IT requires no technical, military training to understand that the best soldier in the ranks is that one who has, among other things, the greatest confidence in the ability of his commanding officer. Tennyson has made glorious the service of unquestioning obedience, but the pathos and penalty which the world has read into the immortal lines of "The Charge of the Light Brigade," have deterred many from yielding a ready consent to commands which may mean suffering. There is, indeed, a note of sadness in the blind obedience to authority which is fallible and unproved in its wisdom, but obedience is not a task, when one can say, "I know whom I have believed." The unit in the ranks who doubts the intelligence and experience of his leader, would better be out of the ranks. He makes for insubordination and disorganization, and is a foe to the integrity, cohesiveness, and success of the body.

The man who thinks he knows enough to do anything better than he who has charge of an undertaking, is not a good server, He cannot be instructed, and because he is "wise in his own conceit," there is no mental avenue through which he can be approached. An unwillingness to obey usually means self-love, self-righteousness, or mad and headstrong self-will and ambition. Such qualities of the human mind make men poor soldiers and equally poor Christian Scientists. The Adam race has been notorious for its unwillingness to obey God, for its stiff-necked refusal to hear His word, and for its presumption in giving information to the All-Wise. The unruly mind, impatient of correction or command, is unpromising material for instruction. In business, the employe who feels that he could run the business better than the firm is doing it, receives commands reluctantly and does his work ineffectively, or fails entirely. Arrogance is fatal to progress and success.

In the Christian life, the false belief that man has a mind of his own, that he thinks his own thoughts, and that these thoughts are sufficient, this theory, in practice, has led to sin, sickness, and death. In Science and Health, p. 263, Mrs. Eddy says, "Mortals are egotists. They believe themselves to be independent workers, personal authors, and even privileged originators of something which Deity would not or could not create. The creations of mortal mind are mortal." In the practice of Christian Science, experience teaches that the healing truth comes not swiftly to the thought which is self-satisfied and unwilling to learn. Jesus said, "Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein. This should be enough for all learners who are following in his steps, but we need many lessons, apparently, to give us that simple trust which will reveal the mental realm of harmony and peace.

Jesus referred to this human reluctance to learn of God, when he admonished his students to beware of the swinish element in mortal mind. In some localities his healing was hindered by the unreadiness of those who heard the great truths about God and man which he expounded. The patient toiler to-day finds that love's labor is indeed lost on those who are satisfied with a material sense of life. Such thoughts are with difficulty lifted to that sublime altitude of meekness which receives gladly the simple story of God's goodness and allness, and the nothingness of human striving. Patients approach Christian Science, impelled by many different motives, and success in healing depends not altogether on the ability to impart, but much upon the readiness to receive. The prayer of penitence is the acknowledgment of failure in undertaking to work apart from God, and a humble declaration of entire willingness to let God do the work henceforth. Such prayers have their speedy reward in relief from pain and sorrow. The request for help which comes from the lips only, often wonders why it is not answered. The verbal petition which is not backed by a surrender of the human will, does not deserve to be granted, and never is granted. A mental reservation of old human opinions and methods is not the threshold to physical or spiritual healing. All our suffering comes from disobedience, never from obedience. Perhaps nothing is more disheartening than to work for many weary days, for ourselves or others, with oftentimes not the slightest outward result. We cast about for the most likely reason of failure, courage droops and dismay tries to hurry us into an abandonment of the case. It is not within the scope of a single article to enumerate all the possible reasons why our work does not succeed, but we cannot afford to lose sight of this, among others: unwillingness to obey. "Thy will be done," realized, heals the sick.

The greatest factor in restraining faith and retarding obedience is the devil-inspired suggestion that one must yield up all individuality in order to be a good servant. When Jesus insisted that we must obey God, when Paul pleaded with Jesus' disciples to "let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus," when Christian Science lays stress on the First Commandment, there is no hint of absorption or annihilation, but a splendid promise of enlarged usefulness and heightened capacities. Our text-book says, page 263, "When mortal man blends his thoughts of existence with those of his Maker, and works only as God works, he will no longer grope darkly, and cling to earth because he has not tasted heaven." Repeated testimony as to the ability of infinite Intelligence to govern us rightly, should inspire trust and provoke willing obedience. Multiplied evidence of our Leader's qualifications as a leader of a great Christian movement, should make obedience easy and joyous. Proofs of the unselfish loyalty of those who are directing the government of a church organization should enlist the support and intelligent acquiescence of the unit in the ranks. It is right to withhold approval, when a series of disasters proclaim the weakness of an executive, but how can we longer be in any degree impedimenta on the march from sense to Soul, when we do know whom we have believed?