christian science-第25章

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have　carried　her　to　the　dizzy　summit　which　she　occupies；　I　have　not
mentioned　the　power　which　was　the　commanding　force　employed　in　achieving
that　lofty　flight。　　It　did　not　belong　in　that　list；　it　was　a　force　that
was　not　a　detail　of　her　character；　but　was　an　outside　one。　　It　was　the
power　which　proceeded　from　her　people's　recognition　of　her　as　a
supernatural　personage；　conveyer　of　the　Latest　Word；　and　divinely
commissioned　to　deliver　it　to　the　world。　　The　form　which　such　a
recognition　takes；　consciously　or　unconsciously；　is　worship；　and　worship
does　not　question　nor　criticize；　it　obeys。　　The　object　of　it　does　not
need　to　coddle　it；　bribe　it；　beguile　it；　reason　with　it；　convince　itit
commands　it；　that　is　sufficient；　the　obedience　rendered　is　not　reluctant；
but　prompt　and　whole…hearted。　　Admiration　for　a　Napoleon；　confidence　in
him；　pride　in　him；　affection　for　him；　can　lift　him　high　and　carry　him
far；　and　these　are　forms　of　worship；　and　are　strong　forces；　but　they　are
worship　of　a　mere　human　being；　after　all；　and　are　infinitely　feeble；　as
compared　with　those　that　are　generated　by　that　other　worship；　the　worship
of　a　divine　personage。　　Mrs。　Eddy　has　this　efficient　worship；　this　massed
and　centralized　force；　this　force　which　is　indifferent　to　opposition；
untroubled　by　fear；　and　goes　to　battle　singing；　like　Cromwell's　soldiers；
and　while　she　has　it　she　can　command　and　it　will　obey；　and　maintain　her
on　her　throne；　and　extend　her　empire。

She　will　have　it　until　she　dies；　and　then　we　shall　see　a　curious　and
interesting　further　development　of　her　revolutionary　work　begin。




CHAPTER　XIV

The　President　and　Board　of　Directors　wil1　succeed　her；　and　the　government
will　go　on　without　a　hitch。　　The　By…laws　will　bear　that　interpretation。
All　the　Mother…Church's　vast　powers　are　concentrated　in　that　Board。　　Mrs。
Eddy's　unlimited　personal　reservations　make　the　Board's　ostensible
supremacy；　during　her　life；　a　sham；　and　the　Board　itself　a　shadow。　　But
Mrs。　Eddy　has　not　made　those　reservations　for　any　one　but　herselfthey
are　distinctly　personal；　they　bear　her　name；　they　are　not　usable　by
another　individual。　　When　she　dies　her　reservations　die；　and　the　Board's
shadow…powers　become　real　powers；　without　the　change　of　any　important　By…
law；　and　the　Board　sits　in　her　place　as　absolute　and　irresponsible　a
sovereign　as　she　was。

It　consists　of　but　five　persons；　a　much　more　manageable　Cardinalate　than
the　Roman　Pope's。　　I　think　it　will　elect　its　Pope　from　its　own　body；　and
that　it　will　fill　its　own　vacancies。　　An　elective　Papacy　is　a　safe　and
wise　system；　and　a　long…liver。




CHAPTER　XV

We　may　take　that　up　now。

It　is　not　a　single　if；　but　a　several…jointed　one；　not　an　oyster；　but　a
vertebrate。

1。　　Did　Mrs。　Eddy　borrow　from　Quimby　the　Great　Idea；　or　only　the　little
one；　the　old…timer；　the　ordinary　mental…healing…healing　by　〃mortal〃　mind？

2。　　If　she　borrowed　the　Great　Idea；　did　she　carry　it　away　in　her　head；　or
in　manuscript？

3。　　Did　she　hit　upon　the　Great　Idea　herself？　　By　the　Great　Idea　I　mean；
of　course；　the　conviction　that　the　Force　involved　was　still　existent；　and
could　be　applied　now　just　as　it　was　applied　by　Christ's　Disciples　and
their　converts；　and　as　successfully。
4。　　Did　she　philosophize　it；　systematize　it；　and　write　it　down　in　a　book？

5。　　Was　it　she；　and　not　another；　that　built　a　new　Religion　upon　the　book
and　organized　it？

I　think　No。　　5　can　be　answered　with　a　Yes；　and　dismissed　from　the
controversy。　　And　I　think　that　the　Great　Idea；　great　as　it　was；　would
have　enjoyed　but　a　brief　activity；　and　would　then　have　gone　to　sleep
again　for　some　more　centuries；　but　for　the　perpetuating　impulse　it　got
from　that　organized　and　tremendous　force。

As　for　Nos。　　1；　2；　and　4；　the　hostiles　contend　that　Mrs。　Eddy　got　the
Great　Idea　from　Quimby　and　carried　it　off　in　manuscript。　　But　their
testimony；　while　of　consequence；　lacks　the　most　important　detail；　so　far
as　my　information　goes；　the　Quimby　manuscript　has　not　been　produced。　　I
think　we　cannot　discuss　No。　1　and　No。　2　profitably。　　Let　them　go。

For　me；　No。　3　has　a　mild　interest；　and　No。　4　a　violent　one。

As　regards　No。　　3；　Mrs。　Eddy　was　brought　up；　from　the　cradle；　an　old…
time；　boiler…iron；　Westminster…Catechism　Christian；　and　knew　her　Bible　as
well　as　Captain　Kydd　knew　his；　〃when　he　sailed；　when　he　sailed；〃　and
perhaps　as　sympathetically。　　The　Great　Idea　had　struck　a　million　Bible…
readers　before　her　as　being　possible　of　resurrection　and　applicationit
must　have　struck　as　many　as　that；　and　been　cogitated；　indolently；
doubtingly；　then　dropped　and　forgottenand　it　could　have　struck　her；　in
due　course。　　But　how　it　could　interest　her；　how　it　could　appeal　to　her
with　her　make　this　a　thing　that　is　difficult　to　understand。

For　the　thing　back　of　it　is　wholly　gracious　and　beautiful：　the　power；
through　loving　mercifulness　and　compassion；　to　heal　fleshly　ills　and
pains　and　grief　allwith　a　word；　with　a　touch　of　the　hand！　　This　power
was　given　by　the　Saviour　to　the　Disciples；　and　to　all　the　converted。
Allevery　one。　　It　was　exercised　for　generations　afterwards。　　Any
Christian　who　was　in　earnest　and　not　a　make…believe；　not　a　policy
Christian；　not　a　Christian　for　revenue　only；　had　that　healing　power；　and
could　cure　with　it　any　disease　or　any　hurt　or　damage　possible　to　human
flesh　and　bone。　　These　things　are　true；　or　they　are　not。　　If　they　were
true　seventeen　and　eighteen　and　nineteen　centuries　ago　it　would　be
difficult　to　satisfactorily　explain　why　or　how　or　by　what　argument　that
power　should　be　nonexistent　in　Christians　now。

To　wish　to　exercise　it　could　occur　to　Mrs。　Eddybut　would　it？

Grasping；　sordid；　penurious；　famishing　for　everything　she　seesmoney；
power；　glory　vain；　untruthful；　jealous；　despotic；　arrogant；　insolent；
pitiless　where　thinkers　and　hypnotists　are　concerned；　illiterate；
shallow；　incapable　of　reasoning　outside　of　commercial　lines；　immeasurably
selfish

Of　course　the　Great　Idea　could　strike　her；　we　have　to　grant　that；　but　why
it　should　interest　her　is　a　question　which　can　easily　overstrain　the
imagination　and　bring　on　nervous　prostration；　or　something　like　that；　and
is　better　left　alone　by　the　judicious；　it　seems　to　me

Unless　we　call　to　our　help　the　alleged　other　side　of　Mrs。　Eddy's　make　and
character　the　side　which　her　multitude　of　followers　see；　and　sincerely
believe　in。　　Fairness　requires　that　their　view　be　stated　here。　　It　is　the
opposite　of　the　one　which　I　have　drawn　from　Mrs。　Eddy's　history　and　from
her　By…laws。　　To　her　followers　she　is　this：

Patient；　gentle；　loving；　compassionate；　noble　hearted；　unselfish；
sinless；　widely　cultured；　splendidly　equipped　mentally；　a　profound
thinker；　an　able　writer；　a　divine　personage；　an　inspired　messenger　whose
acts　are　dictated　from　the　Throne；　and　whose　every　utterance　is　the　Voice
of　God。

She　has　delivered　to　them　a　religion　which　has　revolutionized　their
lives；　banished　the　glooms　that　shadowed　them；　and　filled　them　and
flooded　them　with　sunshine　and　gladness　and　peace；　a　religion　which　has
no　hell；　a　religion　whose　heaven　is　not　put　off　to　another　time；　with　a
break　and　a　gulf　between；　but　begins　here　and　now；　and　melts　into
eternity　as　fancies　of　the　waking　day　melt　into　the　dreams　of　sleep。

They　believe　it　is　a　Christianity　that　is　in　the　New　Testament；　that　it
has　always　been　there；　that　in　the　drift　of　ages　it　was　lost　through
disuse　and　neglect；　and　that　this　benefactor　has　found　it　and　given　it
back　to　men；　turning　the　night　of　life　into　day；　its　terrors　into　myths；
its　lamentations　into　songs　of　emancipation　and　rejoicing。

There　we　have　Mrs。　Eddy　as　her　followers　see　her。　　She　has　lifted　them
out　of　grief　and　care　and　doubt　and　fear；　and　made　their　lives　beautiful；
she　found　them　wandering　forlorn　in　a　wintry　wilderness；　and　has　led　them
to　a　tropic　paradise　like　that　of　which　the　poet　sings：

　　　　　〃O；　islands　there　are　on　the　face　of　the　deep
　　　　　Where　the　leaves　never　fade　and　the　skies　never　weep。〃

To　ask　them　to　examine　with　a　microscope　the　character　of　such　a
benefactor；　to　ask　them　to　examine　it　at　all；　to　ask　them　to　look　at　a
blemish　which　another　person　believes　he　has　found　in　itwell；　in　their
place　could　you　do　it？　　Would　you　do　it？　　Wouldn't　you　be　ashamed　to　do
it？　　If　a　tramp　had　rescued　your　child　from　fire　and　death；　and　saved　its
mother's　heart　from　breaking；　could　you　see　his　rags？　　Could　you　smell
his　breath？　　Mrs。　Eddy　has　done　more　than　that　for　these　people。

They　are　prejudiced　witnesses。　　To　the　credit　of　human　nature　it　is　not
possible　that　they　should　be　otherwise。　　They　sincerely　believe　that　Mrs。
Eddy's　character　is　pure　and　perfect　and　beautiful；　and　her　history
without　stain　or　blot　or　blemish。　　But　that　does　not　settle　it。　　They
sincerely　believe　she　did　not　borrow　the　Great　Idea　from　Quimby；　but　hit
upon　it　herself。　　It　may　be　so；　and　it　could　be　so。　　Let　it　gothere　is
no　way　to　settle　it。　　They　believe　she　carried　away　no　Quimby
manuscripts。　　Let　that　go；　toothere　is　no　way　to　settle　it。　　They
believe　that　she；　and　not　another；　built　the　Religion　upon　the　book；　and
organized　it。　　I　believe　it；　too。

Finally；　they　believe　that　she　philosophized　Christian　Science；　explained
it；　systematized　it；　and　wrote　it　all　out　with　her　own　hand　in　the　book
Science　and　Health。

I　am　not　able　to　believe　that。　　Let　us　draw　the　line　there。　　The　known
and　undisputed　products　of　her　pen　are　a　formidable　witness　against　her。
They　do　seem　to　me　to　prove；　quite　clearly　and　conclusively；　that
writing；　upon　even　simple　subjects；　is　a　difficult　labor　for　her：　that
she　has　never　been　able　to　write　anything　above　third…rate　English；　that
she　is　weak　in　the　matter　of　grammar；　that　she　has　but　a　rude　and　dull
sense　of　the　values　of　words；　that　she　so　lacks　in　the　matter　of　literary
precision　that　she　can　seldom　put　a　thought　into　words　that　express　it
lucidly　to　the　reader　and　leave　no　doubts　in　his　mind　as　to　whether　he
has　rightly　understood　or　not；　that　she　cannot　even　draught　a　Preface
that　a　person　can　fully　comprehend；　nor　one　which　can　by　any　art　be
translated　into　a　fully　understandable　form；　that　she　can　seldom　inject
into　a　Preface　even　single　sentences　whose　meaning　is　uncompromisingly
clearyet　Prefaces　are　her　specialty；　if　she　has　one。

Mrs。　Eddy's　known　and　undisputed　writings　are　very　limited　in　bulk；　they
exhibit　no　depth；　no　analytical　quality；　no　thought　above　school
composition　size；　and　but　juvenile　ability　in　handling　thoughts　of　even
that　modest　magnitude。　　She　has　a　fine　commercial　ability；　and　could
govern　a　vast　railway　system　in　great　style；　she　could　draught　a　set　of
rules　that　Satan　himself　would　say　could　not　be　improved　on　for
devilish　effectivenessby　his　staff；　but　we　know；　by　our　excursions
among　the　Mother…Church's　By…laws；　that　their　English　would　discredit　the
deputy　baggage…smasher。　　I　am　quite　sure　that　Mrs。　Eddy　cannot　write　well
upon　any　subject；　even　a　commercial　one。

In　the　very　first　revision　of　Science　and　Health　（1883）；　Mrs。　Eddy　wrote
a　Preface　which　is　an　unimpeachable　witness　that　the　rest　of　the　book　was
written　by　somebody　else。　　I　have　put　it　in　the　Appendix　along　with　a
page　or　two　taken　from　the　body　of