The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-11-17


Lecturer
MoReANTowN, November Is.
correspondence OF the Register.
The University still rejoices in in
creasing and prospective prosperity. All
are beco ming more and more interested
in its welfare. The present corps OF pro-
fessors equals, if not excels, any previous
one in proficiency, instruction and as
cpline. President Thompson Is earnest,
energetic aud efficient, and the Board OF
Regents and all the influential men In
the State seem willing to unite with
HIM in the endesvor to make 1t the pride
of Ali true West VIrginlans, and second
To no similar institution in the land.
MANY important changes ana I'M
movements have been made within the
mast SIX months, and by no means The
least of these Is the provision MADE
by the Board of Regents at their last
meeting, Tor a course OF lectures 10 De
delivered during the coming year, by
prominent men of the State. The hrst
oS these was delivered in October by
Hon. Charles j. Faulkner, on the subject
of Estate Education"
This evening, clear, bright and bIacing,
favored the assembling OF u large and sp-
precis,ive audience to hear the secoLd OF
Inc course by President w. h. Pendle-
ton, of Bethany College, and State
SuperinteAde OF Free Schools OF west
Virginia. The subject OF this most pro-
{ ,und and interesting address was: "Ihe
| nmortality of Paul and Plato"
The lecturer displayed by perspicuous
argument, profound reasoning and lucid
Illustrations, how and why the Platonlan
theory OF Immortality was much interior
and less satisfactory than that OF Paul.
When Paul disputed with such persons
AS met with him 1T Athens, he seemed TO
them setter forth of strange doctrines,
OF n strange God, and he was hated and
persecuted accordingly. Socrates, four
hundred years before, was condemned to
de1.h for the same otlense, designated AS
Eretnsinc to acknowledge the gods OF the
Safe and "corrupting the youth" The
a .cusation was false IN both cases True,
the doctrines of both tended TO the over
throw of the existing order OF things; to
make Innovations upon established Gus
toms, and they were opposed, the one by
the Epicureans AMI Stoics, the other BY
the Scribes and Pharisets. Every age
since, including the present, has had Its
Euicureans, its S.olcs, its Phsrsees and
S4dducees, ever ready to withstand all
q advancement Whatever changes there
NAV have been in forms and doctrines,
tle character of Jesus Christ does
not vacillaLe. The death on the
cross is inseparable from the results
Paul saw that this was the keystone OF
the arch. The thought fills him with
ecstasy. He feels death swallowed up In
victory" Chrlst's purchase by blood, and
resurrection, assured him and assures Us
of An attainablc et,rna! lite. This sssur-
snce makes us stesdfss,, lmmovs blej sus
tains US in all universities. He had been
seen OF many They testified, and Paul
YVES convinced. He had appeared i'll many
WAYS and forms, in His grandeur and
majesty, IN disguise and in recognizable
form. One may suffer AZ optical illusion
to deceive him in consequence OF dis
eased condition OF his nervous system; but
not so the many. All knew how impos-
slb.e 1t WAS thai all these should be mis-
taken. They could not deny without
DENYING the pr, of of the senses.
But Paul had not only this objective
proof He had also subjective proof in
his own CONSCIOUSNESS, the Consciousness
that there awaited him house rot made
with hands eternal in the heavens
if so be that the spirit of God
dwelt IN him. This same spirit Is lie in
us.
Paul regards this subjective feeling as
proof. lie had Christ in him, and moth
Ing, not even martyrdom, could drive it
from him. lis certainly true that their
is great need of revival OF this sssur-
ance in the church, OF the consciousU ess
OF victory over death and the grave.
Paul, who had been reared Phariee,
found his bLterest Opposers among the
PuaI isees and Saddusees; the former be-
l.eyiug, the latter denying the resurrec.
ton. Why were they thus opposed TO
MIN? They all believed in Il divinity.
Were not the Greeks believers in immO7-
t4lity? Some were not, but Socrates and
Piato. with their followers were. Paul
fund among the Areopsgites many al
lsrs. to various gods, but these gods
were mere counterparts of the passions
Of their worsbippers. Pstronius said 1t
WAS easier 10 find q god than n man.
Paul did not preach to them some
theory of metaphysics. To the philosO-
pliers who haC examined these subjects
IN s.l turrr phases, nothing new could Dc
presented.
Two thousand years have added but
little TO the reasoning of Plato. 1t mas
come down to US almost unchanged.
Modern science, especial Y physiology,
mas gwen same few additional crumbs 10
modern times. So We see that, then,
Pau. could have produced not even n
ripple on the waves OF public feeling by
preaching any OF these older doctrines.
Our Savior's teachings were intended
e. Introduce something needed in the
r. gu.a-ions of society, tor he said: "lt
We salute your brethren, oralB" &c; "lf
V. bend, hoping 10 receive rs much
y -alu, what thank have ye, for do not
c.rn the Publlcans and sinners so?'
Now Paups preaching followed the same
c,r--c--ws,s something new.
Immortality is no. directly taught any
y " 'i I'l ttN s'N l'kAaSs D'ts 9SS''AS ~ w
'gI.a tor granted, as pre-estabhshed
fact.
,arists death and resurrection are the
grand proof of immortality.
Plstos convictions otimmortality were
ba ul Of the following three kinds of
pot. viz Metaphysical, Theological
- i Theological But these are like the
theory OF the world resting on the back
d. tortoise. They are very well IN
themselves, but what supports the tor
t1isc?
lie held that the body was compound,
and could be dissolved, but the soul was
SIMPLE and indisSolube He held to the F.
argument, "Co-Eo, ergo sum-" but to
make this tenablc he must prove the
go to be the scat Of thought. The /.
"a. cannot be proved indiscerptible.
We cannot deny 20 it extension. /
Consciousness also Las degree that may
b. diminished.
The theological proof was based on
the assertion that if we acknowledge the !
existence of the soul we must necessarily |