Religion is the relation of man to eternal life and to God, which moves (forces) man towards the end for which he was (in the remotest beginning) intended, in accordance with reason and knowledge.

This forward urge, if not resisted, ultimately will bring men into touch with all power. The resources thus procured may be applied toward obtaining all the requirements for the needs of the physical man, for the establishment of peace and contentment of mind and Illumination of the Soul. This will build health - in well-being there is joy; it will result in material success, which is the birthright of all men. The father denies nothing to the Son (or Sons) of which the latter is worthy and which may be used beneficially. Though it is observed that even men who in no way obey the Divine Law are possessed of great abundance, it is nevertheless a fact that in some way and at some time, they have earned this supply and have but now gained possession; either this, or they now have unrighteously obtained possessions, and sooner or later will be called upon to renounce their stewardship of that which does not justly belong to them and, in the Biblical phrase, "the last estate of that man becometh worse than the first."

The soul is the Light of man. Before he can see and follow this Light, he must obey the Law and gain Soul Consciousness. The soul, which is a Light, cannot give forth its rays until it is freed from the rubbish which hides it and this is accomplished only through the interior Illumination.

Man universally is weak, because he makes little or no effort to be otherwise. He is ruled by the desires and lusts of the flesh; consequently, he is miserable. Though having the potentiality of a god, he is little more than an animal; the animal nature and Divine nature of the Soul are in perpetual conflict. He will continue to be governed by animal instincts until he seeks to know himself and, having found himself, masters the animal tendencies, and transmutes these into fuel for the Vestal Fires to be lighted on the altar within himself.

When he has kindled this Flame in the Center of his being and brought the soul into a state of Consciousness, thence to Illumination, he has found the Christos, the Source of Eternal Life. Then he rightly may claim to be a Son of God and, in a lesser degree, he may develop the creative power of the Father.

It is this man-become-Godlike (that is to say, glorified meaning God-Illuminated - glory being a Light, or enlightened) that the Master-Teacher had in mind when he said:

"...the works that I do shall ye do also and greater works than these shall ye do." _St. John 14:12.

The man who has achieved Christhood, naturally possesses power to the degree of his attainment, and is capable of directing this power for the benefit of mankind generally, or for his own welfare.

Man becomes a conscious being (a unit) by growing into the realization that, though born a son of man, he is become a Son of god; and in proportion as he makes of his being a fitting dwelling place for the Father, he is in truth the Temple of the Living God and, as he induces his mortal, animal nature to become compliant with the Will of these Divine forces, the Father will manifest through him. Thus will the Father do his works through the Son.

The true and primitive Christic - the New Interpretation - is neither more nor less than a coming into full consciousness of man's relation to God and God's relation to man - the deepest and highest feeling, sensing, and knowing of which humanity is capable.

This is not a creed and is not based on dogma; it is a definite consciousness; a state of being. It is not something to be studied and merely believed - accepted by the intellect. It is an experience, a becoming through gradual growth by deliberate, constructive thoughts, by exalting desires and righteous (just, correct, ennobling) living, and by a constant transmutation of all the forces of the carnal, animal man, into the natural divine man.

This religion is the science, which man applies to the awakening of the mind for the arousing and development of the Divine Spark into a conscious Illuminated, Individualized Soul. And this science is based on the Divine Law which ultimately must govern all else.

Man, born the son of man, must gradually and by successive steps, ascend from the lowest - the carnal, earthly, fleshly plane of being - to the highest rung of the ladder, a consummation of the legendary "Jacob's" ladder. This is consciousness of Soul attained through an intimate love in the heart for all that is noble, pure, constructive, for the welfare of all the children of men, good (wise) and bad (ignorant) alike.

This religion, which is not a faith but a system, a way of life, enables man to attain the highest degree of power, knowledge, and consciousness; this is because he first comes to an understanding of the Divine Law, then, bases all his efforts upon its inculcations, proceeding step by step until the highest degree of development is reached.

This process of Spiritualization is practical. It takes into full account the fourfold nature of man: the physical or material; the mental or intellectual; the Spiritual or life foundation; and the Soul, which is from God and may be individualized into God-Consciousness. This last is the Great (Sublime) Work. Further, it is practical because the Law that it teaches establishes health in the physical being, knowledge for the intellect, fuller life and greater vitality and energy for the Spiritual, and absolute Illumination and sublime Consciousness to the Soul.

The New Dispensation, New Order of the Ages, is not come about for the condemnation of persons. It is the result of a cyclic law which no man can control; this law was set into motion in the beginning of time and will continue to function as long as man and earth continue to exist.

The New Cycle into which mankind has entered is to establish truth and equity without fear or favor. It will quickly adjust the acts of men which are contrary to the Divine Law and retard the progress of those who do not live but to die; but live to become, during the present life, the "select," the "peculiar" people of God.

Let it be impressed upon the consciousness of all who read this that the New Dispensation will not in any sense take away from man any pleasure, recreation or possessions not in themselves destructive to the personal welfare. It inculcates all that will help man and humanity to a more abundant life, constant unfoldment and, in consequence, to a more vital manhood, gentler and more natural womanhood, and greater Spiritual attainment.

All men are to be recognized as brethren though rightly separated by caste and race, being born the sons of men, and under one universal Law. Each one is a link in a great chain, some weak, others strong, and each must prove himself or be eliminated. The Divine Law is like a master artisan who, examining a chain and finding a weak link, would repair it if possible and if not, eliminate and replace it.

Those who are to become the "select" in this New Order of the Ages, whether as individuals on the path toward continued existence, Master Initiates or as soul Conscious members, will first of all recognize God as the Father of all men; the Divine Law as certain and unswervable in its action, and that man's highest Ideal is to work toward consciousness of the Divinity through obedience to the Divine Law. Concurrently with his own growth and not to his own detriment, he is also to help others less fortunate than himself, but seeking the same goal. It is to be clearly understood that no man can come into the promised divine inheritance, the greatest good in this present existence, unless he begins to think, desire, and govern his actions in harmony with the dictates of the Divine Law - in full faith that he will obtain that which he seeks.

There is a pronounced distinction to be made between a true faith which constantly incites to effort toward a given goal, and a faith, based on the idea that the realities of life may be obtained by faith without works, by some miraculous action of that faith.

The kind of faith which is based on a creed, dogma or promise, without effort in full accord with the belief, (so universal during the past ages and still held to) by which man expects God, in exchange for his more or less hypocritical prayers (perhaps confession of today's guilt to be repeated tomorrow), is not less than an attempt to hoodwink the Divinity and the Law, and is never successful. It is based on the idea that puny, sinning man is capable of inducing God to become his servant, helping him to obtain his desires, irrespective of how foolish or destructive they might prove to be to himself or his fellow man.

True faith, potent to bring abut desired results, is always an incentive to do the will of God by making every possible effort in accordance with the desire. It induces man to actually answer his own prayers and fulfill his heart's desires, as a result of the Reaction to his efforts and in accordance with the Law.

To become individualization of the Divine nature, or Sons of God, whether as the "chosen" or "select," as Philosophic Initiates, of Sons of Light by means of Soul Consciousness, it is demanded of man that he constantly endeavor to imitate the Supreme Creator and become like him.

This implies that we must be doers - workers - not mere believers and drones, the most Divinely detested of all His creatures. Man must learn to think, desire, and act in harmony with the Divine Law - God's gauge for man's activities. Man must make himself responsible for all he does. He must seek forgiveness for all errors and be ready to pay the penalty of infringements to the utmost farthing. Understanding this, men will no longer permit themselves to remain weaklings pleading that the Reactions of their own act were caused by the actions of others.

When the eyes are opened to the Light, man will see things as they are; he will see the cause of men's actions. Though students on the Path may not condone evil of any nature, nor suffer it if it can be prevented, they will endeavor to forgive and forget by constructive, exalting activities in obedience to one who understood the weaknesses of men so well.

"Then came Peter to him and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Till seven times?"

The Nazarene answered him: "I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but Until seventy times seven." _Matthew 18:21-22.

To be able to comprehend the Spirit of this answer to Peter's question, it is well to call to mind a quotation familiar to all:

"To err is human, to forgive is Divine."

All of us err, make mistakes, cause others anxiety - perhaps unconsciously so. We have need of forgiveness many times a day, hence we must be prepared to do unto others that which we would have them of unto us. To forgive is not to excuse. It is not a receipt for an indebtedness. A debt must be paid, whether on our part or that of another. It is our duty to collect, but this is a mere act of adjustment and is entirely separate from forgiveness.

This Law relative to forgiveness should not be foolishly interpreted. It is the cause of the debt or offense that is to be forgiven, and not the debt itself. No one is called upon to expected to forgive or discount the payment due on a material debt - the amount due on a transaction. To do that would bring chaos to the practice of fair exchange between men; and avoidance of personal responsibility on the part of one of those concerned in a transaction and loss to another - a loss of balance in the relationship between men; a debt in itself, of which both would be guilty - the one by failure to honor his obligations to the other by permitting a wrong.

The Law of forgiveness has reference more especially to wrongs, hatreds, malice, and the many other evils of like nature in the relationships between men. It does not eliminate the necessity for seeking justice or the proper remedial agency of punishment of wrongs, but without the thought or feeling of hatred or revenge, or any other form of ill-feeling.

If a "brother" (any man) does aught against you, it may be that it is deserved as a return for acts of your own and that he, by the incentive of some evil in his nature, is the medium whereby the Divine Law functions in paying us that which is our due. Never knowing whether or not this is the case, we should guard against every form of ill-feeling, we should seek redress or justice, that others may be repaid for the wrong and at the same time serve as a warning that wrong or evil does not pay.

Even though we fail in upholding the Law of Justice, the actor will be compensated or punished for his acts in one manner or another, at some time or another; the Divine Law never fails in the fulfillment of Law and Order.

Those seeking to understand the Law, that they may begin to live by it, may be confused by the command to forgive, and, if the Law of Compensation is so exact and certain in its operation, question why it is our duty to seek justice through human action against those who, for instance, steal or defraud us of our goods?

In so far as we are concerned might we not better leave the matter in the care of the Law? No. Were we to fail to take action, the thief might feel convinced that he is able to continue to live unrighteously and without fear of detection or being called to account.

It is therefore the victim's duty to apprehend the offender; bring him to account that he may be made to repay, not because of hatred, malice or revenge, but as a warning to him that it is not right to deliberately infringe on the rights of others. In human society, every man has his duty to perform. Justice, without personal feeling, must be sought as a protection for the weak, the ignorant, the innocent.

"Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.

"And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him which owed him ten thousand talents.

"But for as much as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.

"The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped (supplicated) him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

"Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him his debt.

"But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow servants, which owed him an hundred pence; and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.

"So his fellow-servant fell down at his feet and besought him, saying, Have patience with me and I will pay thee all.

"And he would not; but went and cast him into prison till he should pay the debt.

So when his fellow-servants saw what was done, they were very sorry and came and told unto their lord all that was done.

"Then his lord called him, and saith unto him, Thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt because thou desiredest me:

"Shouldest thou not also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant, even as I had pity on thee?

"And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due into him.

"So likewise shall my heavenly father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not everyone his brother their trespasses." _Matthew 18:23-35.

There is no qualification as to whom we should forgive or how often. We must forgive all, if we in turn seek to be forgiven. There is no virtue in telling our brother that we forgive him when the statement does not come from the heart. If the heart is free from all ill feeling, resentment, and malice, then we have truly forgiven those who did ill against us, even though we do not confess it in words; for virtue is not in the profession, but in the attitude of our inmost being.

The Master-Teacher inculcated constantly the necessity of forgiving all the wrongs committed against us, and that this forgiveness must proceed from the sanctuary within. The power of hatred, malice, and resentment is in the fact that these passions keep the Soul bound and do not permit it to see the Light; and, for this reason, no man can attain soul Consciousness, Initiation or Mastership, al long as there is any form of ill-will permitted to remain in his heart.

To be forgiven any indebtedness that we own others, does not free us from the debt itself, but only from the intention of the act. The debt still remains and must be paid, but, with the paying of the debt, the record itself is wiped clean; if we are not forgiven for a wrong committed, even though we make reparation, the record remains; therefore it is necessary for us to forgive trespasses even as we seek to be forgiven.

Before we can become Christic and know god and be permitted to enter within the temple of the living God, we must have learned to bear no ill will toward any man. Unless we so free ourselves, the conscience within, that "Still, Small Voice," will continue to accuse us and condemn us. There is no peace for man unless he makes peace with his own conscience. Only pride prevents man from doing the right. Pride, the Satan of old, continually induces us to believe that to forgive freely or to ask for forgiveness, lowers our dignity. The man with a clear conscience, free from self accusation of wrong, does not recognize "dignity" other than the dignity of honor and strength, of justice and of doing right. Such dignity is that of the Father and glorious manhood.

"We know we have passed out of death into life because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death."_I John 3:14.

It is not faith in a creed, even though the creed be faultless: it is not affiliation with a particular church that brings life; it is living in harmony with the Divine Law, obeying the dictates of the Father to fill the heart with love - a love that is strong enough to forgive - that leads to eternal life. As man awakens to this great truth and accordingly orders the affairs of his life, he becomes the church of the Gnostic Initiate Fathers; the Temple of the Living god, the Holy of all Holies, wherein God may dwell; this privilege is denied none who are ready and willing to comply with the Law.

No man being sufficient unto himself until such time as he has become wholly the Anointed, every man forming a part of the whole, it behooves all men, especially those seeking the path to Initiation, to be formed into an assembly - bearing in mind the promise: "Where two or more are gathered together in my name there will I be also." such a group meets together and, through some form of Divine - from the heart - service, symbolizes the process of all that has taken place within, being cautious that the symbolization be not allowed to usurp the place of the Spirit.

To have love (kindly, gracious feeling for our fellow man induces a willingness to help him in every way possible when he has actual need. He who is possessed of sympathy and charity for his brother is likewise filled with greater life, and will find still greater life, and become in time a part of the whole (holy) temple of the Living God. Becoming is made possible only by feeling and doing.

"....love is of God; and every one that loveth is (thereby) born of God and knoweth (feeleth) God. He that loveth not God; for God is love."_I John 4:7-8.
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