestifyandgivethanks;andnotcoldlybutwithpassionategratitude。Asaruletheyseemdrunkwithhealth,andwiththesurpriseofit,thewonderofit,theunspeakablegloryandsplendourofit,afteralongsoberspellspentininventingimaginarydiseasesandconcretingthemwithdoctor-stuff。Thefirstwitnesstestifiesthatwhen\'thismostbeautifulTruthfirstdawnedonhim\'hehad\'nearlyalltheillsthatfleshisheirto;\'thatthosehedidnothavehethoughthehad——andthusmadethetaleaboutcomplete。
Whatwasthenaturalresult?Why,hewasadump-pit\'forallthedoctors,druggists,andpatentmedicinesofthecountry。\'ChristianSciencecametohishelp,and\'theoldsickconditionspassedaway,\'andalongwiththemthe\'dismalforebodings\'whichhehadbeenaccustomedtoemployinconjuringupailments。Andsohewasahealthyandcheerfulman,now,andastonished。
ButIamnotastonished,forfromothersourcesIknowwhatmusthavebeenhismethodofapplyingChristianScience。IfIamintheright,hewatchfullyanddiligentlydivertedhismindfromunhealthychannelsandcompelledittotravelinhealthyones。Nothingcontrivablebyhumaninventioncouldbemoreformidablyeffectivethanthat,inbanishingimaginaryailmentsandinclosingtheentrancesagainstsubsequentapplicantsoftheirbreed。Ithinkhismethodwastokeepsaying,\'Iamwell!Iamsound!——soundandwell!wellandsound!Perfectlysound,perfectlywell!Ihavenopain;there\'snosuchthingaspain!Ihavenodisease;there\'snosuchthingasdisease!NothingisrealbutMind;allisMind,All-Good,Good-Good,Life,Soul,Liver,Bones,oneofaseries,anteandpassthebuck!\'
Idonotmeanthatthatwasexactlytheformulaused,butthatitdoubtlesscontainsthespiritofit。TheScientistwouldattachvaluetotheexactformula,nodoubt,andtothereligiousspiritinwhichitwasused。Ishouldthinkthatanyformulathatwoulddivertthemindfromunwholesomechannelsandforceitintohealthyoneswouldanswereverypurposewithsomepeople,thoughnotwithall。Ithinkitmostlikelythataveryreligiousmanwouldfindtheadditionofthereligiousspiritapowerfulreinforcementinhiscase。
ThesecondwitnesstestifiesthattheSciencebanished\'anoldorganictrouble\'whichthedoctorandthesurgeonhadbeennursingwithdrugsandtheknifeforsevenyears。
Hecallsithis\'claim。\'Asurface-minerwouldthinkitwasnothisclaimatall,butthepropertyofthedoctorandhispalthesurgeon——forhewouldbemisledbythatword,whichisChristian-Scienceslangfor\'ailment。\'TheChristianScientisthasnoailment;tohimthereisnosuchthing,andhewillnotusethelyingword。Allthathappenstohimis,thatuponhisattentionanimaginarydisturbancesometimesobtrudesitselfwhichclaimstobeanailment,butisn\'t。
ThiswitnessofferstestimonyforaclergymanseventyyearsoldwhohadpreachedfortyyearsinaChristianchurch,andhasnotgoneovertothenewsect。Hewas\'almostblindanddeaf。\'HewastreatedbytheC。S。
method,and\'whenheheardthevoiceofTruthhesawspiritually。\'Sawspiritually。Itisalittleindefinite;theyhadbettertreathimagain。
Indefinitetestimoniesmightproperlybewaste-basketed,sincethereisevidentlynolackofdefiniteonesprocurable,butthisC。S。magazineispoorlyedited,andsomistakesofthiskindmustbeexpected。
ThenextwitnessisasoldieroftheCivilWar。WhenChristianSciencefoundhim,hehadinstockthefollowingclaims:
Indigestion,Rheumatism,Catarrh,ChalkydepositsinShoulderjoints,Armjoints,Handjoints,AtrophyofthemusclesofArms,Shoulders,Stiffnessofallthosejoints,Insomnia,Excruciatingpainsmostofthetime。
Theseclaimshaveaverysubstantialsound。Theycameofexposureinthecampaigns。Thedoctorsdidalltheycould,butitwaslittle。Prayersweretried,but\'Ineverrealisedanyphysicalrelieffromthatsource。\'
AfterthirtyyearsoftorturehewenttoaChristianScientistandtookanhour\'streatmentandwenthomepainless。Twodayslaterhe\'begantoeatlikeawellman。\'Then\'theclaimsvanished——someatonce,othersmoregradually;\'finally,\'theyhavealmostentirelydisappeared。\'And——
athingwhichisofstillgreatervalue——heisnow\'contentedandhappy。\'
Thatisadetailwhich,asearlierremarked,isaScientist-Churchspecialty。Withthirty-oneyears\'efforttheMethodistChurchhadnotsucceededinfurnishingittothisharassedsoldier。
Andsothetalegoeson。Witnessafterwitnessbulletinshisclaims,declarestheirpromptabolishment,andgivesMrs。Eddy\'sDiscoverythepraise。Milk-legiscured;nervousprostrationiscured;consumptioniscured;andSt。Vitus\'sdancemadeapastime。AndnowandthenaninterestingnewadditiontotheScienceslangappearsonthepage。Wehave\'demonstrationsover\'chilblainsandsuchthings。Itseemstobeacurtailedwayofsaying\'demonstrationsofthepowerofChristian-ScienceTruthoverthefictionwhichmasqueradesunderthenameofChilblains。\'
Thechildrenaswellastheadults,shareintheblessingsoftheScience。\'Throughthestudyofthe\"littlebook\"theyarelearninghowtobehealthful,peaceful,andwise。\'Sometimestheyarecuredoftheirlittleclaimsbytheprofessionalhealer,andsometimesmoreadvancedchildrensayovertheformulaandcurethemselves。
AlittleFar-Westerngirlofnine,equippedwithanadultvocabulary,statesherageandsays,\'IthoughtIwouldwriteademonstrationtoyou。\'Shehadaclaimderivedfromgettingflungoverapony\'sheadandlandedonarock-pile。Shesavedherselffromdisasterbyremembertosay\'GodisAll\'whileshewasintheair。Icouldn\'thavedoneit。I
shouldn\'thaveeventhoughtofit。Ishouldhavebeentooexcited。
NothingbutChristianSciencecouldhaveenabledthatchildtodothatcalmandthoughtfulandjudiciousthinginthosecircumstances。Shecamedownonherhead,andbyalltherulessheshouldhavebrokenit;buttheinterventionoftheformulapreventedthat,sotheonlyclaimresultingwasablackenedeye。Mondaymorningitwasstillswollenandshut。Atschool\'ithurtprettybad——thatis,itseemedto。\'So\'Iwasexcused,andwentdowninthebasementandsaid,\"NowIamdependingonmammainsteadofGod,andIwilldependonGodinsteadofmamma。\"\'Nodoubtthiswouldhaveanswered;but,tomakesure,sheaddedMrs。Eddytotheteamandrecited\'theScientificStatementofBeing,\'whichisoneoftheprincipalincantations,Ijudge。Then\'Ifeltmyeyeopening。\'Why,itwouldhaveopenedanoyster。Ithinkitisoneofthetouchingestthingsinchild-history,thatpiouslittleratdowncellarpumpingawayattheScientificStatementofBeing。
Thereisapageaboutanothergoodchild——littleGordon。LittleGordon\'cameintotheworldwithouttheassistanceofsurgeryoranaesthetics。\'
Hewasa\'demonstration。\'Apainlessone;thereforehiscomingevoked\'joyandthankfulnesstoGodandtheDiscovererofChristianScience。\'
Itisanoticeablefeatureofthisliterature——thesofrequentlinkingtogetheroftheTwoBeingsinanequalbond;alsoofTheirTwoBibles。
WhenlittleGordonwastwoyearsold,\'hewasplayinghorseonthebed,whereIhadleftmy\"littlebook。\"Inoticedhimstopinhisplay,takethebookcarefullyinhislittlehands,kissitsoftly,thenlookaboutforthehighestplaceofsafetyhisarmscouldreach,andputitthere。\'
Thispiousactfilledthemother\'withsuchatrainofthoughtasIhadneverexperiencedbefore。Ithoughtofthesweetmotheroflongagowhokeptthingsinherheart,\'etc。Itisaboldcomparison;however,unconsciousprofanationsareaboutascommoninthemouthsofthelaymembershipofthenewChurchasarefrankandopenonesinthemouthsofitsconsecratedchiefs。
Somedayslater,thefamilylibrary——ChristianSciencebooks——waslyinginadeep-seatedwindow。Itwasanotherchancefortheholychildtoshowoff。HelefthisplayandwentthereandpushedallthebookstoonesideexcepttheAnnex。\'Ithetookinbothhands,slowlyraisedittohislips,thenremoveditcarefully,andseatedhimselfinthewindow。\'Ithadseemedtothemothertoowonderfultobetrue,thatfirsttime;butnowshewasconvincedthat\'neitherimaginationnoraccidenthadanythingtodowithit。\'Later,littleGordonlettheauthorofhisbeingseehimdoit。Afterthathediditfrequently;
probablyeverytimeanybodywaslooking。Iwouldratherhavethatchildthanachromo。Ifthistalehasanyobject,itistointimatethattheinspiredbookwassupernaturallyabletoconveyasenseofitssacredandawfulcharactertothisinnocentlittlecreaturewithouttheinterventionofoutsideaids。Themagazineisnoteditedwithhigh-priceddiscretion。
Theeditorhasaclaim,andheoughttogetittreated。
Amongotherwitnesses,thereisonewhohada\'jumpingtoothache,\'whichseveraltimestemptedherto\'believethattherewassensationinmatter,buteachtimeitwasovercomebythepowerofTruth。\'Shewouldnotallowthedentisttousecocaine,butsatthereandlethimpunchanddrillandsplitandcrushthetool,andtearandslashitsulcerations,andpulloutthenerve,anddigoutfragmentsofbone;andshewouldn\'tonceconfessthatithurt。Andtothisdayshethinksitdidn\'t,andI
havenotadoubtthatsheisnine-tenthsright,andthatherChristianSciencefaithdidherbetterservicethanshecouldhavegottenoutofcocaine。
Thereisanaccountofaboywhogotbrokenallupintosmallbitsbyanaccident,butsaidovertheScientificStatementofBeing,orsomeoftheotherincantations,andgotwellandsoundwithouthavingsufferedanyrealpainandwithouttheintrusionofasurgeon。Icanbelievethis,becausemyowncasewassomewhatsimilar,aspermyformerarticle。
Alsothereisanaccountoftherestorationtoperfecthealth,inasinglenight,ofafatallyinjuredhorse,bytheapplicationofChristianScience。Icanstandagooddeal,butIrecognisethattheiceisgettingthinhere。Thathorsehadasmanyasfiftyclaims:howcouldhedemonstrateoverthem?CouldhedotheAll-Good,Good-Good,Good-Gracious,Liver,Bones,Truth,AlldownbutNine,SetthemupontheOtherAlley?CouldheintonetheScientificStatementofBeing?Now,couldhe?Wouldn\'titgivehimarelapse?Letusdrawthelineathorses。Horsesandfurniture。
Thereisaplentyofothertestimoniesinthemagazine,butthesequotedsampleswillanswer。TheyshowthekindoftradetheScienceisdriving。
Nowwecomebacktothequestion;Doesitkillapatienthereandthereandnowandthen?Wemustconcedeit。Doesitcompensateforthis?I
ampersuadedthatitcanmakeaplausibleshowinginthatdirection。Forinstance:whenitlaysitshandsuponasoldierwhohassufferedthirtyyearsofhelplesstortureandmakeshimwholeinbodyandmind,whatistheactualsumofthatachievement?This,Ithink:thatithasrestoredtolifeasubjectwhohadessentiallydiedtendeathsayearforthirtyyears,andeachofthemalongandpainfulone。Butforitsinterferencethatmanwouldhaveessentiallydiedthirtytimesmore,inthethreeyearswhichhavesinceelapsed。Therearethousandofyoungpeopleinthelandwhoarenowreadytoenteruponalife-longdeathsimilartothatman\'s。EverytimetheSciencecapturesoneoftheseandsecurestohimlife-longimmunityfromimagination-manufactureddisease,itmayplausiblyclaimthatinhispersonithassaved300lives。Meantimeitwillkillamaneverynowandthen;butnomatter,itwillstillbeaheadonthecreditside。
VIII
\'Weconsciouslydeclarethat\"ScienceandHealthwithKeytotheScriptures,\"wasforetoldaswellasitsauthor,MaryBakerEddy,inRevelationx。Sheisthe\"mightyangel,\"orGod\'shighestthoughttothisageverse1,givingusthespiritualinterpretationoftheBibleinthe\"littlebookopen\"verse2。ThusweprovethatChristianScienceisthesecondcomingofChrist——Truth——Spirit。\'——
LecturebyDr。GeorgeTomkins,D。D。,C。S。
Thereyouhaveitinplainspeech。Sheisthemightyangel;sheisthedivinelyandofficiallysentbearerofGod\'shighestthought。Forthepresent,shebringstheSecondAdvent。WemustexpectthatbeforeshehasbeeninhergravefiftyyearsshewillberegardedbyherfollowingashavingbeenherselftheSecondAdvent。Sheisalreadyworshipped,andwemustexpectthisfeelingtospreadterritorially,andalsotodeepeninintensity[1]。
Particularlyafterherdeath;forthen,asanyonecanforesee,Eddy-worshipwillbetaughtintheSunday-schoolsandpulpitsofthecult。Alreadywhateversheputshertrade-markon,thoughtitbeonlyamemorialspoon,isholyandiseagerlyandpassionatelyandgratefullyboughtbythedisciple,andbecomesafetishinhishouse。Isaybought,fortheBostonChristian-ScienceTrustgivesnothingaway;everythingithasforsale。Andthetermsarecash;andnotcashonlybutcashinadvance。ItsgodisMrs。Eddyfirst,thentheDollar。NotaspiritualDollar,butarealone。FromendtoendoftheChristian-Scienceliteraturenotasinglematerialthingintheworldisconcededtobereal,excepttheDollar。Butallthroughandthroughitsadvertisementsthatrealityiseagerlyandpersistentlyrecognised。ThehungeroftheTrustfortheDollar,itsadorationoftheDollar,itslustaftertheDollar,itsecstasyinthemerethoughtoftheDollar——therehasbeennothinglikeitintheworldinanyageorcountry,nothingsocoarse,nothingsolubricous,nothingsobestial,exceptaFrenchnovel\'sattitudetowardsadultery。
TheDollarishunteddowninallsortsofways;theChristian-ScienceMother-ChurchandBargain-CounterinBostonpeddlesallkindsofspiritualwarestothefaithful,alwaysatextravagantprices,andalwaysontheonecondition——cash,cashinadvance。TheAngeloftheApocalypsecouldnotgothereandgetacopyofhisownpiratedbookoncredit。
Many,manypreciousChristian-Sciencethingsaretobehadthere——forcash:BibleLessons;ChurchManual;C。S。Hymnal;HistoryofthebuildingoftheMother-Church;lotofSermons;CommunionHymn,\'SawYeMySaviour,\'byMrs。Eddy,halfadollaracopy,\'wordsusedbyspecialpermissionofMrs。Eddy。\'AlsowehaveMrs。Eddy\'sandtheAngel\'slittleBible-Annexineightstylesofbindingateightkindsofwar-
prices:amongtheseasweetthingin\'levant,divinitycircuit,leatherlinedtoedge,roundcorners,goldedge,silksewed,each,prepaid,$6,\'
andifyoutakeamillionyougetthemashillingcheaper——thatistosay,\'prepaid,$5。75。\'AlsowehaveMrs。Eddy\'s\'MiscellaneousWritings,\'atnoblebigprices,thedivinity-circuitstyleheadingtheextortions,shillingdiscountwhereyoutakeanedition。Nextcomes\'ChristandChristmas,\'bythefertileMrs。eddy——apoem——IwouldGodI
couldseeit——price$3,cashinadvance。ThenfollowfivemorebooksbyMrs。Eddyathighwaymen\'srates,asusual,someofthemin\'leatherettecovers,\'someofthemin\'pebbledcloth,\'withdivinitycircuit,compensationbalance,twinscrew,andtheothermodernimprovements:andatthesamebargaincountercanbehadthe\'ChristianScienceJournal。\'
Iwishitwereinrefinedtastetoapplyarudelyandruggedlydescriptiveepithettothatliteraryslush-bucket,soastogiveoneanaccurateideaofwhatitislike。Iammovedtodoit,butImustnot:
itisbettertoberefinedthanaccuratewhenoneistalkingaboutaproductionlikethat。
Christian-ScienceliteraryoleomargarineisamonopolyoftheMotherChurchHeadquartersFactoryinBoston;nonegenuinewithoutthetrade-markoftheTrust。Youmustapplythere,andnotelsewhere;andyoupayyourmoneybeforeyougetyoursoap-fat。
TheTrusthasstillothersourcesofincome。Mrs。Eddyispresidentandperhapsproprietor?oftheTrust\'sMetaphysicalCollegeinBoston,wherethestudentwhohaspractisedC。S。healingduringthreeyearsthebestheknewhowperfectshimselfinthegamebyatwoweeks\'course,andpaysonehundreddollarsforit!AndIhaveacaseamongmystatisticswherethestudenthadathreeweeks\'courseandpaidthreehundredforit。
TheTrustdoeslovetheDollarwhenitisn\'taspiritualone。
InordertoforcethesaleofMrs。Eddy\'sBible-Annex,nohealer,MetaphysicalCollege-bredorother,isallowedtopractisethegameunlesshepossessacopyofthatholynightmare。ThatmeansalargeandconstantlyaugmentingincomefortheTrust。NoC。S。familywouldconsideritselfloyalorpiousorpain-proofwithoutanAnnexortwointhehouse。ThatmeansanincomefortheTrust——inthenearfuture——ofmillions:notthousands——millionsayear。
Nomember,youngorold,ofaChristian-Scientistchurchcanretainthatmembershipunlesshepay\'capitationtax\'totheBostonTrusteveryyear。
ThatmeansanincomefortheTrust——inthenearfuture——ofmillionsmoreperyear。
ItisareasonablysafeguessthatinAmericain1910therewillbe10,000,000ChristianScientists,and3,000,000inGreatBritain;thatthesefigureswillbetrebledby1920;thatinAmericain1910theChristianScientistswillbeapoliticalforce,in1920politicallyformidable——toremainthat,permanently。AndIthinkitareasonableguessthattheTrustwhichisalreadyinourdayprettybrusqueinitswayswillthenbethemostinsolentandunscrupulousandtyrannicalpolitico-religiousmasterthathasdominatedapeoplesincethepalmydaysoftheInquisition。Andastrongermasterthanthestrongestofbygonetimes,becausethisonewillhaveafinancialstrengthnotdreamedofbyanypredecessor;aseffectiveaconcentrationofirresponsiblepowerasanypredecessorhad;intherailway,thetelegraph,andthesubsidisednewspaper,betterfacilitiesforwatchingandmanaginghisempirethananypredecessorhashad;andafteragenerationortwohewillprobablydivideChristendomwiththeCatholicChurch。
TheRomanChurchhasaperfectorganisation,andithasaneffectivecentralisationofpower——butnotofitscash。ItsmultitudeofBishopsarerich,buttheirrichesremaininlargemeasureintheirownhands。
Theycollectfrom200,000,000ofpeople,buttheykeepthebulkoftheresultathome。TheBostonPopeofby-and-bywilldrawhisdollar-a-headcapitation-taxfrom300,000,000ofthehumanrace,andtheAnnexandtherestofhisbook-shopwillfetchindoubleasmuchmore;andhisMetaphysicalColleges,theannualpilgrimagetoMrs。Eddy\'stomb,fromallovertheworld——admission,theChristian-ScienceDollarpayableinadvance——purchasesofconsecratedglassbeads,candles,memorialspoons,aureoledchromo-portraitsandbogusautographsofMrs。Eddy,cashofferingsathershrine——nocrutchesofcuredcripplesreceived,andnoimitationsofmiraculouslyrestoredbrokenlegsandnecksallowedtobehungupexceptwhenmadeoutoftheHolyMetalandprovedbyfire-assay;
cashformiraclesworkedatthetomb:thesemoney-sources,withathousandtobeyetinventedandambusheduponthedevotee,willbringtheannualincrementwellupaboveabillion。AndnobodybuttheTrustwillhavethehandlingofit。NoBishopsappointedunlesstheyagreetohandin90percent。ofthecatch。InthatdaytheTrustwillmonopolisethemanufactureandsaleoftheOldandNewTestamentsaswellastheAnnex,andraisetheirpricetoAnnexrates,andcompelthedevoteetobuyforevento-dayahealerhastohavetheAnnexandtheScripturesorheisnotallowedtoworkthegame,andthatwillbringseveralhundredmilliondollarsmore。InthosedaystheTrustwillhaveanincomeapproaching$5,000,000aday,andnoexpensestobetakenoutofit;notaxestopay,andnocharitiestosupport。Thatlastdetailshouldnotbelightlypassedoverbytheread;itiswellentitledtoattention。
Nocharitiestosupport。No,noreventocontributeto。OnesearchesinvaintheTrust\'sadvertisementsandtheutterancesofitspulpitforanysuggestionthatitspendsapennyonorphans,widows,dischargedprisoners,hospitals,raggedschools,nightmissions,citymissions,foreignmissions,libraries,oldpeople\'shomes,oranyotherobjectthatappealstoahumanbeing\'spursethroughhisheart。[2]
Ihavehunted,hunted,andhunted,bycorrespondenceandotherwise,andhavenotyetgotuponthetrackofafarthingthattheTrusthasspentuponanyworthyobject。NothingmakesaScientistsouncomfortableastoaskhimifheknowsofacasewhereChristianSciencehasspentmoneyonabenevolence,eitheramongitsownadherentsorelsewhere。Heisobligedtosayno。Andthenonediscoversthatthepersonquestionedhasbeenaskedthequestionmanytimesbefore,andthatitisgettingtobeasoresubjectwithhim。Whyasoresubject?Becausehehaswrittenhischiefsandaskedwithhighconfidenceforananswerthatwillconfoundthesequestioners——andthechiefsdidnotreply。Hehaswrittenagain——
andthenagain——notwithconfidence,buthumbly,now,andhasbeggedfordefensiveammunitioninthevoiceofsupplication。Areplydoesatlastcome——tothiseffect:\'WemusthavefaithinOurMother,andrestcontentintheconvictionthatwhateverShe[3]doeswiththemoneyitisinaccordancewithordersfromHeaven,forShedoesnoactofanykindwithoutfirst\"demonstratingover\"it。\'
Thatsettlesit——asfarasthediscipleisconcerned。HisMindisentirelysatisfiedwiththatanswer;hegetsdownhisAnnexanddoesanincantationortwo,andthatmesmeriseshisspiritandputsthattosleep——bringsitpeace。Peaceandcomfortandjoy,untilsomeinquirerpuncturestheoldsoreagain。
ThroughfriendsinAmericaIaskedsomequestions,andinsomecasesgotdefiniteandinforminganswers;inothercasestheanswerswerenotdefiniteandnotvaluable。FromthedefiniteanswersIgatherthanthe\'capitation-tax\'iscompulsory,andthatthesumisonedollar。Tothequestion,\'Doesanyofthemoneygotocharities?\'theanswerfromanauthoritativesourcewas:\'No,*notinthesenseusuallyconveyedbythisword*。\'Theitalicsaremine。Thatansweriscautious。Butdefinite,Ithink——utterlyandunassailablydefinite——althoughquiteChristian-scientificallyfoggyinitsphrasing。ChristianScienceisgenerallyfoggy,generallydiffuse,generallygarrulous。ThewriterwasawarethatthefirstwordinhisphraseansweredthequestionwhichIwasasking,buthecouldnothelpaddingninedarkwords。Meaninglessones,unlessexplainedbyhim。Itisquitelikely——asintimatedbyhim——thatChristianSciencehasinventedanewclassofobjectstoapplythewordcharityto,butwithoutanexplanationwecannotknowwhattheyare。Wequiteeasilyandnaturallyandconfidentlyguessthattheyareinallcasesobjectswhichwillreturnfivehundredpercent。ontheTrust\'sinvestmentinthem,butguessingisnotknowledge;itismerely,inthiscase,asortofnine-tenthscertaintydeduciblefromwhatwethinkweknowoftheTrust\'stradeprinciplesanditsslyandfurtiveandshiftyways。
Sly?Deep?Judicious?TheTrustunderstandsbusiness。TheTrustdoesnotgiveitselfaway。Itdefeatsalltheattemptsofusimpertinentstogetatitstradesecrets。Tothisday,afterallourdiligence,wehavenotbeenabletogetittoconfesswhatitdoeswiththemoney。Itdoesnotevenletitsowndisciplesfindout。Allitsaysis,thatthematterhasbeen\'demonstratedover。\'NowandthenalayScientistsays,withagratefulexultation,thatMrs。Eddyisenormouslyrich,buthestopsthere;astowhetheranyofthemoneygoestoothercharitiesornot,heisobligedtoadmitthathedoesnotknow。However,theTrustiscomposedofhumanbeings;andthisjustifiestheconjecturethatifithadacharityonitslistwhichitdidnotneedtoblushfor,weshouldsoonhearofit。
\'Withoutmoneyandwithoutprice。\'Thoseusedtobetheterms。Mrs。
Eddy\'sAnnexcancelsthem。ThemottoofChristianScienceis\'Thelabourerisworthyofhishire。\'Andnowthatithasbeen\'demonstratedover,\'wefinditsspiritualmeaningtobe,\'Doanythingandeverythingyourhandmayfindtodo;andchargecashforit,andcollectthemoneyinadvance。\'TheScientisthasonhistongue\'sendacut-and-dried,Boston-suppliedsetofratherleanargumentswhosefunctionistoshowthatitisaHeaven-commandeddutytodothis,andthatthecroupiersofthegamehavenochoicebytoobey。
TheTrustseemstobeareincarnation。Exodusxxxii。4。
IhavenoreverenceforMrs。EddyandtherestoftheTrust——ifthereisarest——butIamnotlackinginreverenceforthesinceritiesofthelaymembershipofthenewChurch。Thereiseveryevidencethatthelaymembersareentirelysincereintheirfaith,andIthinksincerityisalwaysentitledtohonourandrespect,lettheinspirationofthesinceritybewhatitmay。Zealandsinceritycancarryanewreligionfurtherthananyothermissionaryexceptfireandsword,andIbelievethatthenewreligionwillconquerthehalfofChristendominahundredyears。Iamnotintendingthisasacomplimenttothehumanrace,Iammerelystatinganopinion。AndyetIthinkthatperhapsitisacomplimenttotherace。Ikeepinmindthatsayingofanorthodoxpreacher——quotedfurtherback。HeconcededthatthisnewChristianityfreesitspossessor\'slifefromfrets,fears,vexations,bitterness,andallsortsofimagination-propagatedmaladiesandpains,andfillshisworldwithsunshineandhisheartwithgladness。IfChristianScience,withthisstupendousequipment——andfinalsalvationadded——cannotwinhalftheChristianglobe,Imustbebadlymistakeninthemake-upofthehumanrace。
IthinktheTrustwillbehandeddownliketheotherpapacy,andwillalwaysknowhowtohandleitslimitlesscash。Itwillpressthebutton;
thezeal,theenergy,thesincerity,theenthusiasmofitscountlessvassalswilldotherest。
IX
Thepowerwhichaman\'simaginationhasoverhisbodytohealitormakeitsickisaforcewhichnoneofusisbornwithout。Thefirstmanhadit,thelastonewillpossessit。Iflefttohimselfamanismostlikelytouseonlythemischievoushalfoftheforce——thehalfwhichinventsimaginaryailmentsforhimandcultivatesthem:andifheisoneoftheseverywisepeopleheisquitelikelytoscoffatthebeneficenthalfoftheforceanddenyitsexistence。Andso,tohealorhelpthatman,twoimaginationsarerequired:hisownandsomeoutsider\'s。Theoutsider,B,mustimaginethathisincantationsarethehealingpowerthatiscuringA,andAmustimaginethatthisisso。Itisnotso,atall;butnomatter,thecureiseffected,andthatisthemainthing。
Theoutsider\'sworkisunquestionablyvaluable;sovaluablethatitmayfairlybelikenedtotheessentialworkperformedbytheengineerwhenhehandlesthethrottleandturnsonthesteam:theactualpowerislodgedexclusivelyintheengine,butiftheenginewereleftaloneitwouldneverstartofitself。WhethertheengineerbenamedJim,orBob,orTom,itisallone——hisservicesarenecessary,andheisentitledtosuchwageashecangetyoutopay。WhetherhebenamedChristianScientist,orMentalScientist,orMindCurist,orLourdesMiracle-
Worker,orKing\'s-EvilExpert,itisallone,——heismerelytheEngineer,hesimplyturnsonthesameoldsteamandtheenginedoesthewholework。
Inthecaseofthecure-engineitisadistinctadvantagetoclothetheengineerinreligiousoverallsandgivehimapiousname。Itgreatlyenlargesthebusiness,anddoesnooneanyharm。
TheChristian-Scientistengineerdrivesexactlythesametradeastheotherengineers,yetheout-prospersthewholeofthemputtogether。Isitbecausehehascapturedthetakingestname?Ithinkthatthatisonlyasmallpartofit。Ithinkthatthesecretofhishighprosperitylieselsewhere:
TheChristianScientisthasorganisedthebusiness。Nowthatwascertainlyagiganticidea。ThereismoreintellectinitthanwouldbeneededintheinventionofacoupleofmillionsofEddyScience-and-
HealthBibleAnnexes。Electricity,inlimitlessvolume,hasexistedintheairandtherocksandtheearthandeverywheresincetimebegan——andwasgoingtowasteallthewhile。Inourtimewehaveorganisedthatscatteredandwanderingforceandsetittowork,andbackedthebusinesswithcapital,andconcentrateditinfewandcompetenthands,andtheresultsareaswesee。
TheChristianScientisthastakenaforcewhichhasbeenlyingidleineverymemberofthehumanracesincetimebegan,andhasorganisedit,andbackedthebusinesswithcapital,andconcentrateditatBostonheadquartersinthehandsofasmallandverycompetentTrust,andthereareresults。
Thereinliesthepromisethatthismonopolyisgoingtoextenditscommercewideintheearth。Ithinkthatifthebusinesswereconductedinthelooseanddisconnectedfashioncustomarywithsuchthings,itwouldachievebutlittlemorethanthemodestprosperityusuallysecuredbyunorganisedgreatmoralandcommercialventures;butIbelievethatsolongasthisoneremainscompactlyorganisedandcloselyconcentratedinaTrust,thespreadofitsdominionwillcontinue。
VIENNA:May1,1899。
[1]Afterraisingadeadchildtolife,thedisciplewhodiditwritesanaccountofherperformance,toMrs。Eddy,andclosesitthus:\'Myprayerdailyistobemorespiritual,thatImaydomoreasyouwouldhavemedo……andmayweallloveyoumoreandsoliveitthattheworldmayknowthattheChristiscome。\'——PrintedintheConcord,N。H。,IndependentStatesman,March9,1899。Ifthisisnoworship,itisagoodimitationofit。
[2]InthepasttwoyearsthemembershipoftheEstablishedChurchofEnglandhavegivenvoluntarycontributionsamountingto$73,000,000totheChurch\'sbenevolententerprises。Churchesthatgivehavenothingtohide。
[3]ImaybeintroducingthecapitalSalittleearly——stillitisonitsway。
ISHELIVINGORISHEDEAD?
IwasspendingthemonthofMarch1892atMentone,intheRiviera。Atthisretiredspotonehasalltheadvantages,privately,whicharetobehadpubliclyatMonteCarloandNice,afewmilesfartheralong。Thatistosay,onehasthefloodingsunshine,thebalmyairandthebrilliantbluesea,withoutthemarringadditionsofhumanpow-wowandfussandfeathersanddisplay。Mentoneisquiet,simple,restful,unpretentious;
therichandthegaudydonotcomethere。Asarule,Imean,therichdonotcomethere。Nowandthenarichmancomes,andIpresentlygotacquaintedwithoneofthese。PartiallytodisguisehimIwillcallhimSmith。Oneday,intheHoteldesAnglais,atthesecondbreakfast,heexclaimed:
\'Quick!Castyoureyeonthemangoingoutatthedoor。Takeineverydetailofhim。\'
\'Why?\'
\'Doyouknowwhoheis?\'
\'Yes。Hespentseveraldaysherebeforeyoucame。Heisanold,retired,andveryrichsilkmanufacturerfromLyons,theysay,andI
guessheisaloneintheworld,forhealwayslookssadanddreamy,anddoesn\'ttalkwithanybody。HisnameisTheophileMagnan。\'
IsupposedthatSmithwouldnowproceedtojustifythelargeinterestwhichhehadshowninMonsieurMagnan,but,instead,hedroppedintoabrownstudy,andwasapparentlylosttomeandtotherestoftheworldduringsomeminutes。Nowandthenhepassedhisfingersthroughhisflossywhitehair,toassisthisthinking,andmeantimeheallowedhisbreakfasttogooncooling。Atlasthesaid:
\'No,it\'sgone;Ican\'tcallitback。\'
\'Can\'tcallwhatback?\'
\'It\'soneofHansAndersen\'sbeautifullittlestories。Butit\'sgonefrome。Partofitislikethis:Achildhasacagedbird,whichitlovesbutthoughtlesslyneglects。Thebirdpoursoutitssongunheardandunheeded;but,intime,hungerandthirstassailthecreature,anditssonggrowsplaintiveandfeebleandfinallyceases——thebirddies。Thechildcomes,andissmittentotheheartwithremorse:then,withbittertearsandlamentations,itcallsitsmates,andtheyburythebirdwithelaboratepompandthetenderestgrief,withoutknowing,poorthings,thatitisn\'tchildrenonlywhostarvepoetstodeathandthenspendenoughontheirfuneralsandmonumentstohavekeptthemaliveandmadethemeasyandcomfortable。Now——\'
Butherewewereinterrupted。AbouttenthateveningIranacrossSmith,andheaskedmeuptohisparlourtohelphimsmokeanddrinkhotScotch。
Itwasacosyplace,withitscomfortablechairs,itscheerfullamps,anditsfriendlyopenfireofseasonedolive-wood。Tomakeeverythingperfect,therewasamuffledboomingofthesurfoutside。AfterthesecondScotchandmuchlazyandcontentedchat,Smithsaid:
\'Nowweareproperlyprimed——Itotellacurioushistoryandyoutolistentoit。Ithasbeenasecretformanyyears——asecretbetweenmeandthreeothers;butIamgoingtobreakthesealnow。Areyoucomfortable?\'
\'Perfectly。Goon。\'