christian science-第22章
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。 or from members of the Mother…Church。〃
Other paragraphs explain how two or three other varieties of applicants
are to be challenged and obstructed； and tell us who is authorized to
invite them； recommend them endorse them； and all that。
The safeguards are definite； and would seem to be sufficiently strenuous
to Mr。 Sam Jones； at any rate。 Not for Mrs。 Eddy。 She adds this
clincher：
〃The candidates be elected by a majority vote of the First Members
present。〃
That is the aristocracy； the aborigines； the Sanhedrin。 It is Mrs。
Eddy's property。 She herself is the Sanhedrin。 No one can get into the
Church if she wishes to keep him out。
This veto power could some time or other have a large value for her；
therefore she was wise to reserve it。
It is likely that it is not frequently used。 It is also probable that
the difficulties attendant upon getting admission to membership have been
instituted more to invite than to deter； more to enhance the value of
membership and make people long for it than to make it really difficult
to get。 I think so； because the Mother。 Church has many thousands of
members more than its building can accommodate。
AND SOME ENGLISH REQUIRED
Mrs。 Eddy is very particular as regards one detail curiously so； for her；
all things considered。 The Church Readers must be 〃good English
scholars〃； they must be 〃thorough English scholars。〃
She is thus sensitive about the English of her subordinates for cause；
possibly。 In her chapter defining the duties of the Clerk there is an
indication that she harbors resentful memories of an occasion when the
hazy quality of her own English made unforeseen and mortifying trouble：
〃Understanding Communications。 Sec。 2。 If the Clerk of this Church
shall receive a communication from the Pastor Emeritus which he does not
fully understand； he shall inform her of this fact before presenting it
to the Church； and obtain a clear understanding of the matterthen act
in accordance therewith。〃
She should have waited to calm down； then； but instead she added this；
which lacks sugar：
〃Failing to adhere to this By…law； the Clerk must resign。〃
I wish I could see that communication that broke the camel's back。 It
was probably the one beginning： 〃What plague spot or bacilli were gnawing
at the heart of this metropolis and bringing it on bended knee？〃 and I
think it likely that the kindly disposed Clerk tried to translate it into
English and lost his mind and had to go to the hospital。 That Bylaw was
not the offspring of a forecast； an intuition； it was certainly born of a
sorrowful experience。 Its temper gives the fact away。
The little book of By…laws has manifestly been tinkered by one of Mrs。
Eddy's 〃 thorough English scholars；〃 for in the majority of cases its
meanings are clear。 The book is not even marred by Mrs。 Eddy's peculiar
specialtylumbering clumsinesses of speech。 I believe the salaried
polisher has weeded them all out but one。 In one place； after referring
to Science and Health； Mrs。 Eddy goes on to say 〃the Bible and the above…
…named book； with other works by the same author；〃 etc。
It is an unfortunate sentence； for it could mislead a hasty or careless
reader for a moment。 Mrs。 Eddy framed itit is her very ownit bears
her trade…mark。 〃The Bible and Science and Health； with other works by
the same author；〃 could have come from no literary vacuum but the one
which produced the remark （in the Autobiography）： 〃I remember reading； in
my childhood； certain manuscripts containing Scriptural Sonnets； besides
other verses and enigmas。〃
We know what she means； in both instances； but a low…priced Clerk would
not necessarily know； and on a salary like his he could quite excusably
aver that the Pastor Emeritus had commanded him to come and make
proclamation that she was author of the Bible； and that she was thinking
of discharging some Scriptural sonnets and other enigmas upon the
congregation。 It could lose him his place； but it would not be fair； if
it happened before the edict about 〃Understanding Communications〃 was
promulgated。
〃READERS〃 AGAIN
The By…law book makes a showy pretence of orderliness and system； but it
is only a pretence。 I will not go so far as to say it is a harum…scarum
jumble； for it is not that； but I think it fair to say it is at least
jumbulacious in places。 For instance； Articles III。 and IV。 set forth
in much detail the qualifications and duties of Readers； she then skips
some thirty pages and takes up the subject again。 It looks like
slovenliness； but it may be only art。 The belated By…law has a
sufficiently quiet look； but it has a ton of dynamite in it。 It makes
all the Christian Science Church Readers on the globe the personal
chattels of Mrs。 Eddy。 Whenever she chooses； she can stretch her long
arm around the world's fat belly and flirt a Reader out of his pulpit；
though he be tucked away in seeming safety and obscurity in a lost
village in the middle of China：
〃In any Church。 Sec。 2。 The Pastor Emeritus of the Mother…Church shall
have the right （through a letter addressed to the individual and Church
of which he is the Reader） to remove a Reader from this office in any
Church of Christ； Scientist； both in America and in foreign nations； or
to appoint the Reader to fill any office belonging to the Christian
Science denomination。〃
She does not have to prefer charges against him； she does not have to
find him lazy； careless； incompetent； untidy； ill…mannered； unholy；
dishonest； she does not have to discover a fault of any kind in him； she
does not have to tell him nor his congregation why she dismisses and
disgraces him and insults his meek flock； she does not have to explain to
his family why she takes the bread out of their mouths and turns them
out…of…doors homeless and ashamed in a strange land； she does not have to
do anything but send a letter and say： 〃Pack！ and ask no questions！〃
Has the Pope this power？ the other Pope the one in Rome。 Has he
anything approaching it？ Can he turn a priest out of his pulpit and
strip him of his office and his livelihood just upon a whim； a caprice；
and meanwhile furnishing no reasons to the parish？ Not in America。 And
not elsewhere； we may believe。
It is odd and strange； to see intelligent and educated people among us
worshipping this self…seeking and remorseless tyrant as a God。 This
worship is deniedby persons who are themselves worshippers of Mrs。
Eddy。 I feel quite sure that it is a worship which will continue during
ages。
That Mrs。 Eddy wrote that amazing By…law with her own hand we have much
better evidence than her word。 We have her English。 It is there。 It
cannot be imitated。 She ought never to go to the expense of copyrighting
her verbal discharges。 When any one tries to claim them she should call
me； I can always tell them from any other literary apprentice's at a
glance。 It was like her to call America a 〃nation〃； she would call a
sand…bar a nation if it should fall into a sentence in which she was
speaking of peoples； for she would not know how to untangle it and get it
out and classify it by itself。 And the closing arrangement of that By…
law is in true Eddysonian form； too。 In it she reserves authority to
make a Reader fill any office connected with a Science church…sexton；
grave…digger； advertising…agent； Annex…polisher； leader of the choir；
President； Director； Treasurer； Clerk； etc。 She did not mean that。 She
already possessed that authority。 She meant to clothe herself with
power； despotic and unchallengeable； to appoint all Science Readers to
their offices； both at home and abroad。 The phrase 〃or to appoint〃 is
another miscarriage of intention； she did not mean 〃or；〃 she meant 〃and。〃
That By…law puts into Mrs。 Eddy's hands absolute command over the most
formidable force and influence existent in the Christian Science kingdom
outside of herself； and it does this unconditionally and （by auxiliary
force of Laws already quoted） irrevocably。 Still； she is not quite
satisfied。 Something might happen； she doesn't know what。 Therefore she
drives in one more nail； to make sure； and drives it
