Editorial January 13, 1917 Issue

Intelligence Infinite and Divine

Archibald McLellan

On page 469 of Science and Health and the two following pages Mrs. Eddy asks and answers the question "What is Mind?" The substance of her answer is contained in its first three words, namely, "Mind is God." On page 469 she also says of intelligence, "It is the primal and eternal quality of infinite Mind, of the triune Principle,—Life, Truth, and Love,—named God."

It is clear, therefore, that to be truly intelligent one must be animated by and reflect this one "primal and eternal quality" of God; and per contra, whoever or whatever does not reflect Mind, God, in at least some degree, is not intelligent, no matter what grade of intellectuality, or even excess of intellectuality, may be manifested. Mrs. Eddy tells us on page 109 of Science and Health that she has demonstrated "the proposition that Mind is All and matter is naught." This must lead to the conclusion that the so-called mortal intelligence, which is the product of mortal mind or materiality, is naught, or of no avail in dealing with the real problems of existence, because these problems are primarily the war of non-intelligence upon intelligence, of mortal mind upon divine Mind, the effort of materiality to overthrow spirituality, of error to supplant Truth.

In defining God our Leader uses the word Principle as a synonym for Deity, and as she also uses Life in the same relationship, we realize that by the word Principle she does not mean a dead or material mathematical rule, but infinite, divine Principle, the cause or creator of all true being; that which is not only alive, but that which also is infinite Life, without beginning of years or end of days. If Mrs. Eddy had left humanity to infer that by her use of the word Principle she meant merely a cold, abstract proposition, which could be worked out in a methodical manner by a purely intellectual system, she would have failed of her mission; but this she did not do. She elevated this word, as she elevated other words, far above and beyond the merely material or intellectual meaning by which it is commonly supposed to be circumscribed, and carried its true meaning to an ultimate and spiritual signification.

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