The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-12-22
POPULAR APoLoGETlcs.
Adapted from the German of Rev.
Peter Mikes, s. j., by Rev.
James Watcher.
81. Secret Forces of Nature.

3 "a
Objection: Who knows whether
there are not secret forces in nature
with which the wonder-workers oper-
ate? s4s $500 e'@s
Answer: u Secret forces. These
could be only such as are diametri-
cally opposed to the known forces;
for example, one law in nature says:
"A corpse remains dead; against this
law there should be another law of
nature, acting in secret and prescribe:
At the command of certain pious peo-
pie the corpse revives. According to
one law of nature the dirt on the
street has not exactly the power to
strengthen the eyesight of the seeing
person, if rubbed into his eyes; but
according to another secret law of ma
ture it has even the power to make
a blind person see'' (Roh, S. j.
(f1872), Was list 'Christus What is
Christ?-p. 52). This refers to the
miracle where Jesus gave sight to the
man born blind: HE (Jesus) spat
on the ground, and made clay of the
spittle, and spread the clay upon his
eyes. And said to him: Go, wash in
the pool of Siloe, which is interpreted,
Sent. He went therefore, and washed,
and he came seeing John go, y.
p Queer! The alleged secret
forces are known only to the wonder
workers, 'the obscurantists,' "the
enemies of enlightenment" ''the cleri-
cals.' Before these initiated the
progressive twentieth century would
have to acknowledge it's ignorance of
the laws of nature! Where did they
get their knowledge?
SO. Magnetism, Hypnotism, Phantasy
and Nerves.
Cbiection:, What was formerly con-
sidered a miracle is now explained by
animal magnetism, hypnotism and
suggestion, and by uncertain and in
calculable powers of the Imagination
and nerves.
Answer: y Did you ever hear of
a hypnotist who multiplied bread or
changed water into wine? Did animal
magnetism ever heal the blind, deaf
or dumb, or other defects from birth
The power of imagination and nerves
is great, especially with suggestion
and powerful exterior impressions );
but it has never healed fractured
bone or raised a dead person to life.
Moreover, how would you suggest any
thing to corpse?
At the shrine of Lourdes and other
places little children were healed,
with whom there is no thought of sug-
gestion or nerves"
p 1t is an insult and Stiffness to
compare the Christian wohder!workers
with magnetiseurs (mesmerizers),
hypnotists and spiritists The Saviour,
the Apostles and other wonder-work-
erS indeed make no use of mediums, -
nor of monotonous excitement of the
eyes (staring at shining object), nor
of the hearing clicking of watch)
nor of the sense of feeling (stroking
or gesticulating), thereby to produce
an artificial and unnatural sleep, which
a alters the nervous system and makes
it susceptible to psychical pertaining
to the soul or mind) influences They
made no circle of Joined hands, used
no folded states with pencils between
them, no prepared stages and all
kinds of spiritistic tricks and hum
bugs. The Christian miracle-workers
on the whole use no natural means,
because the divine power is on their
side; they work their miracles in a
simple way by a word, the imposition
of the hand, blessing; they heal also
the absent: e. g., the healing of the
rulers absent son John 4:46ff); of
the absent possessed daughter of the
gentle woman of Tyre and Sidon
mark 7:24ff): hence certainly with
out suggestion; they heal ALL not only
the nervous, but their miraculous
power extends to lifeless nature
Changing water into wine, stilling the
storm, walking on the water, etc.,.
N - Il