The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1870-11-10

We find the following article in The
Index, a weekly paper published in Tole-
do. devoted to Fr6s Religion. Being con-
tnbuted by well known citizen of Can
ton, we transfer to our columns, presum-
ing that it will interest some of our read
ers:
THEORY or IMMORTALITY,
Or a Condensed Statement or the
Form or Continuous Human Exis.
tenee.
F. E. ABBOT, Eso.:-The following
views of Mans Future Life are the pro-
duct of much thought, resulting in 4 pro-
found conviction of their truth.
Humanity IS spiritually ONE that is.
considered with reference to its psychical
part, it is single, though complex being.
One universal life. pervades it, or, more
accurately, one universal life pervades the
whole organized system of our globe, of
which humanity is the predominant and
most important portion. Life, developed
into It's higher forms, Is associated with
consciousness and mentality, and becomes
what we term Soul Hence all terrestrial
things, 50 far as living and conscious, are
pervsded tor animated by one and the
same UNIVERSAL SoCL.
Our present lives are, therefore, bound
to our future, and equally also to our psst
lIves-or rather all our successive lives
are bound together-by this Universal
Soul, which may also, not inappropriately
be called the Collective Soul of our planet.
II Is nothing else than the collective life
Tin animals. innervation or nerve force1
which vltalizes or WHITES our whole plan
etary organic system This Universal Soul,
of which each individual Soul is a compon-
nent part, detached and indivldualized
probably by the corporeaI organizationl, is
always the same that IS, continues always
identical with itself throughout all the
successive generations Of men and animals,
IN the same sense as that in which the indi-
vIdual soul IS understood to continue
identical with itself through the different
stages Of growth, maturity, and decline,
incident to the physical organism. In
other words, the one Universal Soul flows
on, so TO speak, IN an unchanging stream
from generation to generation, but is subject
as each individual life is, to successive pha-
ses OF development, through one of the ear
hest OF which 1t is now passing. Chief and
predominant only, but not exclusive, is
the human element of the Universal Soul
which IS not limited to human conscious
ness and mentality, but embraces also all
animal instincts and sensations. By way
OF Illustration 1t may be said that the
Universal Soul Is made up of the manifold
individual souls of all sentient and con-
sclous beings, IN the same manner as the
human body Is made up of manifold dis
tInct cells, each of which has, in an intel
hgible Sense, an independent life of its
own; and there is, beyond all reasonable
doubt, real parallellsm, or veritable an
alogy, between these two cases in respect
to the relation of each whole to its ele-
ments, that is, In respect to the manner
IN which each is severally constituted of
IT'S component parts, as herein indicated.
The passing away of those who die, and
the advent of those who are born, cores
ponds also to process of waste and reno
walton which Is all the time going on in
the cellular tissue of which our bodies are
composed. -s
So long, therefore, as cur planet eudures
IN habltable state, flor its life, we may
presume, Is not endless, but is probably
made up of limited series of phases cor
responding to those through which each
Individual man passes from the cradle to
the gravel, 1t will be mans only abiding
place hIs- onIY sphere of f-sxistence; and no
T1ieoIe lIfe afwaI6s MN except Inat WGlch
consists IN his living, here on earth, sue
cesslve human lives as particle of the
great Universal Soul which, though its
elements are constantly passing through |
the transitions of birth and death. flows
on through successive organisms, without
any change except such as the law of its !
growth requires
Thus far the theory OF a future state aDDears N
me, in all its leading features, TO be free from
doubt though not, in some OF its outlines, free |
rom obsenrity; and therefore perhaps not from |
The following additional statement /
rests upon probabilities so strong to be- in my
Vle"' nearly equivalent to demonstration
Nan will never become conscious of his |
existence as perpetuated, that is, of the |
identity Of his future with his present |
life, without the aid of other faculties than |
those with which he is now individually en-
dowed. His Individual memory, being an |
incident Of his present bodily organism,
pierce through his last birth to his |
next preceding career, much less to any |
remoter one. 1t Is quite possible, indeed, |
that no such identity exists as he has been /
taught to anticipate and is predisposed to /
expect though Of the perpetuity of his
existence IN some form, and in form
when, when fully revealed, will be felt to |
be the best and most satisfactory possible, |
I.
form personal identity may be /
preserved, man can, in the future feel and |
recognize 1t only by acquiring the power of |
using the consciousness or faculties of the
Universal Soul. This will be effected, as |
l interpret the law of progress by means
OF UNIVERSAL Association that is, by |
uniting the whole human family in one
harmonious brotherhood, and associating /
all together and each with each, in such /
manner as to form q cooperative, organ
Ism, OF which the several parts shall con-
cur, without collision or diseord, to pro- /
mote the welfare of each other and of the !
whole. This Universal Association | re- |
gard as the certain destiny OF Humanity /
and when 1t Is established, each individual 1
man will become a partaker of the cen |
scIousness OF the Universal Soul, and will |
be enabled to avail himself of its memory, |
and thus to appropriate to himself It's past |
experience, and by this means to recognize |
the part, whatever 1t may have been, |
which he has &C. ed as participator in its |
complex functions This recognition of |
past careers will result, therefore. from his
collective life, when he sfIAtL become fra |
ternslly associated with all his fellow men; !
and, until this grand contamination, he |
Will continue obivIous, as be now Is. of |
hls former lives, nor until then, viii he be |
able, IN any way, to feel that his passing |
career Is but new phase of bis indestrnc- |
tible existence.
NOIE-Though this theory Is slIggestet 5yyesFi- |
erfscts than the phenomsnA AodSrns piFitaAllsI
and depends Hpona very different order of pruofs |
yet SIa inclined 70 interpret many OF theSs;phs-
nomenaAs tending directly to confirm It The
apparently Sssuperhuman intelligence rnauflast9d
At times, by so-caled nediums, las also IN many
o:heT cases equally well autAenucated9 as when
revelations are made Of facts, afterwards fully YER
ihSd for the knowledge Of which no recognized
physiological or pSychofogicAl laws viii Accouur
appears to me to be most rationaily oEpiHfned by
assuming these extraordinary revelations 20 re-
suit from the incipient and imperfect commink-
ling. II may use that term, Of the individual
with the collective consciOusness, 1t Is probably
the embryo stage Of some hitherto uRsuspected
method Of psychical lintercOmmunication At the
same time. the feeble hold % the Individual apoa
the collective consciousness, in connection with
the rudinentary and und0yeloped state OF the cot
lective faculties, furnishes the best expauafien
perhaps, Of the incOhsrent and deceitful chscr
acter of many of the communications as also of
the fact that none of them have any tendency TO
enlarge the 1eld Of human knowledge. -
z. P. GRANT.
Canton, o., Oct 10, 20.
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