The morning journal-courier., 1908-03-09

ltaln ones were raised from the dead concerning those, modern New Testa- ment scholars are in substantial agree ment. There is no evidence to-day that Will bear the test of the best critical scholarship; no evidence that Jesus ever went beyond this principle that the restoration to health of body is brought about by the operation of fore es let loose in the mind of the patient himself. In other words. present day study of the gospel records seems to snow that Jesus had no power to heal any man beyond the point where the man himself cooperated in the work. stop for moment and think. Jesus never claimed that he himself perform ca the art of healing. It was always, Thy faith hath made thee whole" He afWays traced the healing principle pack to the mind, back to the will, pack to that underlying and fathom- less resource of mans inner being that he called faith. I would venture there fore. though with a good deal of diff cence. to reaffirm the statement made in the beginning-"The healing princi- pie of Jesus ministry was that of an active. operating faith on the part of the individual who would be cured"
 Perhaps we may be helped more clearly to understand this principle by considering certain present day condi- tions that are puzzling many people. There is new interest to-day in what have called "The Healing Ministry of Jesus" Out of the study of that min- istry have come certain movements of religious thought and practice. That known as Christian Science is now we'll established. That known as the Elm manuel movement has hardly more tran made, beginning. Yet that be- ginning is so strikingly significant as to call for our. serious attention. Both emphasize the healing ministry of Jesus The claims of Christian Science are fairly well known. Concerning the Emmanuel movement I would speak briefly in order that we. may intelll- gently compare it with Christian Science and see how our comparison bears ont this principle that I have laid down.
 Emmanuel church in Boston is Epis- copal in form and liberal in spirit It is the kind of church that we would expect to welcome any new and larger view of the gospel of Christ. Its rec tor, Dr. Edward Worcester. formerly enjoyed close association with Dr. s. Weir Mitchell, the eminent nerve specialist; and 1t was from him that he received the suggestions that later led to the establishment in Emmanuel church of the class for the moral treat ment of. nervous disorders. With Dr. Worcester is associated Rev. Samuel McComb. Both men. have had dis tinct training for the work on which they have now entered. Dr. Worces- ter studied psychology in Germany and for six years lectured on the subject in Lehigh University. pr. Comb was a student of the same subject at OK ford. It will be seen therefore that these men have had peculiar advan- tages for inaugurating such move ment. N,
 |
 manuel health class was established in a small way. It's growth has been phenomenal. At the present time Dr. l Worcester and his associate have ten
 helpers constantly engaged in the
 work of healing. From the first they have had the hearty. co-operatlon of
 leading physicians in and out of Elm
 manuel church. It was started un-
 der the profound conviction on the part of clergyman and physician that
 religion and therapeutics ought to go
 hand In hand. It has been from the
 first rigidly scientific. To use the
 words of one of the promoters. 1t was
 the avowed purpose to harness the
 two greatest powers of modern times real religion and genuine science" in. the service of health. This Elm
 manuel clinic, as 1t is called. has been described as the first attempt to
 bring into friendly alliance, in an or
 ganized way. the forces of medical l science and religion of the New Tes- lament, as these forces are understood
 by the best physicians and the most
 enlightened theologians of our time.
 We have worked from the begin ining,' says Dr. McComb, with very
 able physicians and have done ahso-
 lutely nothing without their advice
 and co- operation" Dr. Richard C. Cab-
 ot of the Massachusetts General hos
 pital has made study of all the rec
 ords of those treated during a period of seven months. He states the result
 in an article in the Outlook for Feb ruary 29 entitled ''The Relation of the
 Church to Health, and sums up say
 ing; Tt seems to me that move
 ment like that initiated at Emmanue church has great possibilities of good
 and rather limited possibilities foi
 harm. Whether this will always be so cannot definitely say. It may bt : that in the future, medical students . will be trained to recognize mucf more fully than they now do the cru cial importance of mental, moral anc I spiritual conditions in this relation tC } bodily suffering" Dr. L. F. Baker an eminent neurologist of Johns Hop kins university, and the successor there of Dr. Osler, made trip to Bos ton for the purpose of studying tho work at first hand. He came away strongly convinced of it's worth anC has since given testimony to his faitf
 in the movement. Prof. James o
 Harvard also gives hearty indorse
 ment to the work. So rapid has beer
 the growth of the Emmanuel clas'
 and so striking the results, as investi
 gated by men of the highest standing 1 that attention has been drawn to l