30 REV. A. R. WHATELY, ON IMMORTALITY. 



That the Immortality of the godly person is the essential point, and 

 that the other should be subordinated to it, is a view that I think 

 not only sound philosophically, but in strict accordance with the 

 perspective and movement of thought in the New Testament itself. 

 I have therefore not even used any expression intended to indicate 

 my views on the wider question. That I have taken " Immortality " 

 in a "very restricted sense " is entirely a mistake. I have taken it 

 in its deepest and fullest sense, just because in its narrower 

 application. I do not say, for a moment, that we cannot reason from 

 my conclusions towards the solution of wider problems. That 

 would still have been inevitable, however I had expanded or 

 contracted the scope of my argument. 



Dr. Thirtle seems to hold the current narrow view of philosophy 

 to which I referred in my paper. Therefore, of course, he finds 

 that philosophical support to faith is " essentially weak and halting." 

 For brevity, it must suffice to refer him to the paragraph on 

 pp. 11-12, but I am afraid he has misconceived the general attitude 

 and main point of the paper. 



In conclusion, the doubt expressed, in the discussion, as to 

 whether the present realization of our Immortality is regarded as 

 applicable to spiritual persons only, or to the unspiritual also, is 

 truly astonishing. The whole paper is to prove that the key to 

 .that realization lies in personal communion with God. 



