20 A consequence of Drummond's theory. CHAP. 



there is a scientifically-proved law of the conservation 

 of consciousness through death, analogous to the law 

 of the conservation of force (or, more accurately, 

 energy) through its transformations? He is a 

 scientific man, and must be aware that no such law 

 has been, or possibly can be, established : yet if not, 

 what does his argument mean ? The fact is that he 

 teaches, throughout, the doctrine of immortality for 

 those alone who are converted to God, and protects 

 himself and his readers against the obvious inference 

 from this doctrine by a feeble, illogical, and almost 

 unmeaning protest. The obvious inference must be 

 that there is practically no future judgment that if 

 a man chooses to be a beast, he will no more come 

 into judgment than a beast. This would, no doubt, 

 in one way be a welcome relief from the horrible 

 thought of conscious spirits being condemned to 

 remain with the burden of their sins through all 

 eternity, without any possibility of either salvation 

 from without or conversion from within. But to 

 announce to men that they need not come into judg- 

 ment unless they please, would be, for those who 

 should accept it, to abolish the restraint of law : and 

 all theory and all experience agree in teaching that 

 without a Law of Righteousness to build on, there 

 can be no Gospel of Salvation. The doctrine of 

 no judgment, and the doctrine of the hopelessness 

 of the future state, are alike opposed to the true 

 doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles and of Christ 

 Himself, namely, that there shall be a " restoration of 



