Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-01-18
Few Reflections on the Subject from
n Medical Journal.


The NeW England Medical Gazette, treating
of "faith cures" at length, says: In the
Good Book weread that one disciple tried
to excuse himself by saying, "Lord, suffer me
first TO go and bury my father" But Jesus
said unto him, "Follow me, and let the dead
bury their Dead" Ga the strength of this
reply, why should we not give up the habit
of calling in undertakes when friends die?
Although 80 repugnant, it would be just as
sensible to make such practical application
of this passage OF Scripture as it is for those
doubtless good, but misguided, advocates of
the faith cure 10 apply as they do their
favorite and necessarily quoted verses in
james ", IA and 10. Here is their favorite
passage: as any sick among you? Let him
call for the elders of the Church, and let
them pray over him, amounting him with oil,
ia the name of the Lord; and the prayer of
faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall
raise him up" Now, we do moi propose at
present to expound this verse as we think il
ought 10 be done, and we will refrain from
making the criticism that the faith.curers
do not, as a rule, stick 10 their own text and
call in to pray for them the elders OF the
Church, who might naturally be supposed to
be gifted in prayer, but, instead, some fairly
young doctor, whose diploma from legally
chartered medical institution probably has
more influence with the Lord when called
upon to attend to the physical wants OF his
children; but we will quote, for The purpose
of throwing little light on the subject,
few verses from the same james, standing in
close proximity. "What doth it profit, my
brethren, though a man say he hath faith,
and have not works? Can faith save him?
If brother or sister be naked and destitute
Of daily food, and one of you say unto them,
Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled,
notwithstanding ye give them not those
things which are needful 10 the body, what
doth it profit? Even SO faith, if it hath not
works, is dead, being alone" In the light
OF this parallel passage, are we not in con-
science bound to make use of all the means
with which we can become acquainted, and
then exercise faith that the Lord will bless
the means? The faith curers object to the
means, because they think that dependence
on these lessons the faith. Tell them
"Even SO faith, if it hath not works, is dead,
being alone" Why was he upbraided who
went and digged in the ground and hid his
talent? Because he neglected his opportu-
mites; he sat down idly and refused to use
the means.
If the wife of the champion faith curer
should cut an artery and be in imminent
danger of bleeding 10 death, would he be so
idielic az to neglect the means for arrestiDg
hemorrhage, and instead to annoint her with
oil and pray over her, while her likelihood
gushed forth? Ii not, where shall we draw
the line? What becomes OF the omnipotence
of the Lord, If he ia not able to cheek hem
orrhsges as well as st. Vitus's dance? The
only possible inference from such actions Of
the faith-curers is that the Lord makes a
specially of nervous diseases, but is not post
ad on orIroary-ua nnaap No huf
simply desire to show the ahsurdity Of po-
sition which is often taken. We believe
emph atically that the Lord helps the man
who helps himself, and that he does not ap-
prove of laziness, but expects men TO work
hard to discover the secrets OF nature and TO
apply them, to the extent of their abilities,
10 the cure of disease. Doctors never cure
their patients; they make use OF the best
means they know of, add the Lord restores
health. Farmers never raise corn; they
plant it, water it if necessary, hoe
it, and the Lord makes it grew. How
morbid or lazy, or both, must a farmer
be TO go into his closet to pray that the
Lord may send him crops, instead of first
going into his fields TO do his share of the
work. But sick people, who are merely
prayed for, often recover without the use OF
means. True, and wild oats often grow where
the nanu OF man mas never been. ne bOtu
sendeth rain on the Just and on the unjust.
Many sick persons recover without any spe-
cial praying over whatever, and certainly
without any special exercise of personal
faith. Many are cured by amuiets or charms,
many by relics or the bones of saints, whose
efficacy is as solemnly urged as is The duty
OF having faith in God to get we'll Many
have been cured by the Roman Catholic
miracles performed at the fountain of the
Virgin at Lourdes, France, and have left
behind, as evidence, uncennted crulches and
canes in the cave there. Many are cured by
fright or Joy, or some other powerful mental
emotion. the trouble is, that probably I'M
believers are thus cured almost as often as
believers, and also that not only President
Garfield, but also many consumP-
lives in "homes," in spite OF the
most ierveht prayers, die. The ex-
PLANTATION Of this want Of success
is readily given-the sufferers lacked
saving faith. This has smack of the com
mon Sp'ritualist's reioinder after defeat
the condition. were not favorable. Indeed,
this doctrine, il. pushed TO its legitimate logi-
cal deductions, assumes the form " hich q
few o. = boldest (probsbly healthy advo-
Gates oiaim--that Christian ought never to