, 1877-09-09
RELIGIOUS.
The Question Of a Future Life
Once More Under Con-
sideration.
Mr. W. R. Greg, Believing
that Death Ends All,
Denies Immor-
tality.
The "Spectator," in Reply,
Assigns Eternal Life
to the Fittest.
Prof Patton's Estimate Of the Re-
suits Of the Pan-Presbyterian
Council.
Reasons Why the Episcopal
Church Should Not
Change It's
Name.
4 Plea for the Exoneration Of
the Jews for the Crucihx-
ion Of Christ.
General Notes from the
Church at Home and
Abroad.
Pleasantries for the Unregene-
rate---Personal ltens---
Services To-Day.
A Plea for the Exoneration Of
the Jews for the Crucinx-
ion Of Christ.
General Notes from the
Church at Home and
Abroad.
Pleasantries for the Unregene.
rate---Personal ltems---
Services To-Day.
A. FUTURE STATE.

a FUTURE STATE.
sH4LL We ALL LIVE AGAIN?
Two arguments which appeared in the Londo1
Spectator on the momcntous question "Shal
We ell live agan2H were published in TIE SUN
DAy TRIBUNE few weeks ago They attracted
much attention in England and in, this country
for their logical acumeu aud intellectual ability
4 third writer, Mr.. Greg, assails both views,
contending that no one will live again; that
death ends the man and the race,-that is, he
denies in toto the immortality Of what is called
the soul.
The editor OF the Spectator publishes Sir.
Greg's letter end replies to it, upholGing the
hypothesis OF the survival OF the ittest, that
SON" will live again and the others perish.
Says Greg:
1--sonc-s. however, start from the same
position, and that position Is postulate impossi-
bic to mt, TO begin with, you both accept the
''crcantion ~ theory as the foundation Of your
argument, and to this ! make dcn.ur. *'1f
there l,c crchtng mind, one writes, - then in
pre:a-in. for the advent Of such being ~ man
,s,c had definite purpose IS ssThis, at least. is
certain. writes the other ''for whn@ever destiny
paan was male it was prepared for h:m through
on and not only
scia- 30 fully evolved by the cosmic agencies Of
Se said 81 e the o ts ss
tr1,,on tor the introduction into the world of 4
aeing with sense OF personal identity, who
.lstinculsh himself from the universe around
lim-1'
Let US, in dealing with q question Of such un.
,aralielca magnitude and carnestncss discard
for the ,:.atter assurcely is er.1e 10 use any
word. save those which havc the precleest mean
n2- IL it in .ay sense correct. is It not, Oh the
contrary, utterly munst.oas. to maintain that life
is nothing it it be not eternal in duration: Do we
really mean seriously to assert that man, with his
son::erfu' capacities rs get only IN their infancy;
with nnt.ntiali,lcs OF joT growing more vivid and
more yaricd ~ the ages roll aong with his accu-
mulat,n- stores .: knowledge and discovery passed
Grafton; aye. and still more with elements OF
character growing. richer and nohicr century utter
century towards the completion Of Gods
perfect work. .-that such q being is not
conception worthy OF the Creator we Imagine:
Take the nest specimen OF the race We have yet
funahed t. the u su wS the @ hoared xsem 81
tnt ,,a-i, his faculties trimmed to their ultimate
perfection. his INSTINCTS and emotions disciplined
hr the experience Of thousand centuries. and his
life heightened 10 its natural limit by all THAT
ecence will have taught hiul.-and then fancv this
bc:n., this man at his eliminating zenith, TO he
not, Is tho good now, mere rHre and excep-
tlonal instance Of what man might he. but filth
full portrait OF the ayer,ec man. as he will have
ssess Gen5ds a, ts f is nothas @ be-
tcipatel, and then tell US, II you dare, that the
rcaftzation Of such a conception may not dtly
ossnpy thc eseaiixe sp,nf fo during that ,ods Ing
He may not, as he looks upon His
anished work, justly pronounce IT to be
Of BE- M oi noble
and stanless joy. to pass into dreanless and un-
conscious rest. Is IN existence such a. this not
esiver, and % show forth The glory and bene6cence
Of the G;yer, even though it come to an end ct
AT: Is IRE lie this 10 De deprecated and dc.
not eupe.adced: II the Creator has been wortlily
emnoyed n calling into life millions Of beings,
comprising every concelE1blc variety 81 form and
an hour some day, some nyesr- some ten years,
pcrl,a aps tvcnty,why should lie be said to have
had + no purpose, Q; an nnsnceesstul one, because
signed to last seventy years OF hundred, but not
more.
every Other OF the works OF God, the results Of
the tree, the tnscct. and the mega
theriGm. the earth, the sun, the star, The gal.
be ted from the universal lot than fancies
however eloquently put forth. Of such SINGULAR
tcnu;,y those have been analyzing: Alas! why
IL il that cach fresh argument for immortality
which the ingenuity Of desire excoC:tates should
prove, when closely erapplsd with inst % base-
eSs 9 ats def ~ IT, whose honcs
most aspiring, and whose energies the least worn
,ut, Win cxAnine with renewed eagerness each |
:onpeilei to fall back upon the old conclns,ons-
hat Faith msy be undying. but TINT Proof there
,an be- none! |
REPLY OF THE SPECTATOR I
I. The Spectator argued that the survival af-
cr death might be but final cridence Of that |
ay ct evolution by which the best scientific
MINDS now almost universally hope to explain |
he DEVELOPMENT of all living beings, and that
whether ali men lived agar or oniy some o.
hem, in either case the new aud higher lie
vas nut the finish of lons procession: 10
1is, Mr. Greg, accepting the doctrine Ut evo-
uton either as fact OF as the least disputaole
nI uscordant Of hypothcscs, replies that there
S failure in the Spectators a1eumenr,Mtnass
mali gradatlons, while our use OF It snpposcs
me sudden and overwhelming "blrst," the
Development at a blow OF IN immortal out ot
Mortal creature. *'For how, )" nc as5s' c19
a Immortal being be sgeeSnseo, ef"g;e t@out ,p0 Of
II inGnte series o. mortal and per
shable crcaturess Can dying creature
c:o,nc uudying ly deqsesF Can the
naowtnent, or the quality, OF eternm me oe au
# be conceivable III fractions! Where, by pos
ibilitv Or in fancy, can the line be drawn oe,
wcc,4 the most finished Derlshab!e DclnE anu
he next scarcely astinguishablc from nun "
he acutcst naturalist yet separased " Gl ase ah
hat ut 1,,,port ality!-in word, between tue
,st anthropoid aud the first anttroposF' Ihat
uu:,,l, ,lhe,a brilliant arcument. nut surely lts
consists in the antithcss alone, tor IS
Ut t1lr whole order OF nature, as described py
ue disciples Of Darwin anu assuIneo ~ ~ ~. ~
reg, series of these bursts! There must oe
moment. an undis.ovc-ab'e point OF
me, at which every inception ends. ends;-
hen the FRAMEWORK becomes Tue tuouEnt'
hen the thought becomes = conviction, o1 si,u;a,,
lien the gtEmh;s SelneeGmes The saf faeuIty i
motion. Cast back thought as you will, and
,imal and wonderful .emcrgence of the
4rysalis took place, when the in,rnoolle monan,
Deys tns ,; t o. rs ';;st;n~ni.hes 1s lie iron,