The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1871-04-13
Philosophers Disagree upon the
Subject.
Dialogue Between a Phariscc and
q Nazarene.
lCOSTlNuED.l

lCoSTlNUED.J
We now approach the consideration OF
one OF the most important questions which
has ever engaged the attention of man
kind-to-wit: Is THE SOUL on MAN IN
MORTAL? aud WI propose to discuss IL for
the purpose Of developing truth, and In
order that all OF our readers who feel an
interest in this matter, and who have not
examined it carefully, may be enabled to
form an intelligent opinion upon the sub
ject.
THE sCIENTIFIC WORLD DISAGREE.
In relation to the question at issue the
scientific world Is divided. The opposing
parties are known rs Materialists and I'm
matcrialists. In this conflict OF ideas there
Is no neutral ground. We must be on one
side or the other.
POSITIONS DEFINED.
MaArialism Is the opinion of those who
maintain that the soul Of mar Is not
spiritual substance distinct from matter
but that il Is the result or effect of the or
ganization of matter.in tire body.
And
Immaterialism is the doctrine Of the cX
istcncc or state Of immaterial substances
Hence, the controversy between these
philosophers is as to whether there is III
immaterial being in existence.
Immaterial means 'nOt consisting Of mat
ter" not spacc-iilling; and we find Il class
Of learned men upon the one hand WliC
s%trenuously insist that there are beings in
existence who think and reason and yet dc
not I'LL one particle Of space and upon tho
other hand, we find another class of men
equally as learned, who as positively assert
that there is not Il being In existence which
thinks and reasons but what does I'LL space
That uhich SubsiSts by itself is csled Sub
stance. The soul is termed by one class o
philosophers an I~MMATERIAL SUBSTANCE
while another. class of philosophers EN-
phatically deny that there is such a thing
as an immaterial substance in existence.
THE SUBJECT IN A NUTSHELL.
Concerning the question whether thu
soul can exist without the body-mint
| without matter--an able writer in Mac
Millan's Magazine, Frances Power CObbe
in Il recent article, after expatiating upon
the dreams that occupy the mind When w'
that Thought is n Function of Natter
anu says llOuSh We may oNtNCSN IL
proving 'thht the Brain can think with
thcorem, that the Conscious Man car
think without Il Brain has as yet received
no jot of direct evidence"
The apostle Paul tells us to "prove al
things" and if there is "no jot Of direct eui
without the body. the mind without mat
., - hon, l. II nnssib1a far n N hppost p,np r.
believe it, i he has not been spoil
8 through philosophy and vain deceit attel
the tradition of mem"
STRONG POINTS.
The controversy between the Material.
lists and Immaterialists has continued fol
many centuries; and the former assert
that if the opinion of the latter be true
and the souls of the dead are immateria
substances, and do not yW one particle O
space, then billions and trillions of then
could stand together upon the point of Q
needle. And further, if they are not space.
filling, then they have no weight. no X
tension, and no sulJdce and the wicket
ones among them could not be burnt will
fire, because it would be ridiculous to sup.
pose that fire, or any other material sub
stance, could be brought into contact witt
Al immaterial thing which has no surface
BEWARE OF THE DOCTRINE OF THE PliAR-
ISEk.S AMI OF THE SADDuCEES.'
When Christ began bis ministry. the
principal sects among the Jews were the
Sadducecs and tn Pharisees The Sad
ducees denied the immortality of the ,oul
and the resurrection of the body: but the
Pnarisecs confessed both. (Acts 23:S g.
And it is a rcmarkable,fact that the Sayiol
told his disciples to "beware Of the doctrine
of the pharisees and Of The SadduceeS." lie
reasoned with the Sadducees to show that
there would be Il resurrection of the just,
but he did not tell them that they erred in
denying the immortality Of the soul. His
own resurrection convinced them that one
part of their doctrine was false, and cstab-
lisiled the fact that that part of the doc
trine of the PlrariSces relating to the res
direction of the body was true. We must
conclude, therefore, that, when Christ .old
his disciples to beware of the doctrine of
these two sccts, he clearly intended to
warn them against thar portion OF the
doctrine of the lillriSccs which taught The
immortality OF the soul, and against that
portion of the doctrine of the Sadducees
which denied the resurrection of the body.
We do not see how any one can escape this
conclusion.
PRoFAEE AND VAIN %BABBLERs.
Paul tells us that there were '.profane
and vain babblers" among the Jews. "of
whom said he. us Hymeneus and Phile-
tus; who. concerning the truth, haze erred,
saying that THE RESURRECTION Is PAST
ALREADY; and their gOrd tpiU eat as doth q
canker."
In illustration Of this, if any one will
take the trouble to question the modern
Pharisees, it will be found that there are
very few, if any of them, who do not. say
thai the resurrection takes place immedi-
ately upon the death of the body, that the
soul goes then to a place of happiness or
misery, and that the idea Of the righteous
dead being recreated ut some future day,
when they will possess bodies of flesh and
bones. and live on this earth, is simply
preposterous. In other words, they deny
the resurrection Of the body, and say, in
effect, that the resurrection Is past already.
Therefore, we have the authority of Paul
for the assertion that they are prOfane and
vain babblers, who. concerning the truth
have erred. But their word has eaten as
doth a canker, for there are millions in the
world to-day who believe their doctrine.
MERE SUPERSTITION.
1t is worthy of remark, in this connec-
ton, that the Jewish historian, JOsephus,
in his Discourse to the Greeks concerning
(Which place some of them believed
was provided for the eternal punishment
)f the souls of sinners.) declares that the
Of Hddes is based upon TIE sUPpo-
'ITION that the soul Of man is immortal. |
means "imaaining or admit