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Story of Progress “Science is exact knowledge, truth ascertained, systematically arranged and showing the operation of general laws.” --Webster It is a well-known fact that an exact science is based upon a universal, unchanging principle with exact relations and methods by which the principle is expressed and proved. All conclusions must be in harmony with the premise upon which the science is based. In general, the term science has
not been applied to religion, but with the growth of the race, many are
now demanding that something as important as religion should have as
firm a foundation as the sciences which men have learned to use and to
trust. Many no longer accept religion as a family
“hand-me-down” or as something which is primarily
of the emotions. Religion must be dependable; it must
“work”; it must have an absolute, unchanging
principle with laws that can be proved under every circumstance and by
which man can learn to solve the problems of life and produce correct
and harmonious results. Divine Science is such a science. Chapter 2 Basis of Divine Science One God
and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Eph. 4:6
Questions
to direct your study
An organized teaching pertaining
to God and His manifestation in creation would be known as divine
knowledge, knowledge of Truth. And when this knowledge is based upon
eternal God-Principle as the source of all that is, it become a science.
Thus we have a divine science; a science of unity of the Creator and
His creation; of God action and the results; of existence proceeding
from God or Being. Hence the teaching of Divine Science is classified
knowledge of Being manifesting in existence. It is God expressing in
creation. It is the Creator revealed in the creature. Its study will
assure the individual a true spiritual education and will provide real
advancement for the race since society is a community of individuals. The foundation truth of Divine
Science is that limitless Being, God, is equally present everywhere and
is the ALL of everything. God is pure Spirit, absolute, changeless,
eternal, manifesting in all creation. “God is everywhere,
therefore God is here. What God is is everywhere, therefore what God is
is here.”—Nona Brooks. The logical conclusion is
that there can be no other presence than God-presence; no other power
than God-power; no other knowledge than God-knowledge. Therefore it is
a statement of truth to declare:
God is omnipresent.
God is omnipotent.
God is omniscient. Omnipresent means all-presence;
one and only presence, all-enveloping presence being everywhere at the
same time. Omnipotence means all-power; one
and only power, almighty or infinite in power. Omniscience means all-science;
one and only knowledge, infinite knowledge. That which is omni-present fills
all space. That which fills all space cannot
be limited to form, but must contain all form within itself and be the
substance of all form. Omnipresence shows that all things live and move
within it; that their true Being has neither beginning nor end of days,
and cannot be limited by either time, space or conditions. Hence in
reality it must be eternal; it must be what has always been and will
always be; it must be substance of all that is created. Substance must
be what God is, Spirit, all good, for God omnipresent means God
everywhere present, as the principle and source of all. All is good and
can be naught but good, for as changeless as God Himself is His eternal
goodness. Divine Science accepts the
infinite nature of God; accepts the one and only substance, Spirit;
accepts the one and only presence, God, infinite Good; accepts only one
knowledge and power. The acceptance of another substance than Spirit
would be the acceptance of another presence, and if another presence,
then another knowledge and power, all of which suppositions are
contrary to the fundamental principle of the science that the one Being
is infinite Spirit and Changeless Good, omnipresent, omnipotent, and
omniscient. Since Spirit is omnipresent and
absolutely fills all and is infinite, there can be no power of evil
anywhere. The consciousness of the supremacy and changelessness of God,
the Good, excludes the belief in any opposing presence or power, for
opposites cannot be in the same place at the same time. Light and
darkness, heat and cold, sound and silence cannot fill the same place
at the same time; no more can good and evil exist together. Heretofore
we may have thought that evil had its place, for we have spoken of good
and evil as counterparts and have given place in our thinking to both
of them. Now science leads us into a more perfect understanding based
not upon past or future but upon the Eternal. This understanding
compels new thinking and new speaking. If Good is omnipresent, what
become of evil? What happens to the darkness which fills a room when
the light is turned on? The darkness does not move out and go somewhere
else, it simply does not exist in the presence of light. Darkness is
not a reality, it is merely the absence of light. In the same way when
the individual thought is centered upon the omnipresence of good, evil
thought does not move out and continue to exist elsewhere; it simply
becomes nonexistent. Evil has no reality within itself; it can have
existence only so long as an individual supports it by his belief in it. The belief in evil is a
misconception as to God’s being infinite, All in All. It is a
supposition of what might be, were not God or Good, All. Evil,
therefore, cannot be real or permanent; its foundation cannot be Truth.
Evil can never be a living presence, a creation, or anything to Spirit
or God. It is nothing but a belief that “misses the
mark,” “falls short of truth.” To believe
that a knowledge of good and evil is an aid to wisdom is to believe
that the Source of the universe is a contradiction. If the Source and
Cause of the universe, or the expression of any quality of God is
composed of opposite, we may expect to have contradictory experiences,
no peace on earth and no good will among men. The supposition that
there are two powers, the reverse of each other, is the underlying
error of all errors. This false claim is at the bottom of all belief in
separation from God the Good. All incorrect judgment relative to
Supreme Being and man’s subjection to all conditions of
belief is traceable to this untruthful claim. But since the nature of the
Supreme Being is Oneness, to think and believe in this oneness is to
exercise dominion and have no contradictory experiences, is to enjoy
peace, and exercise good will. We may have varied experiences, but they
will not be at cross-purposes; they will all combine to constitute one
perfect and harmonious result. All things will work together for good
in the consciousness of Truth. Our next step is to fill our
thoughts and feelings with awareness of the One Presence, One
Knowledge, and One Power. New understanding that brings new thinking
must result in new realizations. “Because thou hast made the
Lord . . . . thy habitation (habit of thought), there shall be no evil
befall thee.” Ps. 91:9, 10 We can learn
how to make to Lord our habitation; how to form the habit of
continuously thinking of the presence, power, and knowledge of infinite
Good to the exclusion of every other opinion. This awareness eliminates
evil from our thinking and dissipates every false belief. To realize that One is All is to
know that the unity of Good is the basis of knowledge, health,
happiness, and satisfaction. The nature of Divine Being can be realized
only giving it expression and embodying it in our thoughts, words, and
deeds. We think and make manifest only as much Truth as we acknowledge.
It follows then that with faith each individual may start from where he
is a present and gradually come to realize that perfect satisfaction
for which he hungers and thirsts. Statements of Truth God the Good is omnipresent. God omnipresent means Good
everywhere present. My good is ever-present. The knowledge that God is all in
all eliminates all fear. A mind entered upon good has no
false beliefs. Since God is infinite there is
no place for anything contrary to God. ALL IS GOOD. Questions for Review and
Discussion
Divine Science accepts the one
and only substance, __________. Divine Science accepts the one
and only presence, __________.
Divine
Science Its Principle and Practice
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 |
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