Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1900-10-31
Or. Brlmms Views on Miraculous Healing.

Presbytcry.
|. l believe that miracles belong
to this whole dispensation, and not
merely to the first century of it; that
they were given to sustain the truth
Of Christianity, and not merely to
guarantee tho deity Of Christ and
the inspiration Of the oanonical
writer's; that they are needed for
their apologetic value as much now
as they were in tho apostolic age !;
that miracles of healing arc a special
characteristic of this dispensation,
and are the special privilege of Gods
children; that God means and wishes
to make difference between His
children and those that arc not, SAL
vation being much more real and
present possession than we ordinarily
make it,
2. l believe that disease, defects
and dcformities are, as a whole, the
consequence of sin in the world !;
that in particular cases they may be
and often are the result of particular
sins, but are not necessarily 80; that
Satan sometimes visits them upon us,
by Gods permission, for trial; that
they sometimes come as tho result
OF the ignorant or ethical viola
tion Of the laws of nature and health {;
that they are sometimes visited d.
rectly by God, for punishment, or
chastiscment, or for trial-andin in any
case Gods knowledge and act, cili-
cicnt or pcrmissivc, are involved.
3. | believe that these human ills,
being part of the penalty that we
suffer for sin, are involved in the
atoncment made by Christ, so that in
Il literal sense He bore our infirmi-
ties, and with His stripes we are
healed; but, just as in the case of
justification, we get the benefit in
accordance with our faith and so,
when we come to God confcssing our
sin and believing His promise, that
we may expect to be healed that,
just rs in the case of the healing of
soul-sckncss God rcpudiatcs the as
sistancc Of human works; so in the
healing of the body He will not divide
His honor with human medicines md
devices.
4. | believe that when Satan causes
our sickness God is ever ready to
Illustrate Satan if we put ourselves in
the right attitude towards Him that
when we are sick by reason of ignor-
ant violation of the laws Of health
God will pity us if we come to Him
in faith, and will heal us; that the
Lord Jesus Christ is az powerful and
compassionate now as He was when
lie lived on earth, and will reach
forth the helping hand if we cry to
lin in faith and that the fact that
God ovcr-rulcs sickness for the cult
vation OF various Christian graccs
does not imply that lie has efficiently
ordained it for this purpose, any more
than that lie 50 ordans crime
which lie may SO overrulc.
8. ! believe, that, if God permits
or effects a case of sickness for chas-
tiscment, we have no right to try to
Illustrate His chastiscment by the
use OF medicine, but should repent,
and, trusting lis mercy, draw near
to Him in faith and submission that,
if it be for trial, the way to meet the
trial is not by rcsorting to the most
skilful physician and approved mcdi-
cincs, but to God Himself, who is
rightcously jealous of His honor, and
will not divide it with men.
6. believe that advancement in
science and discovery, in the knowl.
edge OF matcria mcdica, and in the
raputical and surgical skill is at once
part Of Gods benevolent providence
towards the evil and unthankfu and
faithlcss, and also part Of goddess,
humanity sclf-sutlicicnt, material
civilization that whereas Christ did
not use means for healing, we are
not required to use them, and that
lnaSmuch as He could do no miracle
where there was no faith, neither
can we, and now, as then, the faith
makes the standard according to
which anything is done.
T. | believe that there is Scripture
warrant for these positions Cat least
Tor the fundamental positions, while
the others are logically dcduciblc)
and that they do not affect our get
ting sick, our eating and drink ing
proper nourishmcnt and using proper
precautions TO sustain life and pre-
scrN c health, and our dying in the
Lords good time and own way, be-
cause there is no Scripture warrant
for the negative Of these; and, fur
thcr, | deny that they subject God
to every human caprice.
s. ] believe in the reliability Of
human testimony in the case Of pres
cnt-day miracles as much as in the
Apostolic making allowance,
OF course, for the factor of inspira
ton in the latter case, and | dcpre-
cate the rejection of this testimony
AS serving to sustain IIumc's posi-
ton and to destroy the position Of
the Church as to the witness Of the
Gospels; and believe that the coun-
ter position, so widely prevalent in
the Church, is lending its aid to the
triumph of rationalism and anti
supcrnatnralistic sccpticism.
8. ] believe that teaching is the
test OF the miracle, rather than the
miracle Of the teaching that Satan
is to work miracles, and is now work
ing them, and on the Church's posi-
ton as to the function of miracles
will deceive all but the very elect,
and will cause them much trouble
and that we have right to employ
miracles to countcract these Satanic
miracles OF "Christan Science" of
"Mcntal Science" and Of Anti-S (.