_Ans._ Yes.
614. (59.) Do fishes require atmospheric oxygen while swimming, (water
consisting of 8 parts in 9 of pure oxygen,) in order to get at the
spiritual gas associated with the former?
_Ans._ The spiritual gas imperceptibly accompanying atmospheric air is
especially necessary to fishes.
615. (60.) Creed is alleged to be productive of no obstruction to
ascendency in the spiritual world.
_Ans._ Belief, being an _involuntary_ act of the mind, has no merit or
culpability attached to it, excepting so far as it is the consequence
or is productive of prejudices; the advance of a spirit is retarded by
these defects.
616. (61.) As in the spiritual world there is no necessity, desire,
or passion which spirits can gratify by violence or fraud, on what is
virtue founded? Where there is no motive or power to do wrong, where is
the merit of doing right?
_Ans._ In the spheres, vice is displayed by the endurance of bad
passions; virtue is manifested by love, purity, and the aspiration for
improvement.
617. (62.) As the diversities of human character are clearly the
results of organization and education, neither of which can be
controlled by the human beings whose merit or demerit is the inevitable
consequence, how can there be any culpability? It is true that a man
can act as he wills; but is not his will the creature of his passions
and reason jointly? If his passions be increased, will not reason be
less capable of controlling them? and, _vice versâ_, if his passions be
enfeebled or his reason strengthened, will not his passions have less
sway? Does it not follow that while we must in self-defence resist or
restrain those who cannot govern themselves, should we not commiserate
all who have the misfortune to be so badly constituted?
_Ans._ We are no more able to answer that than you.
618. (63.) When a being virtuously constituted is murdered by one of
the opposite character, who is most an object of commiseration? which
is most favoured as a creature of God? Is not the difference between
these beings analogous to that between the dog and the wolf? Both
creatures of God—one is to be extirpated, the other cherished, as an
inevitable consequence of the laws of creation?
_Ans._ The victim is most favoured.
619. (64.) Has not the analogy between a wicked or a savage man, and
one who has the advantage of a good organization and education, a
better exemplification in the case of a wild dog, and one brought up
by a kind master, since the wild dog is reclaimable, may be reformed,
and so may the bad or savage man. Hence, in the spheres, is not
punishment or restraint made with a view to reformation rather than as
a retribution for inevitable defects?
_Ans._ Correct.