, none of these, according to the Bible, are the agency claimed to
be present in Spiritualism.

Another fact in reference to this point, should be allowed its decisive
bearing. The question now under investigation is, Is the soul immortal, as
Spiritualism has taken upon itself to teach, and claims to demonstrate?
The Bible is found to be so lavish in the use of the terms "soul" and
"spirit," that these words occur in the aggregate, _seventeen hundred
times_. Seventeen hundred times, by way of description, analysis,
narrative, historical facts, or declarations of what they can do, or
suffer, the Bible has something to say about "soul" and "spirit." The most
important question to be settled concerning them, certainly, is whether
they are immortal or not. Will not the Bible, so freely treating of these
terms, answer this question? Very strange, indeed, if it does not. But
does it once affirm that either the soul or the spirit is immortal?--_Not
once!_ Does it ever apply to them the terms "eternal," "deathless,"
"neverdying," or any word that bears the necessary meaning of
immortal?--Not in a single instance. Does it apply to them any term from
which even an inference, necessary or remote, can be drawn that they are
immortal? Even reduced to this attenuated form, the answer is still an
emphatic and overwhelming, _No!_ Well, then, does it say _anything_ about
the nature and capabilities of existence of that which it denominates soul
or spirit?--Yes; it says the soul is in danger of the grave, may die, be
destroyed, killed, and that the spirit may be wounded, cut off, preserved,
and so, conversely, made to perish.

It is sometimes claimed that it is not necessary that the Bible should
affirm the immortality of the soul, because it is so self-evident a fact
that it is taken for granted. But no one surely can suppose that the
immortality of the soul is more self-evident than that of Jehovah; yet the
Bible has seen fit to affirm his immortality in most direct terms. 1 Tim.
1:17: "Now unto the King eternal, _immortal_, invisible, the only wise
God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen." 1 Tim. 6:16: "Who only
hath _immortality_, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto;
whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and power
everlasting. Amen." Let, then, similar Bible testimony be found concerning
the soul; that is, that it is "immortal," or "hath immortality," and the
taken-for-granted device will not be