christian science-第25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！


indicate　the　vast　amount　of　time　and　labor　Mrs。　Eddy　has　devoted　to　this
revision。　　The　time　and　labor　thus　bestowed　is　relatively　as　great　as
that　of　the　committee　who　revised　the　Bible。。。。　　Thus　we　have
additional　evidence　of　the　herculean　efforts　our　beloved　Leader　has　made
and　is　constantly　making　for　the　promulgation　of　Truth　and　the
furtherance　of　her　divinely　bestowed　mission；〃　etc。

It　is　a　steady　job。　　I　could　help　inspire　if　desired；　I　am　not　doing　much
now；　and　would　work　for　half…price；　and　should　not　object　to　the　country。




PRICE　OF　THE　PASTOR…UNIVERSAL

The　price　of　the　Pastor…Universal；　Science　and　Health；　called　in　Science
literature　the　Comforterand　by　that　other　sacred　Name　is　three
dollars　in　cloth；　as　heretofore；　six　when　it　is　finely　bound；　and　shaped
to　imitate　the　Testament；　and　is　broken　into　verses。　　Margin　of　profit
above　cost　of　manufacture；　from　five　hundred　to　seven　hundred　per　cent。；
as　already　noted　In　the　profane　subscription…trade；　it　costs　the
publisher　heavily　to　canvass　a　three…dollar　book；　he　must　pay　the　general
agent　sixty　per　cent。　commissionthat　is　to　say；　one　dollar　and　eighty…
cents。　　Mrs。　Eddy　escapes　this　blistering　tax；　because　she　owns　the
Christian　Science　canvasser；　and　can　compel　him　to　work　for　nothing。
Read　the　following　commandnot　request　fulminated　by　Mrs。　Eddy；　over
her　signature；　in　the　Christian　Science　Journal　for　March；　1897；　and
quoted　by　Mr。　Peabody　in　his　book。　　The　book　referred　to　is　Science　and
Health：

〃It　shall　be　the　duty　of　all　Christian　Scientists　to　circulate　and　to
sell　as　many　of　these　books　as　they　can。〃

That　is　flung　at　all　the　elect；　everywhere　that　the　sun　shines；　but　no
penalty　is　shaken　over　their　heads　to　scare　them。　　The　same　command　was
issued　to　the　members　（numbering　to…day　twenty…five　thousand）　of　The
Mother…Church；　also；　but　with　it　went　a　threat；　of　the　infliction；　in
case　of　disobedience；　of　the　most　dreaded　punishment　that　has　a　place　in
the　Church's　list　of　penalties　for　transgressions　of　Mrs。　Eddy's　edicts
excommunication：

〃If　a　member　of　The　First　Church　of　Christ；　Scientist；　shall　fail　to　obey
this　injunction；　it　will　render　him　liable　to　lose　his　membership　in　this
Church。　　MARY　BAKER　EDDY。〃

It　is　the　spirit　of　the　Spanish　Inquisition。

None　but　accepted　and　well　established　gods　can　venture　an　affront　like
that　and　do　it　with　confidence。　　But　the　human　race　will　take　anything
from　that　class。　　Mrs。　Eddy　knows　the　human　race；　knows　it　better　than
any　mere　human　being　has　known　it　in　a　thousand　centuries。　　My　confidence
in　her　human…beingship　is　getting　shaken；　my　confidence　in　her　godship　is
stiffening。




SEVEN　HUNDRED　PER　CENT。

A　Scientist　out　West　has　visited　a　booksellerwith　intent　to　find　fault
with　meand　has　brought　away　the　information　that　the　price　at　which
Mrs。　Eddy　sells　Science　and　Health　is　not　an　unusually　high　one　for　the
size　and　make　of　the　book。　　That　is　true。　　But　in　the　book…tradethat
profit…devourer　unknown　to　Mrs。　Eddy's　booka　three…dollar　book　that　is
made　for　thirty…five　or　forty　cents　in　large　editions　is　put　at　three
dollars　because　the　publisher　has　to　pay　author；　middleman；　and
advertising；　and　if　the　price　were　much　below　three　the　profit　accruing
would　not　pay　him　fairly　for　his　time　and　labor。　　At　the　same　time；　if　he
could　get　ten　dollars　for　the　book　he　would　take　it；　and　his　morals　would
not　fall　under　criticism。

But　if　he　were　an　inspired　person　commissioned　by　the　Deity　to　receive
and　print　and　spread　broadcast　among　sorrowing　and　suffering　and　poor　men
a　precious　message　of　healing　and　cheer　and　salvation；　he　would　have　to
do　as　Bible　Societies　dosell　the　book　at　a　pinched　margin　above　cost　to
such　as　could　pay；　and　give　it　free　to　all　that　couldn't；　and　his　name
would　be　praised。　　But　if　he　sold　it　at　seven　hundred　per　cent。　profit
and　put　the　money　in　his　pocket；　his　name　would　be　mocked　and　derided。
Just　as　Mrs。　Eddy's　is。　　And　most　justifiably；　as　it　seems　to　me。

The　complete　Bible　contains　one　million　words。　　The　New　Testament　by
itself　contains　two　hundred　and　forty　thousand　words。

My　'84　edition　of　Science　and　Health　contains　one　hundred　and　twenty
thousand　words　just　half　as　many　as　the　New　Testament。

Science　and　Health　has　since　been　so　inflated　by　later　inspirations　that
the　1902　edition　contains　one　hundred　and　eighty　thousand　wordsnot
counting　the　thirty　thousand　at　the　back；　devoted　by　Mrs。　Eddy　to
advertising　the　book's　healing　abilitiesand　the　inspiring　continues
right　along。

If　you　have　a　book　whose　market　is　so　sure　and　so　great　that　you　can　give
a　printer　an　everlasting　order　for　thirty　or　forty　or　fifty　thousand
copies　a　year　he　will　furnish　them　at　a　cheap　rate；　because　whenever
there　is　a　slack　time　in　his　press…room　and　bindery　he　can　fill　the　idle
intervals　on　your　book　and　be　making　something　instead　of　losing。　　That
is　the　kind　of　contract　that　can　be　let　on　Science　and　Health　every　year。
I　am　obliged　to　doubt　that　the　three…dollar　Science　and　Health　costs　Mrs。
Eddy　above　fifteen　cents；　or　that　the　six　dollar　copy　costs　her　above
eighty　cents。　　I　feel　quite　sure　that　the　average　profit　to　her　on　these
books；　above　cost　of　manufacture；　is　all　of　seven　hundred　per　cent。

Every　proper　Christian　Scientist　has　to　buy　and　own　（and　canvass　for）
Science　and　Health　（one　hundred　and　eighty　thousand　words）；　and　he　must
also　own　a　Bible　（one　million　words）。　　He　can　buy　the　one　for　from　three
to　six　dollars；　and　the　other　for　fifteen　cents。　　Or；　if　three　dollars　is
all　the　money　he　has；　he　can　get　his　Bible　for　nothing。　　When　the　Supreme
Being　disseminates　a　saving　Message　through　uninspired　agentsthe　New
Testament；　for　instance　it　can　be　done　for　five　cents　a　copy；　but　when
He　sends　one　containing　only　two…thirds　as　many　words　through　the　shop　of
a　Divine　Personage；　it　costs　sixty　times　as　much。　　I　think　that　in
matters　of　such　importance　it　is　bad　economy　to　employ　a　wild…cat　agency。

Here　are　some　figures　which　are　perfectly　authentic；　and　which　seem　to
justify　my　opinion。

〃These　＇Bible＇　societies；　inspired　only　by　a　sense　of　religious　duty；　are
issuing　the　Bible　at　a　price　so　small　that　they　have　made　it　the　cheapest
book　printed。　　For　example；　the　American　Bible　Society　offers　an　edition
of　the　whole　Bible　as　low　as　fifteen　cents　and　the　New　Testament　at　five
cents；　and　the　British　Society　at　sixpence　and　one　penny；　respectively。
These　low　prices；　made　possible　by　their　policy　of　selling　the　books　at
cost　or　below　cost；〃　etc。New　York　Sun；　February　25；　1903。




CHAPTER　IX

We　may　now　make　a　final　footing…up　of　Mrs。　Eddy；　and　see　what　she　is；　in
the　fulness　of　her　powers。　　She　is

The　Massachusetts　Metaphysical　College
Pastor　Emeritus；
President；
Board　of　Directors；
Board　of　Education；
Board　of　Lectureships；
Future　Board　of　Trustees；
Proprietor　of　the　Publishing…House　and　Periodicals；
Treasurer；
Clerk；
Proprietor　of　the　Teachers；
Proprietor　of　the　Lecturers；
Proprietor　of　the　Missionaries；
Proprietor　of　the　Readers；
Dictator　of　the　Services；　sole　Voice　of　the　Pulpit；
Proprietor　of　the　Sanhedrin；
Sole　Proprietor　of　the　Creed。　　（Copyrighted。）；
Indisputable　Autocrat　of　the　Branch　Churches；　with　their　life　and　death
in　her　hands；
Sole　Thinker　for　The　First　Church　（and　the　others）；
Sole　and　Infallible　Expounder　of　Doctrine；　in　life　and　in　death；
Sole　permissible　Discoverer；　Denouncer；　Judge；　and　Executioner　of
Ostensible　Hypnotists；
Fifty…handed　God　of　Excommunicationwith　a　thunderbolt　in　every　hand；
Appointer　and　Installer　of　the　Pastor　of　all　the　Churchesthe　Perpetual
Pastor…Universal；　Science　and　Health；　〃the　Comforter。〃




CHAPTER　X

There　she　stands…painted　by　herself。　　No　witness　but　herself　has　been
allowed　to　testify。　　She　stands　there　painted　by　her　acts；　and　decorated
by　her　words。　　When　she　talks；　she　has　only　a　decorative　value　as　a
witness；　either　for　or　against　herself；　for　she　deals　mainly　in
unsupported　assertion；　and　in　the　rare　cases　where　she　puts　forward　a
verifiable　fact　she　gets　out　of　it　a　meaning　which　it　refuses　to　furnish
to　anybody　else。　　Also；　when　she　talks；　she　is　unstable；　she　wanders；　she
is　incurably　inconsistent；　what　she　says　to…day　she　contradicts　tomorrow。

But　her　acts　are　consistent。　　They　are　always　faithful　to　her；　they　never
misinterpret　her；　they　are　a　mirror　which　always　reflects　her　exactly；
precisely；　minutely；　unerringly；　and　always　the　same；　to　date；　with　only
those　progressive　little　natural　changes　in　stature；　dress；　complexion；
mood；　and　carriage　that　markexteriorlythe　march　of　the　years　and
record　the　accumulations　of　experience；　while　interiorlythrough　all
this　steady　drift　of　evolution　the　one　essential　detail；　the　commanding
detail；　the　master　detail　of　the　make…up　remains　as　it　was　in　the
beginning；　suffers　no　change　and　can　suffer　none；　the　basis　of　the
character；　the　temperament；　the　disposition；　that　indestructible　iron
framework　upon　which　the　character　is　built；　and　whose　shape　it　must
take；　and　keep；　throughout　life。　　We　call　it　a　person's　nature。

The　man　who　is　born　stingy　can　be　taught　to　give　liberallywith　his
hands；　but　not　with　his　heart。　　The　man　born　kind　and　compassionate　can
have　that　disposition　crushed　down　out　of　sight　by　embittering
experience；　but　if　it　were　an　organ　the　post…mortem　would　find　it　still
in　his　corpse。　　The　man　born　ambitious　of　power　and　glory　may　live　long
without　finding　it　out；　but　when　the　opportunity　comes　he　will　know；　will
strike　for　the　largest　thing　within　the　limit　of　his　chances　at　the　time…
constable；　perhapsand　will　be　glad　and　proud　when　he　gets　it；　and　will
write　home　about　it。　　But　he　will　not　stop　with　that　start；　his　appetite
will　come　again；　and　by…and…by　again；　and　yet　again；　and　when　he　has
climbed　to　police　commissioner　it　will　at　last　begin　to　dawn　upon　him
that　what　his　Napoleon　soul　wants　and　was　born　for　is　something　away
higher　uphe　does　not　quite　know　what；　but　Circumstance　and　Opportunity
will　indicate　the　direction　and　he　will　cut　a　road　through　and　find　out。

I　think　Mrs。　Eddy　was　born　with　a　far…seeing　business…eye；　but　did　not
know　it；　and　with　a　great　organizing　an