The San Francisco call., 1895-12-01


The mysterious German cobbler who has
been working miracles of cure at Denver
has gone into retirement, but his wonder
full success has produced other Schlatters
in various parts of the United States,
and they in turn are feebly attempting to
| reproduce his success. 1t may be ex-
pected chat the number of these persons
will increase, that healing by this method
will have its day and that we shall then
drift back into the old condition of suffer
ing and doctors. But all that will detract
nothing from Schlatter or the principle
which he represents.
For there can be no doubt that Schlat-
ter relieved many thousands of sufferers.
That, however, is a small matter beside
the strange things of which his practices
give US glimpse. This opens up so wide
a subject that volume would be required
for its intelligent discussion. 1t brings us
face to face with that puzzling problem
the solution of which to any ones salts
faction must be a matter of individual
temperament-the old problem as to
whether many things which we observe
proceed from material or supernatural
sources. (The word supernatural is
used here in its sense of an assumed inter
ference with what we deem to be the estab-
lished relation between cause and effect.)
| AS there is never any profit in discussing
matters which people decide with their
hearts instead of their heads, let us see
what study of the material phase of the
subject may be made to reveal.
| The only Injunction that Schlatter gave
| to those seeking his ministratlons was,
"Have faith" That is, if they believed
| his minstration could cure it would. The
pity of it is that. although the wisdom
lying behind that injunction explains the
efficacy of many vital things which con-
Germ the happiness of mankind, it has
never received adequate attention from the
educated professional healers of the sick.
| Now this faith must be reciprocal; the
physician, as well as the sufferer, must
have it. And that. too, is piece of wis
dom which trained physicians do not seem
| fully to have mastered. To have conf
dence in ones own power, in the right of
ones own convictions and the necessity of
their adoption by others, is the beginning
and foundation of success. In persons Of
| the 5chlatter type this absolute faith in
self has been acquired by an exceedingly
interesting regimen, which presents so
valuable field for. study that we must
| give it attention first.
| Almost invariably the person who feels
this consciousness of power has suffered
radical internal change of some kind. For
the sake of convenience we may call it
psychological change; that is. reorgani-
zation of mental views and processes.
Thus to define it reduces in not the slight
est degree the mystery and marvel OF it.
We know only that certain persons, by
pursuing a certain course of self-teachlng,
have emerged from it in a mental Tor, if
you please, spiritually condition which we
cannot comprehend and sometimes with
powers that seem to be supernatural.
Schlatter put himself through that course
of self-instruction. So did Jesus of Naza-
reth, so did Buddha. Such a course is
taken by the wonder working Mahatmas
and howling Dervishes of India. Nearly
all the medicine-men and exorcists
of evil spirits among savage peoples put
themselves through this course in meas
ure. In milder and modified form it is
followed by thousands of members of mod
ern Christian sects and orders, including
some Catholic sisters and some of the ac-
principle which all of these observe is
older than history and is absolutely uni
versal.
The watchword of this self-imposed
regimen in self-conquest. Its accom- plish-
ment may be extremely difficult, reasona-
bly, easy or perhaps sin some cases alto
gether impossible, for it is wholly matter
of individual temperament and adapsa-
bility. To conquer oneself is to conquer
the evil in oneself. When the evil is con-
quered the good remains and may operate
unhampered oy the evil. The good is that
which loves nature and her handiwork,
prefers wholesome things to unsound,
likes beauty better than ugliness, has re-
gard for the health of self and the wisdom
to cherish it, respects the natural obliga-
tons of the social compact as they are de-
veloped by the necessities growing out OF
the gregarious instinct of the race, and
seeks to cultivate that which is good and
exterminate that which is evil in others.
The evil is all that which makes against
the perfect efficiency of the good. Its
positive definition would be interminable.
There is clear instinct within US which
teaches us what to do in order to conquer
self and so exterminate the evil. Self
indulgence is indulgence of the evil; self
denial is destructive of the evil. There
fore rigid asceticism is self-denial. That
is the first lesson.
Absolute self-denial is ordinarily impos-
sible while we remain in contact with the
ordinary conditions of life. Therefore, we
must withdraw for time-for time
covering the period necessary for the de-
sired regeneration. That is what Buddha
did, what Jesus did, what Schlatter did.
what the Catholic novitiates preparing for
sisterhood do. It is wise and necessary.
That is the second lesson.
In this withdrawal we must pursue de-
liberately course of physical self-denial
Fasting is excellent. We must bear in
mind the ancient maxim that "a con.
stantly stuffed belly cannot discern spirit
ual things" It may seem strange that
asceticism is not part of the positive
teachings of Jesus. He stopped at poverty
and an abstinence from overindulgence.
But we must remember that he himself at
-