The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-27

all his cunning and research II has thus fas
bafled his keenest wits TO ken what 1t really IT,
| 1t comes obedlent to his call and he does not
know from whence. and 1t goes and he does
not know whittier: he cannot conceive OF any.
thing. whether we style II spirit or matter, ex-
ceedinR II In refinement and although he may
liberate II from tho Rrossest matter, who "
tbere so brave Tor rather foolhardy) who will
now define II as such
Perhaps whom We have succeeded in un-
looking this secret we will be immeasuraby
nearer to the solution OF the problem OF tho
soul and its immortality and to an understand
ing OF what God Is.
Accepting the theory that everything is spirit
and what wo torn matter only grosser mani-
festations thereof. and reasoning also by anal
oRy, Il would seem to follow. that both the
soul and body are immortal-thc body Ia re-
solved to It's elem ents to form other like living
bodies and the soul and mind to form others Of
their kind.
The question. then, would be. not as 10
whether the soul OF man is immortal. but
whether the conscious individuality Ia. One OF
the difficulties here Is, to then logically account
for the origin OF the particular soul in the teri
restrlal man. II 1t s held that the individuality
survives the dissolution OF the body wherein
the soul dwet and only through which 1t could
exercise its functions. How can we reconcile
this with any theory Of that individual soul
having been created and born with the individ-
ual body?
Besides. the soul often practically dies before
the body take tho man before normal In mind
who becomes insane or an imbeoe. Is 1t the
perverted or imbecillc soul which here SUR
vivesp Take tho instance OF man OF glorious
moral and ethical perceptions and OF splendid
intellect. whose soul and mind. as he grows
al .hs;,, N. nd md l..
cally extinct in comparison with what 1t was.
long before tho shrunken body finally deter
mines. What sndures here. the all but DOR
mant soul and the senile mind, or the soul and
mind which hs ere possessed In all its splen-
dor? What became OF that grand soul matter
which gradually vaporsd during the course OF
these declining years. did it not lose its in-
dividual identify And again. take the case Of
the undeveloped soul OF an infant3
10 the unripe and the deoayed. the vicious
and tho perverted fruit preserved equally with
the sound2
With the light We have. It would seem that
we are almost forced, even II against our will.
10 believe that the conscious Individuality dis
solves with the material body. and that the
soul and mind are immortal only In the sense
that the body 10 Immortal.
Yet right here opens UP vista OF glorious
promise greater than any which can be con-
oeived under the belief or theory that the indi-
Vidual soul survives the body. which theory or
belief. II you resolve It to its elements. Is born
Of fear and selnshness. even though tho fear be
excusable. and the selishness. in many OF It's
relations. noble.
Granting that soul matter tif we may use that
term originally produced the conscious soul
with the conception OF the body. and that CON
scious soul having been once evolved and ex-
isting. may 1t not be that in instances. through
awlde and gracious life. 1t has so expanded
and become so refined and ennohled. that it's
soul matter tof which 1t was the expression
hers) has become OF such exalted nature that,
upon the dissolution OF tho terrestrial body in
which 1t dwelt IL becomes released from the
restrictions OF this world OF our conception
and Is enabled to wing its fight into higher
and nober regions beyond-to other worlds
than ours" there to be again evolved into a
higher condition OF being and into nobler III
not the same Individually consciousness; and
that these otheJ souls. the great and silent
majority. not reaching this standard, simply
dissolve with the body. partaking only OF the
immortality OF the body. as material for other
coming terrestrial souls? VIII any one say
that this 10 an imposslbility. and Is 1t not at
least as probable as any theory advanced Of
tho future and continued existence Of tho
soul OF man2
IL would seem that this affords food for re-
Election. and such belief would merge the
selfish conception OF the perpetuation OF tho ego
into that OF higher and fuller life and destiny
for mankind after this terrestrial 1iste CO and
after the dissolution Of this earthly and limited
soul and body OF ourn AuM.
WILL1AMsBRIDGE. N Y, Sept. %