christian science-第8章

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orthodox　preacherquoted　further　back。　　He　conceded　that　this　new
Christianity　frees　its　possessor's　life　from　frets；　fears；　vexations；
bitterness；　and　all　sorts　of　imagination…propagated　maladies　and　pains；
and　fills　his　world　with　sunshine　and　his　heart　with　gladness。　　If
Christian　Science；　with　this　stupendous　equipmentand　final　salvation
addedcannot　win　half　the　Christian　globe；　I　must　be　badly　mistaken　in
the　make…up　of　the　human　race。

I　think　the　Trust　will　be　handed　down　like　Me　other　Papacy；　and　will
always　know　how　to　handle　its　limitless　cash。　　It　will　press　the　button；
the　zeal；　the　energy；　the　sincerity；　the　enthusiasm　of　its　countless
vassals　will　do　the　rest。




CHAPTER　VIII

The　power　which　a　man's　imagination　has　over　his　body　to　heal　it　or　make
it　sick　is　a　force　which　none　of　us　is　born　without。　　The　first　man　had
it；　the　last　one　will　possess　it。　　If　left　to　himself；　a　man　is　most
likely　to　use　only　the　mischievous　half　of　the　forcethe　half　which
invents　imaginary　ailments　for　him　and　cultivates　them；　and　if　he　is　one
of　thesevery　wise　people；　he　is　quite　likely　to　scoff　at　the　beneficent
half　of　the　force　and　deny　its　existence。　　And　so；　to　heal　or　help　that
man；　two　imaginations　are　required：　his　own　and　some　outsider's。　　The
outsider；　B；　must　imagine　that　his　incantations　are　the　healing…power
that　is　curing　A；　and　A　must　imagine　that　this　is　so。　　I　think　it　is　not
so；　at　all；　but　no　matter；　the　cure　is　effected；　and　that　is　the　main
thing。　　The　outsider's　work　is　unquestionably　valuable；　so　valuable　that
it　may　fairly　be　likened　to　the　essential　work　performed　by　the　engineer
when　he　handles　the　throttle　and　turns　on　the　steam；　the　actual　power　is
lodged　exclusively　in　the　engine；　but　if　the　engine　were　left　alone　it
would　never　start　of　itself。　　Whether　the　engineer　be　named　Jim；　or　Bob；
or　Tom；　it　is　all　onehis　services　are　necessary；　and　he　is　entitled　to
such　wage　as　he　can　get　you　to　pay。　　Whether　he　be　named　Christian
Scientist；　or　Mental　Scientist；　or　Mind　Curist；　or　King's…Evil　Expert；　or
Hypnotist；　it　is　all　one；　he　is　merely　the　Engineer；　he　simply　turns　on
the　same　old　steam　and　the　engine　does　the　whole　work。

The　Christian…Scientist　engineer　drives　exactly　the　same　trade　as　the
other　engineers；　yet　he　out…prospers　the　whole　of　them　put　together。

Is　it　because　he　has　captured　the　takingest　name？　　I　think　that　that　is
only　a　small　part　of　it。　　I　think　that　the　secret　of　his　high　prosperity
lies　elsewhere。

The　Christian　Scientist　has　organized　the　business。　　Now　that　was
certainly　a　gigantic　idea。　　Electricity；　in　limitless　volume；　has　existed
in　the　air　and　the　rocks　and　the　earth　and　everywhere　since　time　began
and　was　going　to　waste　all　the　while。　　In　our　time　we　have　organized　that
scattered　and　wandering　force　and　set　it　to　work；　and　backed　the　business
with　capital；　and　concentrated　it　in　few　and　competent　hands；　and　the
results　are　as　we　see。

The　Christian　Scientist　has　taken　a　force　which　has　been　lying　idle　in
every　member　of　the　human　race　since　time　began；　and　has　organized　it；
and　backed　the　business　with　capital；　and　concentrated　it　at　Boston
headquarters　in　the　hands　of　a　small　and　very　competent　Trust；　and　there
are　results。

Therein　lies　the　promise　that　this　monopoly　is　going　to　extend　its
commerce　wide　in　the　earth。　　I　think　that　if　the　business　were　conducted
in　the　loose　and　disconnected　fashion　customary　with　such　things；　it
would　achieve　but　little　more　than　the　modest　prosperity　usually　secured
by　unorganized　great　moral　and　commercial　ventures；　but　I　believe　that　so
long　as　this　one　remains　compactly　organized　and　closely　concentrated　in
a　Trust；　the　spread　of　its　dominion　will　continue。




CHAPTER　IX

Four　years　ago　I　wrote　the　preceding　chapters。　　I　was　assured　by　the　wise
that　Christian　Science　was　a　fleeting　craze　and　would　soon　perish。　　This
prompt　and　all…competent　stripe　of　prophet　is　always　to　be　had　in　the
market　at　ground…floor　rates。　　He　does　not　stop　to　load；　or　consider；　or
take　aim；　but　lets　fly　just　as　he　stands。　　Facts　are　nothing　to　him；　he
has　no　use　for　such　things；　he　works　wholly　by　inspiration。　　And　so；　when
he　is　asked　why　he　considers　a　new　movement　a　passing　fad　and　quickly
perishable；　he　finds　himself　unprepared　with　a　reason　and　is　more　or　less
embarrassed。　　For　a　moment。　　Only　for　a　moment。　　Then　he　waylays　the
first　spectre　of　a　reason　that　goes　flitting　through　the　desert　places　of
his　mind；　and　is　at　once　serene　again　and　ready　for　conflict。　　Serene　and
confident。　　Yet　he　should　not　be　so；　since　he　has　had　no　chance　to
examine　his　catch；　and　cannot　know　whether　it　is　going　to　help　his
contention　or　damage　it。

The　impromptu　reason　furnished　by　the　early　prophets　of　whom　I　have
spoken　was　this：

〃There　is　nothing　to　Christian　Science；　there　is　nothing　about　it　that
appeals　to　the　intellect；　its　market　will　be　restricted　to　the
unintelligent；　the　mentally　inferior；　the　people　who　do　not　think。〃

They　called　that　a　reason　why　the　cult　would　not　flourish　and　endure。　　It
seems　the　equivalent　of　saying：

〃There　is　no　money　in　tinware；　there　is　nothing　about　it　that　appeals　to
the　rich；　its　market　will　be　restricted　to　the　poor。〃

It　is　like　bringing　forward　the　best　reason　in　the　world　why　Christian
Science　should　flourish　and　live；　and　then　blandly　offering　it　as　a
reason　why　it　should　sicken　and　die。

That　reason　was　furnished　me　by　the　complacent　and　unfrightened　prophets
four　years　ago；　and　it　has　been　furnished　me　again　to…day。　　If
conversions　to　new　religions　or　to　old　ones　were　in　any　considerable
degree　achieved　through　the　intellect；　the　aforesaid　reason　would　be
sound　and　sufficient；　no　doubt；　the　inquirer　into　Christian　Science　might
go　away　unconvinced　and　unconverted。　　But　we　all　know　that　conversions
are　seldom　made　in　that　way；　that　such　a　thing　as　a　serious　and
painstaking　and　fairly　competent　inquiry　into　the　claims　of　a　religion　or
of　a　political　dogma　is　a　rare　occurrence；　and　that　the　vast　mass　of　men
and　women　are　far　from　being　capable　of　making　such　an　examination。　　They
are　not　capable；　for　the　reason　that　their　minds；　howsoever　good　they　may
be；　are　not　trained　for　such　examinations。　　The　mind　not　trained　for　that
work　is　no　more　competent　to　do　it　than　are　lawyers　and　farmers　competent
to　make　successful　clothes　without　learning　the　tailor's　trade。　　There
are　seventy…five　million　men　and　women　among　us　who　do　not　know　how　to
cut　out　and　make　a　dress…suit；　and　they　would　not　think　of　trying；　yet
they　all　think　they　can　competently　think　out　a　political　or　religious
scheme　without　any　apprenticeship　to　the　business；　and　many　of　them
believe　they　have　actually　worked　that　miracle。　　But；　indeed；　the　truth
is；　almost　all　the　men　and　women　of　our　nation　or　of　any　other　get　their
religion　and　their　politics　where　they　get　their　astronomyentirely　at
second　hand。　　Being　untrained；　they　are　no　more　able　to　intelligently
examine　a　dogma　or　a　policy　than　they　are　to　calculate　an　eclipse。

Men　are　usually　competent　thinkers　along　the　lines　of　their　specialized
training　only。　　Within　these　limits　alone　are　their　opinions　and
judgments　valuable；　outside　of　these　limits　they　grope　and　are　lost
usually　without　knowing　it。　　In　a　church　assemblage　of　five　hundred
persons；　there　will　be　a　man　or　two　whose　trained　minds　can　seize　upon
each　detail　of　a　great　manufacturing　scheme　and　recognize　its　value　or
its　lack　of　value　promptly；　and　can　pass　the　details　in　intelligent
review；　section　by　section；　and　finally　as　a　whole；　and　then　deliver　a
verdict　upon　the　scheme　which　cannot　be　flippantly　set　aside　nor　easily
answered。　　And　there　will　be　one　or　two　other　men　there　who　can　do　the
same　thing　with　a　great　and　complicated　educational　project；　and　one　or
two　others　who　can　do　the　like　with　a　large　scheme　for　applying
electricity　in　a　new　and　unheard…of　way；　and　one　or　two　others　who　can　do
it　with　a　showy　scheme　for　revolutionizing　the　scientific　world's
accepted　notions　regarding　geology。　　And　so　on；　and　so　on。　　But　the
manufacturing　experts　will　not　be　competent　to　examine　the　educational
scheme　intelligently；　and　their　opinion　about　it　would　not　be　valuable；
neither　of　these　two　groups　will　be　able　to　understand　and　pass　upon　the
electrical　scheme；　none　of　these　three　batches　of　experts　will　be　able　to
understand　and　pass　upon　the　geological　revolution；　and　probably　not　one
man　in　the　entire　lot　will　be　competent　to　examine；　capably；　the
intricacies　of　a　political　or　religious　scheme；　new　or　old；　and　deliver　a
judgment　upon　it　which　any　one　need　regard　as　precious。

There　you　have　the　top　crust。　　There　will　be　four　hundred　and　seventy…
five　men　and　women　present　who　can　draw　upon　their　training　and　deliver
incontrovertible　judgments　concerning　cheese；　and　leather；　and　cattle；
and　hardware；　and　soap；　and　tar；　and　candles；　and　patent　medicines；　and
dreams；　and　apparitions；　and　garden　trucks；　and　cats；　and　baby　food；　and
warts；　and　hymns；　and　time…tables；　and　freight…rates；　and　summer　resorts；
and　whiskey；　and　law；　and　surgery；　and　dentistry；　and　blacksmithing；　and
shoemaking；　and　dancing；　and　Huyler's　candy；　and　mathematics；　and　dog
fights；　and　obstetrics；　and　music；　and　sausages；　and　dry　goods；　and
molasses；　and　railroad　stocks；　and　horses；　and　literature；　and　labor
unions；　and　vegetables；　and　morals；　and　lamb's　fries；　and　etiquette；　and
agriculture。　　And　not　ten　among　the　five　hundredlet　their　minds　be　ever
so　good　and　brightwill　be　competent；　by　grace　of　the　requisite
specialized　mental　training；　to　take　hold　of　a　complex　abstraction　of　any
kind　and　make　head　or　tail　of　it。

The　whole　five　hundred　are　thinkers；　and　they　are　all　capable　thinkers
but　only　within　the　narrow　limits　of　their　specialized　trainings。　　Four
hundred　and　ninety　of　them　cannot　competently　examine　either　a　religious
plan　or　a　political　one。　　A　scattering　few　of　them　do　examine　boththat
is；　they　think　they　do。　　With　results　as　precious　as　when　I　examine　the
nebular　theory　and　explain　it　to　myself。

If　the　four　hundred　and　ninety　got　their　religion　through　their　minds；
and　by　weighed　and　measured　detail；　Christian　Science　would　not　be　a
scary　apparition。　　But　they　don't；　they　get　a　little　of　it　through　their
minds；　more　of　it　through　their　feelings；　and　the　overwhelming　bulk　of　it
through　their　environment。

Environment　is　the　chief　thing　to　be　considered　when　one　is　proposing　to
predict　the　future　of　Christian　Science。　　It　is　not　the　ability　to　reason
that　makes　the　Presbyterian；　or　the　Baptist；　or　the　Methodist；　or　the
Catholic；　or　the　Mohammedan；　or　the　Buddhist；　or　the　Mormon；　it　is
environment。　　If　religions　were　got　by　reasoning；　we　should　have　the
extraordinary　spectacle　of　an　American　family　with　a　Presbyterian　in　it；
and　a　Baptist；　a　Methodist；　a　Catholic；　a　Mohammedan；　a　Buddhist；　and　a
Mormon。　　A　Presbyterian　family　does　not　produce　Catholic　families　or
other　religious　brands；　it　produces　its　own　kind；　and　not　by　intellectual
processes；　but　by　association。　　And　so　also　with　Mohammedanism；　the　cult
which　in　our　day　is　spreading　with　the　sweep　of　a　world…conflagration
through　the　Orient；