Editorial July 3, 1978 Issue

Never a "first time" for evil

Naomi Price

Contrary to the popular saying that "there is always a first time," there really never is for anything that is harmful or inharmonious. God, good, is the only true cause and power. He creates, governs, and sustains the entire universe and man. His law eternally maintains order and perfect action in every detail of His creation. The Bible represents God as stating categorically, "I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me,"^{ Isa. 45:5;} and it insists that this allness and onliness of God, good, be honored by everyone.

This spiritual demand is echoed in the words of Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science. In her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures she writes: "Mind is the grand creator, and there can be no power except that which is derived from Mind. If Mind was first chronologically, is first potentially, and must be first eternally, then give to Mind the glory, honor, dominion, and power everlastingly due its holy name."^{ Science and Health, p. 143;} In Christian Science God is revealed as the all-knowing, all-acting, all-powerful, eternal, and infinite divine Mind, the only creator, and, in accord with the Bible, creation is shown to be the spiritual emanation of this one perfect Mind. Science insists that we acknowledge only the power of God and deny evil.

The universe, then, is not material but spiritual. It is the infinite idea of divine Spirit and displays only the characteristics of God. It never can manifest discord, lack, or loss. In truth the entire universe, including every individual spiritual man and woman in it, is perfect and intact forever. Evil of any kind is as unknown to man as it is to his creator. In truth man is as incapable as divine Principle of ever expressing errors of either omission or commission. There can never be even a single time for straying from perfection.

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