Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-08-26
CURING BY FAITH.
FHE MIRACLES PERFORMED BY PRAYER
IN MASSACHUSETTS.
A Card for Dr.. Cullis-But Interesting
Statements Of Faith Cures-Js It the
werk Of the Imagination?
Boston Globe, August sth.


In the prevailing phases of thought and
discussion, it must be confessed that phe-
nomena, classed under the somewhat in.
definite and much disputed term, miracles,
are at considerable disadvantage in demon.
strating their authenticity. From the tab.
ernacle and camp ground at Old Orchard
beach during the past week accounts have
been wired over the country of alleged in
terventions of divinity in the physical af.
fairs of men; of remarkable cures OF the
halt, the crippled and the diseased by the
simple prayer of faith. The convention,
under whose auspices these extraordinary
occurrences are averred to have taken
place, was inaugurated July 9th, and came
to close yesterday noon. This is the
sixth year of its session here. DR.. Charles
Cullis, as in previous sessions, has been It's
leading spirit.
Among the gentlemen who have taken
active part in the proceedingsmay be men.
toned Rev. j. J. Miller, Baptist Rev.
c. E. Mallory, Baptist; Raw. S. S.
Mathews, Congregational Rev. Charles
Munger, Methodist; Rev. Marcus Ames,
Congregational Rev. Mr.. Dennis of the
Christians Rev. f. d. Sanford, unde.
nominational Rev. Hugh johnson, Fred.
w. McKenny, Captain R. Kelso Carter,
David B. Updegraff, Friend Rev. !. Luce,
Rev. Charles Nichols, Rev. f. Z. Shaw,
and Rev. B. B. Scott. The daily grove
gatherings have apparently been of much
interest to those taking part, but it is
principally with the two meetings for the
practical test of the faith cure and the re.
suits thereof that the outside world is in
terested. These were held the afternoons
of Monday and Wednesday in the Taber.
nacle. This structure is large rectangular
one with a semi-clerestcry, and is capable
of seating about 200 people. Every body
was not allowed to enter this temple of the
supernatural. Visitors from mere curiosity
were steadfastly debarred from gazing
upon the simple rites of the mysterious
ministry of healing. Only those who de-
sired help by prayer and protested un-
shaken faith in the promises of the Lord
were permitted to pass through the care
fully guarded door. Occasionally skeptic
or an unrighteous scoffer by insincere pro-
fessions would slip through the portal, but
In such cases the parties very soon
BETRAYED THEIR INCREDULoUs STATE OF
MIND
And were promptly requested to withdraw.
was much the same on each of the days re.
terTed to. 1t was most anomalous pro.
cession, with suggestiveness of Biblical
up the neglected sand road and passed into
the Tabernacle. All ages and both sexes
were to be seen. There were cripples, tot
tering on crutches haggard, pale parcels
of human nature, assisted along the path
hry& 1a,-- f,,l la. AL L
IN arms and cradles, with the unmistaka able
signs OF suffering on their young faces !;
helpless gray haired men and women in in.
valid chars the blind, the deaf, the dis
eased-victims of all the complicated ills
that humanity is heir to, and not a few
that
RANKED THEMSELVES AMONG THE SICK
But were wholesome and robust enough, as
far as the casual eye could determine. Once
within the Tabernacle, the patients were
taken in charge by the ministers and pro-
fessors of the faith, and conducted to the
rough benches at one end of the hall.
where they awaited with patience the ex.
pected working of the spirit that should
deliver them from the diseases of the flesh.
DR.. Cullis had addressed them in a prepa.
ratory way at the morning meetings, CIV
ing an outline of his own experience and
telling what seemed to be the necessary
condition OF faith cure. "It was about
eighteen years ago" he said, "that for a
long time my mind was exercised before
God as to whether it was not His
will that the work of faith in which
He had placed me, should extend to
the cure of disease as well as
the alienation of the miseries of the
spiritually afflicted. The instructions con-
tanned in James ", Ia and Is, seemed to
me very plain, Is there, any sick among
you? Let him call for the elders of the
church and let them pray over him,
amounting him with oil in the name of the
Lord. And the prayer of faith shall save
the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up |;
and if he have committed sins they shall
be forgiven him. / asked myself, that if
l can rely on Gods word, Whatsoever
we shall ask in My name, that will / do,
why cannot also trust Him to fulfill His
promises as to the healing of the body ?
Soon afterward the Life of Dorothea Tru.
dell, the sanity healer of Mannedorf,
Switzerland, fell into my hands, and the
inquiry was raised, IF God can perform
such wonders in Mannedorf, why not in
Boston 2 At that time had under my
professional care Christian lady afflicted
with tumor, which confined her almost
continuously to her bed in severe suffering.
All remedies were unavailing, and
THE ONLY HUMAN HOPE WAS THE KNIFE !;
But, feeling in my heart the power of the
scriptural promise, one morning sat down
by her bedside and read aloud the passages
from the Bible bearing ON the point. 1
then asked her if she would trust the
Lord. She said she would. l prayed for
her and anointed her with oil in the name
of the God, asking Him to fulfill His own
word. Soon after left she got up and
walked three miles. From that time the
tumor rapidly lessened until all trace of it
at length disappeared. Tue work since
that triumph of faith has gone nobly on.
Though not bill has ever been presented
to our patients. we have not been in lack
of funds $500, 600 has been received with
out solicitations or collecting agents
Every kind of disease that has been met
with has been cured. To be sure, all cases
That have presented themselves have not
been cured. The reason may have been a
lack of faith. Much opposition has been
met with from both pulpit and religions
press" These were the preparatory words
of DR.. Cults, but they were spoken chiefly
at the morning service. At the afternoon
meetings he mounted the platform merely
to request his hearers to have perfect faith
and await the will OF the Lord. He then
retired to the further end of the building,
and the patients were led to him in their
turn. But moment was devoted to each.
A QUESTION
Was asked as to their faith, and then the
forehead of the candidate for healing was
touched with finger dipped in consecrated
oil as the brief formula of exhortation
was repeated. Meanwhile the voices OF
ministers and others endeavorihg to keep
strong the faith Of the patients by testi-
mony of their experience with the Great
Physician, and now and then the sound of
some softly-sung hymn came from the other
end of the Tabernacle and was waited
through the half-open windows to the hear.
ing of the many curious listeners without