The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-10-03
THE METHODIST MIRACLE-WHAT
OF IT?

To THE EDITOR THE HRRALD:-
great hallabaoo has been raised about the cure Of
Rev. s A. Platt OF Brooklyn of lameness Of long
standing or both knees The great questions are
Is he cured, or is he not? Is 1t miracle or is IT not
Some say it Is and others say it is not that the
controversy after all resolves itself into Of veraciy
between the interested parties Mr. Patt in pam
phlct published by him says, he lame in one knee
for twenty five years and in both for three years pre-
ceding certain Sabbath in July 1874 when certain
lady Ocean Grove laid her hands on his feeble knees
and prayed for healing power and he felt toning up
and condensation Of strength about the weak members
and he has been able ever since to get along without
crutches. This is his version of the 'mira.
Gle, and who should know about the relation OF
cause and effect in this case than he II may seem ab
surd to say So but there few ministerial brethren
Of his who do know about the case than he Rev.
Mr. Buckley spent over two and half hours a couple
Of weeks ago. prove first OF ALL that the days OF mir
aces had passed. and therefore, that this cure could
not have been any miracle; secondly that
Mr.. Plat lame and therefore, never needed
cure and in fact cured that on three several
occasions he (Patp preached addressed conference
gatherings and each time he walked up and down the
pulpit platform, from twenty-five to fifty minutes
aud hence, the next place. II he lame az all he
not bad he protested to be- and his cure IL IL
be a cure, Is simply the result Of Imagination natural
faith superstition latent strength the concentration Of
the mind the circulation, SC, &c and last Of ALL
II is such a he buckley has effected over and
again and easily match at any time This sort
of reasoning and u.s. OF course, very logical and
according to the newspaper reports and comments ID
was endorsed by per cent OF those who heard
the argument
Ii it DO not a miracle, what Is it? Ifit be not an
answer 20 prayer, what Is II an answer tor Perhaps
Messrs Buckley, Kettel X Co. will tell ms. But as
matter Of consciousness and question fveracy for
one willing to believe in the testimony of Mr. Plat
on this point rather than that Of Of men, min
listers or laymen, who have nothing but reason TO put
against fact and speculation against consciousness Who
can know about the worth worthcssness Of his
legs than the thereofg And who knows
about the particular legs in question than the Rev H.
Platty He declared before his congregation last Sun
day that many time he has had to creep upstairs to
ms bedroom, like child hands and feet that the
weren't ~ hs body should not come on hts feeble knees
lhat ne mas had to Slide down the baniser time
ior the same reason, and had slept with feather
pillow between his knees, lest they should
s Na,s one another, so sensitive were they
now ask Who ever heard Of the owner Of
sound pair ofcgs 'paying 'possumu with them after
That ashion The thing Is preposerous except on the
GROUNDS ana or the reasons suggested by Mr. Buckley
namely, that MT Platt Is In abnormal condition OF
mind that he is unreliable and II in n fair yyav IL
bring up at Flatbush or Bloomngdale or some other
place whcre demcntia Is treated II these charges be
true am very much inclined 10 agree with Mr. RueS
ley that no lamcnoss existed and no euro was over
elected and that Of course there Is no miracle In the
case and for tho reasons that neither God nor devil
Wouu gam mucn honor or glory by effected
under such condiiops certainly enough TO reward
the agent for his trouble.
Last Monday another reverend preacher took mn Tho
defence q ut fatt before his brethren and maintained
the affirmative OF the question in controversy--Is
he cured Is he notg Is IL a miracle ar Il ii not9
Facts facts Plat Is cured and IL Is for hs critics
70 show how the thing was done, if they don't
accept his version OF t. He may rest salts
fod while his brethren In tho pulpit and through
the press In private and in public utter their anath-
emas and significant cautions against the acceptance