The Washington herald., 1908-01-27

Editor The Washington Herald:
Little did I think when The Herald did
me the honor TO publish my views upon
the immortality of the human soul, some
months since, that it would become the
subject Of general discussion, and that
a man Of Sir Oliver Lodges worldwide
fame would reproduce views so similar
10 those expressed by me in your valu-
able columns, that ! am quite sure /
could not have gotten my consent 10
write if he had preceded me in express
ing those views. However, a man who
is high in the lpublic esteem can take
very large liberties with those less for
tunate.
If this has shed any new light upon
this all important subject, or awakened
additional interest in it, so much the
better
The hand which created matter was not
only infauIble. but its products were in
destructibIe Man cam no more destroy
that which has been created than he can
lift himself up in his own arms; nor can
he add to it..
4 drop OF water or a grain Of sand
denes destruction as much as mountains
Of steel and by no known process can
they be destroyed, added TO. or taken
from. Everything that has been created
has been made indestrucuble by the
master-hand that gave It being. In all
the wonderful forces by which We are
surrounded man can tame them and use
them, dlsperse them, change their forms,
but not one pound can he add to them,
or one fraction take away. Endurance
forever and forever tsF written upon
every created thing.
What comfort TO the human soul is
there in this? Does not this fact estab-
lish beyond peradventure that Gods mas
terpiece-the human SOULS not only IN
destrucuble, but that it came from the
Creators hand, and will return after cons
of years TO that Creator?
There is much repetition in this, but
these are all important facts in thorough
understanding of this subject, and wefean-
not be too minute or particular.
II a microscopic atom is indestruCtible,
by what mental process can We con-
clude that the human soul can be de-
strOyed?
This eternity Of things seems TO be a
universal edict The star dust that
reaches this earth from surrounding
planets. as well as the largest meteors
that fan upon il, are alike nondesruct-
iblv.
Plato says: Death is merely a separa-
tion of the soul and body. And this is
the very consummation at which philoso-
ply aims The body hinders thought.
The mind attains to truth by retiring into
herself Through no bodily sense does
she perceive justice. beauty, goodness,
and other high ideals
"The soul is uncompounded, incorporeal,
and. therefore. indissoluble and i'm
mutable.
"The soul commands. the body serves;
therefore the soul is akin TO the divine.
The soul. If pure, departs 10 the invisi-
bic world but If tainted by communion
in the body, she fingers lowering near
the earth, and is afterwaTd born in the
likeness of some lower form. That which
true philosophy has purified alone arises
ultimately TO the gods. This lesson is
imprassively applied.
I am sorry I cannot quote Plato ar
greater length, but your space would for
bid Nothing in the reasoning field can
surpass his views. Centuries have not
improved upon them.
The immortality of the SOUL It seems,
cannot be doubted, It's existence for all
time is an assured fact; and as this is
true and rs nothing stands still. the soul
is inevitably destined TO see God. Mil
lions upon millions of years viii be nee
essary to fit it for such a grand event,
but such is its ultimate destiny. To sup
pose that we viii jump directly from this
earth into the presence of God is the
height of absurdity. This must come
from pure worthiness, when we have
been fitted by purity, by knowledge, by
love for such d consummation.
It is impossible, for the human mind
on this earth to gain more than faint
glimpse of knowledge. AS Plato says,
"iIe Is wise who, like Socrates, is aware
of his own ignorance" or as Sir Isaac
Newton put it: Il do not know what I
may appear to the world. but to myself
I seem only to have been like a boy play
ing on the seashore. and diverting my
self in now and then finding a smoother
pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary.
whilst the great ocean Of truth lay all
undiscovered before me" If Sir Isaac
Newton can say this. how despairing it
is for US to hope for knowledge. The
very best we can do is to discover the
limits of the human mind and have one
grand crystalized thought beyond that
limit, and that is God; for God is the
highest idea that the human mind can
conceive,
There is much comfort in knowing the
very narrow limits of the mind, because
1t shows us that the mind is destined to
know no limits 1t chimes in with immor-
tality, and the few years Of our schooling
here is all we need for this little insignifi-
cant earth and the best life It can give US.
We are but an involution; nothing more.
AS the grain is the plant involved, the