, 1872-11-26
r.,o,,, CIR 0rn Correspondent

brought about by Professor Tyndall's proposal
to test prayer scientifically; that is for instance,
Of frst-rate physicians and surgeons, and make
it, at the same time, the object Of special
PRAYERS; and, ut the end Of a certain period to
compare the mortality with other wards Elnil-
=rly managed ss to tho surgeons but lacking ;s as
up. proceeded with the question, does prayer
make any difference7 In the Doctors opinion,
IT DOES NOT,
wh1n the prayer is put, as he calls it, against
law; when ne ask childishly for the d1outh to
oease, for fire to be stayed, or pestilence put
ns1de. God does not alter his irn1nuiable laws
FOR special cases or special petitions. The ac-
.eDtance of the Deity sad these laws as for our.
gGpd ii IL the the nosso1s sRa opnon s fes
.he only eficacious prayer: Prayer that seeks X
nnly personal ends, and asks not for the public
good, is idle The graadest spoken petition is
''TuG WILDE DONE"
Il is 1ct something for lis to be bowed down and
.rrzhed by, but to rise to. PRAYER is, neither
word or phrase. hut motion of the mind, aspira-
:ioa, sympathetic reliance on the La" and love
u God. To instance the Gbsurdltles OF these
special Petitions the Doctor told some very
good ctories. One YVES about . Congregational
fair. Ono Of tie leading feminine spirits came
With great carrestncss to slster spl11t, and
said: ssNow, Just think OF this; we Lave con-
Quoted cur fair The strictost religious prlncl-
pies; we have had no rafes, no lotteries Of any
kind: and We hare had 1e,y little success = Sue
thought, said the Doctor, that God might have
given them better SUCCESS to pay them Tor the
principle. But, says the Doctor, God
I5S'T TIE ALMIGHTY HUcKsTER
that He is supposed to be by such minds.
4 popular Clergyman was then quoted, vino
speaks Of the Radicals as .tcertain pert essay
lists !" '' and suppose" says the Doctor, shlyy
ssthat he means Emerson, and Higginson, and
Weiss, and won't say who else." "These
pert essayists - according to the popular clergy
snare. And, il Christianity is delusion," says
the popular clergyman, 81 it is blessed delu-
sion.h '.Not ut ell," answers the Doctor;
ssSo DELus1oS IS BLESSED.
am not going to wrap myself in any blessed
ness Of that sort Faith is real, delusiye faith is
nothing"
The Doctor then referred to public prayers !;
said that they were difficult things; that they
should be as brief and simple as possible. In
the last weeks fiery horror, he said, he took
And 60, the essay coming to close, the
Doctor, dropping his role Of reader, assumed his
Office as host, sDd
INVITED MR. GARRISON,
who is so seldom amongst us, to speak. "He
has already given us the blessing of his
presence" Gays the Doctor; ssnow We Eant the
blessing Of bis word" DIr. Garrison replied that
he preferred Quaker meeting. The Doctor
then remarked that Mr.. Garrison would probably
speak when the spirit moved, and he hoped it
As the Doctor SIT down after this, our new
man,
1R. LEwEs,
burned determined face. partially to the Chair
and partially to the audience, and vehement1Y
protested against the scientists, end the whole
modern free thinking, theory Of prayer. he said
t:4as, if you put prayer upon that basis, and give
l. that interpretation, it will lead to fatals and
ceGeEecacy.
LIE nEL1EyED II SPECIAL PRA9Kns
.at}g II. l1a1 4f Ear
ing ard feryor, s;,oEo Of the mother at The bed
s.de OF T. sick child, praying for it to be spared
TO her. This prayer, and the belief that this
prayer would be eiicacious, were the mothers
great heip, and that God might answer her
IT. e m r.: 7a,-- -r