call.” The public is merely a multiplied “me.”–M.T.]
CHAPTER VII
“We consciously declare that Science and Health, with Key to the
Scriptures, was foretold, as well as its author, Mary Baker Eddy, in
Revelation x. She is the ‘mighty angel,’ or God’s highest thought to
this age (verse 1), giving us the spiritual interpretation of the Bible
in the ‘little book open’ (verse 2). Thus we prove that Christian
Science is the second coming of Christ-Truth-Spirit.” –Lecture by Dr.
George Tomkins, D.D. C.S.
There you have it in plain speech. She is the mighty angel; she is the
divinely and officially sent bearer of God’s highest thought. For the
present, she brings the Second Advent. We must expect that before she
has been in her grave fifty years she will be regarded by her following
as having been herself the Second Advent. She is already worshiped, and
we must expect this feeling to spread, territorially, and also to deepen
in intensity.
Particularly after her death; for then, as any one can foresee, Eddy-
Worship will be taught in the Sunday-schools and pulpits of the cult.
Already whatever she puts her trade-mark on, though it be only a
memorial-spoon, is holy and is eagerly and gratefully bought by the
disciple, and becomes a fetish in his house. I say bought, for the
Boston Christian-Science Trust gives nothing away; everything it has is
for sale. And the terms are cash; and not only cash, but cash in
advance. Its god is Mrs. Eddy first, then the Dollar. Not a spiritual
Dollar, but a real one. From end to end of the Christian Science
literature not a single (material) thing in the world is conceded to be
real, except the Dollar. But all through and through its advertisements
that reality is eagerly and persistently recognized.
The Dollar is hunted down in all sorts of ways; the Christian-Science
Mother-Church and Bargain-Counter in Boston peddles all kinds of
spiritual wares to the faithful, and always on the one condition–cash,
cash in advance. The Angel of the Apocalypse could not go there and get
a copy of his own pirated book on credit. Many, many precious Christian-
Science things are to be had there for cash: Bible Lessons; Church
Manual; C. S. Hymnal; History of the building of the Mother-Church; lot
of Sermons; Communion Hymn, “Saw Ye My Saviour,” by Mrs. Eddy, half a
dollar a copy, “words used by special permission of Mrs. Eddy.” Also we
have Mrs. Eddy’s and the Angel’s little Blue-Annex in eight styles of
binding at eight kinds of war-prices; among these a sweet thing in
“levant, divinity circuit, leather lined to edge, round corners, gold
edge, silk sewed, each, prepaid, $6,” and if you take a million you get
them a shilling cheaper –that is to say, “prepaid, $5.75.” Also we have
Mrs. Eddy’s Miscellaneous Writings, at ‘andsome big prices, the divinity-
circuit style heading the exertions, shilling discount where you take an
edition Next comes Christ and Christmas, by the fertile Mrs. Eddy–a
poem–would God I could see it! –price $3, cash in advance. Then
follow five more books by Mrs. Eddy, at highwayman’s rates, some of them
in “leatherette covers,” some of them in “pebble cloth,” with divinity-
circuit, compensation-balance, twin-screw, and the other modern
improvements; and at the same bargain-counter can be had The Christian
Science Journal.
Christian-Science literary discharges are a monopoly of the Mother-Church
Headquarters Factory in Boston; none genuine without the trade-mark of
the Trust. You must apply there and not elsewhere.
One hundred dollars for it. And I have a case among my statistics where
the student had a three weeks’ course and paid three hundred for it.
The Trust does love the Dollar, when it isn’t a spiritual one.
In order to force the sale of Mrs Eddy’s Bible-Annex, no healer,
Metaphysical-College-bred or other, is allowed to practice the game
unless he possesses a copy of that book. That means a large and
constantly augmenting income for the Trust. No C.S. family would
consider itself loyal or pious or pain-proof without an Annex or two in
the house. That means an income for the Trust, in the near future, of
millions; not thousands-millions a year.