These passages are in sharp conflict with Theology, for the word "soul" is used of

animals as well as man. Moreover, the very expression "breath of life" is also similarly

used and explained in Gen. 7: 21, 22:--

This breath of life, which, entering the man at his creation, made him become a living

soul, is precisely same breath of life which made the beast of the field and fish of the sea

become living souls. Solomon, who wrote with inspiration equal to that of Moses or

Paul, and who had given him from God a wise and understanding heart, so that there was

none like him before or since (I Kings 3: 12), and who, moreover, tells us that "That

which was written was upright, even words of truth" (Eccles. 12: 10), declared, "That

which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts, as one dieth, so dieth the other, yea, they

have all one breath (or spirit, Heb. ruach)" (Eccles. iii.19). Cf. Gen. ii.17; iii.19, and Psa.

Death comes alike to each. So far as this world is concerned all stand upon a level.

"A man hath no pre-eminence above a beast, as one dieth, so dieth the other" (Eccles. 3:

19, 20). Yet a striking difference is indicated between the life of man and beast--we are

to live again, they are not. "The spirit (translated `breath,' verse19) of man goeth upward;

the spirit of the beast goeth downward" (Eccles. 3: 21). Different in destiny but not in

nature, for "all have one spirit" (Eccles. iii.19). "Then shall the dust return to the earth as

it was, and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it" (Eccles. 12: 7).

There are not a few who profess a belief in the inspiration of the Scriptures who,

finding their traditions upset by the book of Ecclesiastes, loftily exclaim, Oh! That is

"under the sun," we know better than Solomon! This book specializes, shall we say, on

the frailty and vanity of man by nature, and for that reason we should pay heed to its

teaching. We might as well refuse to believe what Paul wrote concerning the mystery for

fear he was prejudiced, or Moses concerning the law. Away with such pretences. Those

who must have the immortality of the soul as part of their creed, let them call God's truth

a lie if they dare, and we will, at least, credit them with inconsistency, but let them not

prate about belief in inspiration while they perpetuate the teaching of the arch-enemy of

truth, who ever seeks to minister to the pride of man whose breath is in his nostrils, and

to dishonour God "Who only hath immortality."

The New Testament is entirely in agreement with the Old Testament, e.g., read Acts

7: 59. Stephen when dying prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit" (not `soul' as

tradition demands, but `spirit,' as Eccles. 12: 7 teaches), that He might keep for him that

life till resurrection, "and when he had said this he fell asleep." How refreshing it is to

turn from the assumption of the so-called orthodox teachers to the clear commentary of

the apostle Paul on Gen. 2: 7. Man sees in the term, "a living soul," a synonym for

immortality; not so the inspired apostle:--