christian science-第23章

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satisfied。　　Something　might　happen；　she　doesn't　know　what。　　Therefore　she
drives　in　one　more　nail；　to　make　sure；　and　drives　it　deep：

〃This　By…law　can　neither　be　amended　nor　annulled；　except　by　consent　of
the　Pastor　Emeritus。〃

Let　some　one　with　a　wild　and　delirious　fancy　try　and　see　if　he　can
imagine　her　furnishing　that　consent。




MONOPOLY　OF　SPIRITUAL　BREAD

Very　properly；　the　first　qualification　for　membership　in　the　Mother…
Church　is　belief　in　the　doctrines　of　Christian　Science。

But　these　doctrines　must　not　be　gathered　from　secondary　sources。　　There
is　but　one　recognized　source。　　The　candidate　must　be　a　believer　in　the
doctrines　of　Christian　Science　〃according　to　the　platform　and　teaching
contained　in　the　Christian　Science　text…book；　'Science　and　Health；　with
Key　to　the　Scriptures；'　by　Rev。　　Mary　Baker　G。　　Eddy。〃

That　is　definite；　and　is　final。　　There　are　to　be　no　commentaries；　no
labored　volumes　of　exposition　and　explanation　by　anybody　except　Mrs。
Eddy。　　Because　such　things　could　sow　error；　create　warring　opinions；
split　the　religion　into　sects；　and　disastrously　cripple　its　power。　　Mrs。
Eddy　will　do　the　whole　of　the　explaining；　Herselfhas　done　it；　in　fact。
She　has　written　several　books。　　They　are　to　be　had　（for　cash　in　advance）；
they　are　all　sacred；　additions　to　them　can　never　be　needed　and　will　never
be　permitted。　　They　tell　the　candidate　how　to　instruct　himself；　how　to
teach　others；　how　to　do　all　things　comprised　in　the　businessand　they
close　the　door　against　all　would…be　competitors；　and　monopolize　the
trade：

〃The　Bible　and　the　abovenamed　book　＇Science　and　Health＇；　with　other
works　by　the　same　author；〃　must　be　his　only　text…books　for　the　commerce
he　cannot　forage　outside。

Mrs。　Eddy's　words　are　to　be　the　sole　elucidators　of　the　Bible　and　Science
and　Health　forever。　　Throughout　the　ages；　whenever　there　is　doubt　as　to
the　meaning　of　a　passage　in　either　of　these　books　the　inquirer　will　not
dream　of　trying　to　explain　it　to　himself；　he　would　shudder　at　the　thought
of　such　temerity；　such　profanity；　he　would　be　haled　to　the　Inquisition
and　thence　to　the　public　square　and　the　stake　if　he　should　be　caught
studying　into　text…meanings　on　his　own　hook；　he　will　be　prudent　and　seek
the　meanings　at　the　only　permitted　source；　Mrs。　Eddy's　commentaries。

Value　of　this　Strait…jacket。　　One　must　not　underrate　the　magnificence　of
this　long…headed　idea；　one　must　not　underestimate　its　giant　possibilities
in　the　matter　of　trooping　the　Church　solidly　together　and　keeping　it　so。
It　squelches　independent　inquiry；　and　makes　such　a　thing　impossible；
profane；　criminal；　it　authoritatively　settles　every　dispute　that　can
arise。　　It　starts　with　finality　a　point　which　the　Roman　Church　has
travelled　towards　fifteen　or　sixteen　centuries；　stage　by　stage；　and　has
not　yet　reached。　　The　matter　of　the　Immaculate　Conception　of　the　Virgin
Mary　was　not　authoritatively　settled　until　the　days　of　Pius　IX。
yesterday；　so　to　speak。

As　already　noticed；　the　Protestants　are　broken　up　into　a　long　array　of
sects；　a　result　of　disputes　about　the　meanings　of　texts；　disputes　made
unavoidable　by　the　absence　of　an　infallible　authority　to　submit　doubtful
passages　to。　　A　week　or　two　ago　（I　am　writing　in　the　middle　of　January；
1903）；　the　clergy　and　others　hereabouts　had　a　warm　dispute　in　the　papers
over　this　question：　Did　Jesus　anywhere　claim　to　be　God？　　It　seemed　an
easy　question；　but　it　turned　out　to　be　a　hard　one。　　It　was　ably　and
elaborately　discussed；　by　learned　men　of　several　denominations；　but　in
the　end　it　remained　unsettled。

A　week　ago；　another　discussion　broke　out。　　It　was　over　this　text：

〃Sell　all　that　thou　hast　and　distribute　unto　the　poor。〃

One　verdict　was　worded　as　follows：

〃When　Christ　answered　the　rich　young　man　and　said　for　him　to　give　to　the
poor　all　he　possessed　or　he　could　not　gain　everlasting　life；　He　did　not
mean　it　in　the　literal　sense。　　My　interpretation　of　His　words　is　that　we
should　part　with　what　comes　between　us　and　Christ。

〃There　is　no　doubt　that　Jesus　believed　that　the　rich　young　man　thought
more　of　his　wealth　than　he　did　of　his　soul；　and；　such　being　the　case；　it
was　his　duty　to　give　up　the　wealth。

〃Every　one　of　us　knows　that　there　is　something　we　should　give　up　for
Christ。　　Those　who　are　true　believers　and　followers　know　what　they　have
given　up；　and　those　who　are　not　yet　followers　know　down　in　their　hearts
what　they　must　give　up。〃

Ten　clergymen　of　various　denominations　were　interviewed；　and　nine　of　them
agreed　with　that　verdict。　　That　did　not　settle　the　matter；　because　the
tenth　said　the　language　of　Jesus　was　so　strait　and　definite　that　it
explained　itself：　〃Sell　all；〃　not　a　percentage。

There　is　a　most　unusual　feature　about　that　dispute：　the　nine　persons　who
decided　alike；　quoted　not　a　single　authority　in　support　of　their
position。　　I　do　not　know　when　I　have　seen　trained　disputants　do　the　like
of　that　before。　　The　nine　merely　furnished　their　own　opinions；　founded
uponnothing　at　all。　　In　the　other　dispute　（〃Did　Jesus　anywhere　claim　to
be　God？〃）　the　same　kind　of　mentrained　and　learned　clergymenbacked　up
their　arguments　with　chapter　and　verse。　　On　both　sides。　　Plenty　of
verses。　　Were　no　reinforcing　verses　to　be　found　in　the　present　case？　　It
looks　that　way。

The　opinion　of　the　nine　seems　strange　to　me；　for　it　is　unsupported　by
authority；　while　there　was　at　least　constructive　authority　for　the
opposite　view。

It　is　hair…splitting　differences　of　opinion　over　disputed　text…meanings
that　have　divided　into　many　sects　a　once　united　Church。　　One　may　infer
from　some　of　the　names　in　the　following　list　that　some　of　the　differences
are　very　slightso　slight　as　to　be　not　distinctly　important；　perhaps
yet　they　have　moved　groups　to　withdraw　from　communions　to　which　they
belonged　and　set　up　a　sect　of　their　own。　　The　listaccompanied　by
various　Church　statistics　for　1902；　compiled　by　Rev。　　Dr。　　H。　　K。
Carrollwas　published；　January　8；　1903；　in　the　New　York　Christian
Advocate：

Adventists　（6　bodies）；　Baptists　（13　bodies）；　Brethren　（Plymouth）　（4
bodies）；　Brethren　（River）　（3　bodies）；　Catholics　（8　bodies）；　Catholic
Apostolic；　Christadelphians；　Christian　Connection；　Christian　Catholics；
Christian　Missionary　Association；　Christian　Scientists；　Church　of　God
（Wine…brennarian）；　Church　of　the　New　Jerusalem；　Congregationalists；
Disciples　of　Christ；　Dunkards　（4　bodies）；　Evangelical　（2　bodies）；　Friends
（4　bodies）；　Friends　of　the　Temple；　German　Evangelical　Protestant；　German
Evangelical　Synod；　Independent　congregations；　Jews　（2　bodies）；　Latter…day
Saints　（2　bodies）；　Lutherans　（22　bodies）；　Mennonites　（12　bodies）；
Methodists　（17　bodies）；　Moravians；　Presbyterians　（12　bodies）；　Protestant
Episcopal　（2　bodies）；　Reformed　（3　bodies）；　Schwenkfeldians；　Social
Brethren；　Spiritualists；　Swedish　Evangelical　Miss。　　Covenant
（Waldenstromians）；　Unitarians；　United　Brethren　（2　bodies）；　Universalists；

Total　of　sects　and　splits139。

In　the　present　month　（February）；　Mr。　E。　　I。　　Lindh；　A。。M。；　has
communicated　to　the　Boston　Transcript　a　hopeful　article　on　the　solution
of　the　problem　of　the　〃divided　church。〃　　Divided　is　not　too　violent　a
term。　　Subdivided　could　have　been　permitted　if　he　had　thought　of　it。　　He
came　near　thinking　of　it；　for　he　mentions　some　of　the　subdivisions
himself：　〃the　12　kinds　of　Presbyterians；　the　17　kinds　of　Methodists；　the
13　kinds　of　Baptists；　etc。〃　　He　overlooked　the　12　kinds　of　Mennonites　and
the　22　kinds　of　Lutherans；　but　they　are　in　Rev。　　Mr。　Carroll's　list。
Altogether；　76　splits　under　5　flags。　　The　Literary　Digest　（February　14th）
is　pleased　with　Mr。　Lindh's　optimistic　article；　and　also　with　the　signs
of　the　times；　and　perceives　that　〃the　idea　of　Church　unity　is　in　the
air。〃

Now；　then；　is　not　Mrs。　Eddy　profoundly　wise　in　forbidding；　for　all　time；
all　explanations　of　her　religion　except　such　as　she　shall　let　on　to　be
her　own？

I　think　so。　　I　think　there　can　be　no　doubt　of　it。　　In　a　way；　they　will　be
her　own；　for；　no　matter　which　member　of　her　clerical　staff　shall　furnish
the　explanations；　not　a　line　of　them　will　she　ever　allow　to　be　printed
until　she　shall　have　approved　it；　accepted　it；　copyrighted　it；　cabbaged
it。　　We　may　de