The San Francisco call., 1904-12-19

BERKELEY. Dec. 1S.-The announce
ment that Professor George H. Howl
son, head Of the philosophy department
Of the University of California, would
discuss the Immortality of the Soul
before a body Of orthodox Christians in
an orthodox church drew an audience
which packed the auditorium OF the
First Congregational Church this after
noon So large was the crowd that Pro-
fessor HowisOn said his original plan of
addressing what he supposed would be
a Bible class and of asking members Of
the class 10 put their perplexities in the
form Of questions, which he would an
swer. had to be changed to suit the sit
uation.
For seventy-five minutes Professor
HOwison held the attention Of the audi
ence, despite the jarring interruptions
occasioned by bursts Of Sunday-school
song through a thin partition from the
adjoining room. The distinguished phil
Osopher asserted his belief in the i'm
mortality Of the soul, chided some sec
tions OF the Christian church for failure
10 emphasize the tenet and incidentally
declared the story of the creation and
the doctrine Of regeneration TO be myths
beautiful symbols, nothing more. He
spoke in part as follows:
/ do not go 10 church and cannot say an
JhOritsriVely what is the state OF mind OF the
church concerning the doctrine Of the immOr-
tality OF the SOUL but from reading journals
which purp0rt 10 describe church opinion
should say that general faith in immortality
is weak
one whole group OF Christians-the so-calIed
liberal grOup-has ceased 20 believe il. They
do not object. / understand 10 any member
Of their body cherishing the belief. but IL is
not of their formal tenets OF faith ! dom
know how Tar THE tendency 10 doubt inVades
the orthodox church. but ! suspect largely.
II seems remarkable that a layman should
he called upon 70 make confession OF belief in
Immortality IN an orthodox church sin
cere-- DO believe in the immortality Of the
doubt IL. ] speak now a Christian believer.
rhou-h not as a believer who accepts all the
historical doctrines Of Christianity There is
certain kind Of Christian truth which can
be stated simply, and which it is time Chris
tians understood 70 be their faith That faith
embraces three features which are these:
Belief in God-sn interchangeable and perfect
God
The moral responsibility Of each soul. with
freedom and power accordingly.
The Immortality of the soul
CHARACTERISTICS OF BELIEF.
These three things are characteristic OF the
Christian religion, and not OF any other. All
other religions omit one or more Of these three
things, either doubt the existence Of perfect
and unchangeable God, the freedom Of the
will the Immortality Of the soul The union
of these three faiths in one is Characteristic
Originally il was my plan to discuss ques-
tions here this afternoon that might be raised
10y perpleXed or doubling persons. One such
question has been handed 10 me. II is wOrded
tkus:
Il do not know any life phenomena which
are not associated with the performance OF
physical work In the absence therefore, Of
satisfactory evidence that the ability TO per-
form physical work continues after the death
Of the body / find il difficult to believe in
the Immortality Of the individual human be
ing Moreover the frr-eversible character of
frf1T feeI fr7Hf nal
approach OF the universe a Uniform state
OF Temperature, in which case the amount Of
work performed in any cycle would be zero
This query. I should say is not 10 the
point We DO not suppose that Immortality is
connected with the existence OF the physical.
That has nothing 10 do with immortality, II
Immortality means another world than this
The question I have read savOrs Of science
the science which attempts deal with inn
mortality when II has no right TO discuss the
matter Scientific men should know the limits
of sciente. and II they do they will know that
the soul is not an object for scientific consid-
Grafton
In this connection It may be said that not
many understand how extensive our body is
Our body doesn't stop with our skin. Our body
- commensurate with the entire universe Is
in common with all other bodies To illustrate.
through which each enters into the cosmos OF
ne gniNerss Al operations Of eating and
Every soul has the whole Of nature for It's
body. Thus perception Of the universe is pos
sible-thus il Is that We see the stars and
thus IL is that there is no star so remote that
NE cannot see 81 II not with the naked eve
then we can call in the intelligent soul 10 arm
the NAKED eye
PROOFS ARE LEGION.
The proofs that our body Is cosmos are le-
gioz- And 50 scientific objections 10 the doc
time of Immortality are really unscientifc-aIl
pretense. Science has no right to go into the
realm of spiritual truth The province OF
science Is 10 TOUGH things that are tangible
70 see things that are visible and to hear
things that are audible
The materialist's inquiry at this point is
perhaps. like this. Since my consciousness
r. Of the cosmic body. IL the cosmic body IS
perishsble. what becomes OF my perceptive fac
ulfies. and II that is my soul. what becomes
OF me2'
This msterisistic view OF the matter is not
unnatural II raises the question: Does
consciousness depend on the body2' II makes
the material world first the spiritual second
The Christian should have passed this stage
when he baptized. ] fear. though that
much baptism Is merely the baptism OF water
and not OF the spirit Too many Christians
Eo-cslled. are stin IN the bonds OF natural
msferisiisn. fearing that we have existence
but that founded on the body-founded on the
cosmos.
What Is the Christians argument for inmor-
taiity then? Perhaps Il is in the surrender OF