PROOFS OF THE EXISTENCE OF THE SOUL.

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for the moment the question as to whether there is a divine power in the forces of evolution or not, if the animal world has developed from the vegetable, and if man has developed from the animal world; if as Haeckel teaches, the whole universe of being has developed from original monera, through twenty-two stages up to man, why should development stop there? How can it stop there? Why is it not scientific to believe that there is a higher order of being still? And can we say how that higher order shall arise? Most evolutionists are compelled to bring to their assistance the theory of metempsychosis to account for the abrupt changes which have occurred, notably in the case of man; why is it unscientific to suppose that a being is finally developed in man who can throw off the material, and rise above it and revel in the spiritual, as the butterfly throws off the crude form of the chrysalis and revels in the air?

VI. The unequal distribution of good and evil in the world is presumptive proof of existence after death. Virtue often suffers here, and vice is often rewarded. Just before the middle of this century, astronomers noticed irregularities in the movements of the planet Uranus, and they decided that those irregularities could only be explained by the existence of another planet, exterior to Uranus; they pointed their telescopes to that point in the heavens where this exterior planet was indicated by these irregularities and Neptune was discovered. Just so, the irregularities of the present life, the unequal distribution of good and evil, can only be explained by the fact of a future life.

VII. There are certain activities of the mind which do not come from the material part of man, but are directly opposed to it. Unnumbered thousands of Christian martyrs have suffered the agony of the rack, or of burning at the stake, rather than speak one word which would have relieved them. If man's thoughts are simply motions of the brain, it is hard to explain such persistence in the face of pain and death.

In

These seven heads when taken together give at least presumptive evidence of the existence of a soul in man. the examination of any scientific hypothesis, when said hypothesis fulfils the conditions of the case, and when it is the only hypothesis which will satisfy those conditions, men conclude that it is the true theory. It is in accordance with these principles, that the theory of the attraction of gravitation and hundreds of others have been established.

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PROOFS OF THE EXISTENCE OF THE SOUL.

The nebular hypothesis has not yet been universally accepted among scientific men because it does not satisfy all the conditions of the problem. The observed velocities of some of the planets of our system are greater than they ought to be according to this hypothesis.

The satellites of Uranus and Neptune move around their primaries in a way just the opposite from that which the nebular hypothesis would require. Again, many supposed nebulae have been found, when examined by more powerful telescopes to be clusters of stars, and it is thought that in reality all nebulae may be only clusters of stars.

Hence many scientific men refuse to accept the nebular hypothesis as the true theory of the origin of the material

universe.

But when we examine the hypothesis of the existence of a soul in man, we find that it satisfies all the conditions of the case, and that it is the only theory which will satisfy those conditions; every other one fails; we also find that there is no proof against it. Many of the accepted theories of science have not more proof in their favor than the theory of the existence of the soul; indeed it may be doubted whether any of them have as strong proofs. Take the theory of the attraction of gravitation; it satisfies most of the conditions of the problem but it has not always been one of the universal beliefs of the race; it is not a fact to which the soul, the self of every man, rises in its own witness, as the soul of man does that it is different from the matter about it; from the body that enswathes it; from the feelings, thoughts and actions which come from it. Besides, there is a great mystery about gravitation which no philosopher has yet explained. materialist says that we cannot see a soul; the dissecting knife cannot find it; the retorts of the chemist will not yield it up; but has any one ever seen the force called attraction of gravitation? Can any one explain how matter acts at a distance through space to pull other matter? Many theories have been advanced, but they all fail; in fact the theory of a spiritual power which is behind this and all other forces is the only one which satisfies the conditions of the case. We say, then, that it is scientific to regard the hypothesis of the existence of the soul as the true theory, and act upon it.

The

Disembodied spirit is no more beyond the range of experience, than are the atoms, molecules and ethers which are at the foundation of most of the science in which the world believes to-day. These are supposed to exist and to possess

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essential properties, as indicated by various phenomena, although they are utterly beyond the experience of our senses, as much or more so than the soul is.

The presumption is so strong in favor of the soul and of the future life, that when we open the book which purports to be a revelation of God to man we are not surprised to find this truth everywhere taken for granted and taught. See Gen. i. 26-27 and ii. 7, where we find that God created man in a different way from the brute, with an added increment, so that he became a living soul; he also created man in his own image and likeness. See, also, Gen. v. 1; ix. 6; 1-Sam. xxviii. 7-20; 2-Ki. ii. 11; Ps. viii. 5; xvi. 11 ; xvii. 15; Eccl. iii. 21; xii. 7; Dan. xii. 2, 3; and compare Gen. v. 24; Heb. xi. 5. See also, Matt. x. 28; xvi. 25; xxv. 31-46; Luke xx. 27-38; xxiii. 43; John x. 28; xii. 25; xiv. 2, 3; xvii. 24; 1-Cor. xv. Chap.; 2-Cor. v. 1, 8; Col. iii. 10; 1-Thes. iv. 16, 17; Jas. iii. 9.

But it may be asked if the preceding argument for the existence of a soul in man will not also prove that all animals have souls?

We would say in reply, that even if it did, that would not invalidate the argument; it might raise some difficulties along other lines, but better that all animals should have souls, than that man should have none. But, it by no means follows that animals have souls. Many of the arguments advanced above, will not hold when applied to the brute creation. When we compare man and the brute, although we find some resemblances, we also find such great differences, as point to a difference in kind between them. Comparing the so-called psychical powers, we find the reflex powers the same in man as in the brute; the instinctive powers less in man than in the brute; the emotional powers more in man than in the brute; the intellectual powers vastly more in man than in the brute; coming to the so-called pneumatical or spiritual powers, we find that man has selfconsciousness, reason, moral volition, intuitions and language which are not found at all in the brute.

The instinct of the animal is different from and superior to anything which exactly corresponds to it in man; but instinct is a fixed quantity, given for a specific purpose in this life, and it is not increased or diminished by practice or age; it is a blind power, of the possession of which, the brute is unconscious. In fact, it seems to be given to the brute so

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that he may be sure to reach the goal of his being at once in this life. Instinct, so far as we can see, would be utterly useless in the changed conditions of a future life. All the other mental powers of man are far superior to those of the brute. There are more or less of intelligence and memory and power of imitation in the brute, but they are far inferior to those of man. There is no limit to the power and possibility of expansion and growth of the powers possessed by man. He expands his powers during eighty years without reaching the limit.

As an illustration of the difference in kind between the powers of man and those of the brute, take the case of Laura Bridgman who was born at Hanover, New Hampshire, Dec. 21, 1829, and who still lives. At the age of two years, scarlet fever entirely destroyed her eyes and her sense of hearing, and almost destroyed her sense of smell, also; she was deaf, dumb and blind; she had only the senses of taste and touch left. Yet her mother taught her to sew, to knit and to braid, and at eight years of age she was placed in South Boston, under the care of Dr. S. G. Howe, who by patient teaching taught her to read and write, and for years she has written daily in her diary, telling her thoughts and experiences; she has written letters; nearly half of a large volume is filled with extracts from her diary and her letters. She also learned of God, of Christ and of heaven and has great peace and joy, and hope of eternal life with Christ in heaven.

The most intelligent brute in the world cannot be taught the least part of all this deaf, dumb and blind girl learned. The brute does not learn by experience as man does; it is doubtful if brutes possess the power to think at all, as man does.

The brute possesses no power at all to acquire knowledge which is above the very lowest plane. He cannot know, or appreciate the beautiful; he cannot use a symbolic language, or books; he cannot weigh the gain or loss of two courses of conduct as man can, and so choose between them. Then, when we rise to man's highest nature, the moral,we find not a trace of it in the brute. Man was made in the image of God; the brute was not. The higher attainments of man are impossible to the brute. It is incapable of self-education and progress; there are no Laura Bridgmans among the brutes; the brute never changes his voice; an ass colt brought up with horses does not lose his bray; nor learn to neigh. A child on the other hand, always speaks the

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language of those among whom it is brought up. A few years since, an experiment which illustrates this principle is said to have been tried in France, where two young childrenbabes, were placed with a deaf and dumb woman, who lived at a distance from any other houses on the edge of a wood, and orders were given that these children should see no other human being; when four or five years of age, they could utter no sounds only those of nature and the brute creation around them; they could imitate the voices of the horse, the cow, and the rooster, but no voice of man. As we said above, the brute is incapable of self-education and progress; the bird can build its nest as well the first time as it can the twentieth time; the brute does not use tools; it does not use fire. Again, there are many of the points mentioned under the seven heads above, which are utterly wanting when applied to the brute. It is doubtful if the brute has any consciousness of self.

There are no such examples as of Garfield and Alex. Stephens among the brutes, where they live on by force of will. Again, you might try the metallic tractors experiment as long as you pleased, on a brute and he would not be helped by it. There are no such examples of sleepwalking and sleepworking among brutes as those mentioned above among men. There are no examples among brutes of suffering on the rack, or burning at the stake for opinion's. sake, or because they will not utter a known cry.

There are no examples among them where their souls, rise triumphant over the keenest bodily tortures, as in the case of many martyrs.

All these facts, together with the immeasurable superiority of man over the brute, would lead us to expect that there is a difference in kind between them, that, although man has an immortal part, the brute may be only mortal; and when we come to the Bible we find this distinction clearly revealed. If we compare Gen. i. 24, 25 with i. 26, 27; ii. 7 we see it simply stated that God created the brute, while of man, it is said, that " God created him in his own image; in the likeness of God created he him." And again, "He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul." Again, in Gen. i. 28; ix. 3, we see the great superiority of man over the brute- -a difference in kind; so too, in Eccl. iii. 21 and xii. 7 we have similar intimations. Again, in Gen. ix. 3-6, we see, that although man is given the privilege of killing all other living things for food, yet, man himself, is so precious that "whoso sheddeth