christian science-第8部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

interference　that　man　in　the　three　years　which　have　since　elapsed；　would
have　essentially　died　thirty　times　more。　　There　are　thousands　of　young
people　in　the　land　who　are　now　ready　to　enter　upon　a　life…long　death
similar　to　that　man's。　　Every　time　the　Science　captures　one　of　these　and
secures　to　him　life…long　immunity　from　imagination…manufactured　disease；
it　may　plausibly　claim　that　in　his　person　it　has　saved　three　hundred
lives。　　Meantime；　it　will　kill　a　man　every　now　and　then。　　But　no　matter；
it　will　still　be　ahead　on　the　credit　side。

＇NOTE。I　have　received　several　letters　（two　from　educated　and　ostensibly
intelligent　persons）；　which　contained；　in　substance；　this　protest：　〃I
don't　object　to　men　and　women　chancing　their　lives　with　these　people；　but
it　is　a　burning　shame　that　the　law　should　allow　them　to　trust　their
helpless　little　children　in　their　deadly　hands。　　〃Isn't　it　touching？
Isn't　it　deep？　　Isn't　it　modest？　　It　is　as　if　the　person　said：　〃I　know
that　to　a　parent　his　child　is　the　core　of　his　heart；　the　apple　of　his
eye；　a　possession　so　dear；　so　precious　that　he　will　trust　its　life　in　no
hands　but　those　which　he　believes；　with　all　his　soul；　to　be　the　very　best
and　the　very　safest；　but　it　is　a　burning　shame　that　the　law　does　not
require　him　to　come　to　me　to　ask　what　kind　of　healer　I　will　allow　him　to
call。〃　　The　public　is　merely　a　multiplied　〃me。〃M。T。＇




CHAPTER　VII

〃We　consciously　declare　that　Science　and　Health；　with　Key　to　the
Scriptures；　was　foretold；　as　well　as　its　author；　Mary　Baker　Eddy；　in
Revelation　x。　　She　is　the　'mighty　angel；'　or　God's　highest　thought　to
this　age　（verse　1）；　giving　us　the　spiritual　interpretation　of　the　Bible
in　the　'little　book　open'　（verse　2）。　　Thus　we　prove　that　Christian
Science　is　the　second　coming　of　Christ…Truth…Spirit。〃　Lecture　by　Dr。
George　Tomkins；　D。D。　C。S。

There　you　have　it　in　plain　speech。　　She　is　the　mighty　angel；　she　is　the
divinely　and　officially　sent　bearer　of　God's　highest　thought。　　For　the
present；　she　brings　the　Second　Advent。　　We　must　expect　that　before　she
has　been　in　her　grave　fifty　years　she　will　be　regarded　by　her　following
as　having　been　herself　the　Second　Advent。　　She　is　already　worshiped；　and
we　must　expect　this　feeling　to　spread；　territorially；　and　also　to　deepen
in　intensity。

Particularly　after　her　death；　for　then；　as　any　one　can　foresee；　Eddy…
Worship　will　be　taught　in　the　Sunday…schools　and　pulpits　of　the　cult。
Already　whatever　she　puts　her　trade…mark　on；　though　it　be　only　a
memorial…spoon；　is　holy　and　is　eagerly　and　gratefully　bought　by　the
disciple；　and　becomes　a　fetish　in　his　house。　　I　say　bought；　for　the
Boston　Christian…Science　Trust　gives　nothing　away；　everything　it　has　is
for　sale。　　And　the　terms　are　cash；　and　not　only　cash；　but　cash　in
advance。　　Its　god　is　Mrs。　Eddy　first；　then　the　Dollar。　　Not　a　spiritual
Dollar；　but　a　real　one。　　From　end　to　end　of　the　Christian　Science
literature　not　a　single　（material）　thing　in　the　world　is　conceded　to　be
real；　except　the　Dollar。　　But　all　through　and　through　its　advertisements
that　reality　is　eagerly　and　persistently　recognized。

The　Dollar　is　hunted　down　in　all　sorts　of　ways；　the　Christian…Science
Mother…Church　and　Bargain…Counter　in　Boston　peddles　all　kinds　of
spiritual　wares　to　the　faithful；　and　always　on　the　one　conditioncash；
cash　in　advance。　　The　Angel　of　the　Apocalypse　could　not　go　there　and　get
a　copy　of　his　own　pirated　book　on　credit。　　Many；　many　precious　Christian…
Science　things　are　to　be　had　there　for　cash：　Bible　Lessons；　Church
Manual；　C。　　S。　　Hymnal；　History　of　the　building　of　the　Mother…Church；　lot
of　Sermons；　Communion　Hymn；　〃Saw　Ye　My　Saviour；〃　by　Mrs。　Eddy；　half　a
dollar　a　copy；　〃words　used　by　special　permission　of　Mrs。　Eddy。〃　　Also　we
have　Mrs。　Eddy's　and　the　Angel's　little　Blue…Annex　in　eight　styles　of
binding　at　eight　kinds　of　war…prices；　among　these　a　sweet　thing　in
〃levant；　divinity　circuit；　leather　lined　to　edge；　round　corners；　gold
edge；　silk　sewed；　each；　prepaid；　6；〃　and　if　you　take　a　million　you　get
them　a　shilling　cheaper　that　is　to　say；　〃prepaid；　5。75。〃　　Also　we　have
Mrs。　Eddy's　Miscellaneous　Writings；　at　'andsome　big　prices；　the　divinity…
circuit　style　heading　the　exertions；　shilling　discount　where　you　take　an
edition　Next　comes　Christ　and　Christmas；　by　the　fertile　Mrs。　Eddya
poemwould　God　I　could　see　it！　　price　3；　cash　in　advance。　　Then
follow　five　more　books　by　Mrs。　Eddy；　at　highwayman's　rates；　some　of　them
in　〃leatherette　covers；〃　some　of　them　in　〃pebble　cloth；〃　with　divinity…
circuit；　compensation…balance；　twin…screw；　and　the　other　modern
improvements；　and　at　the　same　bargain…counter　can　be　had　The　Christian
Science　Journal。

Christian…Science　literary　discharges　are　a　monopoly　of　the　Mother…Church
Headquarters　Factory　in　Boston；　none　genuine　without　the　trade…mark　of
the　Trust。　　You　must　apply　there　and　not　elsewhere。

One　hundred　dollars　for　it。　　And　I　have　a　case　among　my　statistics　where
the　student　had　a　three　weeks'　course　and　paid　three　hundred　for　it。

The　Trust　does　love　the　Dollar；　when　it　isn't　a　spiritual　one。

In　order　to　force　the　sale　of　Mrs　Eddy's　Bible…Annex；　no　healer；
Metaphysical…College…bred　or　other；　is　allowed　to　practice　the　game
unless　he　possesses　a　copy　of　that　book。　　That　means　a　large　and
constantly　augmenting　income　for　the　Trust。　　No　C。S。　　family　would
consider　itself　loyal　or　pious　or　pain…proof　without　an　Annex　or　two　in
the　house。　　That　means　an　income　for　the　Trust；　in　the　near　future；　of
millions；　not　thousands…millions　a　year。

No　member；　young　or　old；　of　a　branch　Christian…Scientist　church　can
acquire　and　retain　membership　in　the　Mother…Church　unless　he　pay
〃capitation　tax〃　（of　〃not　less　than　a　dollar；〃　say　the　By…Laws）　to　the
Boston　Trust　every　year。　　That　means　an　income　for　the　Trust；　in　the　near
future；　oflet　us　venture　to　saymillions　more　per　year。

It　is　a　reasonably　safe　guess　that　in　America　in　1920　there　will　be　ten
million　Christian　Scientists；　and　three　millions　in　Great　Britain；　that
these　figures　will　be　trebled　in　1930；　that　in　America　in　1920　the
Christian　Scientists　will　be　a　political　force；　in　1930　politically
formidable；　and　in　1940　the　governing　power　in　the　Republicto　remain
that；　permanently。　　And　I　think　it　a　reasonable　guess　that　the　Trust
（which　is　already　in　our　day　pretty　brusque　in　its　ways）　will　then　be　the
most　insolent　and　unscrupulous　and　tyrannical　politico…religious　master
that　has　dominated　a　people　since　the　palmy　days　of　the　Inquisition。　　And
a　stronger　master　than　the　strongest　of　bygone　times；　because　this　one
will　have　a　financial　strength　not　dreamed　of　by　any　predecessor；　as
effective　a　concentration　of　irresponsible　power　as　any　predecessor　has
had；　in　the　railway；　the　telegraph；　and　the　subsidized　newspaper；　better
facilities　for　watching　and　managing　his　empire　than　any　predecessor　has
had；　and；　after　a　generation　or　two；　he　will　probably　divide　Christendom
with　the　Catholic　Church。

The　Roman　Church　has　a　perfect　organization；　and　it　has　an　effective
centralization　of　powerbut　not　of　its　cash。　　Its　multitude　of　Bishops
are　rich；　but　their　riches　remain　in　large　measure　in　their　own　hands。
They　collect　from　two　hundred　millions　of　people；　but　they　keep　the　bulk
of　the　result　at　home。　　The　Boston　Pope　of　by…and…by　will　draw　his
dollar…a…head　capitation…tax　from　three　hundred　millions　of　the　human
race；　and　the　Annex　and　the　rest　of　his　book…shop　stock　will　fetch　in　as
much　more；　and　his　Metaphysical　Colleges；　the　annual　Pilgrimage　to　Mrs。
Eddy's　tomb；　from　all　over　the　world…admission；　the　Christian…Science
Dollar　（payable　in　advance）　purchases　of　consecrated　glass　beads；
candles；　memorial　spoons；　aureoled　chrome…portraits　and　bogus　autographs
of　Mrs。　Eddy；　cash　offerings　at　her　shrine　no　crutches　of　cured　cripples
received；　and　no　imitations　of　miraculously　restored　broken　legs　and
necks　allowed　to　be　hung　up　except　when　made　out　of　the　Holy　Metal　and
proved　by　fire…assay；　cash　for　miracles　worked　at　the　tomb：　these　money…
sources；　with　a　thousand　to　be　yet　invented　and　ambushed　upon　the
devotee；　will　bring　the　annual　increment　well　up　above　a　billion。　　And
nobody　but　the　Trust　will　have　the　handling　of　it。　　In　that　day；　the
Trust　will　monopolize　the　manufacture　and　sale　of　the　Old　and　New
Testaments　as　well　as　the　Annex；　and　raise　their　price　to　Annex　rates；
and　compel　the　devotee　to　buy　（for　even　to…day　a　healer　has　to　have　the
Annex　and　the　Scriptures　or　he　is　not　allowed　to　work　the　game）；　and　that
will　bring　several　hundred　million　dollars　more。　　In　those　days；　the
Trust　will　have　an　income　approaching　five　million　dollars　a　day；　and　no
expenses　to　be　taken　out　of　it；　no　taxes　to　pay；　and　no　charities　to
support。　　That　last　detail　should　not　be　lightly　passed　over　by　the
reader；　it　is　well　entitled　to　attention。

No　charities　to　support。　　No；　nor　even　to　contribute　to。　　One　searches　in
vain　the　Trust's　advertisements　and　the　utterances　of　its　organs　for　any
suggestion　that　it　spends　a　penny　on　orphans；　widows；　discharged
prisoners；　hospitals；　ragged　schools；　night　missions；　city　missions；
libraries；　old　people's　homes；　or　any　other　object　that　appeals　t