IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3845, 26 April 1881, Page 1

IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL.

(To the Editor of the Evening Star.)

Shi,—ln concluding an .argument, the first step should be to define the meaning of the terms to be used. In the absence of this condition misunderstanding, confusion, and rude contradictions may arise, because the words are employed in quite a different, and sometimes eTen a directly opposite sensp. Thus, instead \pf ' the discussion elucidating'- or settling the" question, iftnore frequently, involves it in profaunder difficulty &fid<mystery thari before. Anger and prejudice are too often excited on both sides, by which much injury is done to'the cause of truth. I shall, therefore, first of all suppjy that x which appears absent in your various correspondents' letters upon this subject—' namely, a definition of the w.ord " sonl."* J I shall then state the terms Scripturally employed in this enquiry, and then gire definitions founded on the . universal authority of the. learned, without regard to sectarian, theological, or any other bias: For this purpose I shall take the Old Testament first, and examine the"meaning and the sense in which the words Rnrch, JStesliamah and Nephesk are use. Then the words Pneuma and Psuche, occurring in the New Testament, in there direct bearing on this subject. As a definition of the meaning of the soul/1 proceed to remark, as an ascertained fact, that there exists in the universe a rery subtle fluid, extremely attenuated, derived from the Son. It pervades all bodies in degree according to nature, and consistency! This constitutes the soul of the world y. it governs and verifies it, and of it all creatures throughout the universe parjake. The soul is the purest "fire ;-it burns not inherently, but by. different movements, which it communicates to the particles of other bodies into which it enters; it burns and makes its warmth felt. Our visible fire contains more of this subtle fluid than air, air more than water, and earth considerably less than any of them. Plants contain or have more of it than minerals, and animals more than either. This subtle influence or fluid pervading the body renders it capable of thought. It is that which is properly termed the sou!, although it sometimes receives the appellation " Animal spirits.". It is certain therefore that this soul being of the same nature as that of animals is annihilated at the death of man as is that also of other creatures, and it follows that whatever poets and divines have told us of a future state is merely the chimerical offspring of their own brain, begotten and nourished by them for purposes which it is by no means difficult to fathom. The three first words above mentioned are of constant occurrence in the Old Testament. Euach is a noun, of which the verb is ruach, meaning to breathe or blow. Hence it is rendered wind, blast, air, tempest, breath, spirit, and in several other ways, which • however do not affect the enquiry,. The first consideration in connection with this word is that in no passage of Scriptures is there a statement which assigns to reach the quality of eternal existence. Immortality which means life through an incorruptible body, is not once predicated by ruach." It is, however, affirmed ot beasts in common with man "they (men and animals) have all one breath" (ruach)— Eccles. iii, 19. " All flesh wherein is the breath (ruach) of life."—Gen. vi, 17. "In whose hand is the breath (ruach) of all mankind."—-Job xii, 10. It follows as being incorrect fo speak of lliis ruach as an immortal intelligence dwelling in the, bodies of all mankind but capable of living after their bodies are mouldered into dust. The effect, of withdrawing ruach from the bodies of men and animals is easily seen, and the Scripfures agree with reason, common sense, and universal experience, "Thou takest away the brea'h (fuacham), ; they die and return to their dust."—-Ps. cxlvi, 4 The withdrawal of vital ._ air consigns. wan and animals to original uothingiiess instead of setting thought free aud enabling it to operate; upon an infinitely larger scale. Exactly the reverse is the truth ; ill fact, they entirely perish. Neshamah.—-The verb is nasbam, to breathe. The verb is not found in the Hebrew Bible, but neshamath is the synonym for ruach, the word is rendered breath. " And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed -into his nostrils the breath' (neshmath) of life."r— Gen. ii, 7. Neshatnah and ruach. are synonymous terms. What is called h«re^ nishmah of life is in Gen. vi, 17 styled ruach of life. " All flesh wherein is the breath (ruach) of life shall die." Neshmath, ruach, or breath is not a living being, it is the influence or power by which man and M, animals are made alive,! and when it ceases or is withdrawn they all perish. "All in whose nostrils was the breath of life died."— Gen. vii, 22. The two Hebrew words occur here, and I maintain that there is no passage in the. Bible in which they appear which favours the popular idea concerning the soul of man ; and now, sir, purposing with your permission to continue the subject, and thanking you for your liberality in according so much of your valuable space to religious questions, —I am, &c, Pro sis et Focrs.