Principle is Love

George Shaw Cook

MARY BAKER EDDY , the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, writes on page 330 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" as follows: "God is what the Scriptures declare Him to be,—Life, Truth, Love. Spirit is divine Principle, and divine Principle is Love, and Love is Mind." And in many other places in her writings she uses the word "Principle" synonymously with Love. It is evident, therefore, that Principle as understood in Christian Science is not cold or abstract, as some have believed. Since Principle is divine Love, it has all the attributes of Love, such as tenderness, gentleness, kindness, compassion, and so forth. Obviously, then, it is not cold, but expresses all the warmth of spiritual vitality.

And since Principle is Mind, it possesses the quality of consciousness. It is conscious Principle. Divine Principle, Love, being the source of all true consciousness, being, in fact, the all-knowing Mind, contains within itself the power to enforce its own unerring law. It includes within itself the inherent power of impulsion and compulsion. It governs and sustains its own universe, the spiritual universe, consciously, wisely, lovingly, and harmoniously through eternal, uninterrupted enforcement of its own perfect, invariable, spiritual law.

Another name for Principle, used in Christian Science, is Life. Mrs. Eddy defines "creator," on page 583 of Science and Health, in part, as "Spirit; Mind; intelligence; the animating divine Principle of all that is real and good; self-existent Life, Truth, and Love." Divine Principle creates, animates, energizes, invigorates, sustains, and perpetuates the spiritual universe and man through its divine law, which is ever the law of life, the law of health, wholeness, perfection.

To say that divine Principle is infallible, exact, demonstrable, is not to say that it is less than Love, for that is only another way of stating, "Love never faileth." Divine Principle is infinitely just. Its judgments are impartial. Its law is inexorable. But this does not prove that Principle is less than Love or other than loving, for as our Leader has written on page 13 of Science and Health: "Love is impartial and universal in its adaptation and bestowals. It is the open fount which cries, 'Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters.'" The very impartiality of Love and the universal availability of its beneficent law prove again that Principle and Love are one.

Perhaps in no way is Principle seen more clearly as Love than in the application of its spiritual law to the needs of mankind as a law of healing and redemption. It is recorded of Jesus that he healed "all manner of sickness and all manner of disease" among the people of his time. There is no account of a single failure, where he discerned readiness to be healed, although it is said that in certain quarters "he did not many mighty works . . . because of their unbelief." The fact that the Master healed sickness and sin without failure, and in most instances without delay, is evidence that his healing work was based upon Principle. That he understood this Principle to be God, or divine Love, is unquestionable. It is likewise certain that he knew the Principle of his healing works to be universally available, for he declared, "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also."

The divine Principle of healing was demonstrated with marvelous success, not only by the immediate disciples of Jesus, but by Paul, and also by the primitive Christians for several centuries. Later, this divine Principle seems temporarily to have been lost sight of and material means of healing resorted to for centuries, even by professed Christians. But in this age, through the discovery of Christian Science, Mrs. Eddy has again revealed to mankind the fact that Principle is Love. And through this revelation and its rules of healing, Christian Scientists are demonstrating, for themselves and for others, that there is available here and now a law of healing based upon infallible Principle, or divine Love. Their earnest prayer and unfailing effort is to prove, with ever-increasing success, that Principle, Love, is demonstrable and divine. "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love."

George Shaw Cook

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