Philistinism; Plain Words Concerning Certain Forms of Modern Scepticism

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1885 Excerpt: ... XII. IMMORTALITY IN THE LIGHT OF PHYSICAL SCIENCE. In hope of eternal life.--Titus, i: 2. THE faith in immortality rests on grounds which lie far below the reach of any formal proofs. It is affirmed as an intuition of our spiritual nature, a universal and necessary instinct of the soul. It ought to be accepted in the unquestioning trust which we usually repose upon the affirmations of consciousness. Nevertheless, inasmuch as we are reasoning creatures, we must needs, at times, give a reason for the hope that is in us. We ought to be able intelligently to meet the questions which arise concerning this great faith; and, though we may not prove immortality, we should satisfy ourselves, not only that no one can disprove it, but, that no one can seriously discredit it. On successive Easters, I have drawn your thought to special phases of our modern knowledge, in as far as that knowledge bears upon the faith of Immortality. I have thus sought to show you that our great hope is not invalidated by anything that we know, in the realms of mental science and of moral science, but that, on the contrary, it throws its buttresses out through each sphere of our new thought. To-day, let us consider in how far physical science affects this ancient hope and faith. Physical science has undoubtedly created a mental predisposition which is unfavorable to this belief, and by which we are all more or less affected. Belief is necessarily determined, to a considerable extent, by one's mental predispositions. A man's aim may be to free his mind from every preconception, and to investigate a question with absolute honesty. None the less, his judgment must be formed largely by influences which have been at work unconsciously upon him. Any one who has watched the mental processes of ...