IMMORTALITY 363 



The Materialist who builds his argument against 

 immortality solely on the destructibility of the body at 

 physical death, cannot refute the suggestion of the 

 ethereal body, the evidence for the existence of which has 

 been already given ; and if we ask, if man should rise 

 again, why should not all animals as well, it may be 

 replied that, although, as Butler argued, that for all 

 v/e know, animals may do so, yet a reasonable objec- 

 tion to this hypothesis is that they are not mentally 

 fitted for it. Since their minds are limited to the appreci- 

 ation of concrete terrestrial matters only, or to objects 

 which merely appeal to their senses, any mental con- 

 ception of " Life," abstractedly considered is,perse, either 

 here or hereafter precluded. 



They would all be like " fish out of water " in a spiritual 

 world, where bodily organisations are non-existent. 



Conversely, the very fact that Evolution has brought 

 about the power of conceiving abstractions, places man 

 completely above the animals ; and so, in a way, fits 

 him for a spiritual environment, beyond any which this 

 earth can supply. 



If he were solely adapted for a terrestrial life, he is 

 no better off, but rather worse than the animals ; as they 

 are unable mentally to realise their own existence and 

 position here. Consequently a future existence is in- 

 conceivable, and, as far as can be seen or conjectured, 

 useless to them. 



Now, are there any conditions requisite for man to 

 enjoy a future life? 



The following words of St. John seem to throw some 

 light upon this important question, from a psychological 

 point of view : " He that hath the Son hath the Life ; and 

 he that hath not the Son of God hath not the Life ". 



These words are a paraphrase of what St. John 



