Faith healing" reviewed after twenty years

Dedication

To the Child of God, whether a member of the " Christian Alliance " or a "Divine Healing Association," or not, but who believes that any earnest soul MAY be mistaken, and who always desires to "know the truth" that the "truth may set him free," — this book is prayerfully inscribed.

Preface

THE " Faith Healing" of this book must be sharplydistinguished from the " faith cures," so called, of I Christian Science," or the " Mind Cure." The following reasons will make this plain.

Mrs. Eddy and her school declare, " You are not sick ; you have no disease."

We admit the facts of disease, and esteem it a falsehood to assert that there is no sickness present when we are actually ill.

" Christian Science " even sets at naught laws of health, for Mrs. Eddy says, " Bathing and brushing to remove unhealthy exhalation from the cuticle receives a useful rebuke from Christ's — healing, that makes not clean the outside of the platter."

We accept and teach the laws of health, sanitary and dietary, as found in the Bible and in the writings of the best scientists.

Mrs. Eddy states that " petitioning a personal God to do your work, or to enable you to do it, is not metaphysics wherein truth works."

6 PREFACE.

The Faith Healing of the Christian comes from our God in answer to the direct " prayer of faith," for which see James v. 14-16.

These contrasts will suffice. The term " Faith Healing" was used by orthodox Christians long before Mrs. Eddy secured any recognition for her absurd system, and is retained here because of its strictly Biblical character.

In the Appendix a few special cases of unquestionable and positive cures are given for the benefit of honest inquirers after truth.

Baltimore, Md., June 22, 1897.

Irs,

CHAPTER I. — Reasons for Writing ... 9

Scope of Faith Healing. — Sketch of Progress. — Statement of the Theory. — Cui Bono?

^CHAPTER II. — The Atonement Theory Stated . 24

The Century Article in full.

CHAPTER III. — Testing the Foundations . . 37

Old Testament Position that of " Law." — Good To-day. — Nature of Israel at time of Exodus. — Promises to the Nation, and "in the Land." — Cases of Old Testament examined. — Isaac, Jacob, Levi, David, Miriam, Samson, Job, Ahab. — Difference when we study the Sin Question. — Prayers of Old Testament.— Statement of Old Testament Position.

CHAPTER IV. — The New Testament Position . 61

Contrast between Present and Time of Christ. — Did Jesus give New Law of Health? — Matt, viii. 17. — Christ bore Death and Sorrow. — Did Jesus set up the Atonement Theory? — Healing Incidental. — Christ's Mission according to Luke and Isaiah. — The "Earnest."

8 CONTENTS.

PAGE

CHAPTER VIII. — Conclusion . . . -123

Dr. John G. Paton.— Charlie Miller.— " Spiritual Loss." — Mrs. Kelley. — Major Cole. — The Means of Faith.

Cases of Healing. — Heart Disease. — Sciatica. — Prostration. — Broken Joint. — Consumption. — Cancer. — Neuralgia. — Cancer. — A Physician's Healing. — R. Kelso Cartels Case.

CLOSING REMARKS 162

CHAPTER I. Reasons for Writing

IN 1884 the writer published an octavo volume called "The Atonement for Sin and Sickness/' of which two thousand copies were sold in about two years. In 1888 John B. Alden issued a rewritten, revised and much enlarged edition under the name of " Divine Healing; or, The Atonement," etc. During the next three or four years a number of thousands of this were sold, probably six or eight thousand in all. Of this book leading notices were as follows :

" The best writing upon this subject. What the Bible has to say upon this subject has not before been given with such order and method. 11 — Inter-Ocean, Chicago.

" The one idea of Capt. Carter's ' Divine Healing ' is that the atonement of Christ is for the bodies of believers as well as for their souls. It is a strong and not unduly enthusiastic presentation of that theory." — Exa7niner. New York City.

u It is a pretty hard matter to read it and lay it aside without believing in the Faith Cure. 1 ' — Express, Easton, Pa.

IO " FAITH HEALING REVEIWED.

' « This book is the leading authority on the subject; it is in part reprinted from the Century Magazine. Even those who have no faith in the * cure ' want to know what one of its honest and ablest advocates has to say about it."

The above quotations, coupled with the fact that the Glossary of Scripture texts used in the book shows a total of three hundred and sixty different passages which are in some way considered, will abundantly sustain the statement of the Inter- Ocean that such an extensive Biblical treatment had not been given before. From a thorough acquaintance with all the important literature on this topic it may be added that up to the present time nothing has appeared which attempts to cover the whole ground gone over in this book. (Hereafter we will refer to it as D. H., and give page references from the revised edition only.)

Before the issue of D. H. Dr. Cullis had printed two small volumes under the caption of "■ Faith Cures." He had also published the life of Dorothea Truedel. The first mentioned contained no special doctrine, but merely the relations of many cases of cure in answer to prayer, some of them very remarkable. " Dorothea Truedel " gave an interesting account of the work at Mannedorf, Switzerland, and furnished some cases of

REASONS FOR WRITING. I I

cures through prayer. A little later Dr. William Boardman put forth his " Great Physician," which was a move in the doctrinal direction, and to a considerable extent developed the subject from a general study of Scripture bearing upon it. Carrie Judd of Buffalo (now Mrs. George Montgomery of Beulah, Cal.) had printed her " Prayer of Faith," which, besides giving in detail her own extraordinary restoration to health in answer to prayer, made a brief attempt to present the matter as suitable for all believers.

Then followed the late Dr. A. J. Gordon (whose personal friendship the writer afterwards enjoyed and prized) with his admirable study of faith cures in all ages of the church, under the name of '"The Ministry of Healing." Besides these may be mentioned such pamphlets as " Faith Healing," by Ethan Allen, an old saint of Springfield, Mass., and a small booklet by one Karl Andreas of London, England. A very few articles on the subject from the pen of Rev. A. B. Simpson of New York were also issued before the first edition of D. H. saw the light. But however excellent these books may have been as presentations of the subject, no one of them, nor indeed all put together, approached the exhaustive Biblical consideration given in D. H. Let it be understood we are not speaking of merit at all, but simply of the field covered.

In the years that have passed since D. H. first appeared, several books have been added to the list above given. Pastor Stockmayer of Switzerland put forth two editions of " Sickness and the Gospel. " " Our Lord's Permanent Healing Office in His Church/' by Rev. George Morris, appeared in London. " Faith Healing: a Defence," by R. L. Marsh, a Yale student, was published by Revell in 1889; and later the same house issued " A Study of Faith Healing," by Alfred T. Schofield, M. D. Before this the life of Pastor Blumhardt of Bad Boll, Germany, was published on the continent, containing some most marvellous accounts of healing; and the writer prepared a small English booklet on that remarkable man, which was issued by the Willard Tract Repository of Boston. He also issued a small pamphlet called " Supernatural Gifts of the Spirit," dealing with the existence of the miraculous gifts in modern times, somewhat as was done by the great Horace Bushnell in his famous work, "Nature and the Supernatural." Schofield's work alluded to is rather an adverse study of the subject, but the others are all in favor of "Faith Healing." In 1892 Rev.

William McDonald of Boston put out a small book on " Modern Faith Healing," striving to show from the New Testament that the special answer to prayer is the proper ground, and not the general provision in the Atonement for all believers. This same ground was taken by the learned Dr. Daniel Steele in two little tracts issued about the close of the decade. Meanwhile Rev. A. B. Simpson of New York published several small books on the general subject, partly narratives of experience and partly doctrinal, but never issued a complete treatise covering the whole ground.

Rev. John A. Dowie, the Australian, now in Chicago, though the most robust advocate of the extreme theory, has never attempted to issue any exhaustive work upon the subject, his publications being almost wholly of the nature of narratives of cures in which he has had some part. His paper, " Leaves of Healing," contains many experiences as told in his meetings, but very little doctrine. In his sermons, however, he goes into the matter with characteristic Scotch pugnacity, and takes the most radical ground.

Up to this present time no work has appeared which attempts the systematic study of the whole Scriptures in order, from Genesis to Revelation, aiming to omit nothing whatever bearing upon the topic, and to logically prove from all the sacred writings a consistent theory, and which at the same time takes up seriatim all the objections advanced by any writer of importance, except D. H. In it may be found treated every point so far advanced by any and . all the advocates above quoted, and about every objection presented from any and every standpoint. As a simple statement of fact, and in order to show that it is not necessary to go outside this book in the present consideration of the theme, these things have to be said.

Again, the first call for a " convention " to consider the matter of Faith Healing specifically was issued by George McCalla and R. K. Carter, from Philadelphia, in June, 1882. A copy of this call is now before me. The convention was held, some attending from as distant a point as Kansas; but it was small, and of no particular consequence except to those immediately concerned. In June, 1885, a great conference was held in Agricultural Hall, Islington, England, to which the writer was specially invited, with others from this country, but was unable to attend.

In March, 1887, following some severe articles against the theory, written by Drs. SchaufBer and Buckley of

New York, the Century Magazine published an article on "Divine Healing " by R. Kelso Carter, which has so far proved to be the only article of the kind ever admitted to the columns of such a periodical. That article is embodied in this book, as the best condensed statement of the theory available, and as expressing very nearly the minds of the most prominent advocates of the belief that the Atonement provides healing by faith for all who will accept it.

In this country Dr. Charles Cullis began to pray with the sick about twenty years ago. In answer to his prayer, the writer was healed of stubborn heart disease in September, 1879, and being very closely associated with the doctor in most of his large conventions at Old Orchard Beach, Intervale, and Beacon Hill Church, Boston, as well as in his own home on terms of the closest friendship, he feels fully qualified to speak positively of Dr. Cullis's teaching and faith and practice. Several of these conventions at Old Orchard Beach, Me., were held during the summer seasons, and attended by many thousands who there heard of the " prayer of faith" as Dr. Cullis and others spoke of it in the open meetings ; and at one special service during each convention the doctor personally anointed with oil and prayed with all believers in Jesus who desired him to do so. The regular preaching of " faith healing " was not a feature of any convention held by Dr. Cullis, he always insisting on holding the three preaching services of each day to the one theme of salvation from sin, as he never failed to see that the soul is of much greater importance than the body. In the opening minutes of the special prayer service for the sick, already alluded to, Dr. Cullis was wont to speak briefly on the subject, not exactly doctrinally, but rather experimentally, relating how he came to study James v. 14, 15, expressing his firm and unshaken belief of every word between the covers of the precious Book of God, and urging his hearers to simply give all to God, claim the promises, and trust God to fulfil them.

During the years 1881-85 in this country existed the " wonder " stage of the modern development of" Faith Healing," the daily press taking up the subject and reporting remarkable cases of cure at considerable length. Many times the writer has been compelled to sit down with a reporter at Old Orchard Beach, or elsewhere, and endeavor to answer his queries in such a way as to insure the nearest approach to the truth reaching the , public. Some of the cases of cures in those days attracted wide notice, and were discussed by secular and religious papers at great length, calling out expressions of approval or condemnation, but tending always to spread the interest in the subject and to awaken faith in many earnest minds.

I About the middle of this period, Rev. A. B. Simpson of New York, who had withdrawn from the Presbyterian Church in order to give himself more entirely to work among the masses of the city, visited us at Old Orchard during the Dr. Cullis convention, and after remaining a few days, went up to Intervale in the White Mountains, and there was himself healed of heart trouble. Returning to New York, Dr. Simpson began the work which, in a dozen years, has developed into a large and active church, the largest missionary training college in the country, and a foreign missionary movement under the " Christian Alliance," the growth of which has been most phenomenal. In all his teachings Dr. Simpson has given a little more prominence to "Faith Healing" than Dr. Cullis did, but has never allowed the subject to claim more than a fraction of time or attention, holding, as Cullis did, that the spiritual matters are much more important. With Dr. Simpson, in very many of his conventions, the writer has also been most closely associated, though never in any way connected with his work.

About 1887 or 1888 there came to the Pacific coast an Australian Congregational preacher of Scotch birth, named John Alexander Dowie. Mr. Dowie had become famous in Australia for his positive advocacy of " Faith Healing," and had preached it over most of the important cities of that country. His presentation of the subject was quite radical, and, unlike our American teachers who had preceded him, he gave the whole of his time, or most of it, to this one theme. He remained on the Pacific coast some two years, and in the summer of 1889 came to Chicago, near which the writer met him and carefully listened to his entire course of " lectures " on the subject. No specially new points were presented, all being fully covered in D. H. or some of the other books already mentioned ; but the Scot enforced his words with characteristic energy, and by mere dint of incessant hammering and a vehement personality persuaded many to adopt his views. For several years after coming to Chicago his work did not attract a great deal of attention, but during the World's Fair crowds began to flock to his tabernacle, and since that time he has carried on quite an extensive work, during which many cases of healing have occurred. For a time Mr. Dowie was severely condemned by the press of Chicago, and suffered much unjust persecution at the hands of some whose opposition had been aroused, but at latest advices he was still prosecuting his work with vigor, and the storm of persecution had somewhat abated.

The " nine-days wonder " concerning Faith Healing has long ago subsided. The daily press no longer concerns itself with the cases of to-day, unless some circumstances conspire to make it very peculiar, or on account of some purely local interest. The theory, however, has added many believers in all parts of the world, and most of the teachers and writers mentioned have continued to advocate it in their meetings and writings. Some modifications have appeared, and some extremes have been marked in the positions held by leading faith healers, but in general the belief may still be expressed in the language and terms used in D. H. In its most condensed form it may be quoted from D. H., page 57, where recourse is had to the syllogism as follows :

u 1. All forms of sickness and disease were included, and even mentioned particularly, in the ' curse of the law.' Ex. xv., Ex. xxiii. ; Lev. xxvi. ; Deut. vii., Deut. xxii ; etc.

"2. ' Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law.' Therefore Christ hath redeemed us from all sickness and disease. There is no future tense about it; the work is finished. Again,

" I. Christ redeemed us from sin by His vicarious Atonement ; that is ' he was made sin for us/

" 2. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, by being made a curse for us. Therefore we are redeemed from all the ' curse of the law,' body, soul and spirit, solely through his vicarious Atonement. ,,

On page 166 we read: "The Scriptures for the vicarious Atonement for sin are no more explicit than those for sickness ; the same words or phrases being used for both. Jesus is positively said to have borne our sins and our diseases," etc.

Again, from page 146: "There is not a law given under Moses that is plainer and more positive than the law of physical health in Ex. xv. 26. And there is not a command given under the gospel more explicit and more clear in its attendant promise than the direction to the sick in James v. 14, 15. We believe that Jesus actually :< bore our sins in his own body on the tree/ and consequently we do not have to remain in sin. And we read that ' himself took our infirmities, and :bore our sicknesses.' How then can we possibly fail to see that ' by his stripes we are healed,' in body as well as in soul? "

CUI BONO?

It is always in order for one who has made a mistake to confess it. It is always good to state the truth of a matter, if it be stated at all. It is always the part of a true follower of Jesus to promptly get off a side-track to the main line when the discovery of position is made, and to do all in one's power to assist those who have been led astray from the exact truth to see clearly.

Not every man can be made to see his mistake, and of those who can, only a few are willing and ready to confess and make reparation. The general tendency is to avoid publicity, and to " hedge " until one gradually becomes known to have changed sides. The writer

< never had any disposition to so act in this matter. Over and over he was accustomed to say that he only

i cared for the plain sense of the Scriptures, and that no one would be more prompt than he to tell it far and

I wide if he saw he had misread the Bible. For the last half dozen years he has seen clearly that TO A DEGREE this has been the case, and during all that time he has desired greatly to write this " review," but has been prevented by circumstances beyond his control. Meanwhile the private request of many thoughtful friends that it should be published has weighed heavily on his mind, and he has only waited on the possibilities in order to comply.

But there exists another reason for this book. In all the writings in opposition to Faith Healing referred to, as, for example, those of Drs. Buckley and Schauffler, of Schofield and others, no one has ever attempted to step upon the solid Biblical foundation taken in D. H. and to discuss the real theology of the matter. Rev. William McDonald in his small book and Dr. Daniel Steele in his tracts deal with the subject doctrinally it is true, but neither of these attempts anything like a systematic answer to the exhaustive line of Biblical argument given in D. H., while the other writers quoted direct their efforts almost entirely to proving that there are no miraculous cures at all in these days, and that all the cases given currency may be explained on purely scientific lines. It is easy to see that the latter, therefore, never come within the pale of the real argument used by all devout advocates of " Faith Healing," namely, the consecutive teaching of the Old and New Testaments upon the subject.

All this being true, it becomes the plain duty of the writer, in attempting to give his reasons for any change in his belief, to take up his own book and squarely meetit exactly on its own ground, showing just where and to what extent it was wrong. To this task we will now address ourselves as briefly as possible, and in the most prayerful spirit, for by the very nature of the subject we are treading upon holy ground in the estimation of countless thousands of devout Christians in all parts of the world. That this little book may be sent just as far as God can use it, is the earnest prayer of the writer.

CHAPTER II. The Atonement Theory Stated

SINCE D. H. has long been out of print it seems best 11 to give in as condensed a form as possible the special theory therein advocated, in order that there may be clearly pointed out just where lay the element of error in its reasoning, and at the same time to what extent it was right. The article printed in the Century Magazine for March, 1887, will serve these purposes best, supplemented by special brief quotations as needed. We therefore reprint the article referred to in full:

DIVINE HEALING, OR -FAITH CURE."

A STATEMENT.

By way of explanation it may be said that the writer has been most intimately associated with the ' ' faith-healing " movement ever since it first began to attract public attention in this country. Seven years ago he was healed of a stubborn case of organic heart disease, after the best physicians and the most favorable climate and manner of life had alike signally failed to afford relief. At that time the literature concerning this subject was limited to two j or three small books, besides such general works as Horace

Bushnell's ' ' Nature and the Supernatural ; " but of late it has grown

into a considerable library, experimental and theological. In the | perusal of this mass of writing, and in the contributions which he

has himself made to it, the writer has been necessarily placed in a I position to speak with authority on the question, What is the doct trine and practice of Divine Healing, as presented by its most . prominent advocates ?

The object of this paper is to bring before the reader, as clearly

as possible in such an exceedingly limited space, the real 7iature a?id

ground for the doctrine that Jesus Christ has provided for be- ' lievers the possibility of deliverance from the i?iward power of

disease (as well as from sin), provided we meet all the Divine ; conditions.

THE AUTHORITY.

The only authority to which any real recognition is accorded is found in the Bible. To the Word of our God we bow with absolute submission. What God says we propose to believe, whether we have been so fortunate as to prove it in our own experience or not. With Daniel Webster, we " believe religion to be not a matter of demonstration, but of faith. God requires us to give credit ! to the truths which He reveals, not because we can prove them, but because He declares them.' 1 Individual cases of healing, or phenomena, are absolutely worthless as to the question before us. All the cases in the world have nothing whatever to do directly with the doctrine of Divine Healing, for the very simple reason that they are not and never have been made the basis or ground of that doctrine. The only foundation is the Word of God, and hence the examination of cases per se has no direct bearing upon the subject. But few men seek soul salvation, and some who appear to seek are not saved. It would be dangerous logic that discovered in this fact an error in the scheme of salvation.

THE DOCTRINE.

Passing rapidly over the time when Abraham, Isaac and Jacob each sought the Lord as the direct healer of physical diseases (see Genesis xx., xxv., xxx.), we come to the date of the Exodus, when God specially undertook the salvation of His people. Presumptive evidence is strongly in favor of the transmission of medical knowledge from the long-lived antediluvians, through Shem, who outlived Abraham, to the learned Egyptians of the time of Moses ; but direct evidence is conclusive as to the advanced state of this knowledge. Clement of Alexandria (second century) mentions six hermetic books of Egyptian medicine, one of which was devoted to surgical instruments ; and the learned George Ebers abundantly proves from ancient papyri that there were colleges of medicine, medical specialists and much skill in surgery before the days of Moses. Herodotus also testifies upon this point. But " Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians,' 1 hence he must have possessed the highest medical knowledge of his age. Notwithstanding all this, when the Exodus occurred God did not direct the people to go to Moses for treatment, but gave them, unasked, a clear and distinct promise of exemption from disease, on the condition of obedience. In Exodus xv. 26, we read, " If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice

THE ATONEMENT THEORY STATED. 2 J

of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight,

■ and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes,

I will put none of these diseases upon thee which I have brought

2 upon the Egyptians : for I am the Lord that healeth thee " (or, I

am the Lord thy healer) .

This promise was tested again and again. Moses prayed for leprosy (Numbers xii. 13), and Aaron for the plague (Numbers xvi. 47, 48). The serpent's bite found its cure solely through faith (Numbers xxi. 9), and the pestilence vanished when David sacrificed (II Samuel xxiv. 25). The Psalmist declares that when the children of Israel walked through the wilderness, " there was not one feeble [sick] person among their tribes" (Psalm cv. 37) ; and Solomon reminded the people that there had not failed one word of all the promises given through Moses (I Kings viii. 56).

In the fifth commandment we find the most explicit assurance of physical life, on the condition of obedience to parents. Passing on we read passages like the following, which cannot be disputed on any ground whatever : " O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children forever n (Deuteronomy v. 29). 44 Ye shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God hath commanded you, . . . that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess " (v. 33). " If thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak, ... I will take sickness away from the midst of thee n (Exodus xxiii. 22, 25). 44 If ye hearken to these judgments, and keep and do them, . . . the Lord will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee " (Deuteronomy vii. 12, 15. See also Leviticus xxvi. 15, 16, and Deuteronomy xxviii. 58-62). Beyond all possible controversy, exemption from disease was held out to the Jew,

David's understanding of this and his testimony upon the subject are both very clear. He says, "The Lord is the strength of my life " (Psalm xxvii. 1). "O Lord my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me " (xxx. 2). " O Lord, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave ; thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit" (xxx. 3). Out of a great many other utterances of the King of Israel, read especially Psalms xli. 3 ; xci. 1-6; ciii. 2-5. When Solomon dedicated the temple he made a distinct request for healing in answer to prayer, and the Lord distinctly promised to hear (see II Chronicles viii. 13, 14). When David's child was sick, we read of a prophet, and not of a physician. Even the mighty sinner Jeroboam knew where to send when disease struck his child ; and, later, the sternest rebuke and punishment were pronounced on Ahaziah because he forgot there was a God in Israel, and sent to inquire of Baalzebub.