Editorial June 5, 1926 Issue

One Army

Ella W. Hoag

The subject of Christian warfare since the beginning of time has been much on the tongues and pens of men. The Bible may be said to contain a history of this struggle from its first apparent beginnings, when Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden were shown the necessity of taking a firm stand against the serpent, evil, to the prophetic writings in Revelation, where John pictures the complete overcoming of the great red dragon. Although this warfare has been so much talked about and such tomes have been written on the subject, there is to-day nothing of more vital concern to mankind. The winning of heaven by each individual depends upon understanding how to arm one's self for this warfare, and how to wage it to a successful finish.

There is just one army involved in this struggle. As Christian Scientists recognize this, they begin to prepare themselves for a united effort against a common enemy. They also have struck a deathblow at the belief in isolated effort; hence they need never again contemplate the dreariness of a solitary struggle. Nothing is more vital to the progress of this army than the harmonious interrelation of its members. It is scarcely necessary to say that such interrelation can never be demonstrated without unity of purpose. To the Christian Scientist this unity is assured from the outset, since the only object of this conflict is to prove the allness of God, good, and the nothingness of evil. It makes little difference how many forms the struggle may claim to assume, this one purpose stands out ever paramount. If conflicting elements in this army appear, the immediate turning to this one purpose would instantly tend to the dissolving of all personal differences.

In "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 265) Mrs. Eddy tells us: "Diverse opinions in Science are stultifying. All must have one Principle and the same rule; and all who follow the Principle and rule have but one opinion of it." One opinion of one Principle and rule sometimes seems difficult of demonstration. The reason for this is not far to seek. The so-called human mind is always endeavoring to start from its own selfish personal standpoint. It begins with its own opinion already formulated, and then attempts to bolster this up with a mistaken concept of Principle. If Scientists are asleep to this, it may take some time to arrive at the one divine opinion. If, instead, they will always start from Principle itself, waiting for divine Mind to outline and unfold from its perfect viewpoint the concept needed, the stultifying opinions will be avoided.

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