all truth, that is, all true knowledge, can his religion be built. Further, the perfection of his knowledge, that is, the extent of his truth possessions, will determine the value of his religion to him. Therefore, "it is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance," "a man is saved no faster than he obtains knowledge," and "the glory of God is intelligence."

CHAPTER 3.

ETERNALISM.

The conceptions necessary for logical thought belong to the Gospel as well as to science, for a satisfactory life philosophy must be based on all knowledge known to man.

**All Knowledge, the Basis.** The Gospel, as the largest knowledge, must include the knowledge of all sciences. The conceptions of time and space are quite as necessary in theology as in natural science or in any other branch of human thought. The Gospel does not claim, however, possession of ultimate knowledge concerning space or time or other fundamental conceptions. Indeed, man is, ordinarily, allowed to work out for himself the truths of the universe and to organize them into systems of thought which he may follow profitably. Knowledge is given directly by a superior intelligence only when it becomes indispensable. Moreover, there are innumerable phenomena in the universe which can not be explained by the human understanding as at present developed. The distinguishing feature of the Gospel is that it possesses the key to the final philosophy of life. In outline it offers the entire plan of life in the universe; and man may engage for all time to come in the elaboration and development of each department of this great universal plan of human life, without requiring an expansion of the outline. The plan is complete.

**Eternal Matter.** The saddest feature of manmade religions is their lack of security. One man constructs one theology; another a different one, and men flock hither and thither, accepting the one that appears, for the moment, to be the best, without the deep feeling that the one finally accepted is absolutely the one and only correct system of thought. Yet, this is logically absurd, for a house is either red or not red; a stick is straight or not straight; a man has truth or only the semblance of truth. Two different truths can not be parallel with respect to the same thing. The final philosophy of life must be based on irrevocable truth. That which is true must always remain true, though the applications may change greatly from generation to generation. It is the absence of such fundamental certainties, no doubt, that leads men into a new search for a satisfying religion, or that drives them away from their old theology.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is obviously a system founded on unvarying certainties. Its doctrines rest on demonstrated truths that lie at the foundation of all sound, acceptable thinking. For instance, as a cornerstone of theology, the Gospel recognizes, in connection with the existence of space and time, the existence of matter. Without matter, the mind of man would have no material on which to act, and the existence of matter becomes, therefore, a fundamental conception of the Gospel. It is the business of man to become acquainted with matter in all of its forms, so far as may be possible, in order to provide a foundation on which the reasoning mind of man may increasingly build its power.

The Gospel holds strictly to the conception of a material universe. Much inconsistency of thought has come from the notion that things occur in a material and an immaterial state. This unthinkable condition has been made the basis of doctrines concerning God and man, which have led to utter confusion of thought. The Gospel accepts the natural view, supported by all human experience, that matter occurs in many forms, some visible to the eye, others invisible, and yet others that may not be sensed by any of the senses of man. In short, there is no such thing as immaterial matter, but some forms of matter are more refined than others. Light, heat, and other similar forces are held by science to be manifestations of a subtle state of matter, beyond the immediate senses of man, which has been called ether. In fact, matter as ordinarily known, and ether, a finer form of matter, are every day conceptions of science. The material universe may appear in a variety of forms; but man recognizes, directly, only that form which is the ordinary matter of our daily lives.

**Universal Matter Is Indestructible.** Matter is eternal, that is, everlasting. Whether the various forms of matter may be converted one into the other, is not definitely known. Any such conversion would, however, leave the total quantity of matter unchanged. God, the supreme Power, can not conceivably originate matter; he can only organize matter. Neither can he destroy matter. God is the Master, who, because of his great knowledge, knows how to use the elements, already existing, for the building of whatever he may have in mind. The doctrine that God made the earth or man from nothing becomes, therefore, an absurdity. The doctrine of the indestructibility of matter makes possible much theological reasoning that would be impossible without this doctrine.

The nature of matter is not, in and of itself, a subject of deep concern in practical religion. By the slow, laborious methods of man's search for truth, the nature of matter will gradually be revealed. Whether it shall be found to be something distinct, or a form of the universal energy, will not be of consequence in the Gospel structure. That matter, whatever it is, is eternal, is, however, a principle of highest theological value, for it furnishes a foundation for correct reasoning.

**Eternal Energy.** Matter, wherever found and in whatever form, always possesses energy. It is frequently said that matter in motion, only, can impress the human mind. Matter without motion, were it conceivable, could not be recognized by the human mind as at present constituted. Matter is always associated with energy; energy with matter. It is not conceivably possible to separate them. Whether one is a manifestation of the other, so that there is only matter or only energy, or if they are distinct things, we do not know. All sound thought recognizes, however, the existence of energy throughout the universe. Energy appears in many forms, such as heat, light, electricity, magnetism, gravitation, and, according to the Gospel, the many spiritual forces. These various forms of energy seem to be convertible, one into the other, thus indicating the existence of one central force, of which all other forces are manifestations. The question of energy will probably be answered gradually, as the knowledge of man increases.

Of one thing the Gospel, as well as science, is perfectly certain, namely, that the energy in the universe is indestructible. Changed it may be, from heat to light, from light to electricity, from electricity to magnetism, or from any form to any other form of energy, but destroyed it can not be. Like matter, energy had no beginning and can have no end. God, possessing the supreme intelligence of the universe, can use energy in accomplishing his ends, but create it, or destroy it, he cannot. Undiminished, everacting, universal energy will continue through all times.

**Universal Intelligence.** In one particular, however, the Gospel goes beyond the teachings of modern science. The Gospel teaches that, associated with the universal energy that vivifies universal matter, and possibly identified with it, is universal intelligence, a force which is felt wherever matter and energy are found, which is everywhere. The forces of the universe do not act blindly, but are expressions of a universal intelligence. That a degree of intelligence is possessed by every particle of energized matter cannot be said; nor is it important. The great consideration is that, since intelligence is