Divine Science Its Principle and Practice
Return to Textbook IndexCopyright 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
Chapter 2 – 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.
Chapter 2
Basics of Divine Science
One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. Eph. 4:6
2. What advantage will the student of Divine Science gain?
3. What is the fundamental truth of Divine Science?
4. Explain “new understanding brings new habits of thought.” Illustrate.
5. How is evil to be accounted for?
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
1. Give clear explanations of omnipresence, omnipotence, and omniscience.
2. How does the omnipresence of God prove the unreality of evil?
3. Divine Science accepts the infinite ____________.
Divine Science accepts the one and only substance, __________.
Divine Science accepts the one and only presence, __________.
4. Why has man had such contradictory experiences?
5. What is the proof that one has accepted Divine Science principles?
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Divine Science – Its Principle and Practice from the writings of Nona Brooks and Malinda Cramer