Eddyism, Commonly Called “Christian Science " 161
ITS CRITICS Of course, every one who denounces “Science and Health” is immediately reminded by the erudite members of this cult that he does not understand the book; and that he will for ever be incapable of understanding its profundities until he becomes a disciple. His mental capacity will have to be en larged before he can appreciate the fine distinctions to be found in the learned writings of this lady. It is amusing. A man, like General Horatio C. King, for example, may be col lege bred; may have spent years in the practice of the legal profession, and other years as a newspaper editor, and still others as an author; he may have traveled extensively, and been a student of the Bible all his life; but if he criticises Science and Health”, it is because he cannot understand its philosophy. A man may be acquainted with the entire his tory of thought from Thales to Hegel, he may be able to read Kant's “Critique” with some degree of pleasure; he may have spent years in the company of Spinoza, Descartes, Locke, Leibnitz, and other thinkers, but he is out of court as a critic unless he acknowledges the vast superiority of Mrs. Eddy. But if one is willing to make this acknowledgement—even though he be ignorant as night of all things else—he is at once entitled to a place among the wise men! NUMBERS The pity of it all is that the jargon of “Science and Health”, and its kindred publications, is accepted as Gospel by over 60,000 people in this enlightened land of ours. It is well known that Eddyism claims anywhere from one to three millions in America. The official figures as given by Dr. Carroll in the last religious census are 85 , 7 1 7 . But many of these even “are counted as members of the Mother Church in Boston, and also members of the branch churches through out the world!” Dr. Carroll’s estimate is that there are at
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