The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-29

But at the same time It's appreciation
Of its own thoughts intrinsic independ-
ence OF matter, despite the material sur
roundings OF its genesis, shows It that
the soul Of which that thought is a mod
ihcation must be of It's own nature free
from matter. Now any being hat is in
trinsically independent OF matter Is not
subject to dis~lntegration or decay. only
matter has parts and so only material
things or immaterial notifications OF
material things can come to naught
through the separation Of the particles
OF matter.
Though indeed takes place only when
the bodily accompaniment OF the ex-
ternal and chiefly the internal senses
of man are in proper working condition.
but the analysis Of thought suggested
above proves that ia Itself IL is some
thing absolutely free from matter. No
chemist has the slightest .dca OF calling
the silver cup, in which wine IL, a COM
ponent OF the wine, though it IS not pos
sible to have the wine IN an easily port
able way save In "A vessel of metal or
glass OF some other material. And IL
he could DO the impossible and bring
wine somewhere out OF the Influence OF
gravity. the need of a vessel To hold il
would cease. The human mind or the
human spirit is then the only thing in
hI u NbTlu Iol QtSlltl'i 10 decay. ana
herein Il obtains "A significance far be-
yond all material things In the universe.
The individual mind Is indeed insig-
niticant In comparison with the vast
multitudes OF its fellows, but IL has a
real dignity and Significance in its i'm
perishableness> its immortality. This
appreciation of the survival OF the soul
is found In the East in the early religious
OF Egypt. China and India. Max Null
Ter says that the idea OF the soul ever
coming TO An end is 50 strange to tho
Indian mind that there seemed TO be no
necessity for anything like proofs Of
Immortality. And modern savage tribes
mold TO the survival OF the human being
after II has shufiled on his mortal coil
ana thus help to show that the common
conviction OF mankind and tho findings
or the philosophy that held eupreme
sway while Christian civilization was
forming agree in the fundamental doc
trine OF the human mind.
There is indeed another aspeC, of the
question of the human soul not less in.
teres'ins nor less vital. Though we
nave round out a great deal about a
thlhs when We have learned M. essence.
lts nature, we can get a Grmor grlen q,
It's meaning when we have learned its
source ana the purpose for which It was
made. The pre-eN.stcuce Of the human
nina before its connection with IN,
oody IL indeed a Gratuitous assertion
which one is not Justified In DELAYING >.
deny with any cllhora'rur~s. Every
t'1ng that has begun to be mus, have, ,
cause and a cause proportional TO It's
excellence. Now an infinite srrf.s o.
dependent causes is absurd. for m. To.
tally OF the series remains as uunx.
planned in its dependence as is the linz
that Is Immediately before US. m,
only satisfactory explanation found j..
a cause that is independent. ~sclf-cx.
istent from which al other causes come
This independence means also infinite
perfection, for what is there to llmlr
ire independent?
The finality which the child's minc
so readily gets hold VI Is found through.
out nature, a passive or material fnali',
40 Tar as created activities are con,
cerned In this world, except in the cas-
Of actions peculiar to humanity. Al
the other creatures attain their en-,
without realizing that they are doing so
The animal has indeed sensations. bu
the idea OF means and end is far he
yond It's ken, for the appreciation o
fnality belongs TO the intellectual or
der.
The Creator must have had an end 4
view in the formation OF this world o
ours. NO rhtlOnhl ACTIVITY can take plaC
without the reasonable agents havin
some end in view. The creation OF t.
world could add nothing to the MIN
God, for TO the infinite whose character
istic note is that il contains in tn
supreme degree the excellence OF a
possible beings, there is no need of
creature. But the rational creature ca
see IN creation the excellence OF Hir
from Whom n comes. and Il was n
this purpose that God called into bciu
with His almighty Will the great unI
verse. There man reads the glory ,
his Creator. at least In some made
quate fashion. Were there no create
mind to contemplate his work there doe
not seem to be any reason for tn
crea tfon of the vast structure OF IN
numerous worlds. Infinite power. know
ing its own i%nfinity, gets no knowleig
from the actual existence OF thing
all OF whose excclleuces are seen in a
Infinitely higher way in the divine e.
sence!' From this point OF view III
human mind looms up very large In tn
world Of ours. for ii Is because Of ma
who Is primarily soul or mind that a
these things were made. OF course u