s was condemned by the
principle of separation because he himself was the externalisation of
the principle of Unity, and that, in adhering to the principle of Unity
we are adhering to the only possible root of Life, and are maintaining
the Truth for which Jesus died.

XVII

EXTERNALISATION

Who would not be happy in himself and his conditions? That is what we
all desire--more fulness of life, a greater and brighter vitality in
ourselves, and less restriction in our surroundings. And we are told
that the talisman by which this can be accomplished is Thought. We are
told, Change your modes of thought, and the changed conditions will
follow. But many seekers feel that this is very much like telling us to
catch birds by putting salt on their tails. If we can put the salt on
the bird's tail, we can also lay our hand on the bird. If we can change
our thinking, we can thereby change our circumstances.

But how are we to bring about this change of cause which will in its
turn produce this changed effect? This is the practical question that
perplexes many earnest seekers. They can see their way clearly enough
through the whole sequence of cause and effect resulting in the
externalisation of the desired results, if only the one initial
difficulty could be got over. The difficulty is a real one, and until it
is overcome it vitiates all the teaching and reduces it to a mere paper
theory. Therefore it is to this point that the attention of students
should be particularly directed. They feel the need of some solid basis
from which the change of thought can be effected, and until they find
this the theory of Divine Science, however perfect in itself, will
remain for them nothing more than a mere theory, producing no practical
results.

The necessary scientific basis exists, however, and is extremely simple
and reasonable, if we will take the pains to think it out carefully for
ourselves. Unless we are prepared to support the thesis that the Power
which created the universe is inherently evil, or that the universe is
the work of two opposite and equal powers, one evil and the other
good--both of which propositions are demonstrably false--we have no
alternative but to say that the Originating Source of all must be
inherently good. It cannot be partly good and partly evil, for that
would be to set it against itself and make it self-destructive;
therefore it must be good altogether. But once grant this initial
proposition a