National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-09-24
MIRACLES AND k1RAc1E WORKERS.

Some weeks since, when the Ocean Grove
camp meeting was being held, the Rev. S, H.
Plat, q Methodist minister, stated that twen-
ty-five years ago he was kicked by horse
on the left knee, and IN consequence his
leg was practically disabled. The knee
became stiff and he was. obliged to use a
crutch. Subsequently he met with another
accident, and his right knee was disabled.
For twenty-three years he had delivered
all his sermons while seated. While at
Ocean Grove he was visited by Miss Nose
man, who said she had been sent by the Lord
to heal him. She khtlt before him. placed
her hands upon his knees and began to
pray, and before she had concluded his stiff
knees became supple, and he recovered the
perfect use of his legs. Last Monday there
was meeting of Methodist ministers in
the Book Concern building in Brooklyn,
and Rev. James Bulkely was specially in
vited to discuss the Rev. Mr.. Platt's case.
From the report of his remarks, as pub
lished in the New York Times, the follow
ing extracts are made:
"The reverend gentleman asserted, in his in
troductory remarks, that, although miracles
had been undoubtedly wrought in the earliest
eras of the world, and frequently during
Christ's life, they had ceased after the third
century of Christianity"
From the report in the World of the same
meeting these extracts are made:
"'It is natural and consoling to pray for the
Sick says Brother Bulkely, but we are fools
If we say our faith cures the sick, and we open
the door to every superstition Il
knew a sick woman once, member OF my
church, that carried out during fire blue
chest-full of all manner of absurdities, by
the way-that she couldn't have lifted any
other time. And q good brother lying low of
typhus fever, who saw his barn on fire, and
exclaiming: "There's nobody to let out the
pigs !' jumped out of bed, let out the pigs,
and then went back TO bed and got well. And
knew a man who had both legs amputated,
and instead of taking an anesthetic, asked for
a fiddle, and he fiddled the fastest tunes he
knew, and declared he never felt the pain. l
wouldn't have believed that if hadn't seen
it, and didn't see it, but have it on the evil
dence of those who did, Brother Bulkely
then related some cures he had himself seen
among the Spiritualists in Detroit that ex-
ceeded any faith cures. why, / can do the
same myself he said. Il cured q case of fits
with bronchial troches mashed into powder
at least kept them off for four days; and l
cured q spasmodic headache of q woman in
Brooklyn who hadn't been free from it in six
months with bronchiaE troches; and 1 cured
the sick headache of aIfamous church singer
with silver dollar given me by David Hoyt,
which wrapped in an envelope and rubbed on
his forehead when he was almost crazy.
"What was that you used last night |" he
asked me next morning. "Oh, metallic COM
pound" said.'"
A large number of ministers were present;
and the Rev. Mr.. Bulkely's ignorance and
blasphemy were applauded. When the
press Of the country is doing SO much to
diffuse knowledge; when its columns are
opened wide every Monday morning to give
TO millions of readers the Sunday teachings
of the pulpit; when 1t is aiding and pro-
noting in clearly legitimate ways the
growth of Christianity in the world, it is
exceedingly painful to be convinced of the
truth that clerical buffoon like the Rev.
Bulkely is permitted with cap and bells to
occupy a sacred desk. In Mr.. Forepaugh's
circus as feeder Of the monkeys, he might
find his true calling; but in breaking the
Bread of Life to a world terribly hungry
for the true faith, he has missed his sphere
of duty. 1t is only at rare intervals that
sentiments so palpably the offspring of ig-
norance and unbelief find utterance from
man protesting to be a minister of Christ.
The man who says 'there is no God is an
angel of light compared with the man who
says there is God, and then proceeds to
argue that his capacities are finite. What
is a miracle2 We understand it to be an
event or deviation from the known laws of
nature, and that is definition sufficiently
exact and comprehensive. From the
known laws Of naturep' Such dead men
as Humboldt and Agassiz, such live ones as
Henry and Tyndall, have humbly confessed
that nature has not yet revealed to the
knowledge of mankind all her secrets; and
while true scientists look into the mirror of
effects for reflection of causes, they rev.
erently refer the existence of all things to
the laws, the immutable laws, of the Origi-
nal Cause, which is the Interchangeable God.
We do not care to take with MIR. Buikely
single step into the field of his absurdity,
but he says miracles ceased after the third
century Of Christianity" From whom did
he obtain this wonderful factf Who in