christian science-第15章

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She　foresaw　that　danger；　and　added　this　ingenious　and　effective　clause：

〃This　By…law　can　neither　be　amended　nor　annulled；　except　by　consent　of
Mrs。　Eddy；　the　Pastor　Emeritus〃




THE　PRESIDENT

The　Board　of　Directors；　or　Serfs；　or　Ciphers；　elects　the　President。

On　these　clearly　worded　terms：　〃Subject　to　the　approval　of　the　Pastor
Emeritus。〃

Therefore　She　elects　him。

A　long　term　can　invest　a　high　official　with　influence　and　power；　and　make
him　dangerous。　　Mrs。　Eddy　reflected　upon　that；　so　she　limits　the
President's　term　to　a　year。　　She　has　a　capable　commercial　head；　an
organizing　head；　a　head　for　government。




TREASURER　AND　CLERK

There　are　a　Treasurer　and　a　Clerk。　　They　are　elected　by　the　Board　of
Directors。　　That　is　to　say；　by　Mrs。　Eddy。

Their　terms　of　office　expire　on　the　first　Tuesday　in　June　of　each　year；
〃or　upon　the　election　of　their　successors。〃　　They　must　be　watchfully
obedient　and　satisfactory　to　her；　or　she　will　elect　and　install　their
successors　with　a　suddenness　that　can　be　unpleasant　to　them。　　It　goes
without　saying　that　the　Treasurer　manages　the　Treasury　to　suit　Mrs。　Eddy；
and　is　in　fact　merely　Temporary　Deputy　Treasurer。

Apparently　the　Clerk　has　but　two　duties　to　perform：　to　read　messages　from
Mrs。　Eddy　to　First　Members　assembled　in　solemn　Council；　and　provide　lists
of　candidates　for　Church　membership。　　The　select　body　entitled　First
Members　are　the　aristocracy　of　the　Mother…Church；　the　Charter　Members；
the　Aborigines；　a　sort　of　stylish　but　unsalaried　little　College　of
Cardinals；　good　for　show；　but　not　indispensable。　　Nobody　is　indispensable
in　Mrs。　Eddy's　empire；　she　sees　to　that。

When　the　Pastor　Emeritus　sends　a　letter　or　message　to　that　little
Sanhedrin；　it　is　the　Clerk's　〃imperative　duty〃　to　read　it　〃at　the　place
and　time　specified。〃　　Otherwise；　the　world　might　come　to　an　end。　　These
are　fine；　large　frills；　and　remind　us　of　the　ways　of　emperors　and　such。
Such　do　not　use　the　penny…post；　they　send　a　gilded　and　painted　special
messenger；　and　he　strides　into　the　Parliament；　and　business　comes　to　a
sudden　and　solemn　and　awful　stop；　and　in　the　impressive　hush　that
follows；　the　Chief　Clerk　reads　the　document。　　It　is　his　〃imperative
duty。〃　　If　he　should　neglect　it；　his　official　life　would　end。　　It　is　the
same　with　this　Mother…Church　Clerk；　〃if　he　fail　to　perform　this　important
function　of　his　office；〃　certain　majestic　and　unshirkable　solemnities
must　follow：　a　special　meeting　〃shall〃　be　called；　a　member　of　the　Church
〃shall〃　make　formal　complaint；　then　the　Clerk　〃shall〃　be　〃removed　from
office。〃　　Complaint　is　sufficient；　no　trial　is　necessary。

There　is　something　very　sweet　and　juvenile　and　innocent　and　pretty　about
these　little　tinsel　vanities；　these　grave　apings　of　monarchical　fuss　and
feathers　and　ceremony；　here　on　our　ostentatiously　democratic　soil。　　She
is　the　same　lady　that　we　found　in　the　Autobiography；　who　was　so　naively
vain　of　all　that　little　ancestral　military　riffraff　that　she　had　dug　up
and　annexed。　　A　person's　nature　never　changes。　　What　it　is　in　childhood；
it　remains。　　Under　pressure；　or　a　change　of　interest；　it　can　partially　or
wholly　disappear　from　sight；　and　for　considerable　stretches　of　time；　but
nothing　can　ever　permanently　modify　it；　nothing　can　ever　remove　it。




BOARD　OF　TRUSTEES

There　isn't　anynow。　　But　with　power　and　money　piling　up　higher　and
higher　every　day　and　the　Church's　dominion　spreading　daily　wider　and
farther；　a　time　could　come　when　the　envious　and　ambitious　could　start　the
idea　that　it　would　be　wise　and　well　to　put　a　watch　upon　these　assets
a　watch　equipped　with　properly　large　authority。　　By　custom；　a　Board　of
Trustees。　　Mrs。　Eddy　has　foreseen　that　probabilityfor　she　is　a　woman
with　a　long；　long　look　ahead；　the　longest　look　ahead　that　ever　a　woman
hadand　she　has　provided　for　that　emergency。　　In　Art。　　I。；　Sec。　　5；　she
has　decreed　that　no　Board　of　Trustees　shall　ever　exist　in　the　Mother…
Church　〃except　it　be　constituted　by　the　Pastor　Emeritus。〃

The　magnificence　of　it；　the　daring　of　it！　　Thus　far；　she　is

The　Massachusetts　Metaphysical　College；
Pastor　Emeritus；
President；
Board　of　Directors；
Treasurer；
Clerk；
and　future　Board　of　Trustees；

and　is　still　moving　onward；　ever　onward。　　When　I　contemplate　her　from　a
commercial　point　of　view；　there　are　no　words　that　can　convey　my
admiration　of　her。




READERS

These　are　a　feature　of　first　importance　in　the　church…machinery　of
Christian　Science。　　For　they　occupy　the　pulpit。　　They　hold　the　place　that
the　preacher　holds　in　the　other　Christian　Churches。　　They　hold　that
place；　but　they　do　not　preach。　　Two　of　them　are　on　duty　at　a　timea　man
and　a　woman。　　One　reads　a　passage　from　the　Bible；　the　other　reads　the
explanation　of　it　from　Science　and　Healthand　so　they　go　on　alternating。
This　constitutes　the　servicethis；　with　choir…music。　　They　utter　no　word
of　their　own。　　Art。　　IV。；　Sec。　　6；　closes　their　mouths　with　this
uncompromising　gag：

〃They　shall　make　no　remarks　explanatory　of　the　Lesson…Sermon　at　any　time
during　the　service。〃

It　seems　a　simple　little　thing。　　One　is　not　startled　by　it　at　a　first
reading　of　it；　nor　at　the　second；　nor　the　third。　　One　may　have　to　read　it
a　dozen　times　before　the　whole　magnitude　of　it　rises　before　the　mind。　　It
far　and　away　oversizes　and　outclasses　the　best　business…idea　yet　invented
for　the　safe…guarding　and　perpetuating　of　a　religion。　　If　it　had　been
thought　of　and　put　in　force　eighteen　hundred　and　seventy　years　ago；　there
would　be　but　one　Christian　sect　in　the　world　now；　instead　of　ten　dozens
of　them。

There　are　many　varieties　of　men　in　the　world；　consequently　there　are　many
varieties　of　minds　in　its　pulpits。　　This　insures　many　differing
interpretations　of　important　Scripture　texts；　and　this　in　turn　insures
the　splitting　up　of　a　religion　into　many　sects。　　It　is　what　has　happened；
it　was　sure　to　happen。

Mrs。　Eddy　has　noted　this　disastrous　result　of　preaching；　and　has　put　up
the　bars。　　She　will　have　no　preaching　in　her　Church。　　She　has　explained
all　essential　Scriptures；　and　set　the　explanations　down　in　her　book。　　In
her　belief　her　underlings　cannot　improve　upon　those　explanations；　and　in
that　stern　sentence　〃they　shall　make　no　explanatory　remarks〃　she　has
barred　them　for　all　time　from　trying。　　She　will　be　obeyed；　there　is　no
question　about　that。

In　arranging　her　government　she　has　borrowed　ideas　from　various　sources
not　poor　ones；　but　the　best　in　the　governmental　marketbut　this　one　is
new；　this　one　came　out　of　no　ordinary　business…head；　this　one　must　have
come　out　of　her　own；　there　has　been　no　other　commercial　skull　in　a
thousand　centuries　that　was　equal　to　it。　　She　has　borrowed　freely　and
wisely；　but　I　am　sure　that　this　idea　is　many　times　larger　than　all　her
borrowings　bulked　together。　　One　must　respect　the　business…brain　that
produced　itthe　splendid　pluck　and　impudence　that　ventured　to　promulgate
it；　anyway。




ELECTION　OF　READERS

Readers　are　not　taken　at　hap…hazard；　any　more　than　preachers　are　taken　at
hap…hazard　for　the　pulpits　of　other　sects。　　No；　Readers　are　elected　by
the　Board　of　Directors。　　But

〃Section　3。　　The　Board　shall　inform　the　Pas。　　for　Emeritus　of　the　names
of　candidates　for　Readers　before　they　are　elected；　and　if　she　objects　to
the　nomination；　said　candidates　shall　not　be　chosen。〃

Is　that　an　electionby　the　Board？　　Thus　far　I　have　not　been　able　to　find
out　what　that　Board　of　Spectres　is　for。　　It　certainly　has　no　real
function；　no　duty　which　the　hired　girl　could　not　perform；　no　office
beyond　the　mere　recording　of　the　autocrat's　decrees。

There　are　no　dangerously　long　office…terms　in　Mrs。　Eddy's　government。
The　Readers　are　elected　for　but　one　year。　　This　insures　their
subserviency　to　their　proprietor。

Readers　are　not　allowed　to　copy　out　passages　and　read　them　from　the
manuscript　in　the　pulpit；　they　must　read　from　Mrs。　Eddy's　book　itself。
She　is　right。　　Slight　changes　could　be　slyly　made；　repeated；　and　in　time
get　acceptance　with　congregations。　　Branch　sects　could　grow　out　of　these
practices。　　Mrs。　Eddy　knows　the　human　race；　and　how　far　to　trust　it。　　Her
limit　is　not　over　a　quarter　of　an　inch。　　It　is　all　that　a　wise　person
will　risk。

Mrs。　Eddy's　inborn　disposition　to　copyright　everything；　charter
everything；　secure　the　rightful　and　proper　credit　to　herself　for
everything　she　does；　and　everything　she　thinks　she　does；　and　everything
she　thinks；　and　everything　she　thinks　she　thinks　or　has　thought　or
intends　to　think；　is　illustrated　in　Sec。　　5　of　Art。　　IV。；　defining　the
duties　of　official　Readersin　church：

〃Naming　Book　and　Author。　　The　Reader　of　Science　and　Health；　with　Key　to
the　Scriptures；　before　commencing　to　read　from　this　book；　shall
distinctly　announce　its　full　title　and　give　the　author's　name。〃

Otherwise　the　congregation　might　get　the　habit　of　forgetting　who
（ostensibly）　wrote　the　book。




THE　ARISTOCRACY

This　consists　of　First　Members　and　their　apostolic　succession。　　It　is　a
close　corporation；　and　its　membership　limit　is　one　hundred。　　Forty　will
answer；　but　if　the　number　fall　below　that；　there　must　be　an　election；　to
fill　the　grand　quorum。

This　Sanhedrin　can't　do　anything　of　the　slightest　importance；　but　it　can
talk。　　It　can　〃discuss。〃　　That　is；　it　can　discuss　〃important　questions
relative　to　Church　members〃；　evidently　persons　who　are　already　Church
members。　　This　affords　it　amusement；　and　does　no　harm。

It　can　〃fix　the　salaries　of　the　Readers。〃

Twice　a　year　it　〃votes　on〃　admitting　candidates。　　That　is；　for　Church
membership。　　But　its　work　is　cut　out　for　it　beforehand；　by　Sec。　　；　Art。
IX。：

〃Every　recommendation　for　membership　In　the　Church　'shall　be
countersigned　by　a　loyal　student　of　Mrs。　Eddy's；　by　a　Director　of　this
Church；　or　by　a　First　Member。'〃

All　these　three　classes　of　beings　are　the　personal　property　of　Mrs。　Eddy。
She　has　absolute　control　of　the　elections。

Also　it　must　〃transact　any　Church　business　that　may　properly　come　before
it。〃

〃Properly〃　is　a　thoughtful　word。　　No　important　business　can　come　before
it。　　The　By　laws　have　attended　to　that。　　No　important　business　goes
before　any　one　for　the　final　word　except　Mrs。　Eddy。　　She　has　looked　to
that。

The　Sanhedrin　〃votes　on〃　candidates　for　admission　to　its　own　body。　　But
is　its　vote　worth　any　more　than　mine　would　be？　　No；　it　isn't。　　Sec。　　4；
of　Art。　　V。Election　of　First　Membersmakes　this　quite　plain：

〃Before　being　elected；　the　candidates　for　First　Members　shall　be　approved
by　the　Pastor　Emeritus　over　her　own　signature。〃

Thus　the　Sanhedrin　is　the　personal　property　of　Mrs。　Eddy。　　She　owns　it。
It　has　no　functions；　no　authority；　no　real　existence。　　It　is　another
Board　of　Shadows。　　Mrs。　Eddy　is　the　Sanhedrin　herself。

But　it　is　time　to　foot　up　again　and　〃see　where　we　are　at。〃　　Thus　far；
Mrs。　Eddy　is

The　Massachusetts　Metaphysical　College；
Pastor　Emeritus；
President；
Board　of　Directors；
Treasurer；
Clerk；
Future　Board　of　Trustees；
Proprietor　of　the　Priesthood：
Dictator　of　the　Services；
Proprietor　of　the　Sanhedrin。　　She　has　come　far；　and　is　still　on　her　way。




CHURCH　MEMBERSHIP

In　this　Article　there　is　another　exhibition　of　a　couple　of　the　large
features　of　Mrs。　Eddy's　remar