Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-26
IMMORTALITY OF The SOUL
Concluding Paper on the Greatest Of Al
Human Mysteries.
ARGUMENTS OF NATuRALIsTs CONSIDERED
Foundation of the Doctrine of Ever
lasting Life--AnaIysis of the
Powers, Functions and Pur-
poses of the Soul.
Final Paper.


Immortality Is immunity from deati
Death is the cessation of life and implie
the destruction of a living thing as suct
Hence death can take place only in livn
things. Only vegetable and animal thing
are said to die. This term death is not ap
piled to the corruption Of inorganic things
when, therefore, we speak of the i'm
mortality OF the soul we mean the per
petuity, not only of its existence but ais
OF its life and OF the vital operations tina
belong to it.
We distinguish three species OF i'm
mortality. There is, first, essential i'm
mortality, or that immortality which results
from the essence OF a thing; secondly
natural immortality, or that which result.
from the nature of thing; thirdly, i'm
mortality which is the result OF a specia
grace from God.
Essential Immortality or that which results
from the essence OF thing effects that Q
being so exists and lives of necessity; that
the supposition OF its non n-existence involves
an absurdity. This species OF Immortality
belongs to God and to Him only.
Natural immortality, or that immortality
which being possesses by reason of its
nature is found in such beings as exclude
from themselves every imaginable principle
OF corruption and death and are Of themselves
fit to exist and live perpetually. Such i'm
mortality we attribute to the angels.
Immortality which is the result OF grace is
tho perpetuity of life In such beings as are
by their nature inclined to corruption, but
are preserved incorrupt, by special act of
God Such was the immortality enjoyed by
the first man while he remained in the state
Of innocence.
The human soul is immortal by nature.
We distinguish intrinsic and extrineic i'm
mortality.
Intrinsic immortality, or incorruptiblity is
a property by reason of which a substance
excludes every imaginable principle of
corruption and is designed naturally to live
always.
Extrinsic immortality, or indestructibility,
is the Absence OF any external cause that
could impede the effect Of intrinsic i'm
mortality or destroy substance which by
nature Is adapted for perpetual life.
The everlasting life OF the human soul Is
proved by showing that it possesses intrinsic
and extrineic Immortality
Arguments of NnturaIists.
The doctrine of the Immortality of the
soul Is assailed by the materalists. who
confuse the body and the soul or assert that
the soul is mere corDoreal force and that
1t will perish with the body; also by the
pantheists. who maintain that the soul is
absorbed by the divine substance and is
deprived of its identity. 1t is also attacked
by all free livers, who are afraid of a future
life and who place the chief end OF man in
the pleasures and conveniences of the pres
ent life The Immortality of the soul is one
of the principal religious doctrines of the
catholic church Yet 1t is certain that the
doctrine can be proved on grounds satisfac-
tory to reason. 1t would be next door to
heresy for Catholic to hold the opposite
view.
The substance of the human soul is of it's
very nature incorruptible. The conditions of
corruption are not found in the human soul.
Corruption is effected by separation be-
tween form and matter, or, according to the
Rtomists. by dissolution of the parts of a
thing. Consequently, when there is no
composition of matter and form nor of parts
there can be no corruption. We have
shown. we think, that the soul is not COM |
posed OF matter and form, but that it is a |
mere form and altogether simple. There
fore the principle OF corruption does not ex- |
ist in the soul and it cannot be corrupted
Again, substance is corruptible only when |
1t possesses potency or tendency to be-
come another substance, by the extinction |
Of its present form and the accession of a |
new form. But spiritual soul contains |
nothing that can give rise to new substance |
or That has any tendency to become new
substance. spirit is a mere form that in
cludes nothing except form. Wherefore it |
cannot be resolved or anayzed into any,
thing else. nor can anything arise from it
except itself. We conclude, therefore. that
The soul is naturally incorruptble.
Again, the soul has no tendency to non-