METAPHYSICS 263 



persons be ever totally at variance in their opinions 

 upon the same subject ? Why do men tell lies if it be 

 God who speaks their thoughts ? 



I suppose we must discover, if we can, some sort of 

 answer in Mr. Rix's statement that "the Universal 

 Spirit has all that we have, but without its imperfections 

 and its bonds." But if the Universe is God, "all our 

 imperfections and bonds " must be part of the Universe 

 as much as all that is perfect and free, and therefore part 

 of God. 



Mr. Rix finally attacks the question of a future life. 

 He says : " Death absolute, both our scientific creed and 

 our idealistic philosophy entirely deny".^ Haeckel, 

 however, says that " immortality is that highest point 

 of superstition which is regarded as the impregnable 

 citadel of all mystical and dualistic notions ".^ 



He first alludes to the decomposition of the body at 

 death, and its elements passing into other compounds, 

 but never becoming annihilated. This, of course, is 

 true; but the "body" is annihilated as much as a 

 house is destroyed when pulled down and its bricks are 

 used again for building some other and totally different 

 structure. Then he argues by analogy, that the soul 

 follows a similar course. " The individual (like matter) 

 cannot die absolutely. ... It may lose its present in- 

 dividuality and mingle with other and diverse individuals ; 

 but no particle of it can cease to be." ^ 



If that be true, then the individuality is lost, just as 

 that of the house or body is at death. It will afford no 

 satisfaction to know that one's individuality is dissipated, 

 whether by transmigration or any other sort of trans- 

 fusion, into some other soul. 



1 P. 192. "^ Riddle of the Universe, p. 192. ^ P. 197. 



