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！
had reposed were protected from sacrilegious touch by a broad band of
satin ribbon。 My companions expressed their admiration in subdued and
reverent tones； and at the tinkling of the bell we reverently tiptoed out
of the room to admit another delegation of the patient waiters at the
door。〃
Now； then； I hope the wound is healed。 I am willing to relinquish the
portrait； and compromise on the Chair。 At the same time； if I were going
to worship either； I should not choose the Chair。
As a picturesquely and persistently interesting personage； there is no
mate to Mrs。 Eddy； the accepted Equal of the Saviour。 But some of her
tastes are so different from His！ I find it quite impossible to imagine
Him； in life； standing sponsor for that museum there； and taking pleasure
in its sumptuous shows。 I believe He would put that Chair in the fire；
and the bell along with it； and I think He would make the show…woman go
away。 I think He would break those electric bulbs； and the 〃mantel…piece
of pure onyx；〃 and say reproachful things about the golden drain…pipes of
the lavatory； and give the costly rug of duck…breasts to the poor； and
sever the satin ribbon and invite the weary to rest and ease their aches
in the consecrated chairs。 What He would do with the painted windows we
can better conjecture when we come presently to examine their
peculiarities。
THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE PASTOR…UNIVERSAL
When Mrs。 Eddy turned the pastors out of all the Christian Science
churches and abolished the office for all time as far as human occupancy
is concernedshe appointed the Holy Ghost to fill their place。 If this
language be blasphemous； I did not invent the blasphemy； I am merely
stating a fact。 I will quote from page 227 of Science and Health
（edition 1899）； as a first step towards an explanation of this startling
mattera passage which sets forth and classifies the Christian Science
Trinity：
〃Life； Truth； and Love constitute the triune God； or triply divine
Principle。 They represent a trinity in unity； three in one the same in
essence； though multiform in office： God the Father； Christ the type of
Sonship； Divine Science； or the Holy Comforter。 。 。
〃The Holy Ghost； or Spirit； reveals this triune Principle； and （the Holy
Ghost） is expressed in Divine Science； which is the Comforter； leading
into all Truth； and revealing the divine Principle of the universe
universal and perpetual harmony。〃
I will cite another passage。 Speaking of Jesus
〃His students then received the Holy Ghost。 By this is meant； that by
all they had witnessed and suffered they were roused to an enlarged
understanding of Divine Science； even to the spiritual interpretation 。
。 。 of His teachings；〃 etc。
Also； page 579； in the chapter called the Glossary：
〃HOLY GHOST。 Divine Science； the developments of Life； Truth； and Love。〃
The Holy Ghost reveals the massed spirit of the fused trinity； this
massed spirit is expressed in Divine Science； and is the Comforter；
Divine Science conveys to men the 〃spiritual interpretation〃 of the
Saviour's teachings。 That seems to be the meaning of the quoted
passages。
Divine Science is Christian Science； the book Science and Health is a
〃revelation〃 of the whole spirit of the Trinity； and is therefore 〃The
Holy Ghost〃； it conveys to men the 〃spiritual interpretation〃 of the
Bible's teachings。 and therefore is 〃the Comforter。〃
I do not find this analyzing work easy； I would rather saw wood； and a
person can never tell whether he has added up a Science and Health sum
right or not； anyway； after all his trouble。 Neither can he easily find
out whether the texts are still on the market or have been discarded from
the Book； for two hundred and fifty…eight editions of it have been
issued； and no two editions seem to be alike。 The annual changesin
technical terminology； in matter and wording； in transpositions of
chapters and verses； in leaving out old chapters and verses and putting
in new onesseem to be next to innumerable； and as there is no index；
there is no way to find a thing one wants without reading the book
through。 If ever I inspire a Bible…Annex I will not rush at it in a
half…digested； helter…skelter way and have to put in thirty…eight years
trying to get some of it the way I want it； I will sit down and think it
out and know what it is I want to say before I begin。 An inspirer cannot
inspire for Mrs。 Eddy and keep his reputation。 I have never seen such
slipshod work； bar the ten that interpreted for the home market the 〃sell
all thou hast。〃 I have quoted one 〃spiritual〃 rendering of the Lord's
Prayer； I have seen one other one； and am told there are five more。 Yet
the inspirer of Mrs。 Eddy the new Infallible casts a complacent critical
stone at the other Infallible for being unable to make up its mind about
such things。 Science and Health； edition 1899； page 33：
〃The decisions； by vote of Church Councils； as to what should and should
not be considered Holy Writ； the manifest mistakes in the ancient
versions： the thirty thousand different readings in the Old Testament and
the three hundred thousand in the Newthese facts show how a mortal and
material sense stole into the divine record； darkening； to some extent；
the inspired pages with its own hue。〃
To some extent； yesspeaking cautiously。 But it is nothing； really
nothing； Mrs。 Eddy is only a little way behind； and if her inspirer lives
to get her Annex to suit him that Catholic record will have to 〃go 'way
back and set down；〃 as the ballad says。 Listen to the boastful song of
Mrs。 Eddy's organ； the Christian Science Journal for March； 1902； about
that year's revamping and half…soling of Science and Health； whose
official name is the Holy Ghost； the Comforter； and who is now the
Official Pastor and Infallible and Unerring Guide of every Christian
Science church in the two hemispheres； hear Simple Simon that met the
pieman brag of the Infallible's fallibility：
〃Throughout the entire book the verbal changes are so numerous as to
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 p