The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-05-08
BODIES IN FUTURE LIFE.
Rev. MinOt Savage, Of Boston, Holds
Advanced Views.


Boston Letter in New York Evening Sun.
The Rev. Minot ]. Savage who next fall
will begin his services as assistant to the
Rev. DR.. Collyer, in New York city, gave
utterance to some remarkably broad ideas
in his Easter sermon. One of these was that
souls after death occupy space as really as
do bodies in the present life. He further
more said that ne believed the souls of those
we call dead possess bodies not real as
these, but unspeakably more real"
These statements have during the past
denotes. and Boston has not few, to look
upon the Unity pastor as a stronger believ-
er than ever in their ideas. Mr.. Savages
sermons are printed each week by the Uni
tartan publishing house. and are given to the
public about week after they are preached.
Last weeks came from the press on Satur-
as he delivered them, which, of course. gives
to the utterances more official character.
During the period that Mr.. Savage has
apparently has exempIified a statement
which he made during the past winter. The
occasion of the utterance referred TO was
ton of Mrs. Helen Van Anderson at the
Church of the Higher Life, on st. Botolph
street. He was speaking Of creeds, and what
CT do not promise not to have an addi-
tional clause to my creed tomorrow: II
during the day my knowledge has been
&C added Sc to- see no reason for not making use
Mr.. Savage has on more than one occa-
sion given utterance to ideas that have
placed him among the leaders Of advanced
thinkers and liberal teachers. Some of these
utterances have been of such nature as TO
cause Spir1tualists to claim him as be-
lever in dir philosophy, If not an advocate
Mr.. Savage will have but six moro dis
courses as the regular pastor Of the Boston
church. Whether he wished to give utter
ance to his views on the after life in no un-
certain sound in his Easter sermon, he OF
course, knows best. He did, at all events,
m m tern hat WEI minis
taxable. The subject was, Belief in I'M
mortality Since Christ" Beginning with the
and so on to the present period. AS close
to his remarks he expressed himself in these
words, as reprinted from the Unity Pulpit:
Il will only outline a few simple Ideas,
for which / alone am responsible, such as
appeal to me as being rational and In &C
cord with all the best science we know.
the world as the result of any INVASION of
evil from outside. I do not believe that
death is the result of human sin. 1 do not
believe that 1t Is any token OF Gods anger.
I do not believe it is an afterthought, some
thing that God did not originally intend,
believe. rather that it is part Of the divine,
the universal order, that II is as natural as
being born, and that it is as much an indi-
cation of the love of God as is being born.
For, though ! cannot stop to give my rea-
sons believe there are reasons, adequate
reasons, for believing that what we call
death is not the end Of individual existence.
1 believe we pass through 1t and out and
up and on. What are we? Where do we
go? We do not go into any underworld.
above the dome of blue; for we know that
this dome of blue is only an optical illusion
1t was once believed to be a. solid dome
which might be fitting foundation for a
DE we go out as disembodied thoughts /?
| That l cannot believe. A disembodied
thought Is something to me utterly incon-
IT believe that those who have passed
| through the experience called death i've In
| space and occupy space as much as l do.
Are they then material? Yes. in one sense
II believe that the souls of those that we
| call dead are not unciothed, but in the
| language which Paul used. are clothed upon.
Il believe that they possess bodies not as
real as these. but unspeakably more real,
| thrilling with an intensity of life Of which
| at present we are perhaps utterly unable
| to conceive. Is there anything unscientific
about It? No. There is no scientific knowI.
| edge able 10 discredit a belief like this. II
| is perfectly rational.
1--WE know perfectly well that the great
est, the mightiest forces of what we cal
| the material universe are both invisible and
| Intangible. We know that it is the very
smallest, tiniest part of the real world that
we can see with our present eyes. We know
| the infinite vibrations OF the universe that
produce in US the sense of hearing. II we
ns 0 the slenees Of the opening foWers in the the
| garden would seem to US as loud as a
| thunder storm. 1t Is not that there are nc
| vibrations, only that our ears not
| adapted to take them up.
| $50 of the vibrations which produce the
sense of sight. there is an infnity Of them
| throughout the universe only our eyes al
| present are not adapted TO being affected
| by them. That is all. We are too commonly
the fools OF our eyes and ears.
I'VE assume that We can see and heal
| and feel everything that really Is. while ev-
cry poorest scientific man on earth will tel
| you that there may be an infnity OF life
| in every direction with which our present
| senses do not bring us into any conscious
| contact.
~ believe, then as the result Of our think
hating that what may be called psychica
| body is being built up in us, organized day
| by day. In the process of death We are re-
| leased from this outward shell very mucl
| as the butterfly Is released from its chrys
| ais. There has been going on through the
| whole length of life Of the cocoon the or
ganzation OF another, and TO US invisible
form within. BY and by it breaks open- and
| the life comes forth and enters upon another
stage of its career. 1t is transformed, lifted
| goes on to something finer and higher. US,
this only as crude illustration.
II believe something akin 10 this is g0ini
| on within us, and that death means til,
| breaking open of the chrysalis and the IS
| GAPING out into this larger life, and that w
enter on that life-and here is the tremen
dous moral power of belief like this-jus
the kind OF men and women that we hav
made ourselves by our thoughts, our emo
as here, is infinite opportunity through suf
fering, If need be. through whatever ex
perience is necessary, for study, for growth
for ascent toward the highest"