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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 Godd, 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 ă1957 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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