The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1867-04-11
MAN TRI-PARTITE.
rFrom the Phrenolog lcal journal. |


The same idea pervaded the language,
literature, theology, and common life of
the Hebrew race. 1t tpervades the jew
ish and the Christian Scriptures; it was
rife in India when Christ was on earth
incarnate, and was not refuted, but ap-
prOUed, by himi was taught most dis
tinctly by Paul in Cor. XIV. 1853, and
elsewhere; was enlarged upon and ex-
planned by the Christian fathers, and
held by The whole Church, during its
purest times, till lost driid tie igno-
rance, and gloom, and retrogradation of
the middle ages.
The doctrine of tri-partition of man
was then banished from the earth. A
bi-partition took its place in all modern
theologies and in all translations of the
Bible. The Christian world has, in
consequence, lost an immeasurably i'm
portant truth. This loss leads to errors,
misinterpretations, and misunderstand-
ings among Christians, almost innumer-
able. 1t is the cause of much infidelity
among wicked men, and of great deal
Of skepticism, sorrow of heart, and men
tai inquietude among men who are not
wicked in any just sense of that term,
but are honest inquirers after truth and
righteousness of life. 1t is with the hope
OF contributing mite toward the recov-
cry of the lost doctrine of mans tri-
partition that / write.
Others may derive their argument
from science only, and yet their argu-
ment be satisfactory and convincing;
for have no doubt that, while science
has already proved many interpretations
Of the Scripture, it will ere long prove
all just interpretations of the sacred vol
ume to be Gods truth, worthy of God
and profitable TO man. | write with
the solemn conviction that science and
revelation are from the same all-know-
ing, Interchangeable Source, and therefore
must agree when rightly interpreted and
understood. One can not be antagos
nistic to the other, but each must, of
necessity, be help to a right under
standing Of both. While, therefore,
others may reason effectively from
whatever is yet known of Physiology,
Psychology, and PaeumdtologL three sci
ences which go tolnake up AntAr0pologE
the Science of Man, l choose to reason
solely from the Scriptures of the Old and
New Testament.
They ascribe to man a frail, perishable
body, doomed to decay and dissolution.
They ascribe the same to the brute Gre
alton. They also ascribe to both man
and brute "living soul" They rep
resent this living soul in both as the
seat of life, of the senses, seeing, hearing,
tasting, smelling, and feeling, and of the
lower appetites and passions. So far
the parallel is complete. If man is de-
clared to have been made a " living
SOUL" so is the brute If man loves
one kind of food and loathes another,
so does the brute. If man loves his
friend and hates his enemy, so does the
brute. In all the lower instincts, ap-
petites and passions they are alike,
But, with regard to man, the Bible
goes farther 1t ascribes to him spirit,
with a higher class of attributes than
belong to the soul 1t nowhere ascrbes
the spirit, with these higher attributes,
to orders of being lower than man. In
the pSchicaI nature, man is in common
with the brute. BY virtue of his spirit
uaL nature he comes into communion
with God. The Bible tells us, "There
is a spirit in man, and the Inspiration of
the Almighty giveth him understandings"
1t tells us that "man was made in the
image of God," but never that the brute
was 1t informs us that Hman was
made little lower than the angels" but
never that the lower animals were. AL
though it alike ascribes a psychical ma
ture to man and brutes, yet how differ
ent does it represent them One, on
its sacred pages, if redeemed from sin
and won to Christian obedience, is "an
heir of God, and a joint heir with
Christ" to an unfailing inheritance be-
yond this life; the others are the
g beasts that perish" OF one much is
required; of the other nothing. One is
accountable to God for his doings; the
others not. TO one promises are made |
to the others none. One is constituted
lord Of the animate creation; the Others
are appointed to serve him. And all |
these differences, / apprehend, are based |
on the fact, that the one is endowed |
with a spiritual nature, with high capa-
bilities and with conscience, while the
others are not.
Conscience is an attribute of the
highest element, and not of the lower,
in mans nature. The beast has not
that highest element; God did not give
It to him as to man; did not make him
in his own image !" did not inbreathe,
as into man, his own divine spirit
hence the brute, not possessing that |
highest element of mans nature in
which the conscience resides, has no
Judas, we are told, went |
and hanged himself" Why7 There is
no reason to suppose he had intended
to bring an ignominious death upon his
Master. He had been guilty of a great
but not Of great crime, and
he had nothing to fear from the inhuen-
tial men of his country and time he had |
done what they regarded an important
service; nothing could have pleased