christian science-第42章
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Mrs。 Eddy is the sovereign； she devised that great place for herself； she
occupies that throne。
In 1895； she wrote a little primer； a little body of autocratic laws；
called the Manual of The First Church of Christ； Scientist； and put those
laws in force； in permanence。 Her government is all there； all in that
deceptively innocent…looking little book； that cunning little devilish
book； that slumbering little brown volcano； with hell in its bowels。 In
that book she has planned out her system； and classified and defined its
purposes and powers。
MAIN PARTS OF THE MACHINE
A Supreme Church。 At Boston。
Branch Churches。 All over the world
One Pastor for the whole of them： to wit； her book； Science and Health。
Term of the book's officeforever。
In every C。S。 pulpit； two 〃Readers；〃 a man and a woman。 No talkers； no
preachers； in any Church…readers only。 Readers of the Bible and her
booksno others。 No commentators allowed to write or print。
A Church Service。 She has framed itfor all the C。S。 Churches
selected its readings； its prayers； and the hymns to be used； and has
appointed the order of procedure。 No changes permitted。
A Creed。 She wrote it。 All C。S。 Churches must subscribe to it。 No
other permitted。
A Treasury。 At Boston。 She carries the key。
A C。S。 BookPublishing House。 For books approved by her。 No others
permitted。
Journals and Magazines。 These are organs of hers； and are controlled by
her。
A College。 For teaching C。S。
DISTRIBUTION OF THE MACHINE'S POWERS AND DIGNITIES
Supreme Church。
Pastor EmeritusMrs。 Eddy。
Board of Directors。
Board of Education。
Board of Finance。
College Faculty。
Various Committees。
Treasurer。
Clerk。
First Members （of the Supreme Church）。
Members of the Supreme Church。
It looks fair； it looks real； but it is all a fiction。
Even the little 〃Pastor Emeritus〃 is a fiction。 Instead of being merely
an honorary and ornamental official； Mrs。 Eddy is the only official in
the entire body that has the slightest power。 In her Manual； she has
provided a prodigality of ways and forms whereby she can rid herself of
any functionary in the government whenever she wants to。 The officials
are all shadows； save herself； she is the only reality。 She allows no
one to hold office more than a year no one gets a chance to become
over…popular or over…useful； and dangerous。 〃Excommunication〃 is the
favorite penalty…it is threatened at every turn。 It is evidently the pet
dread and terror of the Church's membership。
The member who thinks； without getting his thought from Mrs。 Eddy before
uttering it； is banished permanently。 One or two kinds of sinners can
plead their way back into the fold； but this one； never。 To thinkin
the Supreme Churchis the New Unpardonable Sin。
To nearly every severe and fierce rule； Mrs。 Eddy adds this rivet： 〃This
By…law shall not be changed without the consent of the Pastor Emeritus。〃
Mrs。 Eddy is the entire Supreme Church； in her own person； in the matter
of powers and authorities。
Although she has provided so many ways of getting rid of unsatisfactory
members and officials； she was still afraid she might have left a life…
preserver lying around somewhere； therefore she devised a rule to cover
that defect。 By applying it； she can excommunicate （and this is
perpetual again） every functionary connected with the Supreme Church； and
every one of the twenty…five thousand members of that Church； at an
hour's noticeand do it all by herself without anybody's help。
By authority of this astonishing By…law； she has only to say a person
connected with that Church is secretly practicing hypnotism or mesmerism；
whereupon； immediate excommunication； without a hearing； is his portion！
She does not have to order a trial and produce evidenceher accusation
is all that is necessary。
Where is the Pope？ and where the Czar？ As the ballad says：
〃Ask of the winds that far away
With fragments strewed the sea！〃
The Branch Church's pulpit is occupied by two 〃Readers。〃 Without them
the Branch Church is as dead as if its throat had been cut。 To have
control； then； of the Readers； is to have control of the Branch Churches。
Mrs。 Eddy has that controla control wholly without limit； a control
shared with no one。
1。 No Reader can be appointed to any Church in the Christian Science
world without her express approval。
2。 She can summarily expel from his or her place any Reader； at home or
abroad； by a mere letter of dismissal； over her signature； and without
furnishing any reason for it； to either the congregation or the Reader。
Thus she has as absolute control over all Branch Churches as she has over
the Supreme Church。 This power exceeds the Pope's。
In simple truth； she is the only absolute sovereign in all Christendom。
The authority of the other sovereigns has limits； hers has none； none
whatever。 And her yoke does not fret； does not offend。 Many of the
subjects of the other monarchs feel their yoke； and are restive under it；
their loyalty is insincere。 It is not so with this one's human property；
their loyalty is genuine； earnest； sincere； enthusiastic。 The sentiment
which they feel for her is one which goes out in sheer perfection to no
other occupant of a throne； for it is love； pure from doubt； envy；
exaction； fault…seeking； a love whose sun has no spotthat form of love；
strong； great； uplifting； limitless； whose vast proportions are
compassable by no word but one； the prodigious word； Worship。 And it is
not as a human being that her subjects worship her； but as a supernatural
one； a divine one； one who has comradeship with God； and speaks by His
voice。
Mrs。 Eddy has herself created all these personal grandeurs and
autocracieswith others which I have not （in this article） mentioned。
They place her upon an Alpine solitude and supremacy of power and
spectacular show not hitherto attained by any other self…seeking enslaver
disguised in the Christian name； and they persuade me that； although she
may regard 〃self…deification as blasphemous；〃 she is as fond of it as I
am of pie。
She knows about 〃Our Mother's Room〃 in the Supreme Church in Boston
above referred tofor she has been in it。 In a recently published North
American Review article； I quoted a lady as saying Mrs。 Eddy's portrait
could be seen there in a shrine； lit by always…burning lights； and that
C。S。 disciples came and worshiped it。 That remark hurt the feelings of
more than one Scientist。 They said it was not true； and asked me to
correct it。 I comply with pleasure。 Whether the portrait was there four
years ago or not； it is not there now； for I have inquired。 The only
object in the shrine now； and lit by electricsand worshipedis an oil…
portrait of the horse…hair chair Mrs。 Eddy used to sit in when she was
writing Science and Health！ It seems to me that adulation has struck
bottom； here。
Mrs。 Eddy knows about that。 She has been there； she has seen it； she has
seen the worshippers。 She could abolish that sarcasm with a word。 She
withholds the word。 Once more I seem to recognize in her exactly the
same appetite for self…deification that I have for pie。 We seem to be
curiously alike； for the love of self…deification is really only the
spiritual form of the material appetite for pie； and nothing could be
more strikingly Christian…Scientifically 〃harmonious。〃
I note this phrase：
〃Christian Science eschews divine rights in human beings。〃
〃Rights〃 is vague； I do not know what it means there。 Mrs。 Eddy is not
well acquainted with the English language； and she is seldom able to say
in it what she is trying to say。 She has no ear for the exact word； and
does not often get it。 〃Rights。〃 Does it mean 〃honors？〃 〃attributes？〃
〃Eschews。〃 This is another umbrella where there should be a torch； it
does not illumine the sentence； it only deepens the shadows。 Does she
mean 〃denies？〃 〃refuses？〃 〃forbids？〃 or something in that line？ Does she
mean：
〃Christian Science denies divine honors to human beings？〃 Or：
〃Christian Science refuses to recognize divine attributes in human
beings？〃 Or：
〃Christian Science forbids the worsh
