a.j. o'loughlin - man, a material, mental and spiritual being (1860)

7/27/2019 A.J. O'Loughlin - Man, A Material, Mental and Spiritual Being (1860)

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rfMATERIAL, MENTAL & SPIRITUAL BEING:A. LECTURE

DELIVERED' IN THE CITY HALL, KINGSTON, C. W.,

January Qth, 1860,

1. J. O'LOUGHLOi i IPUBLISHED BY REOTEST,

KINGSTON:7AMES M. CREIGHTON, BOOK AND JOB PRINTER

1860.


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http://archive.org/details/manmaterialmentaOOolou


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MATERIAL, MENTAL AND SPIRITUAL BEING:

A LECTUREDELIVERED IN THE CITY HALL, KINGSTON, C. W.,January 6th, 1860,

by A. J. O'LOUGHLIN.

PUBLISHED BY REQUEST.

KINGSTON:JAMES M. CREIGHTON, BOOK AND JOB PRINTER.

1860.


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Kingston, Jan. 16, 1860.

DEAR SIRHaving heard your Lecture on " Man,"and believing that it should have a wide circulation,not only on account of the subject itself, but the able man-ner of its treatment, we take the liberty of requesting itspublication, and promise to take copies to the numberagainst our names.We are, dear sir,

Yours, &c,Geo. Okill Stuart, D.D.A. Stewart, A.M.R. V. Rogers, A.M.John Mair, M. D.

A. J. O'Loughlin, Esq.GENTLEMENI feel highly complimented by the

request contained in your note, and shall take imme-diate steps to publish the Lecture, of which you have beenpleased to express so favorable an opinion.Your obedient servant,

A. J. O'Loughlin.To the Ven. Archdeacon of Kingston,Rev. A. Stewart,Rev. R. V. Rogers,Doctor John Mair.


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M J 1ST ,A MATERIAL, MENTAL AND SPIRITUAL BEING.

In the annals of the early infancy of our race,when marking out the starting point of some re-markable or commemorative era, history to a battleor seige, as the land-mark, more frequently alludes,than to the discovery of some great or scientifictruth, not that her choice gave a preference to theone, but because of the rare and unfrequent appear-ance of the other. What a contrast is this to theage in which we live ? During the last fifty yearssuch wondrous facts have been elicited from thefields of nature and science, that with respect totheir influence on our physical and social condition,it may in some sense be said that a new era hasdawned on our existence ; and of these facts sucha number that we are astonished by their quantity


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6 MAN, A MATERIAL, MENTALno less than by their quality ! Facts of such acharacter that in an ordinary age of the world'sexistence, each or any one of them would com-mand for itself a considerable portion of attention,but such is the rapidity with which, in the presentday, the results of investigation are presented toour view, that just as we have noted the birth-mo*ment of one, and ere we have fully enquired intothe nature of its relation to ourselves, another suc-ceeding, presents itself to our attention, claimingfor itself enrolment in those annals wherein arerecorded the triumphs of the human intellect, theachievements of the human mind. Nor is it theleast peculiar feature in the character of the presentage, that knowledge seems desirous of hiding her-self no longer from the masses. Time was whenshrouded beneath the mystic figures of the as-trologer, burning in the fires of the alchemistor slumbering in the recesses of the cloisteredcell, ere she started into life from beneath thedust of the sleeping schools, she loved occasion-ally,and only occasionallyto exhibit herselfto the wondering gaze of a favored few. Butsuch conduct is hers no longer, as if to atone forthe slowness with which in former ages she dis-pensed her gifts, or the scantiness with which sheshed her light through the dimness of the dark andshadowy past, she now has taken her stand on thehigh places of the earth, and from her lamp, dis-pensing such brightness that the humblest of thesons of the earth, as well as those favored by for-tune's star, passing the barriers of ignorance, arepressing into her temple and worshiping at hershrine; possessing themselves of those treasures


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AND SPIRITUAL BEING. 7which were to remain concealed until the arrivalof that period described as a time when many" would run to and fro, and knowledge should beincreased ;" and with the increase of her gifts, in-creasing also the number of approaches to herbroad domain, aiding many of those who havecried after her to mark out new paths by whichher riches might be obtained, or she herself re-vealed. Men not only watch for her now in thetwinkling of those distant stars which seem fixedin the immensity of space, but digging for herthrough the incrustations of our earth, are call-ing on the silent watches of ten thousand years tospeak, and of them are eagerly demanding " whatof the night? What of the night?" and judgingby the response which has been given, it appearsthat even here she has not been insensible to ourenquiries ; and while in these new fields, variedand numerous exertions are being put forth, informs as varied and as numerous does she seem todelight in revealing herself to our utmost antici-pations. We see her in the flight of the steam-ship. We hear her in the rush of the rail-car.Across the broad waters of the angry Ocean shesends us on electric wing the whisperings of adistant friend, or should affection or memory de-mand it, the shadows of his countenance transfixedby the intangible atoms of light. There is no path-way where the footsteps of knowledge are not seen,no highway where her impress is not traced : thefire, the. air, the earth and the waters, each atomthey contain, is an avenue to her temple, andthough all in their different forms possess attrac-tions varied and suited to the different classes of


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8 MAN", A MATERIAL, MENTALhuman mind ; yet if there is any one of thesepathways that possesses a peculiar attraction, andpromises to lead us to treasures more rich thanany yet discovered, that pathway is man. Man!what a world is in that word. The created andredeemed of Heaven, the wonder of Angels, themystery of himself. Though unable to lift theveil which seems to enshroud him, yet let usgather up the glimmerings that are shed throughthe portals of his earthly existence, and patientlyawait the time when the secrets of that existenceshall be revealed by Him who created the gloriousstructure,an existence so exalted in its origin,and so honored in its position, that when the cor-ner stone of his material habitation was laid by thohand of the great Architect of the Universe, " themorning stars sang together, and all the sons ofGod shouted aloud for joy."

That ours is a wondrous existence, is a factwhich few individuals, existing under any circum-stances, will for a single moment be inclined todisallow. Whether we direct our enquiries onthis subject to the unlettered savage of the desert,or seek our information from him whose life hasbeen a scene of constant investigation, each withevery intermediate stage of intellectual capacitybetween them, agree in regarding Man as one ofthe most singular and most mysterious beings ofwhich he himself has any knowledge or concep-tion : neither is there anything improbable in thesupposition, that even we are permitted to holdan unlimited intercourse with the intelligences ofthe hidden worldwe should find that those be-ings regard him also, as the possessor of a peculiar


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AND SPIRITUAL BEING. 9nature most difficult to define,difficult even toourselves, for it is also to ourselves mysterious andpeculiar ; because that in that world of creationwith which he stands immediately connected, weknow no other created being that to the enquiringmind presents either the same or like characteris-tics. Neither does a partial investigation of thosequalities, on enquiry into the nature of those hab-its which seem to distinguish him from other an-imals, appear to lessen those difficulties whichpresent themselves to our view when we endeav-our, in condensed terms, to express those ideas,which, while they describe his identity, should lo-cate him also in his proper place, and assign himhis due limits. And while of almost every otheratom by which he is immediately surrounded, hecan either describe its qualities, or analyse its es-sence ; and in this very act exhibiting an almostinfinite degree of intellectual power ; yet even inthe present enlightened stage of his existence, heseems to lack either the courage or ability, his owndecided definition to determine. Nor is it the leastpeculiar feature in his character, that while he ex-hibits a constantly increasing capability of unlock-ing the secrets of nature and tracing the differentmodes of her being, as she exhibits herself in theAnimal, Mineral, or Vegetable worlds, yet, strangeanamoly, himself appears- to be the only pointwhere his investigation seems to fail,or if notfail, at least to decide with less certainty here thanin other instances, his true position, his characterand his end ; and perhaps a due consideration ofthis fact may lead us to regard with some degreeof that attention it should command, the myste-


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10 MAN, A MATERIAL, MENTALncms inscription on the Athenian altar "knowthyself." And if; while endeavoring to complywith the injunction, we are ready to exclaim withThales, the founder of the Ionic School, that " themost difficult thing is to know one's self,"yetare we encouraged in the enquiry by the declar-ation of one of our own poets, " that the greateststudy of mankind is man." To which one wouldhumbly add, not merely as a subject of specula-tion or vain theory, but as a living monumentwherein is exhibited an extraordinary instance ofthe wisdom, power and goodness of God.What is Man ! This is a question that hasoccupied the attention of the wise and learned inall periods of his history. Philosophers in the re-motest ages of antiquity, made him their chiefstudy, building their several S3rstems of knowledgeor learning according to the theories they pro-pounded of his origin or existence. Several ofthe greatest minds regarded him as a paradox, orriddle, arising from the several contrarieties whichseem to makeup his identity. He is a grand con-tradiction, active, yet passive: possessed of areason to guide him, yet frequently exhibiting hiswill in action, contrary to the dictates of that rea-son. Dwelling in a body which holds him as anatom by which he is linked to a material world,and yet possessed of an intelligence which whis-peringly tells him that he is also connected witha world spiritual and unseen, weak and perish-able, as the gossamer on the summer breeze, andyet erecting monuments of his power which seemto defy the ravages of time. Having an under-standing capable of defining the position, distance


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AND SPIRITUAL BEING. 11and quantity of those eccentric stars which wan-der amid the infinities of space, and yet of himselfoften in such circumstances on earth, that his wis*dom is incapable of guiding him to the right handor to the left. The Heathen Philosophers of theancient world, attempted to define him. Thegreatest minds of the present age, are employingtheir powers in investigating and describing him ;and while some of the latter define him as an an-imal that cooks his food, and others again as onethat makes bargains, we shall not stop to enquirewhether the writers who designated him as such,were in jest or earnest, but remark that of thoseseveral definitions which from time to time havebeen given to the world as descriptive of his per-son and character, perhaps there is none thatwould at first sight appear to be more fitting andappropriate than the terms which define him as aspiritual, served by organs ; and though this defi-nition be plausible, }'et when we come to analyseits terms, and apply them to the realities of ourbeing, we find it fails to point out expressivelyor inductively, the whole of the components of ouridentity, and therefore must object to it as beingimperfect. The reasonableness of the objectionwe trust to make appear in our remarks whenspeaking of him as a being possessing mental ca-pabilities, and would simply remark in passing,that this definition "a spiritual, served by organs,"if it were allowed or adoptedfrom it might bededuced the proposition that the intellectual intel-ligence of a spirit could be disarranged by the ex-ternal accidents of matter, a conclusion contrary toreason, and therefore, by reason cannot be allowed.


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12Or again, if in man's person there be not positivelycontained a spirit dwelling in his person and con-stituting a portion of his identity, and that he isdefined merely spiritual because or on account ofhis intelligence, then it would follow that the mereanimal,in some respects approaching man's in-telligence, might bj regarded as spiritual also, andfrom which the inference might be drawn that manis but a mere animal. Therefore, turning fromthis definition, which lies open to these objections,let us endeavor to find terms more truly thanthese descriptive of his identity and being.

In common with the atoms of the material uni-verse by which he is surrounded, there is a por-tion of man which is passive to the action of thecompound elements. The fire may burn, or theatmosphere may freeze him, beneath the surface ofthe earth he moulders into dust, or may wastefrom the action of the waters. The portion ofman thus passive is his body, the animated ma-chine through which he acts on the external world,or by which he becomes passive to external things,from action performed through the body occasion-ally devoid of purpose, or irrational, we infer notonly the existence of an intelligence manifestedthrough it, but also are led to regard that intelli-gence as mutable and subject to disarrangement.This or a similar intelligence in the lower animals,is designated the mind. We have no objection tothe term, we adopt it for man. Man has a bodyand mind. This mind appears to be dependent,to a certain extent, for its due order and arrange-ment on the organization and condition of thebody,though, as will appear by-and-by, mind is


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AND SPIRITUAL BEING. 13not necessarily a result or consequence of materialor mechanical arrangement. That the mind isthus dependent on the body we infer from obser-vation and experience ; for if certain portions ofthe body be less or more injured, the mind be-comes less or more deranged. Hence the proofof its intimate connection with, and dependanceon the body. But it appears that the body andmind are not the whole man, which may be infer-red from the following considerations. Let a cer-tain portion of the body be injured,the injurycausing a derangement of the mind. Then, whilethe body is thus injured, and the mind thus disar-ranged, there is during such disarrangement, occa-sionally or frequently exhibited through the bodyaction purely intellectual ; action which could beperformed only under the immediate direction ofa rational and intellectual spirit. Hence, then,even with the mind disarranged, such a spiritdwells in the body with its intellectual faculties inharmony with themselves. This spirit is calledthe human soul. Man has a body, a mind and asoul. Therefore, as a compound of three compo-nents, may he not be defined as a being of a tri-une nature, exhibiting in his identity a union ofmatter, mind and soul ? Matter as exhibited inhis corporeal frame, tangible to external things, andpassive to the action of the elements, mind pos-sessing in common with all other created animals,but more enlarged than them in degree, a portionof mental endowment which were he not a soul orspirit using for the purposes of its will the bodyand mind, would be adapted only to a state of a merephysical existence. Soul, a spirit without parts,


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14an emanation from God, proceeding from thebreath of Divinity itself. Matter capable of beingmoved and divided, possessing its due proportionof Extension, Kesistence and Gravitation. Mind,possessing a portion of intelligence,the healthand well-being of which appears to be identifiedwith the health of the body itself, though it (themind) is not a consequent of the body's mechan-ical arrangement,soul, exhibiting a rational in-tellect, manifesting and possessing faculties ofsucha power as appear to be one in nature and char-acter with the highest order of created intelligencethat we can possibly conceive to exist, matter,mind and soul. The first mutuable, perishableand mortal ; the second like the first, mutable andperishable ; the third imperishable and immortal,and mutable only as it regards its moral con-dition before God, and being imperishable and im-mortal, is superior to the other two, and therefore,the highest and chief portion of his identity.[" The soul is the mana teaching in perfect har-mony with divine revelation, for we are told thatman became a living soul.] Matter, mind andsoul, entirely separate, apart and distinct in theirnatures, but by the wondrous and almighty work-ing of the Great Creator, forming one grand, har-monious and mysterious whole. Three naturesdistinct and contrary to each other in their essence;but severally manifesting on the part of their de-signer, an expression of infinite wisdom in theirstructure, an exhibition of infinite power, and inthe preservation and enjoyment of their united ex-istence, a display of beneficence without measure or


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AND SPIRITUAL BEING. 15bounds. Man, the triune being of earth, createdby the Trinity of Heaven.Having thus introduced the terms which onewould conceive most suitable to express the iden-tity, nature and existence of man, we shall nowrapidly glance at the several components of hisbeing, merely as serving to illustrate his position,as defined by these terms ; and in proceeding todo so, would premise that the remarks which mayfollow, must necessarily be of a very general char-acter, inasmuch as any single part, point, or idea,in connexion with man, would furnish matter ofdiscussionthe very introduction to which, mightperhaps exceed the limits of an occasion such asthe present.

It has been well and beautifully observed by acelebrated writer, that u creation is graduated, andevery creature has its proper place," and that inthis scale of created being the totality or expressionof an animal's framework indicates its position. Ifman be measured according to this standard, hissuperiority as a creature, is at once perceived. Notthat the body of the brute or lower animal evincesin its construction or design, wisdom and powerless infinite than are exhibited in the constructionof the human frame, but because of its superiorsymmetry and beauty, indicating and in keepingwith the superior purposes for which it was de-signeda symmetry which announces the dignityof those purposes, whether we regard it as thetemporary dwelling of a rational spirit, or the ani-mated machine through which that spirit performsthe purposes of its will, considered as a dwellingonly, its leading characteristics are dignity and


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16 MAN, A MATERIAL, MENTALbeauty ; but regarded as a living machine, we areastonished at its adaptation and harmonyadap-tation to the intelligence which uses it. Harmonywith the exterior world on which it is made to act.For not only with respect to himself as a wholebeing, but also with regard to the body itself, itmay be fittingly observed

" Man is all symmetry, full of proportion,One limb to another, and to all the World beside."

In regarding the body as a mere piece ofmechan-ism, it possesses several peculiarities which placeit as such, beyond all others. Its motion is dig-nified, its attitude commanding, its whole appear-ance intellectual. The only physical structurepossessing animation,the weight of which is sup-ported on the centre of an arch,for there is nocreature beside the human, whose foot is furnishedwith a heel. It springs from the earth, while allothers in their motion on its surface (while walking)convey the idea of requiring effort in their actionto enable them to rise. Nor until the burden ofaccumulated years is placed on its shoulders, doesit require any foreign aid to keep it erect ; andwhile the anatom}'- of the mere animal exhibits inits design a tendency to, if not absolute fitness formotion, parallel to the surface of the earth ; thebody's whole expression, together with its internalanatomy and construction, declare its great archi-tect intended that upright should be the positionof the human form divine. A feature of ourbeing which was beautifully remarked by aHeathen poet of antiquity.


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AND SPIRITUAL BEING. 17But as a certain class of writers have existed,

and even some at the present day, who would en-deavor to make it appear that the erect posture isnot peculiar to man only, but that other animals,such as the Chimpanzee and Ourang, possess italso, thereby endeavoring to shew in accordancewith what they call the theory of developement,that man is but a mere animal improved by civil-ization, or in other terms, a well developedmonkey. With a view to the correction of such,an opinion, it may not be amiss to quote from awork of acknowledged ability, a few remarks per-tinent to the question,a work in the compilingof which, the best talent of Europe was engaged,and which is generally regarded as a standard au-thority. In the Cyclopedia of the Society for thediffusion of Useful Knowledge, Vol. 13, under thearticle " Man," and at page 357, it thus reads :11 The lower extremities of man are remarkable fortheir length, which is proportionably greater thanthat of any other animal except those of theKangaroo tribe." Now it is evident that no great-er obstacle to progession in the horizontal positioncould exist than this length of what would thenbe the hind legs. Either man would be obligedto rest on his knees, with his thighs so bent to-wards the trunk, that an attempt to advance wouldbe painful, and with his legs and feet immoveableand useless ; or he should elevate his trunk on theextremities of his toes, throwing his head down*wards, and exerting himself forcibly at every at-tempt to move forward the thighs by a rotarymotion at the hip joint; in either case the only-useful joint would be that at the hip, and the iega


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18 MAN, A MATERIAL, MENTALwould be scarcely superior to wooden or otherrigid supporters. The position of the human thighin which it is most securely fixed in its deep ace-tabulum, is that which it has when supporting thebody in the erect attitude. In the Chimpanzeeand Ourang, its analogous position is at an obliqueangle, with the body obliquely supported in fiord ofit; thus shewing that while the erect attitude wasevidently intended as that which man should nat-urally possess, the other creatures which approachhim in external conformation only, exhibit intheir anatomy, an adaptation naturally suited tothe horizontal position,an opinion confirmedalso by the extraordinary length of arm whichthose creatures possess ; for in the use of the armas a foreleg, such a position is natural and easy tothem; v\hereas on the contrary, proportioned asthe length of the arm is in man, the horizontal po-sition to him would not only be unnatural, butpositively painful ; and therefore, one which hisCreator (whose wisdom is infinite in design,) neverintended that man should naturally occupy. Sothat not only the difference of their anatomy, butthe difference of natural attitude also, evidentlyattest that man in his conformation, externallyand internally, is a creature that could never havebelonged to any of the Monkey tribes. Moreover,we would remind those who would endeavor torepresent him as such, that the majority, if not thewhole of those creatures, are four-handed, whereasman is only bimanous. So that measuring manby a well known law of nature, (laws which thoseindividuals talk so much about,) that the organ isindicative of the intelligence which uses it, it


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AND SPIRITUAL BEING. 19would follow, from the hand being regarded as thesign of intelligence, that the creature possessingfour, should be more intelligent than the creaturepossessing two, and consequently, man shouldpossess a less intelligence than the monkey,conclusion which they must acknowledge, or elsemust confess, what we uncompromisingly main-tain, that there is between the human being andthe mere animal, a chasm wide and impassable asthe gulf between the Nadir and Zenith, of the in-finity of space. As to the statement made also bythe advocates for the theory of development, thatsome of the monkey tribes are biped, the workfrom which we have quoted, replies, " The Illus-trations of their anatomjr, as exhibited by Mc-Owen, in Vol. 1, of Zoological Transactions, ren-der such a theory as extremely improbable." Andit goes on to state " it is nowperfectly certain, fromrepeated observation, that the gesture of thoseOurangs who are most manlike, is never ajile noreasy, unless they employ a^ their limbs to supportthem." So that the theory of development withrespect to man in the sense used by those who dis-allow his origin, as given by revelation, judgingthat theory b}' attitude, anatomy and one of thelaws of nature, it fails in accomplishing what itavows to exhibit, namely : man as a.mere animal,a member of the monkey family, and improvedonly by circumstances,circumstances accidentalto the position orniche in creation which he origi-nally occupied when first called into existence.A theory in which is necessarily implied that thebenign Creator of all things manifested an indiff-erence to the measure of happiness or enjoyment


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20 MAN, A MATERIAL, MENTALwhich his creature might ultimately possess, leav-ing the quantity of that happiness to be the sportof circumstances, or the creation of chance. Asystem which would ignore the benificence of theCreator, and therefore, to rational man, an absur-dity too gross to be entertained. Nor is it only as amere piece of mechanism that the superiority ofman's coporeal frame is exhibited. Not only isthere intelligence in its attitude, and majesty in itsmotion, but as has been beautifully expressed" the hand of Divinity has left its impress on thebrow." There is in its whole conformation, whencontrasted with the frame-work of the lesser ani-mals, a symmetry exhibited which is better feltthan described, for the most casual observer canperceive that there is no contrast to be seen in theproportion or harmony of its extremities, thearms are not too long for the body, neither thefoot length, when compared with the whole legthe fore arm is in keeping with the measure fromthe elbow to the shoulder, the hand is eloquenceitself, the hand possessing a thousand capabilities,none of which are exhibited by those creatureswhich approach him in shape. No not even thepower of separating the fore-finger from the othersfor the purpose of pointing, because such an actwould be an expression of rational intelligence.As a whole, the body is not merely in the aggre-gate harmonious, it is beautiful even in detail,eliciting admiration in the relative proportion ofall its parts one to another, as well as to the de-sign as a whole ; its firm, flexible and upright po-sition, combined with the dignity and ease of itsmovements. And though of all its organs it may


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AND SPIRITUAL BEING. 21be observed that all exhibit in their several ope-rations an excellency of adaptation which admits ofno improvement either in construction or purpose,yet of these there are not a few which even atfirst sight announce on the part of their Maker,an infinity of resources, and claim from ourselvesa wondering admiration at the surpassing beautyof their design. And of these, the most conspicu-ous are the eye, the ear, the tongue, the hand, thearm and the hip joint. The eye serving as a lucidportal through which the mind, by its faculty ofperception, receives an idea or impression flowingfrom an outward or external object. The tonguecapable of expressing almost any sound. The earwith a greater ease discerning the slightest modu-lation. The arm, with respect to the body, mov-ing in every direction. The hand moulding itsgrasp to every varied requirement, while the hipsustains the whole fabric, in almost any positionin which accident or design may place it.Such is the body tangible to external things, and

passive to the action of the elements, possessing allthe properties of matter capable of being movedand divided, having, as observed previously,resistance and extension, in common with theother creatures by whom it is surrounded, affectedby things external, affected in its existence by thelike mutations which work their changes on thecondition of the physical structure of the mere'animal. The body is mutable, perishable andmortal. Mutable as it regards the atoms whichcompose its structure, and perhaps of the humanpaore peculiarly so than that of any other crea*


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22 MAN, A MATERIAL, MENTALture. Perishable, as being the subject of diseaseand decay. Mortal, as finally ceasing to exist.

" Its life a short summer,Itself a flower,It dies, alas ! how soon it dies."

Thus it follows what we know and learn of thebody from observation and experience, its nature isessentially physical, and therefore by this portionof his being, man is linked to the material world,which world by this connexion, is thus representedin him. We shall now proceed to regard him asa mental being, not for the purpose of making anyremarks as to his capabilities as such, or in refer-ence to the manner in which his mind operates,but rather with a view of marking the identityand existence of the mind as distinct from theidentity and existence of the reasoning faculties ofthe soul,the first being an endowment which heholds in common with the mere animal,the lat-ter being the peculiar attribute of a rational andimmortal spirit,a distinction which is occasionallyas clearly exhibited as any other extremes whidbseem to be united in his person; and in proceed-ing to notice the peculiarities of mind, would pre-mise, that as an intelligence which he holds incommon with the lesser animal, we shall endeavorto shew from action exhibited in certain conditionsof the mere creature's existence, that mivd is notnecessarily the effect of the body's mechanical ororganic arrangement ; and also seek to point outsome of those distinctions which mark the mindof the man from that of the animal,distinctions


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AND SPIRITUAL BEING. 23which appear to exist more in quantity than inquality, as the attributes and quality of mind asexhibited by man, are frequently exhibited by thelesser creatures also, at the same time requestingthe audience to remember that when we make useof the term mind in reference to man, that we doso regarding it as entirely separate and distinctfrom that reason which he possesses as the rationalintelligence of an immortal spirit.And here we would remark, that on a proper un-derstanding of the distinct existence and identity ofthe nature and powers of the mind, depends in agreat measure the right perception of the existenceand identity of man as a triune being. As the mid-dle nature in his existence, it may be regarded asthe mysterious medium, or link, between those twoportions of his being which appear to be, andreally are, opposite to other in their nature andessence, namely, the body and soul ; and thoughevidently it (the mind) is neither matter nor spirit,yet in the mysterious working of the great de-signer of our existence, it appears to have beenplaced by him in man as if it were to a certain ex-tent manifesting an adaptation to the nature ofboth, operating like a mean between two ex-tremes. In its dependence on the body, arisingfrom its intimate connexion with the organs ofsense, the aspect of its nature, at first sight, wouldmake it appear as if the conditions of its existencewere physical, while on the other hand, in the ex-hibition of its higher capabilities, it glides into andmanifests an adaptation to the rational and spirit-ual powers of the soul. In the connexion of itslesser functions with the body through the or-


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24: MAN*, A MATERIAL, MENTALgans of sense it is difficult to point out where itsidentity begins; while its higher capabilities, whenconsidered in their connexion with the reasoningfaculties of the soul, render it still more difficultto determine where its identity ends. By its iden-tity, we would express its individuality, or exist-ence, as distinct from, though dwelling in, andacting through the body, as well as likewise dis-tinct from, though harmonizing with, and yet sub-servient to the reasoning faculties of the soul. With,respect to the physical portion of man, the mindis an active agent, the body to it is passive. Thisobservation in a general sense, will apply to everyclass of mind, whether as possessed by the loweranimals, or exhibited by those creatures which wogenerally regard of them as possessing the mostintelligence : lor a close observation of the severalclasses of the animal world, would lead us to inferthat three distinct classes, types, or characters ofmind, have been dispensed to, and exhibitedthrough them by their great designer. The lowestcharacter, or type, is bestowed on those creatureswhich we generally regard as occupying the lowerranks in the scale of animate creation. The sec-.ond on those of them, which, from the positionthey occupy in the grand design, come into closerconnexion with man as a being intended to sub-serve the immediate purposes of his will, whetherin reference to his necessities or enjoyments. Thethird, or highest form of mind, is bestowed onman only, and exhibited by no other creature buthim alone. Of those several types or classes ofmind, the first may be termed instinctive, thesecond reflective, the third, or highest, intellect-


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AND SPIRITUAL BEING. 25ual ; the difference between each being determinedperhaps as much by quantity as quality. Themerely instinctive mind can never exhibit reflect*ive powers, neither can the intellectual be exhibit-ed by those who possess the reflective only. Theinstinctive impels; the reflective may be partiallyinfluenced by circumstances; the intellectual mayact in reference to consequences which the soulonly can at first foresee. With respect to themental capabilities of the merely instinctive crea-ture, they are necessarily very limited, such acreature being simply perceptive of sensation, per-^ceptive of desire, and perceptive of physical obtjects, while in addition to these, the animal pos-=sessing reflective capabilities, appears not only ob-.servant of the accidents of nature, but also per-,ceptive of circumstances and observant of motives,whilst ths highest order of mind as exhibited inintellectual man, glides into a perception of thelink between cause and effect.The creature possessing the merely instinctivemind, may be regarded as being passive to desire,

perceptive of sensation, and having a capability ofenjoyment in keeping with the limits of its atomicexistence ; while apart from, or beside the con-,ditions of that existence, its mental endowmentsappear to reach only to a perception of externalobjects or things ; and even in this, to. a very lim~.ited extent, inasmuch as the instinctive mind is inseveral instances unable to discriminate betweenthings as they really are, and as they appear tobe. A trait of instinctive perception which isbeautifully elucidated by Thompson, the Natural-ist, in his work on the passions of animals, Tttfrt,


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26writer states: (Page 157,) "Instinct is sometimesat fault, and its powers are uselessly applied. Ahen will sit with the greatest tenacity on roundedpieces of chalk. The Hamster rat will break thewings of dead birds as well as of living ones, be*fore it devours them. Insects also occasionallyerr on the same principle, as when the blow flylays its eggs on the flower of the stapelia, beingdeceived by its carrion-like odor. A spider de-prived of its egg-bag, will cherish with the samefondness a little pellet of cotton, if thrown to it.From these facts might it not be inferred that thislowest form of mind, termed the instinctive, mayin some measure be regarded as a property or law,infused into, or bestowed on mere animate matter,in like manner as gravitation and attraction wereinfused into matter inanimate? This opinion isnot a new theory, for Addison, in one of hispapers in the Spect-itor, writes: (Thompson, page161.) " I consider instinct as the immediate di-rection of Providence, and such an operation ofthe Supreme "Being, as that which determines allthe portions of matter to their proper centre." Healso says,"I look upon instinct as upon theprinciple of gravitation in bodies, which is not tobe explained by any known qualities inherent inthe bodies themselves, nor from any laws ofmechanism; but as an immediate impression fromthe first mover, and the divine energy acting inthe creature. 1 ' This. opinion of Addison's, appearsto be confirmed by observation, for Naturalists as-sert that several animals of the class Fcws, maybe cut and divided almost ad infinitum, and eachpart will eventually become a perfect animal,


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AND SPIRITUAL BEING. 27(page 105,) and some insects after being divided,will live and perform most of the various func-tions with which they are endowed. From thisit may be argued, that if in the divided or imper-fect state, those animals exhibit instinctive percep-tion, the conclusion inevitably follows that thismerely instinctive or perceptive mind, appears insome respects to be analogous to the infusedproperties of inanimate matter; not confined to aparticular locality in the creature, but pervadingthe whole mass, and existing in a part as well asin the whole. And as exhibited in some creatures;not exclusively dependent on, or governed solelyby a nervous system or brain, and that the in-stinctive perception or mind ofsome lower animalsmay, or does exist, without this dependence onorganic arrangement, may also be inferred fromwhat has been stated by Naturalists, as the resultof experiment or investigation. (Thompson, 167,)"If the Salamandra Maculata be deprived of itshead, the trunk remains standing on its feet, andturns on being touched. Tortoises from whichthe brain has been abstracted, will live and wan-der about for months, feeling their way." It isasserted (by Thompson, 167,) that Azara caughttwo of those creatures without heads in a river inParaguay, but they escaped back with as muchspeed and address, as if they had been uninjured.As a further proof in support of this theory, thatthe merely instinctive mind in the lower animalsis analogous to the infused properties of inanimatematter, it may be submitted that those creatureswhich do not possess a brain, or nervous system,and where no organs are developed, that even


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28these exhibit instinctive perception,perceptionnecessarily not connected with any organ, but ex-tending through and pervading the mass of thewhole body, as in the Polypii. Thoss animalshave an instinctive perception of light; when con-fined in a glass, should the glass be totally dark-ened or equally exposed to the light, no differenceis manifested, but should the glass be partiallyshaded, the Polypii turns to the light; and thatthe instinctive perception exists in every part, andequally in the whole body, is evident ; for if it bedivided, each part will equally seek the light;thus shewing that the whole body, and not a part,is possessed of the instinetive power. And hereit may be also fittingly observed, that not in theserespects ouiy to which we have alluded, is this an-alogy exhibited. That the merely instinctivemind resembles the infused property or law, isalso seen in its not admitting of diminution or invprovement. That it admits of no diminution isexhibited alike in the Worm and the Polypii,and that it acquires nothing with a view to its im?provement, is evident from the fact that it ac-quires nothing from experience, for the instinctivemind has no infancy, nor a gradual developmentof powers. It enters at once, and without prepar?ation or training, on the discharge of the highestfunctions with which it is endowed,a statementwhich appears to be confirmed in an experimentmade by Galen. Galeu took a kid the moment itwas born, and before it had seen its mother, andcarrying it into a room placed before it Wine, Oil,Honey, Milk, Corn and Fruit. The creature afterstanding on its legs, smelled the different articles.


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AND SPIRITUAL BEING. 29and finally drank of the milk. Thompsonalso tells us that a chicken which Wall had hatch-ed by artificial heat, saw a spider and springing atit, seized it as if from previous practice. It is awell known fact that other chickens hatched bythe same method, scratched the earth in search offood in the same manner as those hatched and ac-companied by a hen.Another feature of instinctive mind, and whichalso in some measure goes to support the infusedtheory, is what is termed by Naturalists the mis-takes of instinct. That is when the impulse ex-hibits itself under circumstances where it is ut-terly useless, and where its object can never be ob-tained. The tame squirrel in confinement, hoardsup food which it never will require or touch.Well fed dogs will hide bones. Tame Ravenswill conceal morsels of food, though an abund-ance is always before them. Fowls scratchfor food on the surface of a yard, even when theyard is flagged or paved. And a tame Beaver,even when confined by his captor or owner, willevince the instinctive principle in vainly en-deavoring to construct a house.From these observations made by Naturalistsin reference to portions of the Animal Kingdom,we infer the existence of several traits character-istic of instinctive mind. Firstly, that it is notexclusively dependant on, or governed solely by abrain. Secondly, it appears not to admit of dim-inution or improvement, as it enters at the firstmoment of its existence on the discharge of itshighest functions. Thirdly, that it is frequentlyexhibited in a part as well as in a whole animal,


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30and therefore must be regarded as pervading thewhole mass. And fourthly, because of these pe-culiarities it is analogous to, or resembles the in-fused properties of mere inanimate matter. Andlastly, as a conclusion from the whole inference,that mind is riot necessarily an effect of organic ar-rangement,for if it were, any important alter-ation in the organic arrangement would in all casesproduce a corresponding disarrangement in the in-stinctive perception, while the contrary appears tobe the fact. Moreover, as if to shew that the fullpossession of organic arrangement does not neces-sarily ensure the possession of unerring instinctivemind, we occasionally find that creatures possess-ing their full organs, manifest or exhibit in severalinstances their instinctive perceptions both blindlyand uselessly. Hence then may we not concludeof the merely instinctive mind that it is an infusedlaw impelling animate matter: or in the wordsof the Christian Addison, ? " the divine energy act-ing through the creature, A fixed principle oflimits defined by the Creator. The creaturecoming up to, and never exceeding the prescribedbounds. Instinctive mind, mind without conscious-ness or reflection."

In addition to the measured portion of instinct-ive mind possessed by every animal, we find thatthey also exhibit a class of mental endowment, ofa character or nature differing in several respectsfrom the instinctive. This endowment appears toincrease in quantity or power, in a ratio corres-ponding to the creature's position in the scale ofcreation, when considered in relation to man.This endowment may be defined as reflective


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AND SPIRITUAL BEING. 31mind; and like the instinctive, possessed by manin common with all other creatures by whom heis surrounded, but with this difference, that hepossesses less than them of the instinctive, andmore of the reflective, a peculiarity or diminution,which appears to present itself also with the natureof the lesser creatures as they severally rise in thescale of created being. Thus we find that thehorse has a larger share of this intelligence thanthe animals which are more foreign than him inthe nature of their services to man. The dog,more intimately man's companion than the horse,appears to have more of the reflective endowment.While yet the Elephant, when considered in re-ference to climate and circumstances, renderingservices more important than either of the othertwo ; and as such, coming into closer contact withthe human being, possesses a still greater measureof this intelligence. Indeed so much so, that someNaturalists call him the half reasoning animal,a term made use of by Kirby in his Treatise onthe wisdom, power and goodness of God. Andthough as a general rule it may be laid down thatas the reflective increases, the instinctive decreases,yet it would appear that where the instinctivecombined powerfully with the reflective, wouldtend to the service or convenience of man, it wouldappear then, that nature, or rather the DivineBeing, introduces such an exception which onlyconfirms the general rule, as instanced in the familyof the dog. There is no other animal in creationthat possesses like him so much of the instinctiveand reflective combined ; a fact which is well il-lustrated by several anecdotes of that animal, and


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32 MAN, A MATERIAL, MENTALwhich shall be alluded to in due time. This re-flective mind as possessed by the higher animalsis, as previously intimated, observant of the acci-dents of matter, perceptive of circumstances, and ob-servant of motives, and appears to exhibit itself inoperation through the agency of four attributes,which we speak of as perception, retention, reflec-tion and comparison. Attributes, which appearto be more frequently exhibited by the mere ani-mal in extraordinary circumstances, than in theordinary conditions of its existence, or in otherwords, the animal possessing reflective mind, theexercise of its powers are elicited more by extra-ordinary circumstances than by the ordinary rou-tine of daily life. To elucidate what we wouldconvey, we shall now read from a work of ac-knowledged ability, an anecdote, as illustrativealike of the character of the mind, as well as themode of its operation. We select it from a workentitled Lee's Anecdotes of Animals, published inPhiladelphia, 1854. The article itself is descriptiveof the sagacity of a dog, which was owned by Mr.Hogg, the celebrated Ettrick Shepherd, who ingiving a description of the animal, said he wasscarcely a year old.On one occasion, quotes the writer, "about 700lambs, which were under his care at weaningtime, broke up at midnight, and scampered off, inthree divisions, across the neighboring hills, inspite of all that he and an assistant could do tokeep them together. The night was so dark thatwe could not see Sirrah ; but the faithful animalheard his master lament their absence in wordswhich, of all others, were sure to set him most on


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AND SPIRITUAL BEING. S3the alert ; and without more ado, he silently setoff in quest of the recreant flock. Meanwhile theshepherd and his companion did Dot fail to do allin their power to recover their lost charge; theyspent the whole night in scouring the hills formiles around, but of neither the lambs or Sirrahcould they obtain the slightest trace. They hadnothing for it, day having dawned, but to returnto their master, and inform him, that they had lostthe whole flock of lambs, and knew not what wasbecome of one of them. On our way home, how-ever, we discovered a lot of lambs at the bottomof a deep ravine, and the indefatigable Sirrahstanding in front of them, looking around for somerelief, but still true to his charge. The sun wasthen up, and when we first came in view, we con-cluded that it was one of the divisions whichSirrah had been unable to manage until he cameto that commanding situation. But what was ourastonishment, when we found that not one lambof the whole flock was wanting. How he hadgot all the divisions collected in the dark, is be-yond my comprehension. The charge was leftto himself from midnight till the rising sun, andif all the shepherds in the forest had been there toassist him, they could not have effected it withgreater propriety."Now we said that the reflective mind in themere animal was perceptive of circumstances ; whowill deny such a perception to the dog of whomwe have just read? And that he observed themotives which urged his master to mourn the lossof the lambs, is evidently as clear, for his actionin instantly setting off in search of the scattered


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84 MAN, A MATERIAL, MENTALflock, shewed that he understood the master's wish.Now let us see the mode of his operation. Firstly,he perceives the circumstances which form the re-lation between the master, himself and the flock.This first operation and act of the reflective mind,we term perception,that he continued to hold orkeep this perception is evident, for had it beenotherwise, he would not have continued to actuntil the purpose of his action was attained ; thisholding or keeping of the perception, we term re-tention. The perception and retention combined,lead him to think as to his own conduct, action, orduty under the circumstances. This thinking isreflection,a stage of his mental operation whichalso leads him to regard the mode, or means hemust adopt for the effecting of his own, in refer-ence to his master's purpose ; in connexion withthis act of mind is necessarily connected the scat-tered condition of the flock ; scattered in severaldirections ; this scattered condition obviouslypresents to the dog the necessity of comparing theadvantages resulting from the adoption of one di-rection of pursuit, in preference to another. Thislast act is evidently comparison, and here, in thisconduct of the animal, is clearly exhibited the op-eration of the mental endowment, and by its attri-butes, in the order thus expressed, as perception,retention, reflection and comparison, numberlessanecdotes of a nature similar to that already re-lated, might be adduced as proofs of the reflectivemind being possessed by the mere animal. Inreference to the dog, we shall mention another toldin Thompson's work on the passions of animals.At page 347, the author states : "a recent number


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AND SPIBITUAL BEING. 35of the Glasgow Post, relates the following tale"a few days ago Hector McAlister, while on theArran hills, looking after his sheep, six miles fromhome or other habitation, his two Coolie clogsstarted a rabbit which ran under a large block ofgranite. He thrust his arm under the stone ex-pecting to catch it, but instead of doing so, he re-moved the supports of the block which instantlycame down on his arm, holding him as firmly asa vice. His pain was great, but the pangs he feltwhen he thought ofhome and the death he seemeddoomed to die, were greater. In this position helay from ten in the morning until four in the after-noon, when finding that all his efforts to extricatehimself were unavailing, he tried several times,without effect, to get his knife out of his pocketto cut off his arm. His only chance now was toendeavor to send home his dogs, with the view ofalarming his friends. After much difficulty, asthe creatures were most unwilling to leave him,he succeeded ; and Mrs. MacAlister seeing themreturning alone, took the alarm and collecting theneighbors, went in search of her husband, led onby the faithful Coolies. When they came to thespot, MacAlister was in a very exhausted state,and quite speechless with crying for assistance.It took five men to remove the block from hisarm. In this, as in the former anecdote, the con-duct of the animal evidently evinces the possessionof reflective power. Their unwillingness to leavethe master, shewed that they had a perception ofhis distressing circumstances ; while retaining theperception they are led to think as to his object insending them away. The reflection at length


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36 MAN, A MATEKIAL, MENTALleads them to understand his purpose. They acton the reflection, and in their return with assist-ance, doubtlessly anticipated the pleasing resultswhich followed ; and in that very anticipation con-trasted, or compared, the deliverance of their mas-ter with his temporary misery. From these anec-dotes, and others of a similar character of the Ele-phant and Horse, as well as of the dog, may beperceived the correctness of the observation thatextraordinary circumstances,or generally atleastelicit the action of those reflective endow-ments from the mere animal ; while man as a crea-ture exhibits the endowment in the ordinary con-cerns of his every day life. In man also is con-firmed the theory that, as the reflective increases,the instinctive decreases,'a truth which appearsto be confirmed in the history of his own species,for it is a well known fact that the savage or bar-barian, his instinctive perceptions operatingthrough the organs of sense, are more acute andperceptive than those of the individual in themidst of civilization. It is asserted (Thompson29,) that the Aborigines of this Continent can notonly detect a man at a great distance, but can alsodistinguish with certainty between white men andthose of their own race.

In addition to the instinctive and reflectivemind, man also possesses the intellectual, the dif-ference between which and the reflective, appearsto be occasioned more by quantity than by qual-ity. Perhaps the extent of its capability may beregarded as attaining only to a knowledge of thefact, that there exists a connexion between causeand effect, a limit which we can conceive the pos-


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AND SPIRITUAL BEING. 37sibility of a mere animal arriving at, but beyondwhich the mere animal can never go. For to en-quire into an effect, and investigate the connexionin reference to its cause, is a power and operationwhich belong exclusively to reason. Hence maybe inferred the reasonableness of presuming thatthe intellectual mind differs only from the reflect-ive in quantity. And as the reflective mind inthe mere animal is made to subserve the conve-nience or purposes of intellectual man, so the in-tellectual mind answers the purposes, and sub-serves the convenience of the rational and rea-sonable immortal soul. Mind is not reason. Wemake use of the term intellectual in reference tomind, in the same sense as we would say a spirit-ual body, for as by the expression spiritualbody, we would simply imply a body suited tothe purposes or condition of a spiritual existence.So by intellectual mind, we would simply implya mind which when brought into connexion with,would suit the purposes and harmonize with thereasonable faculties of a soul or spirit essentiallyintellectual. Mind is not reason. We desire to beemphatic in the distinction, because that such anopinion is not only in harmony with the ordinaryconditions of our being, but also seems to unveilmuch of the mysterious that enshrouds the eccen-tricities of our existence, if mind may be definedas the intelligence of an animal, reason mustbe regarded as the intelligence of an immortalspirit. The first dependent for its harmony onthe physical condition of the body, the other in-dependently exhibiting theharmony ofits powers,aven when that portion of the body with which


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38 MAN, A MATERIAL, MENTAL ""the mind appears to be connected, is diseased.Mind is the intelligence ofa mere animal. Reasonthe intelligence of a rational and immortal spirit.If man's intellectual mind differs only in quantityfrom the reflective of the mere animal, then thereis an evident propriety in calling the attributes ofthe greater by the same terms which we wouldadopt as signs of the attributes of the lesser.Hence the operations of the intellectual may beregarded also as being performed by perceptioD,retention, reflection and comparison. And thesemay operate combinedly and harmoniously inman, without being exhibited in action. When manacts, he is moved by the operation of yet anotherand higher intellectual power. That power is thesuasion of the soul's will,the point or line whereintellectual mind appears to blend with, or glideinto, the reasoning of the immortal soul. Theboundary as before stated, where it is difficult topoint out the termination of the mind's identity.But it may be asked if the intellectual mind differsonly in quantity from the reflective of the mere an-imal, may not the mere animal also not act evenwhen the attributes of his mind have been in op-eration ? To this it might be replied that the pos-sibility of such a choice does not appear to existin the creature. The animal must act. He has nowill to enable him to choose,for when urged by theauthority of his ruler man, man impels him only inthe direction of his instinctive nature, and whichhe simply acts out and follows subservient to thepurposes and guidance of his reflective mind. Sothat from the analogy of these considerations, itmay be premised, that the instinctive is passive to


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AND SPIRITUAL BEING. 39the reflective, the reflective to the intellectual, andthe intellectual to the higher intelligence of thereasonable spirit. A harmony or law which ap-pears to be exhibited in man as a creature. Forin seeking and imbibing a nourishment in hisearly existence man exhibits his instinctive mind,in acquiring the use of his organs, the reflective,in receiving the rudiments of his knowledge theintellectual; reason he exhibits in acts which havea special reference to a future, whether that futurebe bounded by his existence on earth, or extendin its duration beyond the limits of his grave.

In concluding our remarks on intellectual mind,it may be observed that in addition to its beingable to know that a connexion may or must existbetween an effect seen and its cause which maynot be seen, it may also be distinguished from themerely reflective in the following particulars. Ithas a perception of, and is affected by the beauti-ful which exists in contrast, whether the contrastbe exhibited in form, color, or sound. But its chiefand peculiar characteristics is in the two-fold as-pect which it presents in its relation to the soul.In the infancy of the soul's reason it appears tobe the medium through which the latent powersof the reason are aroused ; and when those pow-ers are aroused and partially developed, submit-ting to their control with a passive obedience.And hence, the intellectual mind may be dennedas an intelligence possessing a perfect adaptationto subserve the purposes of man's rational and im-mortal spirit. It is finite mind, suited to a capacityharmonizing with the infinite.


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40 MAN, A MATERIAL, MENTALTHE SOUL.

In presuming to speak of the human soul,we do so impressed with a deep sense of itsmagnitude and importance,an importance aris-ing from the condition of its nature, which iaspiritual and immortal ; its magnitude, when con-sidered in reference to its powers, exceeding incapacity the grasp of our finite minds. The morewe consider, the more deeply are we impressedwith a sense of our utter incapability of entirelycomprehending it. Viewing it only in referenceto its mysterious existence, in the words of thegreat Johnson, the fact of that existence is toosimple for eloquence, too sacred for fiction and toomajestic for ornament ; like its great Creator, itis to us entirely incomprehensible, traced only inthe nature and through the operation of its ownworks. We are unable to analyse it in its essence,it has no parts to be anatomized, and because un-able to comprehend, therefore unable to define it.Though viewing it in reference to its origin, itsnature and powers, it may in some sense, be re-garded as a ray from the infinite, animating thefinite ; an existence created by the eternal, designedfor immortality, and endowed with an intelligencecapable of harmonizing with the infinite itself,harmonizing so far as to understand and enjoymuch of the beautiful which the great Creator hasexhibited in the structure of the universe, as wellas a capability of appreciating the goodness dis-played in that creation, together with the wisdomand power combined The attributes of this intekligence appear to be and are superior to the attri*


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AND SPIKITUAL BEING. 41butes of the intelligence possessed by the mereanimal, for while the intelligence of the mere ani-mal is chiefly exhibited in reference to materialobjects and things, the intelligence of the soulpossesses a power not only capable of acting inreference to those material things, but also posses-ses the capability- of acting in reference to thingsimmaterial and unseen,immaterial so far as beingintangible to sense, unseen because incapable ofbeing transferred to the retina, or perceived bythe organs of vision. This intelligence of thehuman soul is called reason, differing from man'sanimal and intellectual mind not only in the capa-city of its powers, but also in the quality of itsnature : for while the animal mind is dependantfor the harmony of its powers on the condition ofthe brain, the powers or faculties of the soul'sreason are occasionally exhibited even when thebrain is diseased, and the mind necessarily disar-ranged, thus shewing that the human soul, thoughdwelling in, and acting through the body, pos-sesses and exhibits an intelligence not dependantlike the mind on the condition of the body itself,and therefore because not dependant for the har-mony of its powers on the condition of the body,necessarily differing from the mind in the qualityof its nature. That such a positive and definitedistinction should exist between the reason andmind, may at first sight appear strange ; but whenwe remember that the one is an intelligence adaptedto the condition of a mere animal ; and the otheran intelligence suited to an immortal spirit, therea-rsonableness of such a distinction both in capacityand quality will then at once appear. And as


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42 MAN, A MATERIAL, MENTALwas previously remarked in reference to the reflect-ive mind of the mere animal, that its identity asdistinct from the animal's instinctive mind, waschiefly manifested and seen in circumstances dif-fering from those connected with the ordinarystate of the creature's being. So here it may bealso observed, that the identity of the soul's rea-son as distinct and separate from the mind, is alsoexhibited and perceived in circumstances whichcertainly must be regarded as not the ordinaryconditions of our existence. In our ordinary stateof being, such is the beautiful harmony withwhich the different components of our nature andidentity are arranged, that an individual is prop-erly regarded as one whole distinct and undividedperson, yet there are certain conditions in whichwe exist, wherein man is spoken of as a being ofseveral components ; thus we say of a man whomay be in a state of insanity, that the man is de-ranged, or his mind is deranged, the latter formevidently implying that the mind in itself is dis-tinct from the body. And even without express-ing this distinction, men in their acts evidentlyacknowledge that those several components exist,for men speak of developing the powers of thebody, as well as of developing the powers of themind ; but when those only are drawn out, theeducation of the whole man is not complete. Theyalso speak of instructing the soul, for they think,and wisely,for the soul to be without know-ledge would not be good. And that the soul mustpossess an intelligence independent of the mind,may be perceived here ; for while the body andits powers are only physically developed, the


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AND SPIRITUAL BEING. 43mind is educated intelligently, and the instructionfor the human soul is given also as to a rationalintelligence. But in order to shew where the soulmanifests its intelligence, independantly of themind, while dwelling in the body, we shall firstendeavor to point out some of those operationswhich the faculties of reason can perform, opera-tions to which we have no evidence that the mindOf a mere animal can ever attain, points of dis-tinction between mind and reason which we canscarcely conceive the possibility of being disputedeven by a materialist.

In his connection with the material world, andin his operations on it, whether mechanical, chemi-cal or electrical, man may be said through or inthe exercise of his reason to compare analogies,determine proportions and foresee consequences, com-prehending the circumstances of the present;and uniting with those circumstances the past withits antecedents, he anticipates a future. And,though in common with the other creatures bywhom he is surrounded, man is affected by thingsexternal : yet the intelligence of his higher na-ture is in no instance (apart from revelation,) moreclearly exhibited or seen than in the achievementswhich this higher intelligence accomplishes whendirecting its powers to the investigation of thephysical world in its conditions of that which maybe termed the invisible and unseen. The unseenas it exists in the material world without its mani-festing itself perceptibly to sense, hut only throughits effects, by its action on matter, and this in pro-portion to its magnitude or quantity, as electricity,magnetism or gravity. The investigation of the


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4A MAN, A MATERIAL, MENTALunseen, also,'which may be defined immaterial,but the existence of which is not the less real, andthough contained in everj atom and pervadingthe universe'is unaffected by quantity ; not in itsexistence manifest or tangible to sense or merephysical perception, comprehended only by a ra-tional and spiritual intelligence. This unseen istruth in science, or science so called ; perceptibleto the reasoning faculties or power of this higherintelligence and nature in man, and investigatedby him in the different modifications of idea underwhich he regards it, whether as design, harmonyor proportion ; design in the beauty and arrange-ment of the atoms which compose the materialuniverse, harmony in their laws, control, and pres-ervation, proportion in their influences, order, andmotion; design, which leads us to cultivate astron-omy, the secret of their harmony is revealed byGeometry, number is inseparably connected withproportion. Nor is it only in the investigatingand comprehending of those conditions of thephysical world, which are imperceptible to senseand intangible to matter, that the distinct identityand superiority of man's reasoning powers as aspiritual being are clearly exhibited. Not onlydoes reason unfold to him the properties ofthe several atoms which compose this earth, thenature of their qualities and the purposes of theirdesign, but with an authority that knows no re-sistance, compels those atoms to yield him a pass-tive obedience, and minister to his purposes; andthough by his power or knowledge, unable to di*vest them of a single quality with which the GreatCreator has endowed them, yet in the exercise of


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AND SPIRITUAL BEING. 45his reasoning faculties, He can so harmonize theiropposite and discordant natures, that subduedlythey combine to serve Him. And though of thesoul's reason it may be observed, that in its ref-lation to the external world, it is generally regard-ed as an active agent, yet it does appear that thereis in the human soul itself a power to which rea-son is occasionally passive. That power is thewillreason may suggest as to the possibility ormode of performing any act which the soul mayregard as the means to an end ; yet the will pre-vious to action, determines as to the perform-ance or not of such act. Therefore to an extentwe may not define, the will may be regarded asthe first and greatest power of the soul, inasmuchas without its co-operation or permission, reasonmay not exhibit itself in action ; and though thewill may not, or cannot be coerced, it may be in-fluenced : influenced by a power of the soul whichgenerally approves ofthe motives suggestive of thewill's action. This power is conscienceconsciencemay be defined as the soul's voice attesting whetherthe action flowing from the will be good or evil.And because that all action done or performed byman, is an exhibition of purpose or design,ias sug-gested by any one or more of these powers com-bined, we therefore are led to regard them, thewill, reason and conscience, as the first andgreatest powers of the soul. Powers which occa-sionally appear to evince themselves in action, incircumstances which must be regarded as aboveand beyond the body, and therefore above and be-yond the mind, because such is the harmony or con-nexion between the human body and mind, that


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46 MAN, A MATERIAL, MENTALthe physical powers and animation of the one can-not be wholly prostrated without prostrating themental powers and animation ofthe other also. Thisis a statement which observation and experiencewould appear to confirm, for we know that whenfrom weakness or accident, the bodily powers areprostrate, as in a swoon or faint, the mind inthat state has no consciousness, and performs nooperation, and because affected while in that statein the same ratio in which the body is affected,therefore must be regarded while thus prostrate,as wholly incapable and unable to act. As an il-lustration of the will acting independently of thebody, we would submit the case of a ColonelTownsend, who resided in England, and of whoman account is given by the celebrated Dr. Cheyne,in a work written (by that Physician,) on Englishmalady, published in London, in 1733. The Dr.says: " a Colonel Townsend residing near Bath,sent for Drs. Bayard and Cheyne, and a Mr.Skrine, to give them an account of a singular sen-sation which he had for some time felt, whichwas that he could expire when he pleased, and(mark the following expression,) by an effort cometo life again." He insisted so much on their see-ing the trial made, that they were forced at last tocomply. They all then felt his pulse, which wasdistinct, and had the usual beat. He then com-posed himselfon his back for some time, and aftera while, with the nicest scrutiny, the Physicianswere unable to discover the least sign of life, andat last were satisfied that he was actually dead,(Moore 2, 244.) They were about to retire andleave him, with the idea that the experiment had


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AND SPIRITUAL BEING. 47been carried too far, when they observed a slightmotion in the body, the pulsation of the heart re-turned, and he again recovered.Now in this, which is a well authenticated fact,it appears that the body was at least wholly pros-trate, the physicians were satisfied he was dead, butas himself stated, came to life again, by an effortwe simply ask what was the nature of that effort ?Was it physical ? It could not have been so, forthe body had no animation, and therefore couldmake no effort, no matter how small or weak ;neither could it have been mental, for the bodyhad been changed from the state in which onlymind manifests itself,for in all conditions ofexistence that we know, mind only exhibits itselfin connection with animation. (Mind is never ex-hibited by the inanimate.) Therefore in this in-stance we are led to conclude that the effort wasthe act of an intelligence dwelling in the body, yetabove and superior to, separate and distinct fromthebody and mind. It was the soul's intelligent actthrough the operation of its own will, that willwhich first suspended by its effort the body's ani-mation, and by a similar effort restored the anima-tion, together with the consciousness of that mindwhich was dependant on the body for its harmonyand manifestation.Nor is there wanting on record evidence toshew that individuals have lived who acted on thebelief that a knowledge of scientific truth could beobtained by the human soul, when exercising itsreasoning powers untramelled by the body, moreeasily than when those powers were clogged intheir operations by the incapacity of the waking


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48 MAN, A MATERIAL, MENTALmind. A singular illustration of this is affordedin the history of the philosopher Carden, anItalian physician who lived in the 16th century,and who is spoken of as being a man of great notein his time ; he was skilled in mathematics andastronomy. In a volume of his works whichwas published in 1683, at Lyons, in France,he states, (such was his consciousness ofthe soul'sdistinct identity,) that the propositions which ap-peared difficult to him in his waking hours, hefrequently mastered and demonstrated them bythe reasonings of his soul, during his sleep, hav-ing as he stated, previously composed himself tosleep for that purpose. Nor need the statementof Carden be doubted, for the Marquis Condorcet,a celebrated French Philosopher, who died in1794, occasionally left his complicated mathemat-ical calculations unfinished, when obliged to re-tire to rest, and like Carden in his sleep or rest,frequently saw the results of the calculationsthrough the operations of his soul's reason, (Moore2,111.) Examples of a still stranger characterthan these, might be submitted, and yet more clear-ly than those, illustrating the action of the soul'sreason, independently of the condition of the bodyor mind ; we shall mention but another on thewritten and published authority of a physicianpersonally known to a gentleman residing in thiscity and now in this room,a gentlemen who fromthe implicit confidence he has in the character

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and integrity of his friend, states that he is quitecertain the circumstance about to be related musthave occurred, or it never would have been record-ed by that physician's pen. (Body, 554, i, lxvii.)


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AND SPIRITUAL BEING. 49Of all the diseases to which our humanity is pas-

sive, perhaps there is noDe so awful as that of Hy-drophobia. While suffering under that awful mal-ady the body only or alone is not in agony, the mindalso is dreadfully distressed, and of the two appearsto labor under the greatest amount of torture ;what-ever may be the balance of its rationality it thenappears as if it were entirely disarranged, indeedso much so, that the friend, or closely allied rela-tive may not unguardedly approach the bed-sideof the sufferer, either to alleviate the physical pangsor calm the mental distresses of poor stricken hu-manity ; the sufferer occasionally manifesting adesire to destroy his attendant, his agony inten-sified in a consciousness that he possesses no con*trol to overcome the propensity ; so dreadful ishis state of mental agony and excitement, that inthe words of the physician from whom we quotethe fact which follows, " a breath of air, a ray oflight, a motion or sound, even a thought of muchmore the appearance of a bright or shining object,excites the fiercest convulsions," and }^et while inthis state, the minister of Jesus Christ has ap-proached the bed-side of the sufferer, and havinginvited him to partake of the memorials of dyinglove, the soul, addressed through its conscience,rising above the stricken body and unbalancedmind, exhibited the distinct identity of its reasonand will, in enabling the agonized with the calm-ness and placidity of a child, to stretch forth hishands, and while he firmly and steadily drankfrom the shining chalice, exhibited in the act, and.for a while, a peacefulness in his countenance as


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50though he felt no bodily agony or suffered nomental alienation.If there are any who would draw from thesestatements a conclusion different from that whichwe would presume to infer, we would respectfullycall the attention of such to the following as per-tinent to the question, it being an extract from thewriter to whom we have previously alluded.Moore, at the 201st page of his work, "The powerof the Soul," thus writes : " It is a remarkablefact that in many instances, disorder of faculty,more particularly of memory, have resultedfrom organic disease of the brain. Yet individ-uals so afflicted, nevertheless, have had lucid in-tervals and a perfect restoration of memory, a res-toration so marked in some cases as to haveinduced the hope of recovery when death hadbeen near at hand, and had even rapidly ensuedfrom the enerease of the very disease which hadcaused the insanitjr." The writer goes on to say,"Mr. Marshall states that a man died with a poundof water on his brain, who just before death be-came perfectly rational, although he had been along time in a state of idiotcy." Doctor Hollandrefers to similar cases, and I have seen one myself.Doctor Winslow states that the insane rarely diein a state of mental alienation. Now we wouldask, from these statements may not the inferencebe fairly drawn that if the mind has not been cre-ated anew on such occasions, in accommodation tothe organic defects, are we not inevitably led toconclude that an intelligence exists within theman as distinct in its identity from the mind "asthe light of Heaven, though it may be like that


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AND SPIRITUAL BEING. 51light shaded awhile from our view" by the passingcloud of mental aberration, arising from organicdisease.

In addition to the three primary powers or fac-ulties of the soul, namely, Will, Keason and Con-science, the great Creator has endowed it also withthree simple passions, and which are severallyknown as Love, Hope and Joy. Love, may be re-garded in the abstract as the soul's intense desirefor an object ; hope, the expectation of possessingit ; joy, the soul's emotion when the object is ob-tained. Of these three passions, the first must beregarded as the greatest, for without it the othertwo can be scarcely said to exist. Those passionsappear to possess several peculiarities of a beauti-ful and extraordinary character. At the present weshall notice but one, the fact, that between them andthe primary powers there exists a connexion inti-mate and beautiful, and of such a nature and char-acter that each primary faculty may be understoodas being represented by its corresponding passion.Thus the will, by love; reason, by hope; and con-science in joy. This connexion is not merelyimaginary or ideal, for the humblest capacity canunderstand that ere the soul loves, the will first in-clines to the object. Hope can build her structureonly where reason lays the foundation, and beforethat real joy can exist conscience must approve,firstly as to the object, secondly as to the mode ormeans of procuring it; and thirdly its relation toothers as well as to ourselves. The will is exhib-ited in love, reason in hope, conscience in joy.Love, like the will is voluntary, hope, like reason,


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52 MAN, A MATERIAL, MENTALmust be rational, and real joy like the untroubledconscience is eves pure.But in addition to these the three primary pow-ers and three passions, all of which may be regardedas the essentials of the human soul, its great Cre-ator occasionally or frequently endows it also withgifts of such a character as may, with strict propri-ety, be termed the ornamental and beautiful, andof which from the contemplation of their nature itwould appear that their existence or origin is di-rect from a source independant of all material or-ganization ; evident from the fact that all whopossess do not necessarily transmit them liketheir primary powers and passions to their chil-dren and posterity. " Talent," said Coleridge," lying in the understanding, is often inherited,but genius being the action of reason and imagina-tion, rarely or never." " Genius," said Sir JoshuaKeynolds, " is the power of producing excellen-cies which are out of the reach of the rules of art,a power which no precepts can teach, and whichno industry can acquire." Of this latter opinionwe would remark that it appears to be in perfectharmony with observation and experience, and insupport of which might be submitted the illus-trious Mozart, Benjamin West, Chatterton, andothers, personages who exhibited the gifts and theirpowers at an age in their respective lives whichcould scarcely admit of instruction by rule orof constant application. Mozart, while a childin his mother's arms, would raise his head and lis-ten to the sounds from the church-bells of his na-tive city ; ere he had seen his ninth summer heplayed before and astonished the King and Court


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AND SPIRITUAL BEING. 55of France. "West, while yet a child, faithfullydelineated the countenance of his baby brotherwhom he had rocked to sleep in his cradle.

These and facts of a similar character, confirmwhat we have premised, that their origin is notin ns, nor their existence from ourselves,a truthwhich even the most sensual as well as the mostintellectual are not unwilling to acknowledge.11 Of seven peasants," exclaimed the 8th Henry ofEngland, " I can make seven Lords, but God onlycould make another Hans Holbein." It is told ofTitian, that having on an occasion accidentallydropped his pencil, Charles 5th, who was standingby, lifted it with his own hand, and presenting itto the artist, said, u Titian is worthy of beingserved by Caesar." The compliment of the Em-peror was a homage that he paid to the divinityof genius.

Impressed then with the seal of direct trans-mission from Heaven, they appear to reflect orshadow forth the attributes of the wondrous Beingfrom whom they emanate and by whom they arebestowed on man. Those gifts are termed bymen " inspirations of genius," but more properlydefined as gifts ornamental, endowments from God,Poetry, painting and music,spiritual, intellectualand infinite ; spiritual so far as not being incom-patible with, but rather in keeping with a state ofspiritual existence,reason suggesting the possi-bility of enjoying them therein; intellectual, be-cause eliciting and employing the highest powersof imagination ; infinite, not only in respect totheir diversity of operation, but also as beingpossessed by their recipients without reference to


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54: MAN, A MATERIAL, MENTALmeasure or bounds. If for a moment we wouldregard those gifts as atoms in creation, and con-sidering them as such in relation to the DivineBeing, then, like all other creatures, they are onlyexpressions of His wisdom made tangible to sense,but when considered in respect to man, they are tohim adjuncts of a character extraordinary, present-ing themselves to his imagination as iinks of amysterious chain which binds him to a worldspiritual and unseen, and the encircling of whichholds him as a point in that vast circumferencewhose centre is God. Poetry, painting and music,not only ornamental and beautiful, and adaptedto the highest exercise of man's intellectual facul-ties, but possessing also the power of encreasing orenlarging his enjoyments, in the proportion ofhis admiration of the gift, or, as his gratitude tothe giver encreases.

In addition to their excellency as gifts worthythe Benefactor, or as adding to or encreasing theenjoyments of those who possess them, there isanother point also from which the beauty of thoseinspirations is seen,a power which they possessof assimilating themselves to the imagination ofthose who possess them while retaining their ownoriginality; this, is a feature in their characterthat excites our admiration. For while on theone hand they appear to shadow forth in theirown the attributes of that wondrous Being's na-ture who gave them an existence and bestowedthem on man, they appear on the other to catchfrom him on whom they are bestowed an ex-pression which they reflect as the mirrored imageof the soul of their possessor. Thus it was of the


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AND SPIRITUAL BEING. 55great masters. Though equally inspired, eachwas marked by a style as peculiarly his own. Theinnate majesty of Raphael is expressed in theloftiness of his conception, breathing through hisma

a.j. o'loughlin - man, a material, mental and spiritual being (1860)

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