The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-02
THE HEREAFTER.
Faith in the Future Life Necessary to Well
Doing In This Life.

To THE EDITOR OF The SUN-Sir: / read
with delight your editorial article on The
Great Religious Discussion " in The Sun OF
July %. nor was nay JOY the less enhanced by
the Scholarly Argument" OF "Philosophus
Trentonenss In the same issue. What n
maRnifcently mprognabe position he takes
when he assumes that the truth OF Gods ex-
istcnce Is as undcniable a. the truth OF an
axiom, which, though syllogIstically undemon-
strable is yet absurd to deny. What could be
stronger than his statement. Let us suppose
we deny His existence. do we not deny our
own ?" Tho first postulatc OF Cartesian phi
losophywas "CoCito. ergo sun" II think. there
fore exist. Creation was. and is, the mani
festation Of the divine will: therefore. God cx-
lists. To deny tho latter is to deny the former.
II the first is true. the second must be.
In connection with this undcmonstrable
nature OF certain Christian doctrines, such rs
that Of a future life, permit mo to offer the fol-
lowing 1t is usually supposed that all scicn-
tinc belief is grounded upon only that which is
demonstrable: whereas. in one notable in
stance. the contrary prevails. The existence
OF universal ether Is not capable OF ma
terial demonstration. yet all scientists hold it's
existence to be true. 1t II a scientific hypoth-
esis. which, however undemonstrable, is nev-
ertheless accepted as true. since without the
admission S o. Its existence science is utterly
light, heat electricity and magnetism. So far
is the truth OF its existence. accepted. that the
greatest of living physicists. Sir William
Thompson, despite its MISUNDERSTANDING, is
willing to assert that its tenuoslty compared
with that Of air is 1?6 ii. e.. l raised to its
twenty-sixth power.
In a like manner the doctrines OF the soul and
OF q future life are spiritual hypothesis They
are undemonstrahle. but we nevert heess ac-
cent the truth OF their existence on the similar
ground that without such an admission we
cannot explain the phenomena attending an
Father
Phelan. IL there is no hereafter. then life is
one long dobauch. and the highest education
Is to know how to find and how best to enjoy
pleasure. Il. Corinthians, xv.. 81 III there is
no hereafter, virtue is a deceit and hcrosm Is
hundred wounds He died in defence Of n sis
ters honor; II there is no hereafter. that
noblest of deeds will 90 forever unrrwarded
See that young sister in tho hospital bend
ing over u victim Of the plague: to-
morrow she will succumb, and. a rapid
ride and hasty sepulchre, will reward
charity met n sorry reGuital See that man
holding an aifriRhted child at the Window OF n
burning building; He holds it long enough for
sturdy companion to grasp il from below.
and he then falls back into his fiery tomb. II
there is no hereafter such sacrifice Is heartless
and unmeaning cruelty See that troop OF soS
diers marching by to the beating of the drum
Their country has called. and they go to defend
her honor on the battlefield. They follow thnt
flag into the thick OF the fight and when the
bugle sounds the retreat few return from the
carnage. Those brave soldiers died with their
face to the foe. and smile was stamped on
their features in death. If there is, no here
after their heroism was suicide and their
courage n mockery OF fate"
PHILADELPHIA. July 20. &. e. TAUGHT