Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-11-23
DISCUSSES HEALING
EFFICACY OF PRAYER
ONE ONLY OF MANY MEANS OF
CURING SICK
Rector of ST. Johns Declares That for
Organic Troubles Medicines May
Be Necessary and Surgery
Wise

At st. Johns church the rector. Rev.
Lewis G. Morris, preached yesterday
morning on the subject: 1.-The Healing
Power of Prayer" He said in part:
"There is at the present time a great
deal of rash talking and rash preach
ing on this subject. Men have let their
enthusiasm run away with them. l
tremble for the final results. Before
the calm comes again I fear that some
people will have their faith sorely tried,
if not entirely destroyed.
"This is a serious matter. 1t be-
hooves men to think carefully, to
weigh well their words and to act de-
liberately. What can prayer do for a
mans health? 1t can do great deal.
1t has both a preventive and cur
alive value"
After showing what prayer can do
for restoration to health, and making
a strong plea for its use, The preacher
continued:
Here is a man who has been i'll
for a long time. Every known ma
terial curative means has been EN-
ployed. apparently to no avail. Some
one comes along and moves the invalid
to earnest prayer and prays with him,
and a cure is effected. 1t is very easy
to say that care and medicine really
did the work and that prayer happened
to be used at what we commonly call
the psychological moment.
Il do not believe this is the explana-
ton at all. No doubt the medicine was
beneficial No doubt also the prayer
was beneficial. I believe most thor
oughly in prayer for the sick
1--WE must guard ourselves against
any fanatical use of this power. Prayer
was never ordained to take the place of
medicine or surgery. 1t is God who
heals, always. Whatever is wrought is
done by his power and might. Some
times he works through prayer, some
times through medicine, and sometimes
through the surgeons skill. Sometimes
he uses all these means combined.
TALK about divine healing. 1t is all
divine. No less so when brought about
by medicine than when brought about
by prayer. In some functional ailments
prayer alone is often sufficient.
ain organic troubles medicines are,
as a rule, essential, and sometimes sur
gerry is wise. Prayer should always be
coupled with the use of these material
means. 1t is helpful in any case.
Grave Responsibility
HE who undertakes to use prayer
alone and ignores the physician or sur
n.
takes upon himself grave RESPONSE
bility. No one has any right thus to
tamper with human life. On the other
hand, anyone, be he physician or lay
man. who uses medicine and the skill
of the surgeon and neglects prayer,
takes upon himself a grave RESPONSE
bility. No man has a right thus to
tamper with human life until he can
prove that prayer is not efficacious in
the healing of the sick.
I'm the we'll known scriptural pass
age written by st. James, which is
always used to support healing by
prayer, the apostle counsels the use OF
prayer with the known remedies. Is
any among you sick? Let him call for
the elders of the church and let them
pray over him. amounting him with OIL
in the name of the Lord
"Oil was one of the remedies com
monty used in those early days OF
meager medical knowledge. The apos-
tie also advocates the giving of reme-
dies in the name of the Lord. This is
significant. More prayer on the part
of the physician, more prayer on the
part of the patient, more prayer on the
part of friends, more frequent call
ing in of the ministers of the church
would, believe, add much to the ef-
ficacy of the remedies used.
at is a false notion that moves ply
sicians to bar the clergyman from the
sick room. / know that some ministers
seem to leave their good Judgment and
common sense behind when they go ia
the sick bed Some doctors do the
same. The right sort of doctor and
the right sort of minister can work
together amongst the sick to great adj
vantage"