The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-02-05
AMONG The CHURCHES.
HEALING AS A PART OF
THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION

That the conviction IL growing among
many earnest thinkers in the American
pulpit that healing clearly belongs to re-
ligion Is to 10 seen on every hand. The
following strong words were recently
spoken at the dedication OF the Brock ton,
Massachusetts,. Congregational church,
by ksv. Lyman Abbott, ID. d.. editor Of
the Outlook. and Henry Ward Bsechsr's
successor in the Plymouth church OF
Brooklyn, Nsw York.
That the spirit Of Jehovah was upon
Jesus was the secret OF His power. His
III isslon was going about, healing the
sick, giving necessities kto the poor.
binding up the broken-hearted and CIV
ing encouragement TO those who were
down hearted. He did not say. Il have
come TO found a church. lie does not say
that he has come to PROFOUND creed.
1t Is the tendency here TO call creedless
person not a Christian, and a creedless
church no church at sll. lie does not say,
Il have come to found u religion.
''He furnished not creed, not ritual.
not q church ORDER He taught them by
His works what Ia the measure OF a
church. He did not found church. The
|. church did not exist till after His death.
Hs went about doing good.
"He healed those who were sick. lie
comforted those who were in trouble and
despair. he encouraged. These
whom He found bowed down
under load, lie lifted their load.
He gathered the ignorant, the unwashed
and the unkempt about Him and told
them their duties toward one another.
He was asked by John IL He We're
tie Messiah. lie said. Wait II cannot tell
you now. He put His hand on the lep-
rous ones who came to Him and He sent
the blood bounding through their veins
and made them we'll. lie sent the lame
who came TO Him on crutches away,
freed from their intlrmity. He opened
the eyos OF the blind and restored their
sight. Then lie. talked to them about
their duties, one TO another. He told
them how God forgives and synipathizes
with them. Weeping mothers he com-
forted and made glac. Men who had be.
come discouraged de told to pluck up
courage again. He then told those who
had been sent by John to ask II lie were
the Messiah to go anu tell John what
they had seen and heard. Go, He said;
that is all my answer.
"That church 10 a church of Christ
which does the work which lie did on
earth.
up to that time no man had had his
sins forgiven unless he paid for it. No
one came and said that God calls for
nothing whatever. He never sent pen
itent to offer sacrifice at the temple. lie
taught that the duties Of men are all
summed up In love. Christ said that the
man with q false creed, IL he loves his
neighb Dor, is a wortbier son of God than
the PRIEST or the Levite who is in such a
hurry in getting to church that he does
not stop Oh the way to alleviate suffering.
"All the beauty of these walls will
make one splendid naelstrom II you be-
lieveionly in "a dead Christ. Yours will
be crown OF righteousness If you lead
His life Of love anu are witnessing His
life of gospel
1t would appear from the above utter
ances that the Chr istian Scientists find
many believers in their tenets outside
their church body. DR.. Abbott is not
alone among prominent divines and odu-
Gators in approaching closely, in his alb
stract views, to the concrete laws Of life
which May Baker Eddy mas Interpreted
for aer followers from the Bible, and
which todav are invoked to heal the sick
ana sinful upon the same divine Prin-
ciple exercised and taught by Jesus OF
Nazareth.