christian science-第13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！


is　trying　to　say。　　She　was　definite　when　she　claimed　both　the　language
and　the　ideas　of　the　book。　　That　seemed　to　settle　the　matter。　　It　seemed
to　distribute　the　percentages　of　credit　with　precision　between　the
collaborators：　ninety…two　per　cent。　　to　Mrs。　Eddy；　who　did　all　the　work；
and　eight　per　cent。　　to　the　Deity；　who　furnished　the　inspiration　not
enough　of　it　to　damage　the　copyright　in　a　country　closed　against
Foreigners；　and　yet　plenty　to　advertise　the　book　and　market　it　at　famine
rates。　　Then　Mrs。　Eddy　does　not　keep　still；　but　fetches　around　and　comes
forward　and　testifies　again。　　It　is　most　injudicious。　　For　she　resorts　to
metaphor　this　time；　and　it　makes　trouble；　for　she　seems　to　reverse　the
percentages　and　claim　only　the　eight　per　cent。　　for　her　self。　　I　quote
from　Mr。　Peabody's　book　（Eddyism；　or　Christian　Science。　　Boston：　15　Court
Square；　price　twenty…five　cents）：

〃Speaking　of　this　book；　Mrs。　Eddy；　in　January　last　（I901）　said：　'I　should
blush　to　write　of　Science　and　Health；　with　Key　to　the　Scriptures；　as　I
have；　were　it　of　human　origin；　and　I；　apart　from　God；　its　author；　but　as
I　was　only　a　scribe　echoing　the　harmonies　of　Heaven　in　divine
metaphysics；　I　cannot　be　supermodest　of　the　Christian　Science　text…
book。〃'

Mr。　Peabody's　comment：

〃Nothing　could　be　plainer　than　that。　　Here　is　a　distinct　avowal　that　the
book　entitled　Science　and　Health　was　the　work　of　Almighty　God。〃

It　does　seem　to　amount　to　that。　　She　was　only　a　〃scribe。〃　　Confound　the
word；　it　is　just　a　confusion；　it　has　no　determinable　meaning　there；　it
leaves　us　in　the　air。　　A　scribe　is　merely　a　person　who　writes。　　He　may　be
a　copyist；　he　may　be　an　amanuensis；　he　may　be　a　writer　of　originals；　and
furnish　both　the　language　and　the　ideas。　　As　usual　with　Mrs。　Eddy；　the
connection　affords　no　help〃echoing〃　throws　no　light　upon　〃scribe。〃　　A
rock　can　reflect　an　echo；　a　wall　can　do　it；　a　mountain　can　do　it；　many
things　can　do　it；　but　a　scribe　can't。　　A　scribe　that　could　reflect　an
echo　could　get　over　thirty　dollars　a　week　in　a　side…show。　　Many
impresarios　would　rather　have　him　than　a　cow　with　four　tails。　　If　we
allow　that　this　present　scribe　was　setting　down　the　〃harmonies　of
Heaven〃and　certainly　that　seems　to　have　been　the　case　then　there　was
only　one　way　to　do　it　that　I　can　think　of：　listen　to　the　music　and　put
down　the　notes　one　after　another　as　they　fell。　　In　that　case　Mrs。　Eddy
did　not　invent　the　tune；　she　only　entered　it　on　paper。　　Therefore
dropping　the　metaphorshe　was　merely　an　amanuensis；　and　furnished
neither　the　language　of　Science　and　Health　nor　the　ideas。　　It　reduces　her
to　eight　per　cent。　　（and　the　dividends　on　that　and　the　rest）。

Is　that　it？　　We　shall　never　know。　　For　Mrs。　Eddy　is　liable　to　testify
again　at　any　time。　　But　until　she　does　it；　I　think　we　must　conclude　that
the　Deity　was　Author　of　the　whole　book；　and　Mrs。　Eddy　merely　His
telephone　and　stenographer。　　Granting　this；　her　claim　as　the　Voice　of　God
stands…for　the　presentjustified　and　established。




POSTSCRIPT

I　overlooked　something。　　It　appears　that　there　was　more　of　that　utterance
than　Mr。　Peabody　has　quoted　in　the　above　paragraph。　　It　will　be　found　in
Mrs。　Eddy's　organ；　the　Christian　Science　Journal　（January；　I901）　and
reads　as　follows：

〃It　was　not　myself　。　　。　　。　　which　dictated　Science　and　Health；　with　Key
to　the　Scriptures。〃

That　is　certainly　clear　enough。　　The　words　which　I　have　removed　from　that
important　sentence　explain　Who　it　was　that　did　the　dictating。　　It　was
done　by

〃the　divine　power　of　Truth　and　Love；　infinitely　above　me。〃

Certainly　that　is　definite。　　At　last；　through　her　personal　testimony；　we
have　a　sure　grip　upon　the　following　vital　facts；　and　they　settle　the
authorship　of　Science　and　Health　beyond　peradventure：

1。　　Mrs。　Eddy　furnished　〃the　ideas　and　the　language。〃
2。　　God　furnished　the　ideas　and　the　language。

It　is　a　great　comfort　to　have　the　matter　authoritatively　settled。




CHAPTER　V

It　is　hard　to　locate　her；　she　shifts　about　so　much。　　She　is　a　shining
drop　of　quicksilver　which　you　put　your　finger　on　and　it　isn't　there。
There　is　a　paragraph　in　the　Autobiography　（page　96）　which　places　in
seemingly　darkly　significant　procession　three　Personages：

1。　　The　Virgin　Mary
2。　　Jesus　of　Nazareth。
3。　　Mrs。　Eddy。

This　is　the　paragraph　referred　to：

〃No　person　can　take　the　individual　place　of　the　Virgin　Mary。　　No　person
can　compass　or　fulfil　the　individual　mission　of　Jesus　of　Nazareth。　　No
person　can　take　the　place　of　the　author　of　Science　and　Health；　the
discoverer　and　founder　of　Christian　Science。　　Each　individual　must　fill
his　own　niche　in　time　and　eternity。〃

I　have　read　it　many　times；　but　I　still　cannot　be　sure　that　I　rightly
understand　it。　　If　the　Saviour's　name　had　been　placed　first　and　the
Virgin　Mary's　second　and　Mrs。　Eddy's　third；　I　should　draw　the　inference
that　a　descending　scale　from　First　Importance　to　Second　Importance　and
then　to　Small　Importance　was　indicated；　but　to　place　the　Virgin　first；
the　Saviour　second；　and　Mrs。　Eddy　third；　seems　to　turn　the　scale　the
other　way　and　make　it　an　ascending　scale　of　Importances；　with　Mrs。　Eddy
ranking　the　other　two　and　holding　first　place。

I　think　that　that　was　perhaps　the　intention；　but　none　but　a　seasoned
Christian　Scientist　can　examine　a　literary　animal　of　Mrs。　Eddy's　creation
and　tell　which　end　of　it　the　tail　is　on。　　She　is　easily　the　most　baffling
and　bewildering　writer　in　the　literary　trade。

Eddy　is　a　commonplace　name；　and　would　have　an　unimpressive　aspect　in　the
list　of　the　reformed　Holy　Family。　　She　has　thought　of　that。　　In　the　book
of　By…laws　written　by　her〃impelled　by　a　power　not　one's　own〃there　is
a　paragraph　which　explains　how　and　when　her　disciples　came　to　confer　a
title　upon　her；　and　this　explanation　is　followed　by　a　warning　as　to　what
will　happen　to　any　female　Scientist　who　shall　desecrate　it：

〃The　title　of　Mother。　　Therefore　if　a　student　of　Christian　Science　shall
apply　this　title；　either　to　herself　or　to　others；　except　as　the　term　for
kinship　according　to　the　flesh；　it　shall　be　regarded　by　the　Church　as　an
indication　of　disrespect　for　their　Pastor　Emeritus；　and　unfitness　to　be　a
member　of　the　Mother…Church。〃

She　is　the　Pastor　Emeritus。

While　the　quoted　paragraph　about　the　Procession　seems　to　indicate　that
Mrs。　Eddy　is　expecting　to　occupy　the　First　Place　in　it；　that　expectation
is　not　definitely　avowed。　　In　an　earlier　utterance　of　hers　she　is
clearerclearer；　and　does　not　claim　the　first　place　all　to　herself；　but
only　the　half　of　it。　　I　quote　from　Mr。　Peabody's　book　again：

〃In　the　Christian　Science　Journal　for　April；　1889；　when　it　was　her
property；　and　published　by　her；　it　was　claimed　for　her；　and　with　her
sanction；　that　she　was　equal　with　Jesus；　and　elaborate　effort　was　made　to
establish　the　claim。

〃Mrs。　Eddy　has　distinctly　authorized　the　claim　in　her　behalf　that　she
herself　was　the　chosen　successor　to　and　equal　of　Jesus。〃

In　her　Miscellaneous　Writings　（using　her　once　favorite　〃We〃　for　〃I〃）　she
says　that　〃While　we　entertain　decided　views　。　　。　　。　　and　shall　express
them　as　duty　demands；　we　shall　claim　no　especial　gift　from　our　divine
origin；〃　etc。

Our　divine　origin。　　It　suggests　Equal　again。　　It　is　inferable；　then；　that
in　the　near　by…and…by　the　new　Church　will　officially　rank　the　Holy　Family
in　the　following　order：

1。　　Jesus　of　Nazareth。　1。　　Our　Mother。
2。　　The　Virgin　Mary。




SUMMARY

I　am　not　playing　with　Christian　Science　and　its　founder；　I　am　examining
them；　and　I　am　doing　it　because　of　the　interest　I　feel　in　the　inquiry。
My　results　may　seem　inadequate　to　the　reader；　but　they　have　for　me
clarified　a　muddle　and　brought　a　sort　of　order　out　of　a　chaos；　and　so　I
value　them。

My　readings　of　Mrs。　Eddy's　uninspired　miscellaneous　literary　efforts　have
convinced　me　of　several　things：

1。　　That　she　did　not　write　Science　and　Health。
2。　　That　the　Deity　did　（or　did　not）　write　it。
3。　　That　She　thinks　She　wrote　it。
4。　　That　She　believes　She　wrote　it　under　the　Deity's　inspiration。
5。　　That　She　believes　She　is　a　Member　of　the　Holy　Family。
6。　　That　She　believes　She　is　the　equal　of　the　Head　of　it。

Finally；　I　think　She　is　now　entitled　to　the　capital　Son　her　own
evidence。




CHAPTER　VI

Thus　far　we　have　a　part　of　Mrs。　Eddy's　portrait。　　Not　made　of　fictions；
surmises；　reports；　rumors；　innuendoes；　dropped　by　her　enemies；　no；　she
has　furnished　all　of　the　materials　herself；　and　laid　them　on　the　canvas；
under　my　general　superintendence　and　direction。　　As　far　as　she　has　gone
with　it；　it　is　the　presentation　of　a　complacent；　commonplace；　illiterate
New　England　woman　who　〃forgot　everything　she　knew〃　when　she　discovered
her　discovery；　then　wrote　a　Bible　in　good　English　under　the　inspiration
of　God；　and　climbed　up　it　to　the　supremest　summit　of　earthly　grandeur
attainable　by　manwhere　she　sits　serene　to…day；　beloved　and　worshiped　by
a　multitude　of　human　beings　of　as　good　average　intelligence　as　is
possessed　by　those　that　march　under　the　banner　of　any　competing　cult。
This　is　not　intended　to　flatter　the　competing　cults；　it　is　merely　a
statement　of　cold　fact。

That　a　commonplace　person　should　go　climbing　aloft　and　become　a　god　or　a
half…god　or　a　quarter…god　and　be　worshiped　by　men　and　women　of　average
intelligence；　is　nothing。　　It　has　happened　a　million　times；　it　will
happen　a　hundred　million　more。　　It　has　been　millions　of　years　since　the
first　of　these　supernaturals　appeared；　and　by　the　time　the　last　one　in
that　inconceivably　remote　future　shall　have　performed　his　solemn　little
high…jinks　on　the　stage　and　closed　the　business；　there　will　be　enough　of
them　accumulated　in　the　museum　on　the　Other　Side　to　start　a　heaven　of
their　own…and　jam　it。

Each　in　his　turn　those　little　supernaturals　of　our　by…gone　ages　and　aeons
joined　the　monster　procession　of　his　predecessors　and　marched
horizonward；　disappeared；　and　was　forgotten。　　They　changed　nothing；　they
built　nothing；　they　left　nothing　behind　them　to　remember　them　by；　nothing
to　hold　their　disciples　together；　nothing　to　solidify　their　work　and
enable　it　to　defy　the　assaults　of　time　and　the　weather。　　They　passed；　and
left　a　vacancy。　　They　made　one　fatal　mistake；　they　all　made　it；　each　in
his　turn：　they　failed　to　organize　their　forces；　they　failed　to　centralize
their　strength；　they　failed　to　provide　a　fresh　Bible　and　a　sure　and
perpetual　cash　income　for　business；　and　often　they　failed　to　provide　a
new　and　accepted　Divine　Personage　to　worship。

Mrs。　Eddy　is　not　of　that　small　fry。　　The　materials　that　go　to　the　making
of　the　rest　of　her　portrait　will　prove　it。　　She　will　furnish　them
herself：

She　published　her　book。　　She　copyrighted　it。　　She　copyrights　everything。
If　she　should　say；　〃Good…morning；　how　do　you　do？〃　she　would　copyright　it；
for　she　is　a　careful　person；　and　knows　the　value　of　small　things。

She　began　to　teach　her　Science；　she　began　to　heal；　she　began　to　gather
converts　to　her　new　religionfervent；　sincere；　devoted；　grateful　people。
A　year　or　two　later　she　organized　her　first　Christian　Science
〃Association；〃　with　six　of　her　disciples　on　the　roster。

She　continued　to　teach　and　heal。　　She　was　charging　nothing；　she　says；
although　she　was　very　poor。　　She　taught　and　h