Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-26

A
stance has no matter and consequently n
tendency not to be that which II is. There
} fore an intellectual substance is incorrupti
II BILE.
| Independent of the Body.
The human soul is also incapable OF acci
dental corruption. That is to say. 1t canno
perish as a consequence of the death OF th
body, and therefore, 1t continues to live
and to operate spiritually The soul is
spiritual principle and has an actual being
proper to itself and Independent OF the body
Because 1t Is a spiritual substance the SOU
cannot perish with the body.
The nature of the intellect shows II can.
not perish with the body.
The intellect is a power OF the soul only
and can act, and does act, without the aid
OF an organ. 1t follows, therefore, that the
corruption or destruction, of the body can
not injure the soul, even accidentally.
The fatigue which person often expert
ences as a consequence Of intellectual work
Is due to the nfrmity of the body and not
to any debility on the part of the intellect
itself. While associated with the body the
soul performs certain mixed and inferior
| operations, viz, imagination and sensitive
memory. 1t performs these operations in
partnership with the body, and consequently
they are not purely intellectual opera
tions. When, therefore, the powers Of
the body on which these opera
| tons depend become weakened the
fatigue we experience is the result, but
is not chargeable to any weakness on the
part Of the soul or intellect iteelf.
The soul cannot suffer injury from that
which constitutes its perfection. Nothing
can be injured by that which makes it per-
feet. Rut tha norfertion of ha o.
in being distracted from the body by science
and virtue. AS regards science, the perfec-
tion of the soul increases in proportion to
the immaterial nature of the subject which
1t considers. The perfection of virtue con-
sists in elevating man above the passions OF
the body and in enabling him to govern and
restrain them according to reason. 1t fol-
lows, therefore, that the soul Is perfected in
stead of being injured by its separation from
the body. AS st. Thomas Aquinas reasons: If
the soul Is perfected as regards it's opera
tions by leaving the body, certainly its sub
stance cannot be injured in it's being by a
separation from the body.
Objects of the Intellect.
Again. the proper object of the intellect is
the necessary and the incorruptibYe. Its
proper object is essences, which, regarded in
their intelligibility, are necessary and in
corruptible. But the object Of faculty
must agree with the nature of the substance
to which the faculty belongs. 1t follows
therefore, that the substance Of the soul is
incorruptible. And as the soul is incorrupti-
BILE as regards the intellect which is inor-
ganic, certainly ineffective life cannot
perish when the body is removed. Again.
the soul has necessary knowledge OF per-
petual life. That which a being knows
naturally and of necessity is designed to pro-
duce in it a tendency or proclivity toward
its natural end. Now, man possesses a |
natural and necessary knowledge of per-
petual life. Ineffective knowledge regards |
it's object in universal manner and in |
manner distracted from time and place. Con-
man by his intellect necessarily |
knows life that is elevated above the con- |
ditions Of time and is therefore perpetual. |
From this fact follows in man a natural in
clination toward perpetual life. We con-
clude therefore, that perpetual life is the
ordained end of man. AS st. Thomas
Aquinas remarks, mere animals, which do
not know being except in the present, desire
to exist now, but not always. On the other
hand, beings that apprehend and know what
perpetual existence is desire it naturally.
Again. the mind of man is inclined toward
The incorruptibe. The propensities of
being manifest its nature and its end. AS
these propensities flow spontaneously from
The nature of being they denote its end
md its most intimate disposition. Although
he senses inclno the human mind toward
he corruptble and the corporeal, yet by it's
,wn superior power it rises to the incorrupt-
BILE and the incorporeal, takes delight in
hem, makes efforts to reach them and finds
oeace and rest only in their possession. For
heir sake it will often relinquish all earthly
hings and desires, undergo the severest
,ain and even face death itself. The mar
yrs of religion and patriotism prove the
ruth of this statement. We conclude,
herefore, that the human mind is destined
o enjoy an incorruptiblo life and is not ex-
inguished when the body dies and falls
way.
One Means of Destruction.
An incorruptible soul cannot be deprived
T existence except by means of annihila-
ion. The manner in which thing pershes {
must depend on the manner in which 1t was I
reduced. created thing can be destroyed I
y annihilation only, because anphilation
the only process that is opposed to produc- !
ion by creation. AS the soul is created 1
nd not produced by a secondary cause or
ut of pre-existing matter, its only possible !
'ay of ceasing to be is by annihilation. For t
hc reason that no created thing could {
reate the soul, no creature can destroy it,
od could certainly annihilate the soul. but
is to be observed that such annihlation I
'ould be opposed to the natural inclination 7
tho soul, which is naturally constituted to c
We perpetually. Annihilation would there l
,re be miracle. e
We hold that when the soul leaves the body
Is immortal because no extrnsic cause can
estroy it, and God does not annihilate 1t.
s we have seen, the soul can perish only C
y annihilation caused by God himself. We
re certain that God will not annihiate the
uman SOUL because considering the actual
rder OF things, euch annihilation would be b
'ntrary to His divine attributes viz: s
is wisdom, goodness, justice and sanctity
70 conclude then that the soul Is not de- O
royed by any cause whatever and that 1t b
immortal. y
The annihilation of the soul is contrary to
le wisdom OF God, because in annihlating +
lie soul He would be acting In opposition to =
le design He had In view when He created i
1t is destructive of the very nature of
cd to suppose that He could change the st
an He had in view when He produced o.
Is creatures. He created them in order "
lat they might exist according to the W
operties and propensities that are born in "
em and obtain the end that necessarily 8,
,WS from these same pronerties and 81