The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-09-21
MINISTERIAL SKEPTICISM.
WHAT THIN OJBRGY THINK OF MISS
mOsEMAR's MIRACLE.
The Rev. y. NJ. BuckIey Hauling the Rev. =.
". Flat Over the Conir-A CIcrgymnn's
II etImanR 90 the Power Of IInn ninniinn.

The Rev. y. NJ. BuckIey Hauling the REV. =.
~. Flat Over the Conls-A CIcrgymnn'-
Testimony 60 the Power of IMAGINATION.
The New York Methodist preachers seem
70 be skcptica about the miraculous cure ~ the
Rcy. T. H. Platts lameness through the instru-
mentality ~ Miss Mosem ne prayers at Ocean
Grove. The Rev. J. NJ. buckley Yesterday read
an essay on "Modetn Miracles" before large
body Of ministers. lie spoke of Mr.. Plat as the
dune u his own imagination. and declared that
the days Of mir clos we're past. John s. Inskip,
he said once declared at a camp meeting that
he wouId rather be himself on earth than the
Angel Gabriel in heaven, because God had
greater work Tor him than he had Tor Gabriel
but even John 3. Inskip. afflicted as he was with
disease of-the brain tlaughterl, was never rash
enough to clain any power to work miracles.
What are called miracles In our day, he said, are
the result OF enthusiasm, and may be explained
A. accrung from natur I causes. lilo cited the
case. familiar TO most II his hearers, Of child's
arm being broken at night, and entirely healed
by the power Of prayer before the following
morning. He did not believe the arm was broken
at alI One OF the brethren interrupted the
spo ker, saving 1t had been perfectly well at
tested that the childs arm was actually broken.
Mr.. Buckley told the brother he had better re-
main quiet. ~ he would not gain anything by
intefruptiuR him.
WORKING ON THE IMAGINATION,
lie went on to speak Of the latent strength
which often Law unsuspocted IN disabled limbs.
the part OF the patient to spring into life. "a IN
the case OF lad VINO, after being bed ridden
for years, was completely cured bv the necessity
Tor tNertion IN escaping from a burning house.
He then SPOKE Of man who, Oeing compelled
to have bolh his legs amputated. refused to
take cnlorOform. but vigorously played the nd
ole WINE the Oper tor was IA progress nd
aiterward declared that he had not been von-
scious OF any raln, fact attested by three pny-
laughter Of his hearers, " should not have be-
lteved Il myself IL had not seen It, aud didn't
see IT,"
He related several instances Of cures wrought
by himself by merely working on the imagiua-
aions and sp SINS with bronchial troches. and on
one occasion healed "A confirmed case OF inhama-
tory rheuma ism, eau Ing the swelling 70 sub
become straight, nv applying n pair Of steel
knitting needles. The brethren all knew Philp
Philips. One night he said he was unable to oil
an engaRement To sing AZ sacred CON
cert, owing To severe headache. Mr.. Buckley
completely cured him and enabled him to sing
by pressing silver dollar to hi. forehead with.
out letting him see It, but telling him that 10
WIS metallic compound superstition, he said,
was at the bottom OF the so-caled miracle Of
which the Rev. 5. II. Platt had been the subject.
God had done nothing special for him. lie
would not charge him with having made false
statements, but certainly the pamphlet he had
published convicted him OF having left the i'm
preston that his case was worse than IL really
had been. lie had never lost the power to stand
or to ieel pain. lie had himself seen MIR. Plat
standing and moving bout on a platform Tor
forty-nve minutes while he delivered an address.
Again, in Meriden ON the IL Ia ~ last April
lie stood up at camp meeting without
the aid ~ crutch or cane, and spoke for twenty
I've minutes. His theory, as expressed 10 Miss
Mosem ~ when she came to tell him from the
Lord that the Use Of MS limbs might be re-
~ red TO him, that IL was not the CHRISTIANS
privilege TO pray FOR temporal welfare, was, Mr..
Buckley said, a gross superstition. ana his two
works, a." Princeiy Manhood" and "Queenly
MNfuIuhDuu.' shown
all who had read tuem tnat the AUTHORS mind
was in an abnormal state. The last book, in
deed, was Of the class that had before now
attempted 10 introduce unbridled RIGHTEOUSNESS
into the community.
MIR. PLATT's PAMPHLET.
Mr. Buckley then won't on To analyze Mr..
Platts pamphlet, dwelling especially on the adj
mission that after the alleged miraculous cure
the author frequertly felt the pain return to his
knees. and always proved before exerting him
self what asked Mr.. Buckley, should Ne
think OF the cure Of horse tnat mad to be
given condition powders on the day OF the sale
ana ALWAYS afterward when he was exercised
Ana what shall we think Of Brother Platt's cure
In view OF the fact that Ire goes praying through
the world to avoid rcturn 81 his affection
Either the Lord cured him or ne din not II he
did he cured MIN completely. II he did not,
why then he dtu not.
These modern miracles. the speaker added.
are an eNcrs-euce ON Christi lnity. and ir n,,
cluid not tina better miracles recouutcd iu the
Scugturts than that claimed 10 nave been per
formed upon Sir. Plat. ne would spend the fe-
main or II nj days IN trying To prove the bible
myth. No miracle had ever been vOucnedtcd
30 favor Of the brightest lights OF the church in
the hour Of their sore-t need and vet men who
might be blotted out from Christianity and for
gotten m twenty years had the iusuncrahie
cgutism 10 ask the world to believe thai they
had been made the special objects Of Gods in-
terpo-itiOn.
In conclusion, he said he believed Miss Nose
mans miracle TO ue a sh IN, and offered to per
form sucn miracles witn her or any one else In
puptc without claiming any special aid from
heaven.