somehow." "Of mind apart from body, we have no direct experience, and absolutely no knowledge.”

2

§ 538. Says Dr. McCosh: "Mind is a self-acting substance, and, therefore, it is independent.

$539. The Century Dictionary defines mind as follows: "That which feels, wills and thinks; the conscious subject, the ego, the soul."

§ 540. If Dr. McCosh is correct in saying that "mind is a self-acting substance, and . . . independent," it must follow that it is organic, which is a positive contradiction of all standard authors on this subject. The same remark must apply to the definition of mind given by the Century Dictionary; for if the mind is "that which feels, wills and thinks; the conscious subject, the ego," then it must have senses; otherwise it could not feel; and if it has senses, it must necessarily be organic; but when we admit what scientific physiology and facts have clearly demonstrated, that thinking is the product of an active brain; a flood of light bursts in upon the subject; quiet harmony takes the place of frightful darkness and discord; the Bible and Science unite in loving embrace; while Paganism, Papacy, Buddhism, Mohammedanism, Shakerism, Mormonism, Spiritualism, Christian Science and Theosophy (all of which are founded upon the great lie of the devil-"Ye shall not surely die;") sink out of sight forever in the quicksands of oblivion.

1 Mind and Body, p. 31. 2Ibid., p. 32.

3 Divine Nescience, p. 197.

CHAPTER XIX.

§ 541. MATERIAL AND IMMATERIAL.

By

Everything is either material or immaterial; either an entity, or a property of an entity; a personality, or an attribute of a personality. By entity is meant a "real being or existence." By property, is meant some peculiar quality of the entity, which exists because of the existence of the entity. attribute, is meant the same thing, though perhaps more properly applied to living intelligent beings. Property and attribute are used as synonymous terms. When we speak of an apple as being sweet or sour; of a body as soft or hard, heavy or light, dense or porus, tough or brittle; these are properties of the bodies named. Love, mercy and justice, are attributes which can exist only in living intelligent agents, entities, or personalities. These properties, or attributes, do not exist after the entity, or personality, is destroyed.

Pain, sorrow, hatred, thought, life, desire, sympathy, etc., are attributes, of certain living entities; but when the entities are destroyed, these peculiar attributes perish at the same time. No attribute can exist any longer than the material organism to which it belongs. Attraction, caloric, weight, elasticity, density, etc., are properties or attributes of bodies; but they never exist independently of material organisms. In other words, all properties or attributes of entities are immaterial, and never exist any longer than the bodies in which they inhere. For instance, if a being feels pain, sorrow, or joy; love or hatred; all those attributes cease when that personality is dead. No attribute, or property can exist by itself; any more than we can have a shadow without a substance, or a hole in a body after the body is entirely destroyed.

No amount of immaterial properties, or attributes, can make a material, personal entity. Hence, love, thought, desire, life, patience, meekness, mercy, justice, etc., have no existence, but in name, without a real, personal, living entity. In the case of our Creator, mind and personality are co-eternal; and in man, mind and personality are co-extensive. They begin together, and the mental properties never extend, or exist, beyond the life of the physical constitution.

All personalities have bodily organs. All immaterial things are but properties of material bodies, and cease with them. The mind of man is not an entity, but the product of. that wonderful organ called the brain; hence when that is deranged or destroyed, the mind is also deranged or destroyed. It is as impossible for man to think without an active brain, as to live without breathing.

No attribute of an object is an entity; neither is it a component part of that with which it is connected. The weight of water is not water; the motion of a watch is not a watch; the soul of a man is not a man. In these cases, "weight," "motion," and "soul," are only attributes of the bodies. When the Bible speaks of the soul of a man, it means either his life, or a state of feeling; and these are immaterial attributes, which exist no longer than his personal organism. When it is said man is a soul, then the word soul stands for man as a personal entity. This is a frequent use of the word in the Scriptures.

No property or attribute is organic, and therefore, cannot be an entity. No entity can ever become an attribute. No collection of attributes can make a personal entity; hence the mind, which is a collection of mental attributes, such as memory, love, hatred, reason, desire, etc., resulting from the action. of a material organ, can never make an entity; or a personal, intellectual, moral agent. No attribute has an independent, conscious existence.

All immaterial things are lifeless, unconscious, unintelligent, inorganic, formless, weightless, absolutely destitute of all attributes, and are dependent on material things for their existence.

Every thing immaterial, which is not eternal in the Creator,

is caused by the creation of that which is material.

Cheerful

All material things have immaterial attributes. ness, covetousness, gentleness, goodness, holiness, kindness, love, meekness, mercy, nobleness, patience, righteousness, selfishness, sin, virtue, and wisdom, are attributes; but there cannot be love without a lover, nor sin without a sinner. Not one

of these attributes is an entity, that can exist independently of an organic living being.

The Material and the Immaterial are Always Correlated.

There can be no eternal materialities without eternal immaterialities.

Where there is nothing immaterial there is nothing material. Whenever the immaterial is removed from the material, then the material ceases to exist.

There is not a known fact to prove the manifestation of any attributes, only when they are associated with that which is material.

If any immateriality is inorganic, without life, consciousness, and intelligence, so are all immaterialities.

There is no room to doubt that the soul of man or the spirit of man, the breath of life, is immaterial and inorganic. This being true, it must necessarily be unconscious, insensible, unintelligent, without character; and must cease to exist when that in which it is contained is destroyed.

That which is immaterial cannot be tormented, because it has no life or senses. Only living, organic beings can experience joy or sorrow.

There are no immaterial organisms; but all organisms possess immaterialities.

There can be no active immaterialities without the support of materialities. All forces are immaterial.

Inorganic living beings and immaterial organic living beings are inconceivable; for the terms are contradictory.

An immaterial substance would be immaterial matter, which is a contradiction of terms, and therefore impossible.

Whatever is immaterial cannot walk, run nor fly; see, hear nor speak; but is "without body, parts or passions."

§ 542. It is assumed that men must have immaterial souls distinct from their bodies to do the thinking, inasmuch as matter cannot think. This is also considered quite a strong evidence in favor of the immortality of the soul. To the careless thinker, this might seem plausible; but a little careful criticism. will show there is no reliable proof to sustain the assumption. It is as equally true that matter cannot feel, see, hear, taste, smell, talk, as that it cannot think; but it is a fact that animals do feel, see, hear, taste, smell, talk, and even think. Have they also "souls distinct from their bodies to do the thinking?" Who says yes? Will any one claim that all animals have immortal souls, as truly as men, because they can feel, see, hear, smell and think? Such an idea is monstrous! When it is said "matter cannot think," the statement is correct, if reference is made to matter inorganic, or to that which is organic, but destitute of animal life. But it is true that organic matter endowed with life cannot feel, see, hear, taste, smell, talk or think? All known facts answer with a tremendous NO.

§ 543. 1. There can be no life without a personal organism in which it is contained. Life has no independent existence.

It

does not live by itself. It has no attributes. It is never found only in living, organic bodies.

§ 544. 2. There can be no consciousness before there is LIFE; and as there can be no life without an organism; it follows, that there cannot be consciousness without an organic body.

§ 545. 3. There cannot be consciousness without SENSES. But in order to have senses there must be an organism to contain them. Will any one assume that the senses of men and animals are not material? If they can feel, see, hear, taste, smell and think without them, then why were they made? If man can be a living being having senses, without a body; then