The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-04-17
OF IMMORTALITY.
EOUND ONLY, DIR. SITdGE THINKS, IN
PSTCJIIC PIE OIENI.

And from These, lie Hopes, n Great Light
Is to Come to Mankind ms Evolution
! Proceeds, So That Immortality VIII
BE Discerncd Like Any Other Fact.
That the only hope OF proof OF the immor-
tally Of the soul lies along the lines OF what
are called psychic pheEomcna-that is. com
munications between this world and the spir-
its OF the that all other evidence falls
short OF satisfactory proof. and that what
little is known Of these phenomena Is but the
first glilnuering OF u great light which is to
come in the progress Of evolution. Is the point
which WAS reached yesterday by the Rev.
Minot j. Savage in the eleventh sermon in his
course on Belief in Immortality
Much that has been written and said on
this subject said the preacher, the passages
in the Bible. the writings OF the worlds great
thinkers and teachers. is beautiful and appeals
strongly to belief. Its arguments constitute a
strong probability for immortality. But Is this
proof; Let us lake the often used smile OF
the flowers. which die one year. 10 reapp"ar tho
next. The violet ~ this spring l. here where
last years violet grew. That Is true. But 1t
is not the same flower. In that comparison
with the life Of man there Is no rropf that my
friend who was with me IN rast,ycars will again
appear in his own personality after that winter
which we call death.
Many argue that the %intuitive feeling OF
immortality. the intuition. which seems part
OF us, that we cannot perish utterly and go into
nuthingncss. is a strong proof OF the continu-
ance OF personality after death. ] used to be-
lieve in the strength Of that argument until
Herbert Spencer took awav the evidential
value Of intuition by ~scientil; ANALYSIS of it.
! am not sure that Spencer Is right: unfortu-
nately, however. | am not sure that he isn't
right. Thousands Of people are satisfied With
saying, i am conscious Of immortal life. l
feel II; | am sure OF it. That great hero. The
odore Parker. believed this to be sufficient
proof. hut ! disagree with him. He felt very
sure of immortality MS sure as he cared TO; 80
sure that he didn't care to discuss the matter
in his own mind. But it is a misuse Of lam
guagc To- say that n man can be conscious to-
day Of n future condition.
There is another point, one side OF which.
say, / believe in God: therefore | believe in
S!r2Hntin9ed ,ronscious personal existence,
more thoroughly in God than | do. believe
70 Him. every. inch Of me from head TO foot.
Hut my trust is no proc! that God needs me or
Is going to kcen me after. say, 100 years. How
can | know: Now. here is the view Of this
that may he startling to some of you. If | he
Loved that there was no God | should he. Just
as eagerly Investigating the question of i'm
lev, tl at when tho have sI RID III tHe ni.Sists OF Of
God they are also, rio. of immortal life. IT. a
univers. with God left out can bring me into
thinking. acting being. | don't see why it can
not continue me indefinitely in other phases
u life. SO belief in ,iod doesn't seem a proof
difference, exists IN the conditions Of life for
men on this earth that it seems ns II there
squared where the poor aud ignorant may
have a chance TO show the better sido Of them.
lie ia" tu TGerI' a HH'S dr. II D God i''a DOES isT not %Ir' c Gqe
enough about the miserable to-day to give
them Justice IN this world, how do YOU hapuen
| believe myself that there is a tremendous
probability in favor OF n future life. hut when a
probability against the justice OF God here and
nov need TO 80 further than my own asser-
hon to prove him in the wrong.
Il come now to a very strong probability OF
the continuance Of existence in a future STATE.
m nTFT HoS Of "G rcnIl .''e diln,tt '' Telis sa|I th 5ne , G@ir
souls would survIN" death. If there is no in
herent rrohpHilityin TINT. why should from the
Minis has Hn ,d This i Ms or been IN , im" Ia a ,Hs in our
every mark on the gold uiere there is a core
s%lnnding mark on the die. For this universal
is. a magnificent arnument-yet somebody
might tell me that from the first Of our lives
we have to correct natures impressions to ac-
one more strong probability. and this one.
N Sp.ie 0i skgr,"i'n ahn HGnGs'icIsm; Is Que
has. Delivered. its annthemas and thundercd
against materialiSm; hut until the present day
tho Church has not hurt u air Of materiaiism.
Materialism, has grown rs. knowledge has
grown and has threatened 10 overcome the
selves have gone so far that they know they
can never explain the universe on the basis Of
scientists says that it is immoral to deny what
we cannot prove false. Materiali-m rs an nc.
ccpted theory Of the universe l. no longer de.
of standing now believes that thought is the
product OF the molecular movements Of the
ing something more than its physical move
mentS doesn't prove anything As the suns
matter will endure forever; though under
changing forms. so I may helicv" that my
Train winch can comrr"h"nd tho sun will con-
tinue to exist. but that doesn't prove any per
Sunal continuation OF existence.
Another consideration - how the universe
was started, how far II has got and what the
outcome Of it is to he, on tho theory that tn"
wears OF evolution there have been steady
Erowths OF form until we reach man. Til" last
power in the world is tine moral il"u. Not the
most powerful monarch on earth darcs t. 20
10 war without appealing {" tn" moral sense
of his ueorl".. Now. in the igc.lonG struggle
between cunning and muscle when the out
cone was eti'! doubtful al hest when. in fact.
brute strength must have seemed to be the
final nnwcr-there must have been sporadic
manifestations Of the higher power telling OF
the c ,m,lete chance O. come. ArTly that ap-
viouS that here. and there !rom time to time
%sNoradiic manifr1'ati"ns, would aprpar-a
revchicallr sensitive than the rest Of man.
kinda f~orctaste Of what is 10 come?
heginntng to sec the manifestations Of u new
nul higher tyrc Of mankind, 1t won't he long
before immortality MI be discernct as r,ain'v
ton. lasting these. three or four thousand
years. are the first iiowcrs OF the srrinc. the
prophecy e that which | believe is to come"
q nnks for these magnificent homes that che9r
us on our path His next sermon will he on
W experience.