SECT.

PAGE.

ence of God, and of his Immortality-The
Immortality of the Soul is inferred from its
Desire of Happiness,

IV. The Annihilation of the Soul cannot be occa-

sioned by a finite Being-The possibility of

Annihilation is doubtful-This may be illus-

trated by reflecting on the Creation,

V. Can the Soul be absorbed into the Divine Eifi-

ciency? Nonentity, and Noncreation, are

not the same- -Abstract Possibilities are to us

unknown-The Laws of Nature cannot des-

troy the Soul-It has no natural Tendency to

Death, which is the opposite of its positive

- Existence-Nor can the Soul approach to
the Absence of itself,

VI. The Soul cannot suffer Annihilation by the Ac-

tion of the Absence of essential Life-Life

and Death are Extremes which cannot meet

in Contact-Annihilation is a Nonentity

which cannot be produced by any Power-

There must be an infinite Distance between

Nonentity and the Medium through which ́

the supposed annihilating Power operates,

VII. That the absence of the Divine Power is im-
possible,

VIII. That the Absence of Power is insufficient to

annihilate the Soul,

IX. Spiritual Mediums are as remote as material

ones from Nonentity-The Distance main-

tained has no relation to Space.

CHAP. II.

117

121

131

139

145

152

161

That nothing but Annihilation can destroy the Soul ;-

and that Annihilation cannot apply to any simple sub-

stance.

SECT.

I. Thinking is not connate with Matter-The

Soul is indivisible, and incapable of Cor-/

T

SECT.

PAGE.

ruption, there being no Stamen of Corrup-
tion in its Nature,

II. Admitting a Principle of Corruption, it can-

not ultimately destroy the Soul-The Soul

cannot perish from any Cause, either in it-

self, or exterior to it-The Soul is invariably

independent, and inaccessible to all Violence;

it is necessarily immortal,

168

176

III. Whether God can create an Immaterial sub-

stance, and cause that Substance to exist,

abstracted from all Life and Consciousness,

or not?

182

188

IV. The Soul is a simple Essence, and cannot pe-
rish; neither can its Essential Properties
An Objection answered--- The Properties of
Perception and Consciousness are physically
united with the Substance of the Soul---Even
the physical Nature of Matter remains incor-

ruptible and entire,

V. The Soul is naturally independent, and cannot

be approached by created Power---It cannot

be separated, because of its Unity-The In

herence of its Properties is not a Medium of

Annihilation---It cannot lose its essential

Properties, nor expire with them in one act 195

of Annihilation,

VI. No Act of Annihilation can destroy the Soul

---Objection, that the utter Privation of Be-

ing is the annihilating Act, considered,

VII. The loss of Existence is necessary to the Idea

of the Privation of Being-The extinguishing

Act cannot be Privation. It is absurd to

suppose the Pre-existence of the Actor that

destroys the Being of the Soul---There can

be Evidence of the Fact of Annihilation---

From the Mass of Evidence, the Author is

fully satisfied that the Human Soul must

necessarily be IMMORTAL.

195

207