Before the Christian era and Rome's decadence, it was taught: "The Law imprinted on the hearts of all men is to themselves."

The fact that the Romans did not themselves continue to heed this admonition and Divine injunction, in no wise contradicts the truth stated. The fact that men no longer obey a Law, does not nullify its import. The Law is; it continues to function whether or not men obey it. If it is obeyed, the benefit or reward follows; if men do not obey, then the punishment, by Reaction, is meted out to them.

When Alexander of Macedon marched into Persia, 334 B.C., he found himself face to face with the inscription which had been the foundation of Zoroaster's philosophy: "Do as you would be done by."

In almost all countries and throughout all ages, there is evidence of these sublime and almost identical expositions of the Divine Law. Why, then, do men almost universally, with few exceptions, practice the opposite; cheating the ignorant or incautious; exploiting the weak and innocent; and warring upon one another.

Men do these things because they are still held in the grip of two colossal errors: that they actually profit in one way or another by these things without suffering the consequences and, that though the things they do to others are grievous sins - evils - they may obtain full pardon and forgiveness through the intercession of another or by the mere asking a just God for the remission of their sins.

This grievous ignorance and misunderstanding is gradually beginning to be corrected as a result of two factors: (a) the interpretation of the Divine Law and (b) its operation and application to the lives of all men. Acceptance of this interpretation is becoming easier, because men in an ever increasing number, no longer are able to accept the general "creedic" interpretation; they are beginning to feel such interpretations are not just and cannot be attributed to a God who, above all else, is impartial and has no favorites.

Reasoning men are on the alert for a philosophy of life, one which is applicable to all their own as well as their neighbor's action, one that is same, sensible and free. The old idea of "thus must thou believe to be saved," must be changed to the command: "Thus must thou live, if thou seeketh to be in harmony with the Law and free from destructive Reaction.

Humanity is seeking for a Law that is unchangeable and constantly in operation, whether men realize it or not - one that functions, though all men were to attempt to ignore its action. The New Interpretation is constant in its effort to awaken men to the comprehension that to violate a Law underlying Order is in defiance of the Law of Being; it must inevitably bring retribution, despite anything that man may believe or refuse to believe and all that may be taught them to the contrary.

The religious - Spiritual - concepts of the present age must no longer be based on creeds or dogmas, something just to believe and by which to be absolved from the evils. The religion of the New Age must be Spiritual; a plan of life itself, the incentive for righteous - correct - every day activity.

It must be an inculcation that will help man to come into the realization that God is not just a word, but that He exists - not in the far off yonder; not sitting in judgment over our acts once life ends; not a Being who condemns or rewards, but a God who becomes resident in man as man prepares himself as a Temple wherein God may dwell, and from thence direct man's activities always to man's benefit.

Tolstoy, the great Russian (by birth) writer and Philosopher, would have been the savior of his country and countrymen, had they taken him seriously and acted accordingly they might have avoided the fate that befell them later at the hands of vicious non-Russians. Tolstoy wrote:

"The law of human life is of such a nature that the improvement of life, of the individual as well as of society, is possible only by inward moral perfection (internal, Spiritual, i.e., soul development). Whereas all the efforts of men to improve their life by external influence and coercion serve as the most effective propaganda and example of evil, and therefore fail not only to improve life but, on the contrary, increase the evil, which, like a snowball, continually grows larger and larger, more and more powerful, and removes people from the only possibility of truly improving their life.

"‘All things, therefore, whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them; for this is the law and the prophets'."

"When an evil occurs, as in the case when war is declared, all men are ready to take sides and when their loved ones are slain or worse and the war is over, then they start to blame every one but the right one, namely, themselves. Men do not see (comprehend) that as they singly and collectively uphold any form of law (legislation), they are each individually guilty of that very crime, provided it ends in crime as war always does.

"Men are prone to act for the worse and then blame others for it, when had they followed the Golden rule, such a thing could not have occurred. It is thus with all people, even with the laborers.

"Two thousand years ago, a law of God became known (or was restated) to men, the Law of reciprocity, that ‘one should act unto others as one wishes others to act to oneself.'

"This Law is simple, comprehensible to everyone and obviously offers the greatest benefit possible to man. And, therefore, it would seem that as soon as men had learned this Law they ought immediately, as far as possible, begin to fulfill it themselves and to use all their powers to teach this law and its fulfillment to the rising generations. (1)
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(1) Men, being merely human and not Divine, always seek the easiest way. The Divine Law is heavily offset by the inculcation of the forgiveness of sin, no personal effort being necessary, while Personal Responsibility requires moral strength and constant watchfulness and effort. Men have throughout all ages fallen victim to the god of the "easiest way," inertia, though knowing it is the way of death.
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‘Especially would it seem that the men of our Christian world ought to act thus, recognizing as the chief Divine Revelation, that gospel in which it is explicitly taught that in this law "is all the law and the prophets;' that is, all the teachings that are necessary for man or for the salvation of men.

"And yet, almost two thousand years have elapsed and men not only refrain from fulfilling this law and from teaching it to their children but, in most instances, they do not themselves even know it or, if they do, they regard it either as unnecessary or as impractical (all because those who took upon themselves by their own human selection instead of Divine appointment, the mantle of the true Priesthood, submerged the Divine inculcations almost beyond resurrection, and in their place substituted the erroneous and Soul-destroying doctrines known as Salvation by Faith, Vicarious Atonement and Justification by Faith - doctrines never taught nor countenanced by any son of God or by the Master-Teacher); unless this one great Law is fulfilled, a universal religion (salvation of the people) or universal peace (a New Order of the Ages) cannot result."

The Law of God is the Law of God not because, as some self-chosen ones affirm that the Divine Law has been miraculously communicated to them by God Himself, but because the Divine Law understood directs men into the Way of Life which will help them to free themselves from the evils that beset and ensnare men.

"Such is the Law of God about acting towards others as one wishes that others should act towards oneself. It shows that men fulfilling it conscientiously obtain Spiritual welfare in the consciousness of their harmony with the Will of God, and of the increase of love in themselves and in others; and that at the same time they obtain in social life the greatest possible benefit accessible to them. Whereas, divergence from the Law entails aggravation of their position.

"The Law of God is the Law, because it defines the position of man in the world, showing him the ‘best' that he can do for his Spiritual, as well as for his physical life in this position.

"If man fulfills what God requires of him, if he observes his Law, then god also will do for him (through the Reaction of the Law of Compensation) that which he requires. So that the law of doing to others as one would wish to be cone to oneself is related to God also. For once man gets into harmony with the Father within, there is a certain power given to him through which, he obtains the things that he needs.

"The principle of true religion is clearly expressed in the Gospel by the words: ‘do unto others as thou wouldst wish that others should do unto thee.' This is the whole of the Law and the prophets. If this principle were recognized by all men as the chief religious fundamental, then egotism, which is the readiness to sacrifice a neighbor's welfare to attain one's own ends, would disappear of itself. I recognize solely the ignorance of the principles of true religion as the cause of evil in general and wars in particular.

"The only solution of the social problem for rational beings gifted with the capacity to love, consists in the abolition of force (except for protection) and in the organization of a society founded on mutual respect and rational principles voluntarily accepted by all. Such a condition can be obtained only by the development of true religion. By this term, I refer to the fundamental principles of religion, which are: first, the consciousness of the Divine essence of the human soul; and, secondly, regard for its manifestation.

"Ye are the Sons of God."

Man is created in the image of the Supreme, that he may become like God in all things - in goodness, creative ability, kindness, humaneness, and constructive ability - this is the fundamental doctrine of the New Interpretation to govern in the New Order of the Ages. Neither it nor Tolstoy's concepts are actually new; the Great Work and August Fraternity have always taught these Laws to their Neophytes and now desire that all men become familiar with them and benefit thereby.

To become the Son of God, an Initiate Master, is a process of development, a gradual growth, not an acceptance of something by faith, and one may do that only which an awakened and enlightened conscience, the Inner monitor, dictates. It is necessary to gain the strength to do one's duty, never shrink from it, irrespective of the seeming unpleasantness of the task or pressure from outside sources against so doing.

It is now a generally accepted postulate that man has been endowed with Free Will, offering him the privilege to do whatever he pleases, if he is willing to pay the price. He can no longer successfully plead that he is, or was, forced to act contrary to his desire or better judgment. Once man admits that he is not master of his Will, of himself, of his personality, and all his actions, he confesses his lack of manhood.

It is not probable that a man will be brought under the compelling power of another or of others, unless he first has desire, physical weakness, unlawful acts and/or has permitted himself - for selfish reasons - to become subsidized. In any event, if he is a weakling and/or a slave, it is not at all difficult for men to use him to their own interests and his further degradation.

Man is not justified in blaming either fate, God or anyone other than himself for his shortcomings. The Divine Law will hold him personally responsible and he must suffer the Reaction of all he is, all he has done, and all he should have, but did not do.

To attain the highest degree of manhood, in his efforts toward self-mastery, he should not think of the selfish self. He must continually have in mind the accomplishment of what is generally classified as "good," which may be divided into kindly service, humaneness, kindliness, and constructiveness. Thus engaged in upbuilding all the departments of human welfare, he will reap the benefits twofold.

As a first step, he must think and live so as to gain the control, the mastery, over the lower, the carnal self. In the effort toward this accomplishment, he must carefully analyze the reason for a task in hand - whether it be for purely selfish motives or because of a desire that the virtues and strength of God should manifest through him and thus be of self-help, as well as of help to others.

Man must distinguish between the Self - the interest of the Soul - and selfishness. Selfishness applies to that which man seeks for himself alone, and is the governing spirit in almost all the dealings in which men are engaged today. It is that which man wishes to gain, not for the good of any others, but only for the self and the few close to him even though this be at the expense of others.

On the contrary, that which he has to do for the Self is for the welfare of the inner being, the real man, and in its welfare man should attempt nothing that may bring the least harm, sorrow or loss to another (2) but instead will be of help to other in so far as possible and lead them on the way.
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(2) This attainment must be qualified lest the author and the New Dispensation Interpretation be considered erratic as regards the business world. Many, infinitely many, business affairs undertaken by the most honest of men, end in a great loss to all having part in the enterprise.

This is especially true in about none out of every ten companies formed for the mining of gold or other ore, drilling for oil and other ventures of this nature. When such companies succeed, the profits are great; when they fail, the losses are equally great.

It should be understood that such ventures are honest if organized by honest and capable men, and are not condemned by the Divine Law, although the success is based on chance. Nevertheless, those who are not able to afford a loss, should take no part in such ventures; and, if loss does occur, those at the helm of such enterprises - being honest - cannot be held morally responsible; If they are dishonest, misrepresent the facts or misappropriate the funds, then they certainly are morally responsible. This rule governs every business partnership, irrespective of its specific nature.
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In man's effort toward self-mastery and the attainment of Soul Consciousness or Initiation, he unfortunately cannot travel in the company of the majority of his fellow men in so far as his personal Spiritual life is concerned. In many instances he will actually be looked at askance if his habits do not conform more or less with those of his associates. This may at times be unpleasant, but what is most important, is whether or not he is in the right and working in harmony with the Divine Law.

If he is in the right, then God and he are a majority; if God be with him, who can successfully be against him?

It is essential for his welfare that man gradually become conscious of the fact that, irrespective of all that has been taught, God, the Father, Creator of man and all else, is really not concerned with the praise of men, but with man's devotion. God is not desirous of loud prayers that come only from the lips and find no abiding place n the heart. He is not really praised by words, but by the act of men that harmonize with His own creative incentives; by His creatures being engaged in the work. He would have them do; by their imitation of His activities. In this is man's sincerest praise and devotion to God.

Spoken words of praise or prayer unfelt in the heart, though they did reach to high heaven, count for naught other than that they indicate man's egotism in believing that God can be fooled or blinded to man's real feeling and intent. Neither is faith that does not culminate in works, acceptable to Him or of value to His children. It is alone in thoughts, followed by desire and culminating in action, that man praises god and this, alone, is within the Divine Law.

Man's duty, so far as the Individual is concerned, is to gain an understanding of both the Spirit and the action of the Divine Law. As he does this, he will gradually come into the realization that, in love and its various manifestations, will be found the Power of God. In proportion as man is able to enter into the Spirit of the Law, it becomes compulsory upon him to obey the Law, and in doing so, he truly worship the Father and all that He is.

Throughout the domain of Nature there is strict obedience to the Divine Law and the manifestation of this obedience is termed "the Law of Nature." The tree of a certain species is true to its nature and brings forth fruit "after its kind." The rose tree praises both God and Nature by an abundance of blossoms, fragrant and lovely, symbolic of love and truth. The tree yields according to that which is sown within her bosom. But man, having Free Will, the right of choice, and the capacity of acting in any direction, alone proves false to his trust, and degrades every department not only of his own being, but of all nature.

With all his intellectual attainment, man yet remains ignorant of the fact that when he attempts to violate the Divine Law he harms none more than himself. He has not yet come into the realization that obedience to the Law will draw to him, without either pain or sorrow, all good things - all that he requires for the fulfillment of life. In his ignorance, he labors for himself alone, gives attention to all affairs which seem to be profitable to himself, and foolishly believes he is preparing for the future. In reality, he is accumulating nothing that will be of value to him in time of need, not a virtue nor a strength that will help him as he passes through the Shadows.

Man must be brought face to face with the realization that the Law under which he now works is the identical Law that will govern his future. He must comprehend that only as he wholeheartedly becomes a part of the whole, laboring for the best interest of all, can he become truly a partner of the lasting things of existence and attain thereby the status of an individual. Only through the attainment of individuality - yet devotion to the whole - is to be found Sonship with the Father - ultimate Godhead, man glorified.

This is true religion, i.e., Spiritual Realization. Not something to merely believe, not a creed, not yet faith, but a method of life - a plan of action that brings results of lasting benefit to the Soul, and likewise to the human, the personal self, in the world of affairs. If man lives rightly - correctly - on the Soul Plane, he is assured desirable compensation on the material plane also. It is impossible for man to be harmonious with the interests of his Soul and remain a failure on the material plane. This being incontrovertible, true religion is seen to be a faith-science that can be applied, a practical course of action that brings tangible results - not rewards reserved for some far-off time and place, but benefits here and now.
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