A MICROSCOPICAL ARGUMENT.
By Roswell F. Cottrell
“The process of transmuting the pabulum into bioplasm successfully eludes the power of the microscope in such a way as to make the supposition probable that life, the transmuting agent, is immaterial in its nature. Even clearer than this does the discussion of the automatic and influential acts of the nervous system show that life is a power or substance independent of matter.” “If then life, and especially that form of it called spirit, is independent of matter in its nature, there is no reason to believe that it becomes extinct at the dissolution of the body. It seems to me that these statements prove that the spirit remains unaffected by the death of the body, and so has an existence after the body has returned to dust.” Let us try this argument upon the brutes. This I suppose the writer forgot to do. One of our writers, speaking of men and beasts, has said, “As the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath [spirit]. . . . All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.” Eccl. 3:19, 20. I am aware that the opposition have found much fault with this doctrine, because they say it places men and beasts upon the same level. Now let us see if their arguments do not do the same. Brute beasts have flesh, and nerves, and life, have they not? And the process of transmuting pabulum into bioplasm in them successfully eludes the power of the microscope, does it not? Then life, the transmuting agent, is immaterial, is it not? Then if life, or spirit, is independent of matter in its nature, is it not proved that the spirit of the beast remains unaffected by the death of the body, and consequently exists after the body has returned to dust? If we admit the testimony of the Bible, beasts have spirits as well as men. The text quoted above says, “They have all one spirit.” Who can prove that the spirit of the beast gravitates to the earth, while that of the vilest sinner ascends upward to God? Who can prove that, if the spirit of man is immaterial and immortal, the spirit of the beast is not immaterial, and therefore immortal also? Solomon gave out this challenge some years ago. Eccl. 3:21. We feel safe in repeating it.