"Would you perhaps a.s.sign to spirits a place in the immaterial world?
How could you imagine, without contradiction, that s.p.a.ce or place can exist in _such_ a world? If one spirit does not occupy a room, then all spirits together can occupy none, how could therefore any proportion exist among them with relation to s.p.a.ce or place?"
"I comprehend and do not comprehend you. You want to convince me of the possibility of apparitions of spirits, and deny the existence of spirits; for if they do occupy no place either in the visible or invisible world, _where_ else can they exist?"
"How sensitive and confused your ideas are! Don"t you perceive that your question is equal to this: _in which place_ do spirits exist? and that, of course, you premise in your question what I have just clearly proved to be absurd. Do you not comprehend that _room_ and _place_ are nothing else but _external_ qualities, only relations of _material_ things? and do you believe that the existence of any being depends merely on external qualities and material relations?"
"Have patience with me!"
"I have; for I am well aware how difficult it is to abstract from material ideas; however, since they cannot be applicable to spirits we must renounce them, else we cannot pa.s.s over the bounds of the material world."
"I intreat you, Hiermanfor, to go on!"
"From our investigation we have learnt, as yet, nothing farther than what a spirit is _not_, and what attributes _cannot_ be ascribed to it.
We now must endeavour to state what _real_ qualities const.i.tute the nature of spirits. One of them we have already touched upon; I mean, independence of the laws of physical nature, or _arbitrary choice_. A second quality presses upon us, namely the _faculty of perception_, which our soul is endowed with like all other spirits. And now we are enabled to form a notion of spirits, which, however imperfect it be, yet is determined: a spirit is a simple being, endowed with _arbitrary choice_, and the _faculty of perception_. Don"t you think that this definition answers the common manner of speaking."
"An additional proof of its fitness."
"In the same manner in which the body evinces its existence, by the material effect it produces in the room, the spirit likewise proves its existence by the manifestation of its faculty of perception and of free will. However evident and generally received this proposition is, yet it is misapplied very frequently; for it is, according to my premises, absolutely false, and nothing else but a kind of optic illusion, if we imagine our soul to be inclosed in the human body, nay even in some particular place of it. This illusion may be opposed by another: there are diversions of thought, in which the thinking principle leaves our body so entirely, that only the animal powers are active in the latter, and on the return of our awakening self-consciousness, the soul seems to return from far distant regions. However, this too is mere illusion. We can say nothing farther of the union which subsists between our soul and body, than that our soul is sensible of the existence of a corporeal organ, the mutations of which harmonise exactly with her ideas and resolutions; however, as you never will suppose that your spirit is inclosed by the walls of Amelia"s distant habitation, where your whole soul, with all her sentiments and ideas, is, as it were, translated to; so your spirit can also not be supposed to be inclosed in your body, which seems to be its common residence. No, no, my Lord, that cannot be!
the bonds of s.p.a.ce can never fetter an immaterial being to a material one."
"This is indeed the natural conclusion which flows from your premises; but by _what_ bonds should then the communion between body and soul be preserved?"
"Your question refers to a fact, the answer to it, consequently, belongs to the practical part of this philosophy. Yet," added the Irishman after some reflections, "I can give you a hint upon that head, which will throw some light upon it: Every substance, consequently the body too, must possess an internal activity, that is the invisible cause of its external actions, which are visible in the s.p.a.ce. This internal principle of the body, acts upon the spirit in the same manner in which the spirit acts upon this principle. Soul and body, consequently, cannot act upon each other _immediately_, but only by means of this principle.
As all material beings, concretively taken, compose a great totum, which is called the physical world, so the concrete of all immaterial beings composes what we call the immaterial world. It follows from the antecedent, that the order, regularity, and union which are seen in the former world, are entirely different from the order, regularity, and union which prevails in the latter world. All material beings are subject to the sceptre of stern necessity, and kept in order by physical laws; the rank which these beings maintain towards one another, is founded either on innate qualities, or such as have been attributed to them by general agreement; and they are nearer each other, or more distant from one another, according to their relations const.i.tuted by s.p.a.ce and time. How different is this in the material world! rational beings, endowed with free will, are subject to no other laws but to those of morality; the prerogatives and degrees which subsist among them, depend on the different degrees of their wisdom and virtue, and according to the similarity or difference of their manner of thinking, and of their sentiments, they are nearer each other, or more distant from one another; that is, they harmonize, or disharmonize. Man belongs, by virtue of his body and soul, to both of these worlds, and, consequently, is connected with the material and immaterial world. It may therefore happen, that the same person who acts an important part on earth, in virtue of his physical or political situation, occupies at the same time the lowest degree among the super-terrestrial beings; that the soul of a body whose beauty charms every eye here below, is an indifferent, or a contemptible object in the spiritual world; that the soul of an inhabitant of Saturn, and that of an inhabitant of the earth, with regard to their spiritual communion, are oftentimes, nearer neighbours than the souls of those whose abode is beneath the same roof."
"This is very plain!"
(_To be continued._)
_For the +New-York Weekly Magazine+._
CHARACTER OF A GOOD MAN.
Agatho makes the interest of mankind, in a manner, his own; and has a tender and affectionate concern for their welfare; he cannot think himself happy, whatever his possessions and his preferments are, while he sees others miserable; his power and wealth delight him chiefly, as the poor and indigent are better for it; and the greatest charm of prosperity is the advantage it affords of relieving his fellow-creatures; and to give a.s.sistance and support, according to the various exigencies of those with whom he converses, is his constant endeavour; and that he may practice the more large and generous charity, he retrenches useless pomp and expence, esteeming that a much more sublime and n.o.ble gratification than the amus.e.m.e.nts and gallantries of a vain and luxurious age. In fine, he is unwearied in his endeavours to promote the happiness of others, and he not only takes all opportunities that present themselves of doing good, but seeks all occasions to be useful, though he has frequently met with ungrateful returns----He is good.
ANECDOTE.
Sir William Lilly, a famous painter in the reign of king Charles I. had at a certain agreement drawn the picture of a rich citizen of London to the life, that was not indebted to nature either for face or proportion of body; but when the citizen came to fetch it away, he refused to give Sir William so much money, as they had agreed for, because, as he alleged, if the owner did not buy it, it would lie upon his hands.
"That"s your mistake," says the painter, "for I can sell it for double the price I demand." "How can that be," says the citizen, "for "tis like n.o.body but myself?" ""Tis true," says Sir William, "but I will draw a tail to it, and then it will be the best piece for a monkey in England."
Upon which the citizen rather than be exposed, paid down his money and took away his picture.
MAXIMS.
What gold is in the crucible that refines it, the learned man is in his country.
The wise and learned in his own opinion, is but an ignorant person in the eyes of G.o.d and men.
It is less difficult to divert a wicked man from his iniquitous schemes, than to dispel the sorrows of a heart that permits grief to prey upon it.
_NEW-YORK._
MARRIED,
On Wednesday last, by the Rev. Mr. Beach, Mr. GARLAND DAVIES, to Miss ELIZABETH BARTON, both of this city.
On Thursday evening, the 29th ult. by the Rev. Mr. Woodhull, Mr. WILLIAM LAWRENCE, merchant, to Miss MARGARET VAN HORNE, daughter of Mr. James Van Horne, merchant, late of this city, deceased.
On Sat.u.r.day evening last by the Rev. Dr. M"Knight, DANIEL PARIS, Esq. of Montgomery county, to Miss KITTY IRVING, daughter of Mr. William Irving of this city.
The same evening, by the Rev. Dr. M"Knight, Mr. JONAS MAPES, to Miss ELIZABETH TYLEE, daughter of Mr. James Tylee of this city.
On Sunday evening last, by the Rev. Dr. Foster, Mr. THOMAS RINGWOOD, Printer, to Miss CATHARINE HERBERT, both of this city.
_METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS._ _From the 2d to the 8th inst._
_Days of the Month._ _Thermometer observed at 6, A.M. 3, P.M._ _Prevailing winds._ _OBSERVATIONS on the WEATHER._
deg. deg. 6. 3. 6. 3.
100 100 Oct 2 54 60 75 ne. do. cloudy lht. wd. do.
3 53 54 ne. do. rain high wd. do.
4 51 65 n. do. cloudy h. wd. do. do.
5 53 63 75 sw. e. cloudy calm do. do.
6 52 63 nw. w. cloudy lt. wd. clear do.
7 46 59 nw. do. clear, light wind do.
8 44 57 n. w. clear, light wd. do.