Editorial September 2, 1916 Issue

Forestalling Error

William D. McCrackan

It is the part of wisdom to destroy evil before it can pass from intent into action, from cause to effect. This forestalling is not an impossible task for the watchful Christian guided by Science, for spiritual truth uncovers evil as lying latent in mortal mind, apparently expecting to translate itself into an accomplished fact at the moment of its own choosing. But the decision should really rest with the righteous metaphysician, for under the guidance of divine Mind he can forestall evil and so prevent its results. The Christian Scientist is fully equipped by the teaching of his faith for prophylactic as well as therapeutic treatment of the world's ill, its sins and sicknesses, woes and wrongs. But an indispensable part of this mental equipment is a willingness to take the human footsteps in their proper order, a readiness to let truth uncover the various claims of evil before taking the final step of proclaiming that there is no evil at all.

The metaphysician, armed with the sword of Truth, can perform great execution in the ranks of evil by baffling its purpose at the start, if called upon to do so, and in this respect "the children of light" can learn from "the children of this world," the spiritual warriors from the soldiers fighting with carnal weapons. Military tactics, for instance, are only the material after-effects of so-called mental activity. All military tactics have lain latent in mortal mind before they have expressed themselves in action, and so they will never cease to have a supposititious existence until they have been forestalled and destroyed at their source by the divine Mind. The practical metaphysician is familiar with so-called counter attacks, with the carnal wish which is father to the thought of poisonous gases, of snipers to pick off the best workers, of shrapnel curtains to cut off those who are in advance, etc. These evil mental methods can be frustrated by the metaphysician who does not make a pretense of being apathetic or agnostic, but is frankly overcoming error with truth.

Right activity alone can unmask the batteries of evil intent before they can move into action. Mrs. Eddy worked out the problem of forestalling error, and urged her followers to do the same whenever wisdom dictated such a course. As an example may be cited her cautioning students against copying from her text-book for the use of Sunday services, except by special permission. Her warning, she writes on page 302 of "Miscellaneous Writings," "was intended to forestall the possible evil of putting the divine teachings contained in 'Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures' into human hands, to subvert or to liquidate." It is largely due to this and similar wise forestalling on her part that the whole of humanity today possesses a carefully guarded and copyrighted book wherein is to be found the revelation of Truth to this age.

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