Divine Science Its
Principle and Practice
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Copyright 1957 by Divine
Science Church and College
Denver, Colorado
Made available here
by the ministry of
Rev. Lawrence C. Terry, M.Msc.,
D.Min.
P. O. Box 68324
Indianapolis, IN 46268-0324
www.DivineScience.net
Chapter 1 - Story of Progress
The time has come when all
mankind is to be introduced to scientific
facts pertaining to spiritual
development, just as he is learning more
and more of the scientific facts
governing the everyday world in which he
lives. In no phase of life are new truths
being created. It is man, himself, who is
unfolding in consciousness so that he is
becoming more aware of truths that have
always existed, truths that he may know
and use. It is becoming evident that
scientific facts of a spiritual nature
are changing the life of mankind as
vitally as have those of steam,
electricity, automotive power, and even
atomic power.
A body of facts and truths systematically
arranged showing the operation of general
laws constitutes a science. When the body
of knowledge is made up of spiritual
truths based upon the changeless truth of
the omnipresence, the omnipotence, and
the omniscience of God, then it and its
laws constitute a science of the Divine.
The chapters which follow will present
the principle and laws embraced by such a
science under the general title, Divine
Science.
Chapter
1
Revelation
There
is nothing covered, that shall not be
revealed; neither hid, that shall not be
made known. Luke 12:2
Questions to
direct your study
(Be alert – find the
answers)
1. What is revelation? Is
revelation possible today?
2. How do you account for
the fact that it is generally true that
“eye hath not seen nor ear
heard”?
3. How does man received a
revelation of truth which seems new to
him?
4. Will any truth newly
“discovered” be
contradictory to others previously
realized?
5. Where is “the
Kingdom” and how does one come to
live in it?
Truth is eternal and changeless, but
until every mystery of truth is made
plain to the mind of man there must be
revelation. Though “eye hath not
seen, nor ear hear, neither have
entered into the heart of man, the
things which God hath prepared,”
1 Cor. 2:9 man also has the promise
that, “the eyes of the blind
shall be opened, and the ears of the
deaf shall be unstopped.” Isa.
35:5
Revelation comes not at set times and
places but to the individual when he is
able to receive and make use of fuller
knowledge. The Spirit of Truth will
guide man into all truth. It is an
indwelling Spirit of Divine
Intelligence which never forsakes man
but forever proclaims, “Behold, I
stand at the door and knock:”
Rev. 3:20 and “Lo, I am with you
always.” Matt 28:20 When man is
willing to hear the voice and open his
consciousness to it, it will guide him
into divine understanding and he will
see all things in a new light.
“Revelation is an unveiling, but
the veil is on the face of man and not
on the face of God.” The veil is
a fitting symbol of our ignorance; with
every new revelation of truth the veil
grows thinner. “Which veil is
done away in Christ.” 2 Cor. 3:14
In the full understanding of truth all
ignorance is done away. Revelation is
not the making of new truth, it is the
uncovering of the ever-present Truth as
we are able to see and hear.
We speak of the discovery of a new
star; we mean it is a new discovery of
a star that belongs to the ages. It is
something new to our understanding, but
not new to truth. In the use of
electricity today man has not made a
new truth; he has but discovered the
use of an eternal truth. The light of
electricity that now brightens our
homes might have illumined the Garden
of Eden if man had then known its
presence and the laws of its use.
Jesus discovered some truth that Moses
had not seen “Clouds and darkness
are around about him,” Ps. 97:2
is the Psalmist’s conception of
God. With Jeremiah we have been willing
to say, “Thou hast covered
thyself with a cloud, that our prayer
should not pass through.” Lam.
3:44 In a better understanding of God,
John declares, “God is light and
in him is no darkness at all.” 1
John 1:5 That was the true “light
which lighteth every man that cometh
into the world.” John 1:9
“Take heed that the light which
is in thee be not darkness.” Luke
11:35 Take care that thou are not in
the dark concerning the things of
Truth.
The Psalmist and Jeremiah saw the
darkness in their own conceptions and
thought the “cloud” was
around God. “Thou thoughtest that
was altogether such an one as
thyself.” Ps. 50:21 As well might
we say on a cloudy day, “The sun
has wrapped itself in clouds and
darkness.” The clouds that hide
the sun from us are around our earth
and arise from the earth. Every sense
of “cloud” – every
fear, doubt, sorrow or pain comes from
self and not from God; is around us and
not near the Source of light and love.
These are new discoveries that come as
we open our eyes to see and our ears to
hear that which forever was and
is.
We cannot see by the light that lights
another; yet we may get a spark that
will set our lamp to burning, but that
is all. There is in each soul an
illumination – a radiance from
the Inmost Soul, the Source –
that is infinite in love and wisdom.
When the consciousness of an individual
is opened to this illumination and he
hears, this is revelation. Truth
perceived destroys ignorance and frees
our thoughts. Truth never destroys any
portion of truth, for the fuller
knowledge includes all the fragments
that have been previously
perceived.
Jesus found men in this blind
condition. He told them of
Truth’s presence
“within” and “at
hand,” but knowing that time
might be needed for the light of these
truths to come he kindly said,
“Seek and ye shall find.”
Matt. 7:7 We search for a thing as long
as we do not know where it is. Our
search for heaven has proved that we
knew not where to find it. For
centuries we have prayed, “Thy
kingdom come.” Since the kingdom
is “within us” and
“at hand,” from whence is
it to come? We must come to a knowledge
of its presence with us and must learn
that the presence of the kingdom means
the presence of peace and all good. As
soon as we can understand his words and
say, “Thy kingdom is come,”
we cease our search and live in the joy
of knowing that pure presence.
“Ye shall find” means that
some day we shall know and possess what
we sought and then seeking shall
end.
The promise is not that we shall be
something we are not and so be freed,
but that we shall learn the truth of
what we are, the truth that is
changeless. “As it was in the
beginning it is now and ever shall
be.” It is a matter then of
seeing and of knowing what we did not
know before. Let us not postpone the
day of revelation, neither let us
relegate it to the past. Whatever our
forefathers perceived, we may see, and
surely we should after these years of
opportunities be able to receive the
deeper, broader, higher vision.
A child in the process of education
passes from grade to grade in school.
In the higher grades he does not think
or speak as he did in the lower grades.
We say that a child receives his
education but the word educate, comes
from the Latin, e-ducere, which means
to lead out, to develop the faculties
and powers by means of teaching,
instruction or schooling. This
indicates that the faculties and powers
are already inherent within the child
and are to be brought out and put into
use. Even as a child grows so does the
race, and within each member is
implanted “a right seed,”
for God’s Spirit indwells man and
God reveals to man by His Spirit the
things He hath prepared for him. All
development is from the perfect seed
implanted in the beginning. Thought
unfold from knowledge into fuller and
fuller understanding of its own
possibilities and powers.
As any seed contains the forms and
potentialities of the complete plant
before growth begins, so knowledge is
the essence of man’s nature
before his development in knowledge is
started. The process of revelation of
truths new to man comes from within
rather than from without. The essence
of all that is to be gained is forever
within man’s consciousness.
Divine Science reveals everything as
good in its rightful place, hence it
has no prejudice against past teachings
and beliefs. But it also claims
“now is the accepted time;”
now is the time of fulfillment because
man’s understanding has expanded
into the “ripe corn in the
ear.” IT IS CONSCIOUSNESS NOT IN
TIME, IN MIND NOT IN PLACE, THAT
PERFECTION IS REALIZED.
When we understand that the infinite
goodness of life is here now, we in the
midst of it and it in the midst of us,
we shall know how to let this great
truth possess us, bringing realization
of harmony to ourselves and others. May
the light which was so clearly revealed
to the founders of Divine Science be a
spark to awaken the consciousness of
the earnest student as he studies this
logical presentation of a simple basic
truth upon which the whole teaching
rests – GOD IS EVERYWHERE.
Questions for
Review and Discussion
1. Energy follows
attention. To what does mankind give
his attention that prevents his hearing
the “voice of
Spirit”?
2. In Jesus’ time it
was said, “The common people
heard him gladly.” Mark 12:37
Discuss this statement.
3. Man has two
responsibilities if he is to unfold his
spiritual possibilities. Explain.
4. What is the basic truth
upon which Divine Science is
founded?
5. Are you familiar with
the early history of the Divine Science
movement? Discuss it.
Chapter
2
* * * * *
Divine Science - Its
Principle and Practice from the writings
of Nona Brooks and Malinda
Cramer
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