The San Francisco call., 1907-01-20
DR. EL-WCOO
WORCESTER
RECTOR
(firser ch,cKer,rlS Phoeo)

He was led away by the sexton.
Several nerve specialists are en-
ployed by the church to hold confer
ences with all who apply for treatment
free OF charge. These conferences are
for the purpose Of diagnosis, and are
held in private rooms Of the church.
They take place on Wednesdays and
Fridays. and while q general meeting Is
In progress in the classroom. There
scientific talks are given. music and
conversation follow, and after all the
patients have had their talk with the
physicians tea is served. There Is q
regular Wednesday night meeting also,
at which testimony OF progress and
cures is given.
But tho unique feature OF the En-
manuel Church healing movement is
not the scientific diagnosis at the hands
of the nerve specialist. That departure
from church work Is astonishing. Yet
II Is safe to say that the dramatic mo-
ment 10 reserved FOR the conferences
with the rector. He Il Is who must get
at the real cause OF disease IN the pa
tient: he it Is who must extract the de-
cay thought Embedded in the mind OF
every neurastheuic patient, and often
II comes out with the tough resistance
OF molar tooth. But that thought
must be got at. and so some OF the
conservative members Of the parish
are horrifed at the idea that confess
sional is being set up In broad Epis-
copai church
This conferences, which the rectorS
themselves declare has nothing In the
nature OF a confessional, has elected
data more vital than any the doctors
could obtain. Jeainusies, rivalries. ap-
petites, cowardices. pagsions have been
confessed sometimes II Is q hirtatious
stenographer, sometimes q morphine
syringe, sometimes bond at per cent
f,nfI hfyf
the rectors have acknowledged that
these confessions show the necessity
OF readjusting the patients lives in
moral relations before cure can be ac-
compiished.
In the Confessional
I'm every large congregation" said
DR.. Worcester. there are numbers OF
persons suffering from melancholia, de-
preston. suicidal tendencies. They are
the most dlfflcult of pastors parish
toner's to aid IN the religious life These
persons suffering from moral maladieS
most naturally seek religious comfort,
but it is almost impossible to persuade
them to make q clean confession OF
their difficuities. THEY are vague. ex-
citable, hysterical and often evasive.
Even after an interview has been had
with a clergyman he cannot properly
look after such patient, for usually
the person is actually sick from ner-
vous functional arrangement These
patients suffer from religious doubt.
moral disturbances. remorse. incom-
patabiiity, fixed ideas of a terrifying
character. 1 have hac as many as two
hundred callers of this sort in month,
and you may be able to understand
what a heavy burden this is upon a
pastor With large parish to look
after, special philanthropic work to
oversee and sermons to prepare.
.I do not think a clergyman has the
right to avoid these duties. Whatever
his church. whether ne be a Methodist
or Congregationalist or Episcopalian,
his study must to certain extent full
fll the requirements OF a confessional.
The confessions which come out In the
pastors study are seldom formal. They
are vital, often tragic. It was because
of the necessity of dealing with these
parishioners intel1igently in the first
place. and second because I have been
for long time a student of psychology
and a most interested follower of the
Nancy school, in which the names OF
Bernhaim and Lieubault stand forth so
brilliantly, that the whole theory Of
suggestion has so long interested me.
These forces were at work In my
consciousness. the parish need and the
scientific remedy. But they did not ap-
proach each other in plausible scheme
for action until last June. During the
annual convention OF the Christian Sci
ence Church In this city there was at
the same time a national convention OF
physicians. The Christian Scientists
opened their new Temple and Harvard
Medical School opened it's splendid new
home at about the same moment There
they stood opposed to each other yet
each seeking the same end-the life OF
health
IL attended certain sessions OF the
nerve specialists while the medical con-
vention lasted. and I also visited the
new Christian Science Temple aud at
tended one OF the large experience
meetings. The Christian Scientists,
without the aid OF music. eioquence or
famous names. held ten meetings on
the same evening. and. judging from
the crowds unable to gain admission,
they might have held fifteen. The SER
vice consisted only in simple and ap-
parently honest accounts OF recoveries
from illness and death. escapes from
great dangers and from ingrained evil
habits, together with joyful assurances
OF spiritual peace ana wellbeing. It