第4章
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  Eddyisacommonplacename,andwouldhaveanunimpressiveaspectinthelistofthereformedHolyFamily。Shehasthoughtofthat。InthebookofBy-lawswrittenbyher——\"impelledbyapowernotone\'sown\"——thereisaparagraphwhichexplainshowandwhenherdisciplescametoconferatitleuponher;andthisexplanationisfollowedbyawarningastowhatwillhappentoanyfemaleScientistwhoshalldesecrateit:

  \"ThetitleofMother。ThereforeifastudentofChristianScienceshallapplythistitle,eithertoherselfortoothers,exceptasthetermforkinshipaccordingtotheflesh,itshallberegardedbytheChurchasanindicationofdisrespectfortheirPastorEmeritus,andunfitnesstobeamemberoftheMother-Church。\"

  SheisthePastorEmeritus。

  WhilethequotedparagraphabouttheProcessionseemstoindicatethatMrs。EddyisexpectingtooccupytheFirstPlaceinit,thatexpectationisnotdefinitelyavowed。Inanearlierutteranceofherssheisclearer——clearer,anddoesnotclaimthefirstplacealltoherself,butonlythehalfofit。IquotefromMr。Peabody\'sbookagain:

  \"IntheChristianScienceJournalforApril,1889,whenitwasherproperty,andpublishedbyher,itwasclaimedforher,andwithhersanction,thatshewasequalwithJesus,andelaborateeffortwasmadetoestablishtheclaim。

  \"Mrs。EddyhasdistinctlyauthorizedtheclaiminherbehalfthatsheherselfwasthechosensuccessortoandequalofJesus。\"

  InherMiscellaneousWritings(usingheroncefavorite\"We\"for\"I\")shesaysthat\"Whileweentertaindecidedviews……andshallexpressthemasdutydemands,weshallclaimnoespecialgiftfromourdivineorigin,\"etc。

  Ourdivineorigin。ItsuggestsEqualagain。Itisinferable,then,thatinthenearby-and-bythenewChurchwillofficiallyranktheHolyFamilyinthefollowingorder:

  1。JesusofNazareth。——1。OurMother。

  2。TheVirginMary。

  SUMMARY

  IamnotplayingwithChristianScienceanditsfounder,Iamexaminingthem;andIamdoingitbecauseoftheinterestIfeelintheinquiry。

  Myresultsmayseeminadequatetothereader,buttheyhaveformeclarifiedamuddleandbroughtasortoforderoutofachaos,andsoI

  valuethem。

  MyreadingsofMrs。Eddy\'suninspiredmiscellaneousliteraryeffortshaveconvincedmeofseveralthings:

  1。ThatshedidnotwriteScienceandHealth。

  2。ThattheDeitydid(ordidnot)writeit。

  3。ThatShethinksShewroteit。

  4。ThatShebelievesShewroteitundertheDeity\'sinspiration。

  5。ThatShebelievesSheisaMemberoftheHolyFamily。

  6。ThatShebelievesSheistheequaloftheHeadofit。

  Finally,IthinkSheisnowentitledtothecapitalS——onherownevidence。

  CHAPTERVI

  ThusfarwehaveapartofMrs。Eddy\'sportrait。Notmadeoffictions,surmises,reports,rumors,innuendoes,droppedbyherenemies;no,shehasfurnishedallofthematerialsherself,andlaidthemonthecanvas,undermygeneralsuperintendenceanddirection。Asfarasshehasgonewithit,itisthepresentationofacomplacent,commonplace,illiterateNewEnglandwomanwho\"forgoteverythingsheknew\"whenshediscoveredherdiscovery,thenwroteaBibleingoodEnglishundertheinspirationofGod,andclimbedupittothesupremestsummitofearthlygrandeurattainablebyman——whereshesitssereneto-day,belovedandworshipedbyamultitudeofhumanbeingsofasgoodaverageintelligenceasispossessedbythosethatmarchunderthebannerofanycompetingcult。

  Thisisnotintendedtoflatterthecompetingcults,itismerelyastatementofcoldfact。

  Thatacommonplacepersonshouldgoclimbingaloftandbecomeagodorahalf-godoraquarter-godandbeworshipedbymenandwomenofaverageintelligence,isnothing。Ithashappenedamilliontimes,itwillhappenahundredmillionmore。Ithasbeenmillionsofyearssincethefirstofthesesupernaturalsappeared,andbythetimethelastoneinthatinconceivablyremotefutureshallhaveperformedhissolemnlittlehigh-jinksonthestageandclosedthebusiness,therewillbeenoughofthemaccumulatedinthemuseumontheOtherSidetostartaheavenoftheirown-andjamit。

  Eachinhisturnthoselittlesupernaturalsofourby-goneagesandaeonsjoinedthemonsterprocessionofhispredecessorsandmarchedhorizonward,disappeared,andwasforgotten。Theychangednothing,theybuiltnothing,theyleftnothingbehindthemtorememberthemby,nothingtoholdtheirdisciplestogether,nothingtosolidifytheirworkandenableittodefytheassaultsoftimeandtheweather。Theypassed,andleftavacancy。Theymadeonefatalmistake;theyallmadeit,eachinhisturn:theyfailedtoorganizetheirforces,theyfailedtocentralizetheirstrength,theyfailedtoprovideafreshBibleandasureandperpetualcashincomeforbusiness,andoftentheyfailedtoprovideanewandacceptedDivinePersonagetoworship。

  Mrs。Eddyisnotofthatsmallfry。Thematerialsthatgotothemakingoftherestofherportraitwillproveit。Shewillfurnishthemherself:

  Shepublishedherbook。Shecopyrightedit。Shecopyrightseverything。

  Ifsheshouldsay,\"Good-morning;howdoyoudo?\"shewouldcopyrightit;

  forsheisacarefulperson,andknowsthevalueofsmallthings。

  ShebegantoteachherScience,shebegantoheal,shebegantogatherconvertstohernewreligion——fervent,sincere,devoted,gratefulpeople。

  AyearortwolatersheorganizedherfirstChristianScience\"Association,\"withsixofherdisciplesontheroster。

  Shecontinuedtoteachandheal。Shewaschargingnothing,shesays,althoughshewasverypoor。Shetaughtandhealedgratisfouryearsaltogether,shesays。

  Then,in1879-81shewasbecomestrongenough,andwellenoughestablished,toventureacoupleofimpressivelyimportantmoves。Thefirstofthesemoveswastoaggrandizethe\"Association\"toa\"Church。\"

  Brave?Itistherightnameforit,Ithink。Theformernamesuggestsnothing,invitednoremark,nocriticism,noinquiry,nohostility;thenewnameinvitedthemall。Shemusthavemadethisintrepidventureonherownmotion。Shecouldhavehadnoimportantadvisersatthatearlyday。Ifweacceptitasherownideaandherownact——andIthinkwemust——wehaveonekeytohercharacter。Anditwillexplainsubsequentactsofhersthatwouldmerelystunusandstupefyuswithoutit。Shallwecallitcourage?Orshallwecallitrecklessness?Courageobserves;

  reflects;calculates;surveysthewholesituation;countsthecost,estimatestheodds,makesupitsmind;thengoesattheenterpriseresolutetowinorperish。Recklessnessdoesnotreflect,itplungesfearlesslyinwithahurrah,andtakestherisks,whatevertheymaybe,regardlessofexpense。Recklessnessoftenfails,Mrs。Eddyhasneverfailed——fromthepointofviewofherfollowers。Thepointofviewofotherpeopleisnaturallynotamatterofweightyimportancetoher。

  ThenewChurchwasnotbornloose-jointedandfeatureless,buthadadefinedplan,adefinitecharacter,definiteaims,andanamewhichwasachallenge,anddefiedallcomers。Itwas\"aMind-healingChurch。\"Itwas\"withoutacreed。\"Itsname,\"TheChurchofChrist,Scientist。\"

  Mrs。EddycouldnotcopyrightherChurch,butshecharteredit,whichwasthesamethingandrelievedthepain。Ithadtwenty-sixchartermembers。

  Mrs。Eddywasatonceinstalledasitspastor。

  Theotherventure,abovereferredto,wasMrs。Eddy\'sMassachusettsMetaphysicalCollege,inwhichwastaught\"thepathologyofspiritualpower。\"Shecouldnotcopyrightit,butshegotitchartered。Forfacultyithadherself,herhusbandoftheperiod(Dr。Eddy),andheradoptedson,Dr。Foster-Eddy。Thecollegetermwas\"barelythreeweeks,\"shesays。Againshewasbold,brave,rash,reckless——chooseforyourself——forshenotonlybegantochargethestudent,butchargedhimahundreddollarsaweekfortheenlightenments。Andgotit?somemayask。Easily。Pupilsflockedfromfarandnear。Theycamebythehundred。Presentlythetermwascutdownnearlyhalf,butthepriceremainedasbefore。Tobeexact,theterm-cutwastosevenlessons——

  price,threehundreddollars。Thecollege\"yieldedalargeincome。\"

  Thisisbelievable。InsevenyearsMrs。Eddytaught,assheavers,overfourthousandstudentsinit。(Prefaceto1902editionofScienceandHealth。)Threehundredtimesfourthousandis——butperhapsyoucancipherityourself。Icoulddoitordinarily,butIfelldownyesterdayandhurtmyleg。Cipherit;youwillseethatitisagrandsumforawomantoearninsevenyears。Yetthatwasnotallshegotoutofhercollegeintheseven。

  Atthetimethatshewaschargingtheprimarystudentthreehundreddollarsfortwelvelessonsshewasnotcontentwiththistidyassessment,buthadotherwaysofplunderinghim。Byadvertisementsheofferedhimprivilegeswherebyhecouldaddeighteenlessonstohisstoreforfivehundreddollarsmore。Thatistosay,hecouldgetatotalofthirtylessonsinhercollegeforeighthundreddollars。

  Fourthousandtimeseighthundredis——butitisadifficultsumforacripplewhohasnotbeen\"demonstratedover\"tocipher;letitgo。Shetaught\"over\"fourthousandstudentsinsevenyears。\"Over\"isnotdefinite,butitprobablyrepresentsanon-payingsurplusoflearnersoverandabovethepayingfourthousand。Charitystudents,doubtless。I

  thinkthatasinterestinganadvertisementashasbeenprintedsincetheromanticolddaysoftheotherbuccaneersisthisonefromtheChristianScienceJournalforSeptember,1886:

  \"MASSACHUSETTSMETAPHYSICALCOLLEGE

  \"REV。MARYBAKERG。EDDY,PRESIDENT

  \"571ColumbusAvenue,Boston\"ThecollegiatecourseinChristianSciencemetaphysicalhealingincludestwelvelessons。Tuition,threehundreddollars。

  \"Courseinmetaphysicalobstetricsincludessixdailylectures,andisopenonlytostudentsfromthiscollege。Tuition,onehundreddollars。

  \"Classintheology,open(liketheabove)tograduates,receivessixadditionallecturesontheScriptures,andsummaryoftheprincipleandpracticeofChristianScience,twohundreddollars。

  \"Normalclassisopentothosewhohavetakenthefirstcourseatthiscollege;sixdailylecturescompletetheNormalcourse。Tuition,twohundreddollars。

  \"Noinvalids,andonlypersonsofgoodmoralcharacter,areacceptedasstudents。Allstudentsaresubjecttoexaminationandrejection;andtheyareliabletoleavetheclassiffoundunfittoremaininit。

  \"Alimitednumberofclergymenreceivedfreeofcharge。

  \"Largestdiscounttoindigentstudents,onehundreddollarsonthefirstcourse。

  \"Nodeductionontheothers。

  \"Husbandandwife,enteredtogether,threehundreddollars。

  \"Tuitionforallstrictlyinadvance。\"

  Thereitis——thehorse-leech\'sdaughteraliveagain,afterathree-

  centuryvacation。Fiftyorsixtyhours\'lecturingforeighthundreddollars。

  Iwasinerrorastoonematter:therearenocharitystudents。Gratis-

  taughtclergymenmustnotbeplacedunderthathead;theyaremerelyanadvertisement。Pauperstudentscangetintotheinfantclassonatwo-

  thirdrate(cashinadvance),butnotevenanarchangelcangetintotherestofthegameatanythingshortofpar,cashdown。Foritis\"inthespiritofChrist\'scharity,asonewhoisjoyfultobearhealingtothesick\"thatMrs。Eddyisworkingthegame。Shesendsthehealingtothemoutside。Shecannotbearittotheminsidethecollege,forthereasonthatshedoesnotallowasickcandidatetogetin。Itistruethatthissmellsofinconsistency,butthatisnothing;Mrs。EddywouldnotbeMrs。

  Eddyifsheshouldeverchancetobeconsistentaboutanythingtwodaysrunning。

  ExceptinthematteroftheDollar。TheDollar,andappetiteforpowerandnotoriety。Englishmustalsobeadded;sheisalwaysconsistent,sheisalwaysMrs。Eddy,inherEnglish:itisalwaysandconsistentlyconfusedandcrippledandpoor。ShewrotetheAdvertisement;herliterarytrade-marksarethere。Whenshesaysall\"students\"aresubjecttoexamination,shedoesnotmeanstudents,shemeanscandidatesforthatloftyplaceWhenshesaysstudentsare\"liable\"toleavetheclassiffoundunfittoremaininit,shedoesnotmeanthatiftheyfindthemselvesunfit,orbefoundunfitbyothers,theywillbelikelytoaskpermissiontoleavetheclass;shemeansthatifshefindsthemunfitshewillbe\"liable\"tofirethemout。Whenshenoblyoffers\"tuitionforallstrictlyinadvance,\"shedoesnotmean\"instructionforallinadvance-paymentforitlater。\"No,thatisonlywhatshesays,itisnotwhatshemeans。IfshehadwrittenScienceandHealth,theoldestmanintheworldwouldnotbeabletotellwithcertaintywhatanypassageinitwasintendedtomean。

  HerChurchwasonitslegs。

  Shewasitspastor。Itwasprospering。

  ShewasappointedoneofacommitteetodraughtBy-lawsforitsgovernment。Itmaybeobserved,withoutoverplusofirreverence,thatthiswaslarksforher。Shedidallofthedraughtingherself。Fromtheverybeginningshewasalwaysinthefrontseatwhentherewasbusinesstobedone;inthefrontseat,withbotheyesopen,andlookingsharplyoutforNumberOne;inthefrontseat,workingMortalMindwithfineeffectivenessandgivingImmortalMindarestforSunday。WhenherChurchwasreorganized,by-and-by,theBy-lawswereretained。Shesawtothat。IntheseLawsforthegovernmentofherChurch,herempire,herdespotism,Mrs。Eddy\'scharacterisembalmedforgoodandall。IthinkaparticularizedexaminationoftheseChurch-lawswillbefoundinteresting。Andnotthelesssoifwekeepinmindthattheywere\"impelledbyapowernotone\'sown,\"asshesays——Anglice。theinspirationofGod。

  ItisaChurch\"withoutacreed。\"Still,ithasone。Mrs。Eddydraughtedit——andcopyrightedit。Inherownname。YoucannotbecomeamemberoftheMother-Church(norofanyChristianScienceChurch)withoutsigningit。ItformsthefirstchapteroftheBy-laws,andiscalled\"Tenets。\"\"TenetsofTheMotherChurch,TheFirstChurchofChrist,Scientist。\"Ithasnohellinit——itthrowsitoverboard。

  THEPASTOREMERITUS

  Aboutthetimeofthereorganization,Mrs。EddyretiredfromherpositionofpastorofherChurch,abolishedtheofficeofpastorinallbranchChurches,andappointedherbook,ScienceandHealth,tobepastor-

  universal。Mrs。Eddydidnotdisconnectherselffromtheofficeentirely,whensheretired,butappointedherselfPastorEmeritus。Itisamisleadingtitle,andbelongstothefamilyofthatphrase\"withoutacreed。\"Itadvertisesherasbeingamerelyhonoraryofficial,withnothingtodo,andnoauthority。TheCzarofRussiaisEmperorEmeritusonthesameterms。Mrs。EddywasAutocratoftheChurchbefore,withlimitlessauthority,andshekepthergriponthatlimitlessauthoritywhenshetookthatfictitioustitle。

  ItiscuriousandinterestingtonotewithwhatanunerringinstinctthePastorEmeritushasthoughtoutandforecastallpossibleencroachmentsuponherplannedautocracy,andbarredthewayagainstthem,intheBy-

  lawswhichsheframedandcopyrighted——undertheguidanceoftheSupremeBeing。

  THEBOARDOFDIRECTORS

  Forinstance,whenArticleI。speaksofaPresidentandBoardofDirectors,youthinkyouhavediscoveredaformidablecheckuponthepowersandambitionsofthehonorarypastor,theornamentalpastor,thefunctionlesspastor,thePastorEmeritus,butitisamistake。Thesegreatofficialsareofthephrase——familyoftheChurch-Without-a-CreedandthePastor-With-Nothing-to-Do;thatistosay,ofthefamilyofLarge-Names-Which-Mean-Nothing。TheBoardisofsolittleconsequencethattheBy-lawsdonotstatehowitischosen,norwhodoesit;buttheydostate,mostdefinitely,thattheBoardcannotfillavacancyinitsnumber\"exceptthecandidateisapprovedbythePastorEmeritus。\"

  The\"candidate。\"TheBoardcannotevenproceedtoanelectionuntilthePastorEmeritushasexaminedthelistandsquelchedsuchcandidatesasarenotsatisfactorytoher。

  WhethertheoriginalfirstBoardbeganasthepersonalpropertyofMrs。

  Eddyornot,itisforeseeablethatintime,underthisBy-law,shewouldownit。SuchafirstBoardmightchafeundersucharuleasthat,andtrytolegislateitoutofexistencesomeday。ButMrs。Eddywasawake。

  Sheforesawthatdanger,andaddedthisingeniousandeffectiveclause:

  \"ThisBy-lawcanneitherbeamendednorannulled,exceptbyconsentofMrs。Eddy,thePastorEmeritus\"

  THEPRESIDENT

  TheBoardofDirectors,orSerfs,orCiphers,electsthePresident。

  Ontheseclearlywordedterms:\"SubjecttotheapprovalofthePastorEmeritus。\"

  ThereforeSheelectshim。

  Alongtermcaninvestahighofficialwithinfluenceandpower,andmakehimdangerous。Mrs。Eddyreflecteduponthat;soshelimitsthePresident\'stermtoayear。Shehasacapablecommercialhead,anorganizinghead,aheadforgovernment。

  TREASURERANDCLERK

  ThereareaTreasurerandaClerk。TheyareelectedbytheBoardofDirectors。Thatistosay,byMrs。Eddy。

  TheirtermsofofficeexpireonthefirstTuesdayinJuneofeachyear,\"orupontheelectionoftheirsuccessors。\"Theymustbewatchfullyobedientandsatisfactorytoher,orshewillelectandinstalltheirsuccessorswithasuddennessthatcanbeunpleasanttothem。ItgoeswithoutsayingthattheTreasurermanagestheTreasurytosuitMrs。Eddy,andisinfactmerelyTemporaryDeputyTreasurer。

  ApparentlytheClerkhasbuttwodutiestoperform:toreadmessagesfromMrs。EddytoFirstMembersassembledinsolemnCouncil,andprovidelistsofcandidatesforChurchmembership。TheselectbodyentitledFirstMembersarethearistocracyoftheMother-Church,theCharterMembers,theAborigines,asortofstylishbutunsalariedlittleCollegeofCardinals,goodforshow,butnotindispensable。NobodyisindispensableinMrs。Eddy\'sempire;sheseestothat。

  WhenthePastorEmeritussendsaletterormessagetothatlittleSanhedrin,itistheClerk\'s\"imperativeduty\"toreadit\"attheplaceandtimespecified。\"Otherwise,theworldmightcometoanend。Thesearefine,largefrills,andremindusofthewaysofemperorsandsuch。

  Suchdonotusethepenny-post,theysendagildedandpaintedspecialmessenger,andhestridesintotheParliament,andbusinesscomestoasuddenandsolemnandawfulstop;andintheimpressivehushthatfollows,theChiefClerkreadsthedocument。Itishis\"imperativeduty。\"Ifheshouldneglectit,hisofficiallifewouldend。ItisthesamewiththisMother-ChurchClerk;\"ifhefailtoperformthisimportantfunctionofhisoffice,\"certainmajesticandunshirkablesolemnitiesmustfollow:aspecialmeeting\"shall\"becalled;amemberoftheChurch\"shall\"makeformalcomplaint;thentheClerk\"shall\"be\"removedfromoffice。\"Complaintissufficient,notrialisnecessary。

  Thereissomethingverysweetandjuvenileandinnocentandprettyabouttheselittletinselvanities,thesegraveapingsofmonarchicalfussandfeathersandceremony,hereonourostentatiouslydemocraticsoil。SheisthesameladythatwefoundintheAutobiography,whowassonaivelyvainofallthatlittleancestralmilitaryriffraffthatshehaddugupandannexed。Aperson\'snatureneverchanges。Whatitisinchildhood,itremains。Underpressure,orachangeofinterest,itcanpartiallyorwhollydisappearfromsight,andforconsiderablestretchesoftime,butnothingcaneverpermanentlymodifyit,nothingcaneverremoveit。

  BOARDOFTRUSTEES

  Thereisn\'tany——now。ButwithpowerandmoneypilinguphigherandhighereverydayandtheChurch\'sdominionspreadingdailywiderandfarther,atimecouldcomewhentheenviousandambitiouscouldstarttheideathatitwouldbewiseandwelltoputawatchupontheseassets——

  awatchequippedwithproperlylargeauthority。Bycustom,aBoardofTrustees。Mrs。Eddyhasforeseenthatprobability——forsheisawomanwithalong,longlookahead,thelongestlookaheadthateverawomanhad——andshehasprovidedforthatemergency。InArt。I。,Sec。5,shehasdecreedthatnoBoardofTrusteesshalleverexistintheMother-

  Church\"exceptitbeconstitutedbythePastorEmeritus。\"

  Themagnificenceofit,thedaringofit!Thusfar,sheisTheMassachusettsMetaphysicalCollege;

  PastorEmeritus;

  President;

  BoardofDirectors;

  Treasurer;

  Clerk;

  andfutureBoardofTrustees;

  andisstillmovingonward,everonward。WhenIcontemplateherfromacommercialpointofview,therearenowordsthatcanconveymyadmirationofher。

  READERS

  Theseareafeatureoffirstimportanceinthechurch-machineryofChristianScience。Fortheyoccupythepulpit。TheyholdtheplacethatthepreacherholdsintheotherChristianChurches。Theyholdthatplace,buttheydonotpreach。Twoofthemareondutyatatime——amanandawoman。OnereadsapassagefromtheBible,theotherreadstheexplanationofitfromScienceandHealth——andsotheygoonalternating。

  Thisconstitutestheservice——this,withchoir-music。Theyutternowordoftheirown。Art。IV。,Sec。6,closestheirmouthswiththisuncompromisinggag:

  \"TheyshallmakenoremarksexplanatoryoftheLesson-Sermonatanytimeduringtheservice。\"

  Itseemsasimplelittlething。Oneisnotstartledbyitatafirstreadingofit;noratthesecond,northethird。Onemayhavetoreaditadozentimesbeforethewholemagnitudeofitrisesbeforethemind。Itfarandawayoversizesandoutclassesthebestbusiness-ideayetinventedforthesafe-guardingandperpetuatingofareligion。Ifithadbeenthoughtofandputinforceeighteenhundredandseventyyearsago,therewouldbebutoneChristiansectintheworldnow,insteadoftendozensofthem。

  Therearemanyvarietiesofmenintheworld,consequentlytherearemanyvarietiesofmindsinitspulpits。ThisinsuresmanydifferinginterpretationsofimportantScripturetexts,andthisinturninsuresthesplittingupofareligionintomanysects。Itiswhathashappened;

  itwassuretohappen。

  Mrs。Eddyhasnotedthisdisastrousresultofpreaching,andhasputupthebars。ShewillhavenopreachinginherChurch。ShehasexplainedallessentialScriptures,andsettheexplanationsdowninherbook。Inherbeliefherunderlingscannotimproveuponthoseexplanations,andinthatsternsentence\"theyshallmakenoexplanatoryremarks\"shehasbarredthemforalltimefromtrying。Shewillbeobeyed;thereisnoquestionaboutthat。

  Inarranginghergovernmentshehasborrowedideasfromvarioussources——

  notpoorones,butthebestinthegovernmentalmarket——butthisoneisnew,thisonecameoutofnoordinarybusiness-head,thisonemusthavecomeoutofherown,therehasbeennoothercommercialskullinathousandcenturiesthatwasequaltoit。Shehasborrowedfreelyandwisely,butIamsurethatthisideaismanytimeslargerthanallherborrowingsbulkedtogether。Onemustrespectthebusiness-brainthatproducedit——thesplendidpluckandimpudencethatventuredtopromulgateit,anyway。

  ELECTIONOFREADERS

  Readersarenottakenathap-hazard,anymorethanpreachersaretakenathap-hazardforthepulpitsofothersects。No,ReadersareelectedbytheBoardofDirectors。But——

  \"Section3。TheBoardshallinformthePas。forEmeritusofthenamesofcandidatesforReadersbeforetheyareelected,andifsheobjectstothenomination,saidcandidatesshallnotbechosen。\"

  Isthatanelection——bytheBoard?ThusfarIhavenotbeenabletofindoutwhatthatBoardofSpectresisfor。Itcertainlyhasnorealfunction,nodutywhichthehiredgirlcouldnotperform,noofficebeyondthemererecordingoftheautocrat\'sdecrees。

  Therearenodangerouslylongoffice-termsinMrs。Eddy\'sgovernment。

  TheReadersareelectedforbutoneyear。Thisinsurestheirsubserviencytotheirproprietor。

  Readersarenotallowedtocopyoutpassagesandreadthemfromthemanuscriptinthepulpit;theymustreadfromMrs。Eddy\'sbookitself。

  Sheisright。Slightchangescouldbeslylymade,repeated,andintimegetacceptancewithcongregations。Branchsectscouldgrowoutofthesepractices。Mrs。Eddyknowsthehumanrace,andhowfartotrustit。Herlimitisnotoveraquarterofaninch。Itisallthatawisepersonwillrisk。

  Mrs。Eddy\'sinborndispositiontocopyrighteverything,chartereverything,securetherightfulandpropercredittoherselfforeverythingshedoes,andeverythingshethinksshedoes,andeverythingshethinks,andeverythingshethinksshethinksorhasthoughtorintendstothink,isillustratedinSec。5ofArt。IV。,definingthedutiesofofficialReaders——inchurch:

  \"NamingBookandAuthor。TheReaderofScienceandHealth,withKeytotheScriptures,beforecommencingtoreadfromthisbook,shalldistinctlyannounceitsfulltitleandgivetheauthor\'sname。\"

  Otherwisethecongregationmightgetthehabitofforgettingwho(ostensibly)wrotethebook。

  THEARISTOCRACY

  ThisconsistsofFirstMembersandtheirapostolicsuccession。Itisaclosecorporation,anditsmembershiplimitisonehundred。Fortywillanswer,butifthenumberfallbelowthat,theremustbeanelection,tofillthegrandquorum。

  ThisSanhedrincan\'tdoanythingoftheslightestimportance,butitcantalk。Itcan\"discuss。\"Thatis,itcandiscuss\"importantquestionsrelativetoChurchmembers\",evidentlypersonswhoarealreadyChurchmembers。Thisaffordsitamusement,anddoesnoharm。

  Itcan\"fixthesalariesoftheReaders。\"

  Twiceayearit\"voteson\"admittingcandidates。Thatis,forChurchmembership。Butitsworkiscutoutforitbeforehand,bySec。,Art。

  IX。:

  \"EveryrecommendationformembershipIntheChurch\'shallbecountersignedbyaloyalstudentofMrs。Eddy\'s,byaDirectorofthisChurch,orbyaFirstMember。\'\"

  AllthesethreeclassesofbeingsarethepersonalpropertyofMrs。Eddy。

  Shehasabsolutecontroloftheelections。

  Alsoitmust\"transactanyChurchbusinessthatmayproperlycomebeforeit。\"

  \"Properly\"isathoughtfulword。Noimportantbusinesscancomebeforeit。TheBylawshaveattendedtothat。NoimportantbusinessgoesbeforeanyoneforthefinalwordexceptMrs。Eddy。Shehaslookedtothat。

  TheSanhedrin\"voteson\"candidatesforadmissiontoitsownbody。Butisitsvoteworthanymorethanminewouldbe?No,itisn\'t。Sec。4,ofArt。V。——ElectionofFirstMembers——makesthisquiteplain:

  \"Beforebeingelected,thecandidatesforFirstMembersshallbeapprovedbythePastorEmeritusoverherownsignature。\"

  ThustheSanhedrinisthepersonalpropertyofMrs。Eddy。Sheownsit。

  Ithasnofunctions,noauthority,norealexistence。ItisanotherBoardofShadows。Mrs。EddyistheSanhedrinherself。

  Butitistimetofootupagainand\"seewhereweareat。\"Thusfar,Mrs。EddyisTheMassachusettsMetaphysicalCollege;

  PastorEmeritus,President;

  BoardofDirectors;

  Treasurer;

  Clerk;

  FutureBoardofTrustees;

  ProprietorofthePriesthood:

  DictatoroftheServices;

  ProprietoroftheSanhedrin。Shehascomefar,andisstillonherway。

  CHURCHMEMBERSHIP

  InthisArticlethereisanotherexhibitionofacoupleofthelargefeaturesofMrs。Eddy\'sremarkablemake-up:herbusiness-talentandherknowledgeofhumannature。

  ShedoesnotbeseechandimplorepeopletojoinherChurch。Sheknowsthehumanracebetterthanthat。Shegravelygoesthroughthemotionsofreluctantlygrantingadmissiontotheapplicantasafavortohim。Theideaisworthuntoldshekels。Shedoesnotstandatthegateofthefoldwithwelcomingarmsspread,andreceivethelostsheepwithglademotionandsetupthefattedcalfandinvitetheneighborandhaveatime。No,shelooksuponhimcoldly,shesnubshim,shesays:

  \"Whoareyou?Whoisyoursponsor?Whoaskedyoutocomehere?Goaway,anddon\'tcomeagainuntilyouareinvited。\"

  ItiscalculatedtostrikinglyimpressapersonaccustomedtoMoodyandSankeyandSamJonesrevivals;accustomedtobrain-turningappealstotheunknownandunendorsedsinnertocomeforwardandenterintothejoy,etc。——\"justasheis\";accustomedtoseeinghimdoit;accustomedtoseeinghimpassuptheaislethroughsobbingseasofwelcome,andlove,andcongratulation,andarriveatthemourner\'sbenchandbereceivedlikealong-lostgovernmentbond。

  No,thereisnothingofthatkindinMrs。Eddy\'ssystem。Sheknowsthatifyouwishtoconferuponahumanbeingsomethingwhichheisnotsurehewants,thebestwayistomakeitapparentlydifficultforhimtogetit——thenheisnosonofAdamifthatappledoesnotassumeaninterestinhiseyeswhichitlackedbefore。Intimethisinterestcangrowintodesire。Mrs。Eddyknowsthatwhenyoucannotgetamantotry——freeofcost——anewandeffectiveremedyforadiseaseheisafflictedwith,youcangenerallysellittohimifyouwillputapriceuponitwhichhecannotafford。When,inthebeginning,shetaughtChristianSciencegratis(forgoodreasons),pupilswerefewandreluctant,andrequiredpersuasion;itwaswhensheraisedthelimittothreehundreddollarsforadollar\'sworththatshecouldnotfindstandingroomfortheinvasionofpupilsthatfollowed。

  WithfineastutenessshegoesthroughthemotionsofmakingitdifficulttogetmembershipinherChurch。Thereisatwofoldvalueinthissystem:itgivesmembershipahighvalueintheeyesoftheapplicant;

  andatthesametimetherequirementsexactedenableMrs。Eddytokeephimoutifshehasdoubtsabouthisvaluetoher。Awordfurtherastoapplicationsformembership:

  \"ApplicationsofstudentsoftheMetaphysicalCollegemustbesignedbytheBoardofDirectors。\"

  Thatissafe。Mrs。EddyisproprietorofthatBoard。

  Childrenoftwelvemaybeadmittedifinvitedby\"oneofMrs。Eddy\'sloyalstudents,orbyaFirstMember,orbyaDirector。\"

  ThesesponsorsarethepropertyofMrs。Eddy,thereforeherChurchissafeguardedfromtheintrusionofundesirablechildren。

  OtherStudents。ApplicantswhohavenotstudiedwithMrs。Eddycangetinonly\"byinvitationandrecommendationfromstudentsofMrs。Eddy……orfrommembersoftheMother-Church。\"

  Otherparagraphsexplainhowtwoorthreeothervarietiesofapplicantsaretobechallengedandobstructed,andtelluswhoisauthorizedtoinvitethem,recommendthemendorsethem,andallthat。

  Thesafeguardsaredefinite,andwouldseemtobesufficientlystrenuous——toMr。SamJones,atanyrate。NotforMrs。Eddy。Sheaddsthisclincher:

  \"ThecandidatesbeelectedbyamajorityvoteoftheFirstMemberspresent。\"

  Thatisthearistocracy,theaborigines,theSanhedrin。ItisMrs。

  Eddy\'sproperty。SheherselfistheSanhedrin。NoonecangetintotheChurchifshewishestokeephimout。

  Thisvetopowercouldsometimeorotherhavealargevalueforher,thereforeshewaswisetoreserveit。

  Itislikelythatitisnotfrequentlyused。Itisalsoprobablethatthedifficultiesattendantupongettingadmissiontomembershiphavebeeninstitutedmoretoinvitethantodeter,moretoenhancethevalueofmembershipandmakepeoplelongforitthantomakeitreallydifficulttoget。Ithinkso,becausetheMother。Churchhasmanythousandsofmembersmorethanitsbuildingcanaccommodate。

  ANDSOMEENGLISHREQUIRED

  Mrs。Eddyisveryparticularasregardsonedetailcuriouslyso,forher,allthingsconsidered。TheChurchReadersmustbe\"goodEnglishscholars\";theymustbe\"thoroughEnglishscholars。\"

  SheisthussensitiveabouttheEnglishofhersubordinatesforcause,possibly。InherchapterdefiningthedutiesoftheClerkthereisanindicationthatsheharborsresentfulmemoriesofanoccasionwhenthehazyqualityofherownEnglishmadeunforeseenandmortifyingtrouble:

  \"UnderstandingCommunications。Sec。2。IftheClerkofthisChurchshallreceiveacommunicationfromthePastorEmerituswhichhedoesnotfullyunderstand,heshallinformherofthisfactbeforepresentingittotheChurch,andobtainaclearunderstandingofthematter——thenactinaccordancetherewith。\"

  Sheshouldhavewaitedtocalmdown,then,butinsteadsheaddedthis,whichlackssugar:

  \"FailingtoadheretothisBy-law,theClerkmustresign。\"

  IwishIcouldseethatcommunicationthatbrokethecamel\'sback。Itwasprobablytheonebeginning:\"Whatplaguespotorbacilliweregnawingattheheartofthismetropolisandbringingitonbendedknee?\"andI

  thinkitlikelythatthekindlydisposedClerktriedtotranslateitintoEnglishandlosthismindandhadtogotothehospital。ThatBylawwasnottheoffspringofaforecast,anintuition,itwascertainlybornofasorrowfulexperience。Itstempergivesthefactaway。

  ThelittlebookofBy-lawshasmanifestlybeentinkeredbyoneofMrs。

  Eddy\'s\"thoroughEnglishscholars,\"forinthemajorityofcasesitsmeaningsareclear。ThebookisnotevenmarredbyMrs。Eddy\'speculiarspecialty——lumberingclumsinessesofspeech。Ibelievethesalariedpolisherhasweededthemalloutbutone。Inoneplace,afterreferringtoScienceandHealth,Mrs。Eddygoesontosay\"theBibleandtheabove——

  namedbook,withotherworksbythesameauthor,\"etc。

  Itisanunfortunatesentence,foritcouldmisleadahastyorcarelessreaderforamoment。Mrs。Eddyframedit——itisherveryown——itbearshertrade-mark。\"TheBibleandScienceandHealth,withotherworksbythesameauthor,\"couldhavecomefromnoliteraryvacuumbuttheonewhichproducedtheremark(intheAutobiography):\"Irememberreading,inmychildhood,certainmanuscriptscontainingScripturalSonnets,besidesotherversesandenigmas。\"

  Weknowwhatshemeans,inbothinstances,butalow-pricedClerkwouldnotnecessarilyknow,andonasalarylikehishecouldquiteexcusablyaverthatthePastorEmeritushadcommandedhimtocomeandmakeproclamationthatshewasauthoroftheBible,andthatshewasthinkingofdischargingsomeScripturalsonnetsandotherenigmasuponthecongregation。Itcouldlosehimhisplace,butitwouldnotbefair,ifithappenedbeforetheedictabout\"UnderstandingCommunications\"waspromulgated。

  \"READERS\"AGAIN

  TheBy-lawbookmakesashowypretenceoforderlinessandsystem,butitisonlyapretence。Iwillnotgosofarastosayitisaharum-scarumjumble,foritisnotthat,butIthinkitfairtosayitisatleastjumbulaciousinplaces。Forinstance,ArticlesIII。andIV。setforthinmuchdetailthequalificationsanddutiesofReaders,shethenskipssomethirtypagesandtakesupthesubjectagain。Itlookslikeslovenliness,butitmaybeonlyart。ThebelatedBy-lawhasasufficientlyquietlook,butithasatonofdynamiteinit。ItmakesalltheChristianScienceChurchReadersontheglobethepersonalchattelsofMrs。Eddy。Whenevershechooses,shecanstretchherlongarmaroundtheworld\'sfatbellyandflirtaReaderoutofhispulpit,thoughhebetuckedawayinseemingsafetyandobscurityinalostvillageinthemiddleofChina:

  \"InanyChurch。Sec。2。ThePastorEmeritusoftheMother-Churchshallhavetheright(throughaletteraddressedtotheindividualandChurchofwhichheistheReader)toremoveaReaderfromthisofficeinanyChurchofChrist,Scientist,bothinAmericaandinforeignnations;ortoappointtheReadertofillanyofficebelongingtotheChristianSciencedenomination。\"

  Shedoesnothavetopreferchargesagainsthim,shedoesnothavetofindhimlazy,careless,incompetent,untidy,ill-mannered,unholy,dishonest,shedoesnothavetodiscoverafaultofanykindinhim,shedoesnothavetotellhimnorhiscongregationwhyshedismissesanddisgraceshimandinsultshismeekflock,shedoesnothavetoexplaintohisfamilywhyshetakesthebreadoutoftheirmouthsandturnsthemout-of-doorshomelessandashamedinastrangeland;shedoesnothavetodoanythingbutsendaletterandsay:\"Pack!——andasknoquestions!\"

  HasthePopethispower?——theotherPope——theoneinRome。Hasheanythingapproachingit?Canheturnapriestoutofhispulpitandstriphimofhisofficeandhislivelihoodjustuponawhim,acaprice,andmeanwhilefurnishingnoreasonstotheparish?NotinAmerica。Andnotelsewhere,wemaybelieve。

  Itisoddandstrange,toseeintelligentandeducatedpeopleamongusworshippingthisself-seekingandremorselesstyrantasaGod。Thisworshipisdenied——bypersonswhoarethemselvesworshippersofMrs。

  Eddy。Ifeelquitesurethatitisaworshipwhichwillcontinueduringages。

  ThatMrs。EddywrotethatamazingBy-lawwithherownhandwehavemuchbetterevidencethanherword。WehaveherEnglish。Itisthere。Itcannotbeimitated。Sheoughtnevertogototheexpenseofcopyrightingherverbaldischarges。Whenanyonetriestoclaimthemsheshouldcallme;Icanalwaystellthemfromanyotherliteraryapprentice\'sataglance。ItwaslikehertocallAmericaa\"nation\";shewouldcallasand-baranationifitshouldfallintoasentenceinwhichshewasspeakingofpeoples,forshewouldnotknowhowtountangleitandgetitoutandclassifyitbyitself。AndtheclosingarrangementofthatBy-

  lawisintrueEddysonianform,too。InitshereservesauthoritytomakeaReaderfillanyofficeconnectedwithaSciencechurch-sexton,grave-digger,advertising-agent,Annex-polisher,leaderofthechoir,President,Director,Treasurer,Clerk,etc。Shedidnotmeanthat。Shealreadypossessedthatauthority。Shemeanttoclotheherselfwithpower,despoticandunchallengeable,toappointallScienceReaderstotheiroffices,bothathomeandabroad。Thephrase\"ortoappoint\"isanothermiscarriageofintention;shedidnotmean\"or,\"shemeant\"and。\"

  ThatBy-lawputsintoMrs。Eddy\'shandsabsolutecommandoverthemostformidableforceandinfluenceexistentintheChristianSciencekingdomoutsideofherself,anditdoesthisunconditionallyand(byauxiliaryforceofLawsalreadyquoted)irrevocably。Still,sheisnotquitesatisfied。Somethingmighthappen,shedoesn\'tknowwhat。Thereforeshedrivesinonemorenail,tomakesure,anddrivesitdeep:

  \"ThisBy-lawcanneitherbeamendednorannulled,exceptbyconsentofthePastorEmeritus。\"

  Letsomeonewithawildanddeliriousfancytryandseeifhecanimagineherfurnishingthatconsent。

  MONOPOLYOFSPIRITUALBREAD

  Veryproperly,thefirstqualificationformembershipintheMother-

  ChurchisbeliefinthedoctrinesofChristianScience。

  Butthesedoctrinesmustnotbegatheredfromsecondarysources。Thereisbutonerecognizedsource。ThecandidatemustbeabelieverinthedoctrinesofChristianScience\"accordingtotheplatformandteachingcontainedintheChristianSciencetext-book,\'ScienceandHealth,withKeytotheScriptures,\'byRev。MaryBakerG。Eddy。\"

  Thatisdefinite,andisfinal。Therearetobenocommentaries,nolaboredvolumesofexpositionandexplanationbyanybodyexceptMrs。

  Eddy。Becausesuchthingscouldsowerror,createwarringopinions,splitthereligionintosects,anddisastrouslycrippleitspower。Mrs。

  Eddywilldothewholeoftheexplaining,Herself——hasdoneit,infact。

  Shehaswrittenseveralbooks。Theyaretobehad(forcashinadvance),theyareallsacred;additionstothemcanneverbeneededandwillneverbepermitted。Theytellthecandidatehowtoinstructhimself,howtoteachothers,howtodoallthingscomprisedinthebusiness——andtheyclosethedooragainstallwould-becompetitors,andmonopolizethetrade:

  \"TheBibleandtheabove——namedbook[ScienceandHealth],withotherworksbythesameauthor,\"mustbehisonlytext-booksforthecommerce——

  hecannotforageoutside。

  Mrs。Eddy\'swordsaretobethesoleelucidatorsoftheBibleandScienceandHealth——forever。Throughouttheages,wheneverthereisdoubtastothemeaningofapassageineitherofthesebookstheinquirerwillnotdreamoftryingtoexplainittohimself;hewouldshudderatthethoughtofsuchtemerity,suchprofanity,hewouldbehaledtotheInquisitionandthencetothepublicsquareandthestakeifheshouldbecaughtstudyingintotext-meaningsonhisownhook;hewillbeprudentandseekthemeaningsattheonlypermittedsource,Mrs。Eddy\'scommentaries。

  ValueofthisStrait-jacket。Onemustnotunderratethemagnificenceofthislong-headedidea,onemustnotunderestimateitsgiantpossibilitiesinthematteroftroopingtheChurchsolidlytogetherandkeepingitso。

  Itsquelchesindependentinquiry,andmakessuchathingimpossible,profane,criminal,itauthoritativelysettleseverydisputethatcanarise。Itstartswithfinality——apointwhichtheRomanChurchhastravelledtowardsfifteenorsixteencenturies,stagebystage,andhasnotyetreached。ThematteroftheImmaculateConceptionoftheVirginMarywasnotauthoritativelysettleduntilthedaysofPiusIX。——

  yesterday,sotospeak。

  Asalreadynoticed,theProtestantsarebrokenupintoalongarrayofsects,aresultofdisputesaboutthemeaningsoftexts,disputesmadeunavoidablebytheabsenceofaninfallibleauthoritytosubmitdoubtfulpassagesto。Aweekortwoago(IamwritinginthemiddleofJanuary,1903),theclergyandothershereaboutshadawarmdisputeinthepapersoverthisquestion:DidJesusanywhereclaimtobeGod?Itseemedaneasyquestion,butitturnedouttobeahardone。Itwasablyandelaboratelydiscussed,bylearnedmenofseveraldenominations,butintheenditremainedunsettled。

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