Wilmington daily gazette., 1872-11-26
For the Gazette.

For the Gazette.
Mr.. EDITOR BE so kind as to allow an
humble and obscure country clergyman the use
Of your columns tor the purpose Of asking
whether the eminent men who are in charge of
oar religious press have not done some little in
justice to Prof Tyndal. and also to the practical
value Of religion, by scouting the proposition
made to test the efficacy Of prayers for the sick
in the same way that we test other things. Ifit
be proper, and not irreverent to say to an editor.
ss our missionaries have done, ''they have no
power to defend themselves, let us destroy these
idols" where is the improperly Of any relig
ious test, which proposes to Christians that they
ahow the public the practical utility Of any rcli2.
ious ceremony done in public?
Tyndal does not, in this case, call in question
the mysterious powers and personal gifts Of
religion, but he seems to confne himself to
one issue, and that public one. He might
admit the folly Of assuming anything upon the
results Of specific cases Of prayer; because, who
knows the will Of the Lord in any one case Of
sickness?
But he assumes that the Lord allows all cases
to determine themselves by certain fixed laws;
or that, as a sovereign, he sets aside these laws
in some cases, in order to crafty suppiants who
honor Him by publicly confessing their conf
dence in His power and good will. He does
not contemplate the prayers that ask nothing
definite, and expect nothing; but he contem
plates such as ask and expect some sort Of relief
Take, says he,a number OF sick persons, divide
them into two parties, each equal to the other
in all things let each party be treated by skilled
nurses and physicians; let one have the benefit
Of the prayers the church; if there be any real
benefit to the sick in healing them, from the
prayers of the church, it must be apparent in
the aggregated results"
Now, if there be anything monsrous in this
proposition It must be so to him who fears the
results. In other words, an unbelievlng church
might regard any enquiry into the results oi
prayer as monstrous; while church that has u
commission, go heal the sick" and that has
acted under it for centuries, can have no such
feeling; but it would rather invite the most
thorough scrutiny. Moreover, this is in exact
accord with the results of that gift to the church
which has to do with the mysterious being that
lives in the body; for "by their fruits shall ye
know ,hem." Now, five are to know the work
Of the Holy Ghost upon mankind by their out
tard fruits; is it not to be expected also that We
5 may discern the fruits Of public prayers for the
sck; not indeed in any individual case, but ir
the aggregate Of many cases?
What then is the intent Of such works as ",h'
power of prayer" by DR.. Prime? or "Arvine'.
Religious Anecdotes - or thousand othel
books published to herald wonderful cases il
which prayer has been answered? Shall 1t b'
said that we are always ready to publish results
but are nor able to submit results to scientific
inquiry
Fearing that your limits might exclude
longer article, beg leave to reserve my mos
interesting statements for another paper.
Yours &C., SWANDALE.