LOYALTY is a quality of character which is respected by many, though understood by few. It is defined as "faithful to law, upholding the lawful authority," etc. Metaphysically regarded, it is a spiritual factor of mind that is exact, firm, unbiased, impersonal, and true to Principle. Uncompromising with error, it never deviates from the truth, but is courageous and direct in its stand against wrong; and it does not cancel sin until sin is destroyed. Confronted by human policy and personal attachment, loyalty remains unmoved in its stand for Principle and unfaltering in its fidelity to divine Love. With firm, steel-tempered gentleness it resists the contagion of consentaneous belief and the obsession of mere personal opinions.
Scientific loyalty maintains a high standard, sustains the ideal, and steadies singleness of purpose in times of temptation. Without loyalty to Principle no advance step can be taken in Christian Science, no operation of its laws be demonstrated. In its unyielding demands for obedience and honesty, loyalty sometimes appears to him who rebels against law as unloving, when it is really most loving; this is why it is so often misunderstood.
There is, however, a false sense of loyalty which springs from selfish and idolatrous love. It swears allegiance to persons and traditions, instead of to Principle. Blind to reason and disobedient to law, it tenaciously clings to a mistaken sense of good. "You stand for me and I will stand for you," it vainly cries, as it leans upon the broken reed of personality; or, "This is my church, my party, my position, and I must stand for its doctrines, regardless of my own feelings;" or again, "This is my brother, or my friend, and I must uphold him under all conditions." But in Deuteronomy we read that if a brother, a son, a daughter, a wife, or a friend entice thee with gods of the people, thou shalt not "hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him." Manifestly, if we would be true to ourselves, we can be true to others only as we are true to Principle. Personal loyalty is an advocate of error; it lies and deceives and covers up evil to spare a friend the penalty due to wrong-doing; it makes mortals irresponsible, sometimes even inducing them to sacrifice their lives through a mistaken sense of duty; it dwarfs individuality and deprives mankind of the rights of self-government. In its final analysis, loyalty to personality is nothing less than disloyalty to Principle.
