The Foundations of Faith

Before man can think in the Certain Way which will cause his diseases to be healed, he must believe in certain truths which are here stated:—

Before a person can think in the Certain Way that will heal their diseases, they must believe the truths stated here:

All things are made from one Living Substance, which, in its original state, permeates, penetrates, and fills the interspaces of the universe. While all visible things are made from It, yet this Substance, in its first formless condition is in and through all the visible forms that It has made. Its life is in All, and its intelligence is in All.

All things are made from one Living Substance. In its original state, it spreads throughout the universe and fills every space. Although all visible things are made from it, the Substance in its original, formless state is present throughout every visible form it has made. Its life and intelligence are in all things.

This Substance creates by thought, and its method is by taking the form of that which it thinks about. The thought of a form held by this substance causes it to assume that form; the thought of a motion causes it to institute that motion. Forms are created by this substance in moving itself into certain attitudes or positions. When Original Substance wishes to create a given form, it thinks of the motions which will produce that form. When it wishes to create a world, it thinks of the motions, perhaps extending through ages, which will result in its coming into the attitude and form of the world; and these motions are made. When it wishes to create an oak tree, it thinks of the sequences of movement, perhaps extending through ages, which will result in the form of an oak tree; and these motions are made. The particular sequences of motion by which differing forms should be produced were established in the beginning; they are changeless. Certain motions instituted in the Formless Substance will forever produce certain forms.

This Substance creates through thought by taking the form of whatever it thinks about. When the Substance holds the thought of a form, it takes that form. When it thinks of a motion, it sets that motion in action. The Substance creates forms by moving itself into certain positions. When Original Substance wants to create a particular form, it thinks of the motions that will produce it. When it wants to create a world, it thinks of the motions that will bring it into the position and form of a world. These motions may extend through ages, and they are set in action. When it wants to create an oak tree, it thinks of the sequence of movements that will produce an oak tree. These movements may extend through ages, and they are set in action. The particular sequences of motion that produce different forms were established in the beginning. They never change. Certain motions set in action in the Formless Substance will always produce certain forms.

Man's body is formed from the Original Substance, and is the result of certain motions, which first existed as thoughts of Original Substance. The motions which produce, renew, and repair the body of man are called functions, and these functions are of two classes: voluntary and involuntary. The involuntary functions are under the control of the Principle of Health in man, and are performed in a perfectly healthy manner so long as man thinks in a certain way. The voluntary functions of life are eating, drinking, breathing, and sleeping. These, entirely or in part, are under the direction of man's conscious mind; and he can perform them in a perfectly healthy way if he will. If he does not perform them in a healthy way, he cannot long be well. So we see that if man thinks in a certain way, and eats, drinks, breathes, and sleeps in a corresponding way, he will be well.

The human body is formed from the Original Substance. It is the result of certain motions that first existed as thoughts of the Original Substance. The motions that produce, renew, and repair the body are called functions. There are two kinds of functions: voluntary and involuntary. The involuntary functions are controlled by the Principle of Health in each person. They are performed in a perfectly healthy way as long as a person thinks in a certain way. The voluntary functions of life are eating, drinking, breathing, and sleeping. These are partly or entirely under the direction of the conscious mind. A person can perform them in a perfectly healthy way if they choose to. If they do not perform them in a healthy way, they cannot remain well for long. So we see that a person will be well if they think in a certain way and eat, drink, breathe, and sleep in a corresponding way.

The involuntary functions of man's life are under the direct control of the Principle of Health, and so long as man thinks in a perfectly healthy way, these functions are perfectly performed; for the action of the Principle of Health is largely directed by man's conscious thought, affecting his sub-conscious mind.

The Principle of Health directly controls the involuntary functions of human life. As long as a person thinks in a perfectly healthy way, these functions are performed perfectly. This is because a person's conscious thoughts affect the subconscious mind and largely direct the action of the Principle of Health.

Man is a thinking center, capable of originating thought; and as he does not know everything, he makes mistakes and thinks error. Not knowing everything, he believes things to be true which are not true. Man holds in his thought the idea of diseased and abnormal functioning and conditions, and so perverts the action of the Principle of Health, causing diseased and abnormal functioning and conditions within his own body. In the Original Substance there are held only the thoughts of perfect motion; perfect and healthy function; complete life. God never thinks disease or imperfection. But for countless ages men have held thoughts of disease, abnormality, old age, and death; and the perverted functioning resulting from these thoughts has become a part of the inheritance of the race. Our ancestors have, for many generations, held imperfect ideas concerning human form and functioning; and we begin life with racial sub-conscious impressions of imperfection and disease.

Human beings are centers of thought, capable of originating thoughts. But because we do not know everything, we make mistakes and think wrongly. We believe things are true when they are not. We hold ideas of disease and abnormal functioning and conditions in our minds. In doing so, we distort the action of the Principle of Health. This causes disease and abnormal functioning and conditions in our own bodies. The Original Substance holds only thoughts of perfect motion, perfect and healthy functioning, and complete life. God never thinks of disease or imperfection. But for countless ages, people have thought about disease, abnormality, old age, and death. The distorted functioning caused by these thoughts has become part of the inheritance of the human race. For many generations, our ancestors held imperfect ideas about human form and functioning. So we begin life with inherited subconscious impressions of imperfection and disease.

This is not natural, or a part of the plan of nature. The purpose of nature can be nothing else than the perfection of life. This we see from the very nature of life itself. It is the nature of life to continually advance toward more perfect living; advancement is the inevitable result of the very act of living. Increase is always the result of active living; whatever lives must live more and more. The seed, lying in the granary, has life, but it is not living. Put it into the soil and it becomes active, and at once begins to gather to itself from the surrounding substance, and to build a plant form. It will so cause increase that a seed head will be produced containing thirty, sixty, or a hundred seeds, each having as much life as the first.

This is not natural or part of nature’s plan. Nature’s purpose can only be the perfection of life. We can see this from the nature of life itself. Life constantly moves toward more perfect living. Progress is the inevitable result of living. Active living always produces growth. Whatever lives must live more and more. A seed lying in a granary has life, but it is not living. Put it in the soil, and it becomes active. It immediately begins to gather material from its surroundings and build a plant. It grows until it produces a seed head containing thirty, sixty, or a hundred seeds. Each seed has as much life as the first.

Life, by living, increases.

Life grows by living.

Life cannot live without increasing, and the fundamental impulse of life is to live. It is in response to this fundamental impulse that Original Substance works, and creates. God must live; and he cannot live except as he creates and increases. In multiplying forms, He is moving on to live more.

Life cannot continue without growing, and its basic impulse is to live. Original Substance works and creates in response to this basic impulse. God must live, and he cannot live without creating and growing. By creating more forms, he moves forward to live more fully.

The universe is a Great Advancing Life, and the purpose of nature is the advancement of life toward perfection; toward perfect functioning. The purpose of nature is perfect health.

The universe is a great life that is always advancing. Nature’s purpose is to advance life toward perfection, toward perfect functioning. Nature’s purpose is perfect health.

The purpose of Nature, so far as man is concerned, is that he should be continuously advancing into more life, and progressing toward perfect life; and that he should live the most complete life possible in his present sphere of action.

Nature’s purpose for people is for them to keep moving toward a fuller, more perfect life. It is also for them to live as fully as possible in their present circumstances.

This must be so, because That which lives in man is seeking more life.

This must be true because what lives in us seeks more life.

Give a little child a pencil and paper, and he begins to draw crude figures; That which lives in him is trying to express Itself in art. Give him a set of blocks, and he will try to build something; That which lives in him is seeking expression in architecture. Seat him at a piano, and he will try to draw harmony from the keys; That which lives in him is trying to express Itself in music. That which lives in man is always seeking to live more; and since man lives most when he is well, the Principle of Nature in him can seek only health. The natural state of man is a state of perfect health; and everything in him, and in nature, tends toward health.

Give a little child a pencil and paper, and he begins to draw rough figures. What lives in him is trying to express itself through art. Give him a set of blocks, and he will try to build something. What lives in him is seeking expression through architecture. Sit him at a piano, and he will try to make the keys produce harmony. What lives in him is trying to express itself through music. What lives in us is always seeking to live more. Since we live most when we are well, the Principle of Nature in us can seek only health. Our natural state is one of perfect health. Everything in us and in nature tends toward health.

Sickness can have no place in the thought of Original Substance, for it is by its own nature continually impelled toward the fullest and most perfect life; therefore, toward health. Man, as he exists in the thought of the Formless Substance, has perfect health. Disease, which is abnormal or perverted function—motion imperfectly made, or made in the direction of imperfect life—has no place in the thought of the Thinking Stuff.

Sickness has no place in the thought of Original Substance. By its nature, Original Substance is always driven toward the fullest and most perfect life, and therefore toward health. As man exists in the thought of the Formless Substance, he has perfect health. Disease is abnormal or distorted function. It is motion made imperfectly or directed toward imperfect life. Disease has no place in the thought of the Thinking Stuff.

The Supreme Mind never thinks of disease. Disease was not created or ordained by God, or sent forth from him. It is wholly a product of separate consciousness; of the individual thought of man. God, the Formless Substance, does not see disease, think disease, know disease, or recognize disease. Disease is recognized only by the thought of man; God thinks nothing but health.

The Supreme Mind never thinks of disease. God did not create or ordain disease, or send it forth. Disease is entirely a product of separate consciousness, of individual human thought. God, the Formless Substance, does not see, think of, know, or recognize disease. Only human thought recognizes disease. God thinks of nothing but health.

From all the foregoing, we see that health is a fact or TRUTH in the original substance from which we are all formed; and that disease is imperfect functioning, resulting from the imperfect thoughts of men, past and present. If man's thoughts of himself had always been those of perfect health, man could not possibly now be otherwise than perfectly healthy.

From all that has come before, we see that health is a fact or TRUTH in the original substance from which we are all formed. Disease is imperfect functioning, resulting from the imperfect thoughts of people, past and present. If people had always thought of themselves as perfectly healthy, they could not possibly be anything but perfectly healthy now.

Man in perfect health is the thought of Original Substance, and man in imperfect health is the result of his own failure to think perfect health, and to perform the voluntary functions of life in a healthy way. We will here arrange in a syllabus the basic truths of the Science of Being Well:—

A perfectly healthy man is the thought of Original Substance. A man is in imperfect health because he fails to think of perfect health and perform life’s voluntary functions in a healthy way. Here we will list the basic truths of the Science of Being Well: