hristian Scientists,
organized in the one and only permissible way--by a member, in good
standing, of the Mother-Church, and who is also a pupil of one of Mrs.
Eddy's accredited students. That is to say, one of her properties. No
other can do it. There are other indispensable requisites; what are
they?

2. The new Church cannot enter upon its functions until its members have
individually signed, and pledged allegiance to, a Creed furnished by
Mrs. Eddy.

3. They are obliged to study her books, and order their lives by them.
And they must read no outside religious works.

4. They must sing the hymns and pray the prayers provided by her, and
use no others in the services, except by her permission.

5. They cannot have preachers and pastors. Her law.

6. In their Church they must have two Readers--a man and a woman.

7. They must read the services framed and appointed by her.

8. She--not the branch Church--appoints those Readers.

9. She--not the branch Church--dismisses them and fills the vacancies.

10. She can do this without consulting the branch Church, and without
explaining.

11. The branch Church can have a religious lecture from time to time. By
applying to Mrs. Eddy. There is no other way.

12. But the branch Church cannot select the lecturer. Mrs. Eddy does it.

13. The branch Church pays his fee.

14. The harnessing of all Christian Science wedding-teams, members
of the branch Church, must be done by duly authorized and consecrated
Christian Science functionaries. Her factory is the only one that makes
and licenses them.

[15. Nothing is said about christenings. It is inferable from this that
a Christian Science child is born a Christian Scientist and requires no
tinkering.]

[16. Nothing is said about funerals. It is inferable, then, that a
branch Church is privileged to do in that matter as it may choose.]

To sum up. Are any important Church-functions absent from the list? I
cannot call any to mind. Are there any lacking ones whose exercise
could make the branch in any noticeable way independent of the Mother.
Church?--even in any trifling degree? I think of none. If the named
functions were abolished would there still be a Church left? Would there
be even a shadow of a Church left? Would there be anything at all left?
even the bare name?

Manifestly not. There isn't a single vital and essential Church-function
of any kind, that is not named in the list. And over every one of them
the