THE IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL NOT PROVED BY SCRIPTURE.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3830, 7 April 1881, Page 2

THE IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL NOT PROVED BY SCRIPTURE.

(To the Editor of the Evening Star.)

[Latter continued.]

Sib,—The next quotation in support of the soul's immortality, is the answer of Christ to the thief on the cross—" Verily, I say unto thee, this day shalt thou be with Me in Paradise." To show how easily it is to be led astray by symbolical language, I will refer to a passage in the Talmud, which tells us that "Four men entered Paradise; one beheld and died; one lost his senses; one destroyed the young plants; while the remaining one went in and came out in peace.'' The four men were Jewish Rabbis, and the heaven they entered was a very mysterious one. It represented the study and proficiency iv the different branches of the law. The fourth gave his attention to angelology, and things dark and mysterious beyond ; he only came out in peace, to suffer death by the hands of a Roman executioner, declaring his firm belief in the Hebrew creed." So that Paradise meant a proficiency of learning in the ideal side of the law. But, even admitting that Christ meant something ej^L can we believe that when Jesus died ana gave up His Spirit, that He was still alive, when the Word of God says, "When thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin," "He hath poured out His soul unto death P " And again, it is admitted that His soul, which was in hell [Sbeol, or Hades], was not allowed to remain there, but was raised up on the third day. Again, the yearnings of the Apostle Paul, and those like minded with him, after immortality, is used to prove that man is immortal. But on examination we tind that Paul and the early Christians were looking earnestly for the second coming of Christ, " waiting for the adoption— to wit, the redemption of our body;" "For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened; not ■ for that we would be unclothed (i.e., bodyless) but clothed upon, "that mortality might be swallowed up in life." And that glorious event would transpire when they were clothed with their "house which is from heaven "—in other, words, when raised in corruption." "But granting for the moment that the phraseology *' earthly house." *" tabernacle," "clothed upon," "building of God," implies a personality independent of the body, it does not therefore follow that this personality is immortal. And the language of the apostle here, and elsewhere, plainly asserts that the personality, whether distinct from the body or not, is mortal ; for it. is mortality that is to be " swallowed up in life " at the resurrection. " The corruptible is to put on incorruption ;" "the mortal to put on immortality." But the last (supposed) proof of the dogma is this, that, whereas the Book of the Revelation is so thoroughly Hebrew in its character and composition, and the angel who showed John the things that were to be hereafter declared himself to be a *c fellow servant" with John " and of his brethren the prophets;" then it must be an accepted fact, that this messenger to John was the disembodied spirit of one of~~ the - ancient prophets. But, unfortunately for the argument, even iv this case, we have a messenger—grand, glorious, majestic ; altogether suitable to reveal in the Hebrew language the things to come—in. the person of the prophet Elijah who never tasted death, or underwent the degredation of the grave. After looking at these, supposed to be the strongest arguments found in the World of God, it will appear to any honest enquirer, that the immortality of the soul is without any foundation in that book where it might be sought after. It would be well for all concerned, if the clergy would understand their Spiritualistic teachings, and those among them who actually believe in Spiritualism, should avow their belief in an honest manner, even though they lose their gown.—l am &c, Seeker Afteb Truth.