Christian Science -- Controversial literature; Eddy, Mary Baker, 1821-1910
To return to the Claim. I find myself greatly embarrassed by Mrs. Eddy's
remark: “I regard self-deification as blasphemous.” If she is right
about that, I have written a half-ream of manuscript this past week
which I must not print, either in the book which I am writing, or
elsewhere: for it goes into that very matter with extensive elaboration,
citing, in detail, words and acts of Mrs. Eddy's which seem to me to
prove that she is a faithful and untiring worshipper of herself, and has
carried self-deification to a length which has not been before ventured
in ages. If ever. There is not room enough in this chapter for that
Survey, but I can epitomize a portion of it here.
With her own untaught and untrained mind, and without outside help,
she has erected upon a firm and lasting foundation the most minutely
perfect, and wonderful, and smoothly and exactly working, and best
safe-guarded system of government that has yet been devised in the
world, as I believe, and as I am sure I could prove if I had room for my
documentary evidences here.
It is a despotism (on this democratic soil); a sovereignty more absolute
than the Roman Papacy, more absolute than the Russian Czarship; it has
not a single power, not a shred of authority, legislative or executive,
which is not lodged solely in the sovereign; all its dreams, its
functions, its energies, have a single object, a single reason for
existing, and only the one--to build to the sky the glory of the
sovereign, and keep it bright to the end of time.
Mrs. Eddy is the sovereign; she devised that great place for herself,
she occupies that throne.
In 1895, she wrote a little primer, a little body of autocratic laws,
called the Manual of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and put
those laws in force, in permanence. Her government is all there; all
in that deceptively innocent-looking little book, that cunning little
devilish book, that slumbering little brown volcano, with hell in its
bowels. In that book she has planned out her system, and classified and
defined its purposes and powers.
MAIN PARTS OF THE MACHINE
A Supreme Church. At Boston. Branch Churches. All over the world One
Pastor for the whole of them: to wit, her book, Science and Health. Term
of the book's office--forever.
In every C.S. pulpit, two “Readers,” a man and a woman. No talkers,
no preachers, in any Church-readers only. Readers of the Bible and her
books--no others. No commentators allowed to write or print.
A Church Service. She has framed it--for all the C.S. Churches--selected
its readings, its prayers, and the hymns to be used, and has appointed
the order of procedure. No changes permitted.
A Creed. She wrote it. All C.S. Churches must subscribe to it. No other
permitted.
A Treasury. At Boston. She carries the key.
A C.S. Book--Publishing House. For books approved by her. No others
permitted.
Journals and Magazines. These are organs of hers, and are controlled by
her.
A College. For teaching C.S.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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