Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1873-02-07
An Answer to can Open Letter"

As the doctrines and beliefs of
che christian church are all supposed
TO be based upon Revelation, and those
who hold them are commanded to "be
ready always to give an answer to eve
ry man that asketh you reason of
the hope that is in you with meekness
and fear,"-1 Peter 3-l5,-and, as
the "open letter" has seen fit to openly
denounce the doctrine of the ''immor-
tality of the soul' as "God-dishon
oring theory" Serving the tempter
by preaching the same doctrine he did
when he said to Eve, thou shalt not
surely die, -, and those who hold it
"have changed the truth of God into
lie," it will not be deemed out of char
acter for one, who loves the Lord Je-
sus, and his precious word, to briefly
review the matter from a scriptural
standpoint.
l. The word of God teaches that
man is trinity of parts, originated in
different ways and times. AS proof, l
refer to Gen. .2-7, where it saws g the
Lord God formed man of the dust of
the ground" Like recent corpse,
there was material form, but no life,
no soul, no spirit. in it. After FORM
ing this body, God next breathed into
his nostrils the breath of life, and man
became living soul, as the inevitable
consequence. But man was not yet
finished it required that God should
"forn, the spirit of man 'otthtn him"
--Zech. l2- l, before it could truly be
said that "God created man in his own
image'-Gen. 1-27, the likeness of
God who "is a spirit" y Ohm 4-24,
1.-The King eternal, immortal, invisible"
Il Tim. LII, "dwelling in the light
which no man can approach unto
Tim. GIG. Therefore the apostle
prayed the very God of peace sanctify
you wholly; and | pray God your
whole spirit and soul and body be pre-
served blameless unto the coming of
our Lord Jesus Christ" II Thess. s.
20.
Q. In death, this triple union is
dissolved, the combination is reduced
to its original elements. For proof, |
refer to Feel. 12-7: "Then shall the
dust return to the dust as it was, end
the spirit shall return to the God who
gave it," The spirit of man that
goeth upward, and the spirit of the
beast that goeth downward to the
earth" -Eccl. 3-21. Does not the
spirit remain with the body in the
grave? No, for ."there is no man that
hath power over the spirit to retain the
spirit, neither hath he power Ill the
day of death" -Eccl. 8-s. But does
the esprit or "soul" really leave the
body in death? Yes, for lit came to
pass, as her soul was in departing, for
she died. Gen. 35-lS. Sand when
Jesus had cried with loud voice, he
said l.: Father, into thy hands | com
mend my spirit, and having said this,
he gaze APP the ghost. Luke 23-46.
"For as the body without the spirit is
deadpso faith without works is dead
FLAMES 2, &c "And he stretch
ed himself upon the child three times,
and cried unto the Lord, and said 80
Lord, my God, pray thee let this
ehild's soul come into him again. And
.he Lord heard the voice of Elijah,
and the soul of the child came into
him again. Kings, II, 2l, %,
3. The spirit or "soul" is alive,
conscious, enjoys or suffers, while the
BODY or dust is 'as it was before be-
ing formed into man. For proof, see
the account of the transGguration.--
Matt. II, Mark 9, Luke 9; "And be-
hold there appeared unto them Moses
and Elias talking with him" who ap-
peared in glory, and spahe of his de
sus) decease which be should accom-
plish at Jerusalem" AS Christ" was
tthe first fruits" of the resurrection of
the dead" it could not be the dead
bodv of Moses, it must have been his
spirit" for "every man in his own Or
der, Christ the first fruits ofter,card
aley that are Christ's at his coming -
l Cor. 1923, and Christ's body was
not vet dead, therefore as the servant
(Moses) is not greater than his Lord
(Christ) neither he that is sent greater
than he that sent him. j ohm 1916,
so the resurrection of Moses could not
precede that of Christ, therefore it was
not his body but his spirit that was
present. Again, ut came to pass that
the beggar died, and was carried by
the angels into Abrahamss bosom.
The rich man also died and was buried,
and in hell he lifted UP his eyes. being
in torment, and scsth Abraham afar off
and Lazarus IN his bosom, and he cried
and said, Father Abraham, have mer
CIV on me, and send Lazarus that he
may dip the tip of his finger in water
and cool my tongue, for | am torment
ed in this fame. But Abraham said,
Son, remember that thou in thy life
time receivcdest thv good things and
likewise Lazarus evil things; but now
he is colnforted aud thou art torment
ed; and, besides all this, between as
and yau there is great gulf fixed SO
they which would pass from hence to
YOU, cannot; neither can they pass to |
rs that would come from thence
Then he said ]: 4 pray thee therefore,
Father, that thou would send him to
nv fathers house, for l have five breth-
zen; tha4 he may testify unto them,
lest they alss come into this place of