Twenty-one years ago Science and Health was presented to the world, in which God is called by the name Divine Principle. The naming of God as Principle was certainly a new concept. It was a new name, a strange name, a wonderful name, and provoked the criticism of the world. Why should God be called "Principle"? Some said it sounded cold, others said "It was absurd," but more frequently the expression was, "I do not understand it!" To define it seemed impossible. God was declared to be "Supreme Principle," "Divine Principle," and it was said "Principle over-lies, under-lies, and encompasses all true being." God was honored as Principle in the declaration that He is "the centre and circumference of all things." God was glorified as Principle in the recognition of Him as Father and Mother, the Ego of Man. He was magnified as Principle in the understanding of him as the Creator of the Universe and Man; the one Source, the one Cause, the one Power, the one Majesty, outside of, beyond, or beneath which nothing could be, could exist, or could find entity or being. God is named Principle and through the pages of Science and Health the tones are echoed and re-echoed through the realm of Mind, that dignify and make All-glorious this appellation of Principle, the One All.
Through the demonstrations unfolded in Science and Health it is proven that Principle gives to man his home in the many mansions. Principle gives to man a sense of all things as good — in which a sense of wrong cannot enter. To find out what Principle does for man — we have to declare the Principle as Supreme and Infinite Good, and then follow the rule laid down by Principle; thus we find by proof that Principle gives to man spiritual existence, spiritual entity, spiritual being, and spiritual consciousness — and it thus becomes a demonstrable fact that it is in Principle man lives and moves and has his being. By the same rule we find also, that man has never been tempted out of his existence, out of his entity, out of his being, or out of his consciousness, what is called, the temptation and fall; false sense of the lack or absence of Principle. There is no lack of Principle in man, because in the sense of Divine Principle man is forever sinless and beyond the pale of temptation. Principle gives to man eloquence, inspiration, beauty, poetry, art, music, and the power to express them. To be in possession of the gifts of Divine Principle is to be in the home of the many mansions. In form, outline, and feature man expresses beauty; in speech and voice — eloquence; in thought and words — inspiration; in love and sentiment — poetry; in taste and talent — art; in the whole feast of the senses — music. When all this is summed up and we ask, what is it, the answer is, spiritual consciousness. It is the music of the spiritual senses that thrills, inspires, and makes us eloquent; it is the spiritual senses that relate us to God. Through these senses God communicates to us the knowledge of himself. Man has never denied the authority of good, though he has erred in his recognition of it, hence it is right to call Good, Principle, and Principle, God. Man has never ceased to listen to the strains of music through the senses attached to Soul, and a false claim of a law of disconnection or detachment has never deprived him of the rhyme of Spirit or the music of Soul. The relationship of man to his Principle admits of no separation, nor can a claim of fleeting, fading earth-dreams deprive him of the real relationship. The supposed ties of flesh are unreal, hence inharmonious; there are no fleshly ties. Said Jesus to Mary — "She is not my mother." Looking as he did to Principle, we find the ties of Spirit are never broken; neither death nor divorce can unbind the wedded in spirit. The wedding supper of the bride and lamb is the union of all the affections in the one Mind; father, mother, husband, wife, son and daughter, sister and brother — all things in one. Hence the affections flow forth from Divine Principle through man, giving to him a supreme sense of the presence of Soul. Jealousy is not the grave of the affections. The affections, when sense becomes spiritualized, are all spiritual, and are embraced in Principle and cannot be covered up or hidden by the sod of material belief. It is the music of Soul, man hears; he dances to the notes of Spirit, he rejoices in the song of Love. Pleasure is of Truth and eternal; beauty is a thing of life and everlasting; peace is born of intelligence, and the proclamation of intelligence is "Peace on earth and good will to man." Joy is of Mind and it is infinite. Meekness is of Substance and is mighty. Righteousness is of Spirit, and clothes man in its folds of purity. Rest is immortal, gladness and mirth are eternal. It is in the recognition of Principle that these affections are seen to be spiritual, that they gain full and free action. It is heresy to Truth to believe they can be hidden under the sod of material belief or entombed in the grave of matter. Truth has opened the gate of eternal Life and through the demonstrations of Science and Health the unity of God and man is proclaimed. When we enter this gate of Pearl through the understanding of Divine Principle, we can sing
"Home, sweet Home."
