The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-10-25
NEW ORLEANS. OCTOBER 2S, 1898.
PRAYER AS A MEANS OF STAYING
EPIDEMIOS.

Prof Youmans, In the Popular Science
Monthty for October, in discussing the efficacy
OF prayer as q means Of staying epidemics,
treats tho subject In practical and realistic
way that will not appear irrevercnt to very
many thoughtful Christians. To the minds
of many persons deeply imbued with religious
feeling the thought that Omnipotence rules
the universe by law alI-comprehensive GER
tain and rrefragable- every event that
happens, howevr trivial, even though
IL be but the death of q, sparrow, Is q
link in The vast chain of sequences ordered
In obedience to the grand and majestic
logic Of natural law, Is far more awful and
impressive than the belief In special provi~
tlences, implying, as it does, that the pains
and penalties and mercies the Almighty dis
penses are special and isolated manifestations
of the Divine power. TO many also this idea
of O fixed and certain law appears the more
merciful In that 1t holds out the hope that
man may In measure discover the sources
of his miseries and by obedience to the law,
avert them. To these persons Prof YOU
mans Idea OF tho practical efficacy of prayer
will NOS appear inconsistent with the
highest religious conviction. He evident
will be changed or any of It's
deductions averted in answer to humnn ap-
ueals. He rathor leaves us to infer that the
all-merciful Ruler, when appealed to to
suspend the law, will respond in infinite mercy
and tenderness-"Y know not what ye do"
The suspension of single natural law might
wreck the universe. These calamities are
fearful and cruel, but the law which has oper-
ated them is fixed and unalterable Man can
have no higher duty and no higher destiny
than are involved La the noble effort to dis
cover so far as he can the mysteries OF the
way In which Providence moves Its wonders
TO perform and then to conform to its plain
and manifest Ordainments. We know that,
with the vast majority OF those who constl-
tute the religious as well as the scientific
world, there is an antithesis between reason
and faith, yet we do not believe that the fol-
lowing extract from Prof. Youmans article
will prove offensive to either class otherwise
we should not publish 1t. He says:
We are far. as has already been said. from
eondemning the appeal to religious consider
ations and influences In an extremity like this.
but it should be put on enlightened grounds
and become a means OF lneltement TO nober
action. Prayer Is efcacious Just in proportion
as 1t reacts upon the supplicant to inspire IL
higher activity and in this way it may become
O potent agency for moving mon in great emer-
Rencies. This being the true. point Q!
view. in place of the, proclamation issued
to Sec something like the following:
.Whereas. a, plague is desolating various
adopted have failed to arrest. let the devout
people of Ohio gather In their several places of
worship without delay. and reyerenty j., recog-
nize the Divine wisdom in this fearful dspen
aation of suffering humbly confess their sins
Of pelect and omission their ignorance, care e;
Iessless and cupabe apathy In regard to all
sympathy with the afflicted communities. and
register solemn vows to heaven that they will
at once enlarge their measures of help to the
devastated towns, and will in future be more
vigilant and faithful in discharging the re-
ligious duty Of guarding and promoting pr1-
vate and public health"