The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-03-14
A LoG1c1AN's VIEWS OF MIND AND SOUL.

LoGIcIANs VIEWS OF MIND AND SOUL.
To THE EDITOR OF THE HER ADD
In answer to the inquiries OF recent CORE
spondent OF your paper, seeker OF Light" touch
ing the nature and relations Of mind and SOUL
permit me to say, nrst, that the soul, according u
its general usage In modern times, Is kind OF
ethereal essence, liquid fuid, q gas or an aura
that fills the body OF a man something in the same
style alcohol 1lls glass bottle, and when the
body OF the man dies the soul spills out and de-
parts according to the various fashions prescribed
by the various religious sects. According to some
1t ascends Immediately 10 the bliss OF the spheres
or aescends to Miltonlan hell or purgatoria palms.
According others 1t frequents the former scenes
OF its captivity within the tenement OF clay,
and occasionally, with sundry raps and
taps seeks to make known It's pres
ence and desires to Its old acquainances
through the mediation OF third party for con-
slderatlon. The ancient usage OF the word IS
very dinerent indeed. The Hebrew equivalent Of
the word "sou," as used by Moses and all the
prophets refers to material animal organisms, TO
man and 10 BEAST alike. II Is first entloned in
the Bible, In connection with fish Genesis L., 20,
marginal reading, and though often used in con-
nection with man 1t Is also applied to sheep and
oxen. 1t Is never used expressing the Idea OF
a conscious ether, independent of the body, that
escapes at DEATH Dut always conveys the idea OF
corruptlDle and dying tnlng, as 1t Is written,
1.-The soul mat sinneth, 1t shall die' ezekiel,
XVIII, ~, "rhe spirits should ial before me and
the souls that | have made" isaiah, lvll., 10y,
| "rhat same soul shall be destroyed from among
his people" Levlticus, xiii, 3o, 'He utterly de-
stroyed them and all the souls That were therein,'
| (Josnua, x, 25), and other lnnumeraoe passages
/ that may be consulted by the use OF any ordinary
concordance to the Scriptures.
SO much LOT the Hebrew. The equivalent in
Greek mad still more extensive meaning; Tor
Aristotle, according to Proies Balm. applied the
term SOUP 10 all Characteristic functions OF hving
bodies, from nutrition up TO the oltest attributes
OF intellect" (Baln's "Mnd and Body'0. What
meaning Greek and modern superstitlons have a t.
! tached To the word Will not stop to inquire.
! Believing in the divine inspiration OF the Hebrew
propheticai writings, am willing to accept the
| Hebrew usage. when usage is precisely as we now
the WORDS "anlmal," individual" or ''person."
Moses speaks OF living souls and OF dead souls and
| OF destroying souls and OF eating souls Is the
nind the sou' soul Ia a person, an individual.
The writer soul. and Seeker oil L'ghto Is
things, compositions OF matter that 1--we,
move sng and have have being + me mind
No. MIND Is neither a thing nor a creature; II Is
the attribute or power OF the BRAN 1t is the power
OF thought. Every organ OF our curlously
posed structures has a peculiar function OF It's
own. The eye sees, the ear hears. the limo moves,
call sight, the second hearing the third motion,
tue lourtn thought or mind. Destroy tue eye the
sight ls perls1eu the ear and the hearing gone;
no limb, no notion and no brain, no mind. In
like manner as the particular organ is deranged
SO It's action IS elective Diseased eye defective
sight diseased ear. dull hearing; diseased limo,
lameness; diseased brain, detective mental action.
which well known facts prove beyond the posi-
bility or doubt that az the powers OF sight,
ing and motion are dependent entirely upon the
organs that produce them, IN Ike manner mind,
although the highest GIFT OF our Maker, the
wondrous git that exalts man above his Fellow.
and above the brute5 OF less capacity, Is yet de.
pendent, ike the other functions, upon its organ.
Is mind an element OF the soulf Mind certainly Is
attribute OF the soul; for we all possess minds
OF some caliOre or other, and II we possess mind
then souls must, for are Identical with our.
selves. AS TO the word "eement,p OBJECT 10 Its
being used To define the relationship OF soul and
ma nd var no he l.ff IA fhf.r
essential TO the former. That IS TO say We couid
not very well get along without opr minds Is tile
soul responsible Tor the conception OF the InInd2
Every soul Is held response bic by the laws OF every
land for MS or ner own words and actions, Whlcn
words ana actions are merely the expression Of
his or her mind, and IN the the DIVINE economy
there Is no exception for 1t Is written, "God snail
bring every wOrk INTO judgment, and every secret
thing, whether IT De good or evil" (scc, II. l4).
/. 4. G..