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The Immortality of the Soul—History of the Doctrine

By D.M. Canright

"If the soul is immortal, and lives without the body, what is the use of a resurrection?" Join D.M. Canright as he traces the history of the immortality of the soul from Egypt, through all its developments, until it was received into the church.

D.M. CanrightPart 1

The Immortality of the Soul—History of the Doctrine

THE Chinese, a very numerous people, do not believe the doctrine of the soul's immortality.—Click to read this article

THE Chinese, a very numerous people, do not believe the doctrine of th...

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D.M. CanrightPart 2

The Immortality of the Soul—History of the Doctrine

THE Damaras, one author says, "have no expectation of a future state." (Dalton, p. 189.) Another author says, "Though the Damaras do not profess absolutely to believe in a life hereafter, they have a confused notion of a future state." (Anderson's Ngami, p. 222.) The reader will see that there is no countenance for the immortal-soul doctrine here.—Click to read this article

THE Damaras, one author says, "have no expectation of a future state."...

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D.M. CanrightPart 3

The Immortality of the Soul—History of the Doctrine

THE Egyptians were among the most ancient of nations. It is a well-known fact that they were celebrated for embalming the dead.—Click to read this article

THE Egyptians were among the most ancient of nations. It is a well-kno...

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D.M. CanrightPart 4

The Immortality of the Soul—History of the Doctrine

THE Peruvians were among the oldest and most civilized of the nations of South America at the time of its discovery by the Spaniards.—Click to read this article

THE Peruvians were among the oldest and most civilized of the nations ...

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D.M. CanrightPart 5

The Immortality of the Soul—History of the Doctrine

WE come now to the time of Polybius, who was born B. C. 203.—Click to read this article

WE come now to the time of Polybius, who was born B. C. 203.

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D.M. CanrightPart 6

The Immortality of the Soul—History of the Doctrine

WE have now seen that of the different sects of philosophers, the Aristotelians, the Epicureans, the Stoics, the Academics, and the Pyrrhonists, deified the immortality of the soul; and that the great mass of the people agreed with them on this subject.—Click to read this article

WE have now seen that of the different sects of philosophers, the Aris...

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D.M. CanrightPart 7

The Immortality of the Soul—History of the Doctrine

IF the reader supposes that the first ideas which the ancients had of the soul were the same as those popular among us now, he needs to be undeceived.—Click to read this article

IF the reader supposes that the first ideas which the ancients had of ...

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D.M. CanrightPart 8

The Immortality of the Soul—History of the Doctrine

THAT the popular descriptions of hell were mere fables of poets, designed to scare the common people into obedience, was freely confessed by all writers. —Click to read this article

THAT the popular descriptions of hell were mere fables of poets, desig...

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D.M. CanrightPart 9

The Immortality of the Soul—History of the Doctrine

GENERALLY, no error is born into the world fully grown and perfectly developed; but it has a gradual growth, and passes through different stages of development till it becomes a regular system. —Click to read this article

GENERALLY, no error is born into the world fully grown and perfectly d...

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D.M. CanrightPart 10

The Immortality of the Soul—History of the Doctrine

THE next point to be noticed is that Greece, Rome, and other nations, borrowed their systems of religion, especially the doctrine of the soul, from Egypt. To this fact all historians testify. —Click to read this article

THE next point to be noticed is that Greece, Rome, and other nations, ...

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D.M. CanrightPart 11

The Immortality of the Soul—History of the Doctrine

THE greatest name that appears in the history of the doctrine of the immortality of the soul is that of PLATO.—Click to read this article

THE greatest name that appears in the history of the doctrine of the i...

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D.M. CanrightPart 12

The Immortality of the Soul—History of the Doctrine

We will now briefly notice the history and influence of Plato's teachings and followers. —Click to read this article

We will now briefly notice the history and influence of Plato's teachi...

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D.M. CanrightPart 13

The Immortality of the Soul—History of the Doctrine

THAT Plato's doctrine of the immortality of the soul was adopted by this New Platonic school as the corner-stone of its system, is plainly declared on all hands.—Click to read this article

THAT Plato's doctrine of the immortality of the soul was adopted by th...

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D.M. CanrightPart 14

The Immortality of the Soul—History of the Doctrine

THE reason why that heathen doctrine spread so widely and so rapidly in the church, is shown by the following from an eminent historian: —Click to read this article

THE reason why that heathen doctrine spread so widely and so rapidly i...

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D.M. CanrightPart 15

The Immortality of the Soul—History of the Doctrine

So thoroughly was Origen possessed with Plato's doctrine of the immortal soul, that, though he professed to be a Christian and to believe the Bible, yet, says Hagenback, in his "History of Christian Doctrine," "Origen teaches that a belief in the doctrine of the resurrection of the body is not absolutely essential to the profession of Christianity, provided the immortality of the soul be maintained."—Click to read this article

So thoroughly was Origen possessed with Plato's doctrine of the immort...

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D.M. CanrightPart 16

The Immortality of the Soul—History of the Doctrine

MR. DOWLING has brought a great amount of evidence showing that popery is little more than paganism with another name. —Click to read this article

MR. DOWLING has brought a great amount of evidence showing that popery...

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D.M. CanrightPart 17

The Immortality of the Soul—History of the Doctrine

AS SOON as Plato's doctrine of the soul's immortality was accepted by the church, its baleful fruits began to appear in the wildest forms of fanaticism. —Click to read this article

AS SOON as Plato's doctrine of the soul's immortality was accepted by ...

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D.M. CanrightPart 18

The Immortality of the Soul—History of the Doctrine

IT is also noticeable that a large number of those in the Christian church who first began to believe and teach the Platonic notion of the immortality of the soul, with it also taught the restoration, or universal salvation, of all souls. —Click to read this article

IT is also noticeable that a large number of those in the Christian ch...

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D.M. CanrightPart 19

The Immortality of the Soul—History of the Doctrine

WE now come in the history of our subject to inquire into the faith and teaching of those who in the Christian church were the immediate successors of the apostles.—Click to read this article

WE now come in the history of our subject to inquire into the faith an...

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