THE IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL,
By M. E. Cornell
R. I AFFIRM that the soul can and does exist after the body is dead.174 Reply. Even if this could be proved it would not begin to prove it immortal. The word soul occurs over eight hundred times in the Bible, but is called immortal not once. The soul of man can die. Ps. lxxviii, 50; Eze. xviii, 4. That which is immortal cannot die; hence the soul cannot be immortal. R. Spiritualism was born in hell and cradled in the lap of devils. I am no Spiritualist. Reply. Immediately after the above he called us Naturalists, because we deny the immortality of the soul. The opposite of Naturalist would of course be Spiritualist. This is very significant when it is considered that the car of Spiritualism has always run upon the immortal-soul track. But the Elder's Spiritualism was clearly manifested when he quoted Rev. xxii, 8, 9, and argued that one of the old prophets was communicating to John on Patmos. If the soul or spirit of a dead prophet could communicate through the apostle John 1800 years ago, why not spirits of the dead communicate to us through mediums now? There is not one step between the Elder's position and Spiritualism. R. The rich man and Lazarus, either as a history or parable, proves the soul does exist after death. Reply. The words soul, or spirit, do not occur in the whole description. It is generally admitted a parable. Dr. Clarke says, "No metaphor is ever to be produced in proof of a doctrine." But if the rich man in torment represents the conscious souls of all the wicked between death and the resurrection, then God torments the wicked thousands of years before they are judged. But this is contrary to the scripture which teaches that God "reserves the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished" 2 Pet. ii, 9. Also in 2 Pet. iii, 7, the "day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men" are made synonymous. What is the use of a judgment for the rich man after he has been tormented 1800 years? That which proves too much proves nothing in the question. R. Holds up Spiritual Gifts, Vol. 1, to ridicule it, and then remarks, There are no direct spiritual communications at the present day except from Satan. It is fanaticism. Reply. Not only is the Bible against this position, but the experience of the most pious from the days of the apostles to the present, proves it false. Were Luther, Wesley, Fletcher, Bunyan, and a host of others, fanatics? Were there not a host of miracles performed among the martyrs for Jesus, during the dark ages? That Wesley believed in visions from God is evident from his Journal, Vol. iv, p. 49. "God suddenly and strongly convinced many that they were lost sinners; the natural consequences whereof were sudden outcries and strong bodily convulsions. To strengthen and encourage them that believed, and to make his work more apparent, he favored several of them with divine dreams, others with trances and visions." The real believers may be strengthened and encouraged by visions now as well as in Wesley's time. But Paul tells us, "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." 1 Cor. ii, 14. When men will refuse to keep the commandments of God, it is no wonder that the things of the Spirit of God are foolishness to them. With them "the law is no more, her prophets also find no vision from the Lord." Lam. ii, 9. The result is also stated, "Where there is no vision the people perish." Prov. xxix, 18.