Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1907-08-15
immortality.


Among The great men France has
given to the world, Massillon ranks
high. he was born in Provence in
1868 and was one Of the greatest
preachers, scholsrs and teachers Of
Chnstendom. Hi' argument proving
the Immortality Of the soul addresses
itself with as much force to the minds
of men today as it did $50 years ago,
aud from it we quote as follows;
five wholly perish with the body,
what an imposture is this whole sys.
tenn OF laws, manners and usages, on
which human society is founded II
we wholly perish with the body, these
maxims OF charity, patience, Justice,
honor, gratitude and friendship. which
sages have taught and good men have
practised-Rhat are they but empty
words, possessing no real and binding
efficacy Why should we heed them,
if in this life only we have hope Z
Speak not of duty. What can we
owe to the dead, to the living, to
ourselves. ifall ars or will be nothing 7?
Who shall dictate our duty. if not our
own pleasures, if not our own passionsS
Speak not Of mortality. 1t is mere
chimera, bugbear of human inveh-
ton, if retribution terminate with the
grave.
If we must wholly perish, what to
US are the sweet ties of kindred Z
What the tender names parent. child,
sister, brother, husband, wife, OF
friend? The characters Of a drama
are not more Elusive. We have no
ancestors, no descendants, since sue
cessiou cannot be predicted of moth
ingness. Would We honor the illus.
trious dead? how absurd TO honor
that which has no existence Would
we take thought OF posterity2 how
7 frivolous to concern ourselves tor
those whose end, like our own, must
soon be annlhilation Have we made
a promise ? How can it bind nothing
to nothing2 Perjury is but a jest.
The last injuuctions of the dying
what ssnctity havo they more than the
last sound Of chord that is snapped,
of an instr ument that is broken2
To sum up all (: If we must wholly
perish, then is obedience to the laws
but an insane servitude rulers and
magistrates are but the phsntoms
which popular imbecility has raised
up; justice is an unwarrantsble In.
fringement upon the liberty Of men,
an imposition, usdrpstIon; the law
of marriage is a vain sculpture mol.
esty, a prejudice; honor and probity,
such stuff as dreams are made Of; and
incests, murders, parricides, the most
heartless cruelties and the blsckest
crimes, are but the legitimate sports
of mans irresponsible nature: while
the harsh epithets attached TO them
are merely such as the policy Of legis-
lators has invented and imposed upon
the credulity Of the people.
Here is the issue to which the
vsunted philosophy of uubslievers
must inevitably lead. Here is that
social felicity, that sway Of reason,
that emancipation from error, Of
which they. eternslly prate SIS the
fruit Of their doctrines. Accept their
maxims, and the whole world falls,
back into a frightful chaos, and all
the relations Of life are confounded ;
and all ideas of vice and virtue are
reversed and the most inviolable
laws Of society vanish and all moral
discipline perishes and the govern.
ment OF States and nations has no
longer any cement to uphold it; and
all the harmony Of the body polite
becomes discord and the human race
is no more than an assemblage Of
reckless barbarians. shameless. re-
morseless. brutal, dsnaturalizsd, with
no other bond than irreligion, no
other God than self Such would be
the world which impiety would make.
Such would be this world weae a be.
lief in God and Immortality to die out
Of the human heart.