Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-10-23
MINISTRY Of HEALING
IN EPISCOPAL CHURCH
Discussed by Rev. F. m. Kirkus
at Trinity Church Last
Night.

mon at lTlnlly IplScopdi SHuicH itist
night. He said two facts brought out |
In the services OF the church during |
this week have an interesting bearing |
on tho announced subject. In todoy's
Gospel we have the account of Christi
healing the man sick OF the palsy; |
and on last Thursday we celebrated
st. Lukes Day--which reminds us
that among our Lords most eminent
disciples was n physician.
Now in the account OF Christ's mira
Gle OF healing II In clearly shown that
he was dealing with some spiritual
malady from which the man was suf
fering. "Son. be OF good cheer, thy sins
are forgiven thee" were the words
with which He greeted him. Evidently
the physical malady which the man
sought to have cured was caused by
some mental distress, the outcome OF
burdened conscience, and Christ
ministered first 10 the sick soul OF the
man before Him. The fact that st.
Luke was prominent among our Lords
early disciples. and an ardent mission
airy OF the early church. proves that
neither Christ nor the church de-
| spised the office OF n physician, nor
attempted to dispense with the knowl-
edge and skill of scientifically trained
healer OF mems bodies.
Had Chriet's work been done upon
the palsled man today. exactly aa It
| is described In Holy Scripture. It
might have been called case Of
| psycho-therapy. or the application of
| mental influence In tho treatment Of
4 - ,l,1, t., t-tt tnt a y
case He cured the mans sIck body
by putting his conscience at rest.
Let me cay n word about the recent
history of this movement. Until q
comparatively few years ago the Bpis-
copal Church gave no recognition TO
| s1-called faith-cure, or the ministry
OF healing. Then there aroee the I'm
manuel Movement in connection with
a prominent church in Boston; and
under the leadership of DIR. Elwoot
Worcester some very remarkable
cures of mental and nervous maladief
were effected.
DIR. Worcester had earlier been REQ
tor of st. Stephens Church In Phila
delphia. He was a trained Psychologist
and an intimate friend and aasociat,
| of DIR. Weir Mitchell, o whose patients
he had frequently given his spirltus
minietratlone. He had made clcs
study of mental and nervous diseases
} and clearly combined in himself tn
power of Christian minister and tn,
skill of a careful student Of the sor
of maladlee he dealt with.
Another conspicuous caee was tha
of an Engllshman named Hickeon
whose remarkable accomplishments il
the ministry of healing were beinl
heraldcd In every newspaper OF thit
land about three years ago. Man,
OF the cures reported we're undoubted
E ly authentic, and Mr.. HIckson seem.
7 certainly to have been possessed o
Q some extraordinary psychic gift whicl
Y enabled him to help a large numbe
, OF people who came 10 Him. Beside.
( which. he wae man OF large faith
" OF simple demeanor. with SINGER
: belief that this power was a divine git,
81 Now assuming that these two mer
. were specially gifted as to the ministr,
D OF healing. 1t Is mono the less clear tha
= their gifts were very exceptional, ant
. the church had to guard against tn,
inevitable danger OF mistakes an(
4 frauds which might possibly grow on
OF a widespread following of thes
= leaders by pepole who are not similarl,
E gifted. At the recent General Conven
ton there was presented-by a commits
sion appointed three years earlier,
report containing a careful examina
tion of the whole question. but refrain
ing from definite recognition by tn
Church of "A Ministry of Healing" o
of the ancient practice of "Unctio
for the Sick" The report was nc
satisfactory TO q large element in tn
convention. and was warmly debate
= In both houses The ultimate resuI
was the discharge Of the original com
I one TO report three years hence an
to include in its membership q stipu
lated number of reputable physician
Merits of the Case.
Now for a brief consideration of III
e merits of the case. hTe proper cours
lr for the church TO take is clearly ir
ID dicated by tho two facts mentioned
t the introduction to this address. TT
l. power Of faith and the influence
|
6 ness can hardly be exaggerated. I'll
a mental attitude Of the patient, and {
those In attendance upon the patien
lie is admittedly a large factor in III
le treatment of disease. Every doctor WI
le acknowledge this. But l submit tn;
N there is nothing in Christ's teaching {
oi in the practice of the earlier church I
- support the belief that medical SIX
: can be dispensed with, or that fait
. alone is necessary for the curing
~ physical disease. Exactly the contrar
Is true, and 1t Is deeply significal
- :. that a physician accompanied st. Pa
~ In his great missionary Journeys.
70 Mr.. Kirkus illustrated the danger
a the faith-alone theory by a strikir
quotation from a letter by DIR. Edwa
~ S. Cowles of New Yorll published
y, Der 9th, 1929.
a. We must remember in this, come
o. ton as in all others. he said. that +
ligion is not a mere department
M our life. but a pervading infuen
no which affects every aspect of our e
g !stence. The gift of healing is o
no viously best acquired by scientific 7
of search and careful study concernil
ho everything relating TO disease. MeC
he cal skill is Just as truly a divine &
re to the physician, as spiritual healing
es a gift to the exceptionally endow
Mt phychist or clergyman. What we ne
So to remember is that Spiritual mala
an Is the appointed sphere OF operati
ce for the Christian minister, VIII
,r- psychist or clergyman. What we ne
trained physician. In a vast numt
he of cases both agencies are needed
RI a perfect cure, and DIR. Cowles' suggt