The sun., 1890-01-05
They Arc Of Great Faith.

the sick to apply to the cure OF their souls
and not their bodies. The sacrament Of
extreme JUNCTION derives It's chief authority
from that Interpretation OF the Epistle.
From the time Of LUTHER all the
Protestant Churches have rejected this
teaching, the Church OF England, In Its
thirty-nine articles. expressly including ex-
treme unction among the five sacraments Of
the Church of Rome, which "are not
to be counted for sacramento Of the
Gospel" Tho usual Protestant theory Is
that st. JAMES referred to the mi
raculous gift OF healing" which was i'm
parted to the Apostles, and by them to some
OF the early believers but was not con-
tinued in the Church In later times; though
exactly when or why 1t was taken away does
not appear. That the healing OF which st.
JAMES speaks is bodily, and not spiritual
healing, Protestants have never questioned.
| There have always been individuals and
sects among them who have contended
that the injunctions Of st. JAMES still re-
main binding and that the gift Of healing
has not been taken away from the
Church. EDWARD IRVING had that faith,
and 1t is held by the religious body
known as Irvingltes. Within few
years, too an Episcopal clergyman OF
Connecticut regarded himself as possessed
OF the gift because OF his succession from
the Apostles, and he had many sympathizers
among the clergy Of his Church. Believers
in the faith cure, as it is called, are now
numerous, and among the number are in
cluded many men and women OF much
more than average intelligence. Some
OF them remain in their old re-
ligious associations, but others have
formed themselves into distinct scots, which
have grown to be large and Jealous. There
Is also the body known as Christian Scien-
lists, who hold that healing Is performed by
spiritual agencies, and that disease Is only
spiritual imperfection; and DR.. j. G. BIER
wIRTH, In recent paper on the subject, read
before the Kings County Medical Association.
speaks OF several sects and societies existing
in Brooklyn which hold varying views
Of the faith cure. "Some," he says,
"only invoke Divine help when there is no
danger to life, but they will send for a
doctor as soon as there seems to be
real or supposed danger approach
ing" Their faith is weaker than their
natural affection. But others will refuse
medical aid and medicines under all circum-
medical skill might afford them. Their only
guide is the Bible, and their only relief from
suffering must come from prayer"
LARssEN, who was lately punished In
Brooklyn for neglecting to provide medical
care for his sick child, is. it seems, member
of sect holding peculiar views as to the
subject. They cnll themselves the New
Evangelists. are made up mostly Of Scandi-
navians OF little wealth. and hold their
meetings in Hamilton avenue. Their faith Is
simple belief In the Bible, and "in sincerity
and strength" says DR.. B1ERw1RTH, they
rival the religious fanatics Of past ages"
They have no ministers or other leaders,
and their meetings are conducted after the
Quaker method. They refuse all medical
aid, on the ground that "disease Is sent by
GoD. either as punishment or trial, and it
would be sin to interfere with His will by
any attempt to relieve the sufferer or cure
the illness. II the person dies. they say it
was GODS will; and should recovery ensue.
this again will be regarded as O manfesta-
tion Of Divine Providence" They look after
the sick by keeping them properly fed and
clean, and then leave the rest to GOD.
Thus the New Evangeists carry the
theory Of election further than the Calvin
lists even, by extending it to the life or death
OF the body no less than the salvation or
damnation OF the soul. The Presby-
teries of New York and Brooklyn would
retain that awful doctrine in their Con-
fession. and yet they would visit with
fines and Imprisonment these poor
Scandinavians simply because they push the
theory Of foreordination to n conclusion as
logical as their own. II GOD arranged all
things in the councils of eternity He fixed
unalterably the period Of life for every indi-
vidual. and it Is folly to attempt to dispute
His will. Thus say the New Evangelists and
how are the Calvinists to answer them2
Moreover these Scandinavians actually
obey to the letter the command OF CHRIST
to give up all things to follow Him. They
will hold no individual property, all their
possessions going into general fund.
DR.. B1ERwIRTH relates that ono of them,
before he became a member, laid out all his
savings in the purchase OF two city lots, and
as, after his conversion, he could no longer
own property, he wanted the real estate
agent to take the land and refund the money.
When the agent refused to do so, the New
Evangelist told him to keep both the land
and the money.
1t Is evident that the pains and penalties
OF the law will never swerve such believers
from the course which they regard rs of Di-
vine appointment. What they look upon as
only the persecution OF the wicked will rather
tend to confirm them in the faith. They will
go to jail as joyfully as the early Chris
tian martyrs went to the stake What care
they? Believing that all things are of Di-
vine foreordination, they will leave the con-
sequences to GOD.
1t is a remarkable phenomenon that this
age of skepticism is also an age of faith like
that of the first days Of Christianity.
Coast Defence In 1890.
This year will show decided progress
toward the protection of the seaports OF the
Initial StnInc During tha Emmmnr tan