Article June 26, 1926 Issue

"Soul's government officers"

EMMIE GRACE SMITH

Beginning on page 430 of our textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," our beloved Leader presents an allegory representing the trial of a mental case, first in the lower Court of Error, in which the defendant is sentenced to die, and afterwards in the Supreme Court of Spirit, where the decision is reversed and the prisoner found to be not guilty; fear is cast out, and he walks forth, "his feet 'beautiful upon the mountains,' as of one 'that bringeth good tidings'" (p. 442). In this allegory Mrs. Eddy speaks of error's goods as being smuggled into the market without the inspection of "Soul's government officers" (p. 438). We may well pause to ask ourselves just what "Soul's government officers" are, and what office they perform.

Let us consider for a moment those officers, appointed by the government of a country, whose duty it is to stop all attempts of unscrupulous persons to smuggle in that which the majority of the people of the country have decided to be harmful to its progress and prosperity. Such officers, to be successful, must be alert, fearless, capable, and active. Otherwise, that which is undesirable will pass in, and perhaps cause discord.

While in the human realm laws may be faulty or lack enforcement because many officers of the law fail in their duty, it is not so in the realm of divine Mind. Here all are under God's government; and His appointed officers never fail, but are ever active in counteracting all evil. And what are these officers? Are they not, indeed, God's angels? On page 581 of Science and Health Mrs. Eddy defines "angels" thus: "God's thoughts passing to man; spiritual intuitions, pure and perfect; the inspiration of goodness, purity, and immortality, counteracting all evil, sensuality, and mortality." These pure thoughts from God are vested with divine power and authority, and are alone able to dispel the errors that would seek to enter our mental realm—our consciousness. These counteracting thoughts are ever active, and do quickly and effectively destroy all sense of evil.

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