Article October 5, 1907 Issue

THE FALLACY OF DISCOURAGEMENT

EDWARD EVERETT NORWOOD

Discouragement springs from a sense of limitation and fear, a belief that good is not universal and supreme—that it is divided and limited, some here and some there, so to speak, but not enough to go around, and the fear arises that because of the supposed absence of good there is another power called evil, that can take something from us. Error can neither give us anything nor take anything away, because it is powerless to do anything when rightly seen and intelligently met.

It is ours to remember that all of good is everywhere. It is not divided nor limited, there is no more at one place than at another, and no lack anywhere; hence there is no place where good is not supreme. This can be very simply illustrated. One plus one equals two anywhere and everywhere. It never makes three nor any other number. There is no question of the correctness of the statement. In any individual problem the outcome depends upon a right understanding of basic truth and of the nature of the factors which enter into it. When, therefore, we say that error has no power because good is supreme; that divine Mind alone governs, intelligently and harmoniously, or make any other statement of truth, we are working out a problem in metaphysics, and the truth respecting it will be manifested just in proportion to our demonstration, the evidence we give that error does not govern our thought. "If your fidelity is half equal to the truth of your plea, you will heal the sick" (Science and Health, p. 418).

To meet the sense of discouragement we must remember that all error of any kind is but an argument. a false claim, operating through personal sense and based upon untruth. Paul says, "The strength of sin is the law." Universal mortal belief is dignified by the name of law, and thus mortals admit its government even when they realize its injustice and falsity. As scientific Christians, therefore, we must know that the only law is the law of good, the method of action of divine Mind, and that this "law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" makes us "free from the law of sin and death."

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