, 1872-10-13
THE POW ER OF PRAYER.

4 church-member suggests, in lions Herald,
q new test Of the efficacy Of prayer, which ha
believes the Church in general Will be willing to
accept. he proposes that some one shall ee-
Iect fifty abandoned wretchas; that their names
and sketches OF their characters shall be given
to q number OF Christian men and women; and
that these latter, without the knowledge OF the
subjects Of the experiment, shall pray for their
conversion every day for year. The proposer
says:
would like to juin in such test ax this aud should
have no fears to the result Ct such experiment.
VIII those who challenge the faith Of the Church
cept the conditions, and hide the tssue and accept its
teaehings9
The fact that such scheme has been suggest
ed ia pleasing incident in this somewhat EN-
bittered controversy. Both parties have been
to blame. The men who indorEed the test pro-
posed By Professor Tyndalrs friend have too
often done go in an arrogant, sneering man-
ner, that was sufficient IN itself to prevent
the trial. Then, again, they hare boasted of the
unw1llingness Of Christians to submit to such
test, arguing that the latter we're unwilling be-
cause they we're afraid, aud that this proved
their side OF the question. OF course, it really
proved nothing. It would have been strange il
single plan, without modification, had pleased
everybody. Neither the rejection OF this nor
Of all others wonld show fear The1a are some
thorough beliefs which men hare, and which
they would get be 10th to submit to test, how
ever sure Of the result. An English review
illustrates this by saying that & suggestion to
husband to test his Hlfe's honor would be bitter
" resented as an insult Yet man's love for
his wife and his belief in her ase often excel1ed
br 3 Christians lore fox, and belief in, his
creed, down to its minutast part In failure
to comprehend this fact, and its consequences.
lies the chief error Of the innovator5-
On the other hand, the tone taken in reply to
the proposed innovation has often been need
lessly offensive 1t is denounced, sgain and
again, Is ;'impious." This is absurd No hon.
est search for truth can ever be iuplous, no
matter how far from the truth the seeker may
stray The Bible maintains also, by implication,
at least, that the sun rerolyes around the earth
No one objects now to an a]lego.ical interpreta-
ton of the passages concerning the latter state
ment, and in this way science and revelation are
1econciled. But when Gali1eo wrote, he COIL
batted as deeply fixed belief as that Of to-day
in the efEcacy Of prayer. It Was not his hitting
upon the truth that kept him from inpiety- It he
had been wrong, he would still have been free
from tina: reproach- And SO, whether right or
wrong in fact, the believers in Tyndall ara right
in maintaining what they believe to be the truth,
and should have fair hearing from the believers
in PRAYER The suggestion Of this new scheme
elbows that some, at least of the latter are ready
to give the former such hearing.
TIE therefore regret the mora that the new
scheme seems scarcely as fair test as the old
one The curious influence OF oae mind upon
another, although many miles apart (shown by
prophetic dreams. by the so-called spiritual man
ifee:ations, andbymesrner!sm). is acknowledged
Every man who gains power over his fellows is
a man OF strong will There can be no greater
strengthener OF the will than belief in eo1ne
religion. In every age, delicate women and
timid children have dared to diefor beliefs sake.
Their faith made them strong. Their will,
usually worthless IS force, carried
them through hours Of agony without
grcan or tear. The party
OF prayer might, then, by mere force Of will, get
such uegmeric mastery over the minds Of those
.,.,ol F,. +bo+ +l,n y,o,to1 rfarra nf conversion
plAssa ~ .,a% sAo o;.1,. 49, -asn,t - tta NV
"oa1o p.a.s IsI - - .o,,,actio,
49, .ast ,, 1,h1s;ca7 chanca
.na,s - ~. tsse - ha 1Fa5nced - he sr,ra tie
ns - 49, ~,st;a,ts +h,+ tha;r recnvarv
80 ~, es9an;a1 o,,isrt ~ ,ravar zvon,d tend to
w., ..oota1 oo,7;t,on faro-eb,a n That re-
s~,-s T1,a -,o-.a-f,1 ;r7ue7,c., ~ mind unon
t.san E,s &c. has,, rao++a,tad onca noore. nv
~ ss,n;racn,onsn rsator-tjon To hea1th Of