But because the church, on the authority of the Word, believes in the immortality of the soul, they could not but ascribe to it some vital principle like thought, although they deny it a sensitive principle such as man has, until it is again conjoined to the body. This is the foundation of the prevailing doctrine of the resurrection, and of the belief that the soul and the body will be again united a the time of the last judgment.
Hence it is, that when any one thinks about the soul according to the prevailing doctrine and hypothesis, he does not at all comprehend that it is a spirit and in human form. In addition to this, scarcely any one at this day is aware what the spiritual nature is, and still less that spiritual beings,—as all spirits and angels are,—have any human form.
Hence it is that almost all who pass out of this world into the other, are greatly astonished to find themselves alive, and that they are men equally as before; that they see, hear and speak; that their bodies enjoy the sense of touch as before; and that there is no discernible difference whatever. But when they cease to wonder at themselves, they then wonder that the church knows nothing about such a state of man after death, thus nothing about heaven or hell; when yet all who have ever lived in the world, have passed into the other life and are living as men. And because they also wondered why this was not revealed to man by visions, seeing it is an
