MUCH time and learning has been bestowed on this important subject. It has been discussed in the pulpit and in the Senate chamber, by the learned and the unlearned, in ancient as well as modern times. It has been abandoned and rejected by its most powerful advocates, as an idle and extravagant opinion, and not to be believed by any man of liberal education and understanding. And yet we are told, in these last days, that it is "modern infidelity" to deny that the soul is immortal! Such men must be ignorant of history and the Bible, or dishonest in their teachings.
Immortality without a resurrection of the body is the invention of the Serpent, handed down to us by the traditions of men, and is the corner-stone of corrupt christendom, as I shall endeavor to show.
To what extent it was taught before the flood, we are not informed; but soon after the flood it was introduced into the worship by the priests, and was made the foundation-stone of their superstructure, and was the first god the heathen had, except the one taught them by Noah. Says Mr. Howitt, in his History of Priestcraft, "But before they were thus scattered (speaking of the scattering at the tower of Babel) they had corrupted their religious doctrines they received from Noah; or rather had set them aside in order to deify Noah and his three sons, whom they had come to regard as a re-appearance of Adam and his three sons, Cain, Abel and Seth. The singular coincidence of circumstance between Adam and Noah, forced this upon their imagination. Adam, the first man and father of the first world, and Noah, the first man and father of the second world, had each three sons, conspicuous in history; and of these three, one in each case was a bad one, Cain and Ham. Led by this to consider the second98family but an avatar (the descent of a deity in a visible form or incarnation) of the first, they regarded them as immortal, and worshiped them. Hence, we have in all Pagan mythologies a triad of principal gods: one of whom in each case is a deity of a dark nature, like Cain and Ham.
For further information on this important subject I refer to Calmet, Bryant, Faber and Spencer.
This is the first instance we find on the pages of history of the doctrine of the immortality of the soul being taught. It was the first god that was deified after they had set aside the doctrine of Noah, who was a teacher of righteousness. From this point we can trace this corrupt doctrine that fills the church. The immortality of the soul—the transmigration of the soul—and the trio of gods—God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost; and that of the spirits of holy men coming and dwelling in men in the millennial state, to convert the world. It is all Paganism from beginning to end.
Pythagorus was not the author of this abominable doctrine. He, Cicero, and others, endeavored to establish the doctrine by metaphysical reasoning; but they failed to establish themselves in that belief. It is said of Cicero, "Notwithstanding all the fine things which he had said about the immortality of the soul, or, which to him amounted to the same thing, a future state, in which point he seemed the most sanguine and positive, yet in his epistles, where he speaks his real thoughts, we find him giving it all up, and having recourse only to the miserable comfort of a final insensibility."—Bishop Law.
Again, says history, "The writings of Cicero represent, in the most lively colors, the errors and ignorance, and the uncertainty of the ancient philosophers with regard to the immortality of the soul; and we are sufficiently acquainted with the eminent persons who flourished in the age of Cicero, and the first Cæsars, with their actions, their characters and motives, to be assured that their conduct in this life was never regulated by any convictions of the rewards or punishments of a future state. At the bar or in the Senate of Rome, the ablest orators were not apprehensive of giving offense to their hearers by exposing that doctrine as an idle and extravagant opinion, which was rejected with contempt by every man of liberal education and understanding. Since therefore the most sublime efforts of philosophers can extend no farther than feebly to point out the desire, the hope, or, at most, the probability of a future state, there is nothing, except a divine revelation, that can ascertain the existence and describe the condition of the invisible country which is destined to receive the souls of men after their separation from the body."—Gibbon, 15th chap.
There is no age of the world wherein the subject of the immortality of the soul was more ably discussed than that to which Gibbon has referred; and if metaphysical reasoning could have settled the question it would have been settled forever; but they failed to convince the thinking mind, and it was condemned as a fable not to be believed by any man of liberal education or understanding. Gibbon is set down by the orthodox portion of community as an infidel, yet he declares that if the immortality of the soul is to be proved, it must be proven by divine revelation; and he is astonished that God did not reveal this important truth to the chosen people of Palestine; and with great reverence calls upon us to adore the mysterious dispensation of providence.
He says, "We might naturally expect that a principle so essential to religion would have been revealed in the clearest terms to the chosen people of Palestine, and that it might safely have been entrusted to the hereditary priesthood of Aaron. It is incumbent on us to adore the mysterious dispensation of providence when we discover that the doctrine of the immortality of the soul is omitted in the law of Moses, and darkly insinuated by the prophets."—Gibbon, 15th chap.
This omission of that doctrine in the law of Moses has called forth many remarks from learned men; and it is astonishing to see what excuses they have framed to exculpate the God of heaven for his neglect to the chosen people of Palestine on this point.
The question might be asked, how the Jews came to believe in the immortality of the soul, if it is not revealed in the law of Moses? Let the historian answer this question. Says Gibbon, [47th chap.] "It was not until the Jews went into captivity that they were persuaded of the pre-existence, transmigration, and immortality of the soul."
Gibbon, in speaking of the return of the Jews from captivity, says, "The Jews were divided in two sects, the Sadducees and Pharisees. The former, selected from the opulent and distinguished ranks of society, were strictly attached to the literal sense of the Mosaic law, and they piously rejected the immortality of the soul as an opinion that received no countenance in the Divine Book, which they revered as the only rule of faith. To the authority of the Scriptures the Pharisees added that of tradition; and they accepted, under the name of tradition, several speculative tenets from the philosophy or religion of the eastern nations. The doctrine of fate or predestination, of angels and spirits, and future state of rewards and punishments, were, in the number of these new articles of belief. And as the Pharisees, by their austerity of manners, had drawn into their party the body of the Jewish people, the immortality of the soul became the prevailing sentiment of the synagogue. Their zeal, however, added nothing to its evidence, or even probability."—Id., 15th chap.
Well might our Saviour caution us to beware of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees; one denying the resurrection, the other making the resurrection impossible, if the souls of men go into some other body. How different the teachings of Jesus and his disciples. Like Moses, they set life and death before the people. No resurrection, no life, says the great apostle to the Gentiles.
The Christian church soon became corrupted with this abominable doctrine, which began its inroads in the church while the blood of Christ was still recent on mount Calvary. A class of teachers arose that called them New Platonics—known by the name of Docetes—who profess to believe in the gospel of Christ. Simon Magus, we are informed by lord King, in his history of the Apostles' Creed, stood at the head of this new sect. He pretended to perform great miracles, so that they all gave heed from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. He professed, says lord King, to bring the souls of the patriarchs and prophets from hell, or hades, and send them to heaven. To him must be ascribed the honor of the orthodox doctrine of going to heaven at death.
Says history, "They believed in common with the other Christians: they preferred Plato to other philosophers, and looked upon his opinions of God, the human soul, and things visible, as conformable to the Christian doctrines. They denied the salvation of the body, the resurrection of the dead, and the humanity of Christ."—Mosheim.
Soon after the apostles' days, these philosophers, by their eloquence and learning, succeeded in deceiving the church into the belief that what they taught was truth: for they claimed to draw their opinions from secret doctrines of Christ, and the church, says Mosheim, soon became shrouded in "Mystery of Iniquity."
"It soon became a matter of controversy (says history) whether this philosophy was of utility in the Christian church; but the cause of philosophy triumphed, and this victory was attributed to Origen, who had been instructed in the Platonic schools. The fame of this philosopher increased among Christians. His mode of interpreting the Scriptures became almost universal among Christians. He opened a secure retreat for all sorts of errors."—Mosheim.
Origen, like his prototype, Simon Magus, taught that the salvation of the body was presumptive, that the resurrection was a spiritual one, and that the soul went to heaven at death. He did not believe, says history, "That Christ was the Son of God, but believed that Jesus Christ was an excellent man, the friend of God, yet denied that Jesus designed to abolish the worship of demons."—Mosheim.
Again, "St. Ambrose adopted the doctrine of Origen, that before the death of Christ the souls of all the patriarchs and saints went to hell, where they remained in joy and happiness till our Saviour's death, when his separate soul came into those infernal regions, and breaking the bonds he freed those captive souls, and at his resurrection triumphantly led them into heaven, unto which place the departed souls of all believers do now immediately go, no more to return to the body."—Lord King.
In less than three centuries, we see these false teachers occupying the highest place in the church, using every means to compel men to subscribe to their "damnable heresies."
Says history, "Two monstrous errors were adopted in this century; viz., 1. That it was an act of virtue to deceive and lie when by that means the interest of the church might be promoted. 2. That errors in religion, when maintained, should be punished with civil penalties and corporeal tortures. We would willingly except from this charge St. Ambrose, Helaryus, Augustine, Gregory, Nazianzen, and Jerome; but truth, which is more respectable than these venerable fathers, obliges us to involve them in this general accusation."—Mosheim.
Again says history, "These philosophers, while the true Christians were endeavoring to escape the sword, exhausted their learning, eloquence, and ingenious stratagems against the true Christians; and they were much more dangerous and formidable as they had adopted the institution of the gospel of Christ. They attempted to reconcile Paganism and Christianity."—Gibbon, 28th chap.
I make these quotations to show the characters of these fathers who are so much relied on by the present orthodox church, to establish the doctrines which undermine the gospel, and robs Jesus Christ of the honor and glory of raising the dead, and giving life and immortality to its saints. If those fathers are not of their "father the Devil," it would be difficult to determine where they belong. Murderers and liars, and wolves in sheep's clothing, having all the characteristics given by Paul, Peter, and John, "even denying the Lord that bought them, cursed children, who love the wages of unrighteousness, counting gain godliness." And notwithstanding all this, if any one dare to denounce these doctrines as unscriptural, he is branded with "infidelity," and cast out of the synagogue, and shunned as one having a plague about him. "Cease ye from man whose breath is in his nostrils, for wherein is he to be accounted of."
Much more might be said to show that the doctrine of the immortality of the soul had its origin among the Pagan priests, and has been handed down to us through a corrupt priesthood for the purpose of making merchandise out of it. But sufficient has been said to show its origin, how it came to be believed by the Jews, and by what means it got into the gospel church, and was handed down to us; and that it did not have its origin with the ancient philosophers, for they had no faith in it themselves; and in their day it was rejected by every man of liberal education and understanding as an idle and extravagant opinion.—Bible Examiner.