christian science-第20章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
entirely； when she retired； but appointed herself Pastor Emeritus。 It is
a misleading title； and belongs to the family of that phrase 〃without a
creed。〃 It advertises her as being a merely honorary official； with
nothing to do； and no authority。 The Czar of Russia is Emperor Emeritus
on the same terms。 Mrs。 Eddy was Autocrat of the Church before； with
limitless authority； and she kept her grip on that limitless authority
when she took that fictitious title。
It is curious and interesting to note with what an unerring instinct the
Pastor Emeritus has thought out and forecast all possible encroachments
upon her planned autocracy； and barred the way against them； in the By…
laws which she framed and copyrightedunder the guidance of the Supreme
Being。
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
For instance； when Article I。 speaks of a President and Board of
Directors； you think you have discovered a formidable check upon the
powers and ambitions of the honorary pastor； the ornamental pastor； the
functionless pastor； the Pastor Emeritus； but it is a mistake。 These
great officials are of the phrasefamily of the Church…Without…a…Creed
and the Pastor…With…Nothing…to…Do； that is to say； of the family of
Large…Names…Which…Mean…Nothing。 The Board is of so little consequence
that the By…laws do not state how it is chosen； nor who does it； but they
do state； most definitely； that the Board cannot fill a vacancy in its
number 〃except the candidate is approved by the Pastor Emeritus。〃
The 〃candidate。〃 The Board cannot even proceed to an election until the
Pastor Emeritus has examined the list and squelched such candidates as
are not satisfactory to her。
Whether the original first Board began as the personal property of Mrs。
Eddy or not； it is foreseeable that in time； under this By…law； she would
own it。 Such a first Board might chafe under such a rule as that； and
try to legislate it out of existence some day。 But Mrs。 Eddy was awake。
She foresaw that danger； and added this ingenious and effective clause：
〃This By…law can neither be amended nor annulled； except by consent of
Mrs。 Eddy； the Pastor Emeritus〃
THE PRESIDENT
The Board of Directors； or Serfs； or Ciphers； elects the President。
On these clearly worded terms： 〃Subject to the approval of the Pastor
Emeritus。〃
Therefore She elects him。
A long term can invest a high official with influence and power； and make
him dangerous。 Mrs。 Eddy reflected upon that； so she limits the
President's term to a year。 She has a capable commercial head； an
organizing head； a head for government。
TREASURER AND CLERK
There are a Treasurer and a Clerk。 They are elected by the Board of
Directors。 That is to say； by Mrs。 Eddy。
Their terms of office expire on the first Tuesday in June of each year；
〃or upon the election of their successors。〃 They must be watchfully
obedient and satisfactory to her； or she will elect and install their
successors with a suddenness that can be unpleasant to them。 It goes
without saying that the Treasurer manages the Treasury to suit Mrs。 Eddy；
and is in fact merely Temporary Deputy Treasurer。
Apparently the Clerk has but two duties to perform： to read messages from
Mrs。 Eddy to First Members assembled in solemn Council； and provide lists
of candidates for Church membership。 The select body entitled First
Members are the aristocracy of the Mother…Church； the Charter Members；
the Aborigines； a sort of stylish but unsalaried little College of
Cardinals； good for show； but not indispensable。 Nobody is indispensable
in Mrs。 Eddy's empire； she sees to that。
When the Pastor Emeritus sends a letter or message to that little
Sanhedrin； it is the Clerk's 〃imperative duty〃 to read it 〃at the place
and time specified。〃 Otherwise； the world might come to an end。 These
are fine； large frills； and remind us of the ways of emperors and such。
Such do not use the penny…post； they send a gilded and painted special
messenger； and he strides into the Parliament； and business comes to a
sudden and solemn and awful stop； and in the impressive hush that
follows； the Chief Clerk reads the document。 It is his 〃imperative
duty。〃 If he should neglect it； his official life would end。 It is the
same with this Mother…Church Clerk； 〃if he fail to perform this important
function of his office；〃 certain majestic and unshirkable solemnities
must follow： a special meeting 〃shall〃 be called； a member of the Church
〃shall〃 make formal complaint； then the Clerk 〃shall〃 be 〃removed from
office。〃 Complaint is sufficient； no trial is necessary。
There is something very sweet and juvenile and innocent and pretty about
these little tinsel vanities； these grave apings of monarchical fuss and
feathers and ceremony； here on our ostentatiously democratic soil。 She
is the same lady that we found in the Autobiography； who was so naively
vain of all that little ancestral military riffraff that she had dug up
and annexed。 A person's nature never changes。 What it is in childhood；
it remains。 Under pressure； or a change of interest； it can partially or
wholly disappear from sight； and for considerable stretches of time； but
nothing can ever permanently modify it； nothing can ever remove it。
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
There isn't anynow。 But with power and money piling up higher and
higher every day and the Church's dominion spreading daily wider and
farther； a time could come when the envious and ambitious could start the
idea that it would be wise and well to put a watch upon these assets
a watch equipped with properly large authority。 By custom； a Board of
Trustees。 Mrs。 Eddy has foreseen that probabilityfor she is a woman
with a long； long look ahead； the longest look ahead that ever a woman
hadand she has provided for that emergency。 In Art。 I。； Sec。 5； she
has decreed that no Board of Trustees shall ever exist in the Mother…
Church 〃except it be constituted by the Pastor Emeritus。〃
The magnificence of it； the daring of it！ Thus far； she is
The Massachusetts Metaphysical College；
Pastor Emeritus；
President；
Board of Directors；
Treasurer；
Clerk；
and future Board of Trustees；
and is still moving onward； ever onward。 When I contemplate her from a
commercial point of view； there are no words that can convey my
admiration of her。
READERS
These are a feature of first importance in the church…machinery of
Christian Science。 For they occupy the pulpit。 They hold the place that
the preacher holds in the other Christian Churches。 They hold that
place； but they do not preach。 Two of them are on duty at a timea man
and a woman。 One reads a passage from the Bible； the other reads the
explanation of it from Science and Healthand so they go on alternating。
This constitutes the servicethis； with choir…music。 They utter no word
of their own。 Art。 IV。； Sec。 6； closes their mouths with this
uncompromising gag：
〃They shall make no remarks explanatory of the Lesson…Sermon at any time
during the service。〃
It seems a simple little thing。 One is not startled by it at a first
reading of it； nor at the second； nor the third。 One may have to read it
a dozen times before the whole magnitude of it rises before the mind。 It
far and away oversizes and outclasses the best business…idea yet invented
for the safe…guarding and perpetuating of a religion。 If it had been
thought of and put in force eighteen hundred and seventy years ago； there
would be but one Christian sect in the world now； instead of ten dozens
of them。
There are many varieties of men in the world； consequently there are many
varieties of minds in its pulpits。 This insures many differing
interpretations of important Scripture texts； and this in turn insures
the splitting up of a religion into many sects。 It is what has happened；
it was sure to happen。
Mrs。 Eddy has noted this disastrous result of preaching； and has put up
the bars。 She will have no preaching in her Church。 She has explained
all essential Scriptures； and set the explanations down in her book。 In
her belief her underlings cannot improve upon those explanations； and in
that stern sentence 〃they shall mak
