The Soul, Its Sorrows and Its Aspirations An Essay Towards the Natural History of the Soul

Excerpt from The Soul, Its Sorrows and Its Aspirations: An Essay Towards the Natural History of the Soul I have been at a loss for a title to this Essay, which, while short enough, would fairly warn the reader of its character. I at first entitled it, an Essay on the Positive Foundations of Practical Religion; and afterwards, On the Directness of Knowledge in Things Spiritual: but gradually found that it was necessary to go into such details concerning the Pathology of the spiritual organ, that I might possibly seem to have entrapped the reader into a more experimental discussion than he could have calculated on. My present title, I think, gives fair warning to those who dislike such books; and at the same time sufficiently well explains the end in view. By the Soul we understand that side of human nature upon which we are in contact with the Infinite, and with God, the Infinite Personality: in the Soul therefore alone is it possible to know God; and the correctness of our knowledge must depend eminently on the healthy, active and fully developed condition of our organ. While the well-being of Man is the chief reason for coveting a knowledge of God, and all sound theology must aim ultimately at a practical end, the direct object of this Essay is nevertheless more scientific than practical. A Natural History of the Soul demands some notice of its diseased as well as its healthy state, and of its growth from infancy towards maturity. How this is a basis for Theology will appear of itself. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.