christian science-第31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！
indicate the vast amount of time and labor Mrs。 Eddy has devoted to this
revision。 The time and labor thus bestowed is relatively as great as
that of the committee who revised the Bible。。。。 Thus we have
additional evidence of the herculean efforts our beloved Leader has made
and is constantly making for the promulgation of Truth and the
furtherance of her divinely bestowed mission；〃 etc。
It is a steady job。 I could help inspire if desired； I am not doing much
now； and would work for half…price； and should not object to the country。
PRICE OF THE PASTOR…UNIVERSAL
The price of the Pastor…Universal； Science and Health； called in Science
literature the Comforterand by that other sacred Name is three
dollars in cloth； as heretofore； six when it is finely bound； and shaped
to imitate the Testament； and is broken into verses。 Margin of profit
above cost of manufacture； from five hundred to seven hundred per cent。；
as already noted In the profane subscription…trade； it costs the
publisher heavily to canvass a three…dollar book； he must pay the general
agent sixty per cent。 commissionthat is to say； one dollar and eighty…
cents。 Mrs。 Eddy escapes this blistering tax； because she owns the
Christian Science canvasser； and can compel him to work for nothing。
Read the following commandnot request fulminated by Mrs。 Eddy； over
her signature； in the Christian Science Journal for March； 1897； and
quoted by Mr。 Peabody in his book。 The book referred to is Science and
Health：
〃It shall be the duty of all Christian Scientists to circulate and to
sell as many of these books as they can。〃
That is flung at all the elect； everywhere that the sun shines； but no
penalty is shaken over their heads to scare them。 The same command was
issued to the members （numbering to…day twenty…five thousand） of The
Mother…Church； also； but with it went a threat； of the infliction； in
case of disobedience； of the most dreaded punishment that has a place in
the Church's list of penalties for transgressions of Mrs。 Eddy's edicts
excommunication：
〃If a member of The First Church of Christ； Scientist； shall fail to obey
this injunction； it will render him liable to lose his membership in this
Church。 MARY BAKER EDDY。〃
It is the spirit of the Spanish Inquisition。
None but accepted and well established gods can venture an affront like
that and do it with confidence。 But the human race will take anything
from that class。 Mrs。 Eddy knows the human race； knows it better than
any mere human being has known it in a thousand centuries。 My confidence
in her human…beingship is getting shaken； my confidence in her godship is
stiffening。
SEVEN HUNDRED PER CENT。
A Scientist out West has visited a booksellerwith intent to find fault
with meand has brought away the information that the price at which
Mrs。 Eddy sells Science and Health is not an unusually high one for the
size and make of the book。 That is true。 But in the book…tradethat
profit…devourer unknown to Mrs。 Eddy's booka three…dollar book that is
made for thirty…five or forty cents in large editions is put at three
dollars because the publisher has to pay author； middleman； and
advertising； and if the price were much below three the profit accruing
would not pay him fairly for his time and labor。 At the same time； if he
could get ten dollars for the book he would take it； and his morals would
not fall under criticism。
But if he were an inspired person commissioned by the Deity to receive
and print and spread broadcast among sorrowing and suffering and poor men
a precious message of healing and cheer and salvation； he would have to
do as Bible Societies dosell the book at a pinched margin above cost to
such as could pay； and give it free to all that couldn't； and his name
would be praised。 But if he sold it at seven hundred per cent。 profit
and put the money in his pocket； his name would be mocked and derided。
Just as Mrs。 Eddy's is。 And most justifiably； as it seems to me。
The complete Bible contains one million words。 The New Testament by
itself contains two hundred and forty thousand words。
My '84 edition of Science and Health contains one hundred and twenty
thousand words just half as many as the New Testament。
Science and Health has since been so inflated by later inspirations that
the 1902 edition contains one hundred and eighty thousand wordsnot
counting the thirty thousand at the back； devoted by Mrs。 Eddy to
advertising the book's healing abilitiesand the inspiring continues
right along。
If you have a book whose market is so sure and so great that you can give
a printer an everlasting order for thirty or forty or fifty thousand
copies a year he will furnish them at a cheap rate； because whenever
there is a slack time in his press…room and bindery he can fill the idle
intervals on your book and be making something instead of losing。 That
is the kind of contract that can be let on Science and Health every year。
I am obliged to doubt that the three…dollar Science and Health costs Mrs。
Eddy above fifteen cents； or that the six dollar copy costs her above
eighty cents。 I feel quite sure that the average profit to her on these
books； above cost of manufacture； is all of seven hundred per cent。
Every proper Christian Scientist has to buy and own （and canvass for）
Science and Health （one hundred and eighty thousand words）； and he must
also own a Bible （one million words）。 He can buy the one for from three
to six dollars； and the other for fifteen cents。 Or； if three dollars is
all the money he has； he can get his Bible for nothing。 When the Supreme
Being disseminates a saving Message through uninspired agentsthe New
Testament； for instance it can be done for five cents a copy； but when
He sends one containing only two…thirds as many words through the shop of
a Divine Personage； it costs sixty times as much。 I think that in
matters of such importance it is bad economy to employ a wild…cat agency。
Here are some figures which are perfectly authentic； and which seem to
justify my opinion。
〃These ＇Bible＇ societies； inspired only by a sense of religious duty； are
issuing the Bible at a price so small that they have made it the cheapest
book printed。 For example； the American Bible Society offers an edition
of the whole Bible as low as fifteen cents and the New Testament at five
cents； and the British Society at sixpence and one penny； respectively。
These low prices； made possible by their policy of selling the books at
cost or below cost；〃 etc。New York Sun； February 25； 1903。
CHAPTER IX
We may now make a final footing…up of Mrs。 Eddy； and see what she is； in
the fulness of her powers。 She is
The Massachusetts Metaphysical College
Pastor Emeritus；
President；
Board of Directors；
Board of Education；
Board of Lectureships；
Future Board of Trustees；
Proprietor of the Publishing…House and Periodicals；
Treasurer；
Clerk；
Proprietor of the Teachers；
Proprietor of the Lecturers；
Proprietor of the Missionaries；
Proprietor of the Readers；
Dictator of the Services； sole Voice of the Pulpit；
Proprietor of the Sanhedrin；
Sole Proprietor of the Creed。 （Copyrighted。）；
Indisputable Autocrat of the Branch Churches； with their life and death
in her hands；
Sole Thinker for The First Church （and the others）；
Sole and Infallible Expounder of Doctrine； in life and in death；
Sole permissible Discoverer； Denouncer； Judge； and Executioner of
Ostensible Hypnotists；
Fifty…handed God of Excommunicationwith a thunderbolt in every hand；
Appointer and Installer of the Pastor of all the Churchesthe Perpetual
Pastor…Universal； Science and Health； 〃the Comforter。〃
CHAPTER X
There she stands…painted by herself。 No witness but herself has been
allowed to testify。 She stands there painted by her acts； and decorated
by her words。 When she talks； she has only a decorative value as a
witness； either for or against herself； for she deals mainly in
unsupported assertion； and in the rare cases where she puts forward a
verifiable fact she gets out of it a meaning which it refuses to furnish
to anybody else。 Also； when she talks； she is unstable； she wande
