Mary the Matron; later, with a change of precedence, Mary the Matron and
Mary the Virgin. Let the artist get ready with his canvas and his
brushes; the new Renaissance is on its way, and there will be money in
altar-canvases–a thousand times as much as the Popes and their Church
ever spent on the Old Masters; for their riches were poverty as compared
with what is going to pour into the treasure-chest of the Christian-
Scientist Papacy by-and-by, let us not doubt it. We will examine the
financial outlook presently and see what it promises. A favorite subject
of the new Old Master will be the first verse of the twelfth chapter of
Revelation–a verse which Mrs. Eddy says (in her Annex to the Scriptures)
has “one distinctive feature which has special reference to the present
age”–and to her, as is rather pointedly indicated:
“And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the
sun, and the moon under her feet,” etc.
The woman clothed with the sun will be a portrait of Mrs. Eddy.
Is it insanity to believe that Christian Scientism is destined to make
the most formidable show that any new religion has made in the world
since the birth and spread of Mobammedanism, and that within a century
from now it may stand second to Rome only, in numbers and power in
Christendom?
If this is a wild dream it will not be easy to prove it so just yet, I
think. There seems argument that it may come true. The Christian-
Science “boom,” proper, is not yet five years old; yet already it has two
hundred and fifty churches.
It has its start, you see, and it is a phenomenally good one. Moreover,
it is latterly spreading with a constantly accelerating swiftness. It
has a better chance to grow and prosper and achieve permanency than any
other existing “ism”; for it has more to offer than any other. The past
teaches us that in order to succeed, a movement like this must not be a
mere philosophy, it must be a religion; also, that it must not claim
entire originality, but content itself with passing for an improvement on
an existing religion, and show its hand later, when strong and
prosperous–like Mohammedanism.
Next, there must be money–and plenty of it.
Next, the power and authority and capital must be concentrated in the
grip of a small and irresponsible clique, with nobody outside privileged
to ask questions or find fault.
Next, as before remarked, it must bait its hook with some new and
attractive advantages over the baits offered by its competitors. A new
movement equipped with some of these endowments–like spiritualism, for
instance may count upon a considerable success; a new movement equipped
with the bulk of them–like Mohammedanism, for instance– may count upon
a widely extended conquest. Mormonism had all the requisites but one it
had nothing new and nothing valuable to bait with. Spiritualism lacked
the important detail of concentration of money and authority in the hands
of an irresponsible clique.
The above equipment is excellent, admirable, powerful, but not perfect.
There is yet another detail which is worth the whole of it put together
and more; a detail which has never been joined (in the beginning of a
religious movement) to a supremely good working equipment since the world
began, until now: a new personage to worship. Christianity had the
Saviour, but at first and for generations it lacked money and
concentrated power. In Mrs. Eddy, Christian Science possesses the new
personage for worship, and in addition–here in the very beginning–a
working equipment that has not a flaw in it. In the beginning,
Mohammedanism had no money; and it has never had anything to offer its
client but heaven– nothing here below that was valuable. In addition to
heaven hereafter, Christian Science has present health and a cheerful
spirit to offer; and in comparison with this bribe all other this-world
bribes are poor and cheap. You recognize that this estimate is
admissible, do you not?
To whom does Bellamy’s “Nationalism” appeal? Necessarily to the few:
people who read and dream, and are compassionate, and troubled for the
poor and the hard-driven. To whom does Spiritualism appeal? Necessarily