THE IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL NOT BASED ON SCRIPTURE.d

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3835, 13 April 1881, Page 2

THE IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL NOT BASED ON SCRIPTURE.d

(To the Editor of the EVENING- Stab.)

Sis,—lt might reasonably be expected that a matter of such vast importance— if true—would have been clearly taught in the Scriptures of Truth. But, instead of a clear, unmistakeable doctrine, the defenders of this theory draw an inference from certain passages, parables, or visions, which were only intended to teach something else. Perhaps the learned Archbishop of the Church of England overlooked the familiar spirit of the Witch of Endor; at least he declared that the immortality of the soul was not taught in the Old Testament., But your correspondent "J. Horn " undertakes to prove in five minutes what the greatest minds have striven in vain to do. But the Witch of Endor is, or was, a fit type of the Spiritualists^of~ithe present day, and the spirits they raise are like unto hers—from beneath. " For thuj saith the Lord of Hosts, llet not yoi^prophets and your diviners; kthafc. be the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams-which ye cause to be dreamed." Again, " Believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God," for "the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils." Does it not strike your correspondent "J. Horn," that—aside from any denouncements of God against dealing with, or listening to, those lying spirits that are ever ready to give their services to bring their votaries to destruction— the supposed proof of Samuel's immortality has something uncomfortable about it, as it is said he sscended out of the earth, which is a miserable place for an immortal sonl to be, and not desirable by any one. Again, to suppose with the Jews that Abraham's bosom was cepacums enough to take all the faithful in is altogether absurd. If "J. Horn " will take the time to consider the lesson our Lord intended to teach the Pharisees in that and the preceding p?,rables, he will find that the " great supper," the [•' lost sheep," the " two sons," and the parable of the rich men and Lazarus, was designed to set before them in glowing colours the state of tha Jews and the Gentiles, past and present. Hence the rich man and LazEtrus, like the prodigal and his elder brother, were the representative men of the two peop'e, Jews and Gentiles, and while the Jew—who prided himself on being a son of Abraham—has, by the rejection of the Messiah, been cut off from the enjoyments of the Gospel and become subject to the greatest curse and suffering thereby. The Crentile has been restored to Divine favour, and made to be a partaker in the blesseduess of him who had the promises. But let "J. Horn interpret the parable in a literal sense, and he will find that the rich man could not come back to warn his brethren, neither could his requested be complied with ; tuat the spirit of Lazarus might be sent; for if the Scriptures do noi teach a doctrine sufficiently clear to be believed, neither will we believe though it may be said that " one is risen from the dead." Again, I answer that there ?s nothing misleading in the Bible concerning man's future state and condition. Immortality and eternal life are to given on conditions. It is true that "he that believeth on the Son hath eteroal life, but he that believeth not the £on shall not see life," which clearly teaches that eternal life is given on conditions. Again, it is true that He is gone to prepare a place for His people, but they don't go to that place until He conies again to receive them unto Himself. " Ye shall seek Me," says Christ, " and shall not find Me; and where I am, tLither ye cannot come." And again, He said unto His disciples, "Ye shall seek Me; and, as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come." All these passages only tend to prove that immortality is not inherent in man, neither is it to be given to man at death; but it will be given to those that are worthy, " when they that ure in the graves shall hear His voice, and come forth," to " be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to that working whereby He is able to subdue all things unto Himself." A quotation from the Book of Revelations can not be of any use in this argument, as any schoolboy cou'd tell that the vision of John was conceiving " things which must be hereafter." In conclusion to "J. Horn's " remarks, I will say that I am not attempting to prove anything by the testimony of departed spirits, but by the Word of God, which is antagonistic to any communication with spirits; and hence not allowable to Spiritualists to help them to build up their abominable creed.—l am, &c,

Sbekee aftee Tbuth