The modern Bethesda

Front matter

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.■VI

Preface

In the Gospel according to John we are informed that anciently there was " at Jerusalem, by the sheep-maiket, a pool, which was called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For," we are told, " an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water : whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had." (John v. 2-4.)

Bethesda signifies, literally, House of Mercy, or of Pity.

Even in the days of Jesus, this ancient Bethesda was evidently quite inadequate to the demands made upon it. And in later times its healing virtue seems to have become quite exhausted. Its porches have disappeared : the angel comes no more to trouble its waters. A recent traveller informs us that on his visit to Jerusalem, in September, 1873, he found in its place but " a dirty sunken cesspool, with simply a show of shallow, turbid water." *

Is there not need, then, of a Modern Bethesda, where the ills of suffering humanity may be removed ?

The Great Healer of Judea, at whose word the impotent man, long waiting vainly in the porches of the ancient pool, was made instantly whole, taught the existence of an exhaustless fountain of Healing Power, everywhere accessible to u them that believe." Modern experience is proving that this same fountain of Curative

* " Around the World," by J. M. Peebles, 1875.

4 PREFACE.

Energy is still available, on the same conditions. This is the Modern Bethesda of which this volume treats.

The nature and source of this Healing Power, and the conditions on which it is available, are to some extent indicated in the pages which follow.

The main object of this work is to put on permanent record such facts and testimonies as shall serve to furnish to the present and future generations irrefutable proof of the reality of the " Gift of Healing." It will also afford some idea of the extent of the beneficent work performed by one among many modern healers.

It should be added, however, that the record herein presented is by no means full. No memoranda have ever been made of a large proportion of the cures effected by Dr. J. R. Newton — many of the beneficiaries objecting to any public use of their names ; and, of such records as were made, numbers have been lost in the healer's jpurneyings from place to place in pursuance of his work.

From the materials preserved a selection has been made for this volume of such as would present a large variety of well-authenticated cases. These have been grouped in chapters, with reference more to locality than to chronological order, though the latter has been observed so far as practicable.

This book is not intended as an advertisement, since its preparation was not undertaken until after Dr. Newton had determined to retire from his laborious practise and spend the remainder of his years in the repose of private life. The importunities of the suffering, however, together with the feeling that he has no right to allow the power given him for their relief to lie unused, have led him to reconsider that determination, so far as to continue the treatment of patients at a distance by means of magnetized letters, as set forth in Chapters XI. and XIX. of this work.

The Editor.

Introduction

That the power to cure disease through the laying on of hands, or the spoken word, or by other means aside from materia medica administered by the professional physician, once existed among men, is devoutly believed at least by all who credit the New Testament histories. Jesus of Nazareth is by the Christian world unquestioningly accredited with the possession of that power in an unlimited measure, and with its exercise during his earthly ministry, in hundreds and thousands of cases, to the relief of the sick and suffering of that time. And he is further believed to have conferred the same power upon others, his immediate disciples, who continued to exercise it after his departure, and to some extent transmitted it to their converts and successors. Indeed, Jesus himself is recorded as having declared that they who believed in him (without exception, or limitation as to time) should be attended, among other "signs," by this healing power, and do even greater works than he himself had wrought. (Mark xvi. 18, and John xiv. 12.)

It is further conceded by most Christian authorities that the exercise of this healing power or " gift " continued in the church, to some extent, from one to three centuries after the crucifixion of its founder. Large and important branches of Christendom, indeed, as the Syrian, Greek and Roman churches, have maintained that this power has never been lost, but has been exercised, occasionally at least, in their respective communions, by " saints " and favored ones, even down to the present day. Some testimonies on this point will be hereinafter cited.

The Protestant section, however, in general, has distinguished itself by taking the ground that this " gift " ceased to De conferred on believers after the third century, if not earlier ■ and that its lestoration is never to be expected. Some noted divines, in fact, have gone so far as to hold that no "miracles," of any kind, were performed after the days of the Apostles, and but few by them — all testimony to the contrary being set down to the credit of " superstition, credulity and ignorance." They have thus greatly strengthened the hands of those materialists and skeptics who reject totally the New Testament histories on the same grounds ; for it is difficult for rational men to see why the later testimonies should be wholly discredited, and the more remote unquestioningly received.

And to justify this flat contradiction of the promises of Jesus, Protestant divines have invented the plausible theory, that these " miracles" so called, were inte?ided o?ily for the establishment of Christianity i?i the world, and whe?i that was accomplished the power to perform the??i was withdrawn.

That this is a mere after-thought, brought forward by degenerate professors of Christianity, to avoid the confession that they lack both the "faith " and the " signs " spoken of by Jesus, would seem evident to every unprejudiced reader of his words. For he gave no hint that his promise was for a limited period only, but on the contrary is reported as saying, " Lo, I am with you " — not for three centuries, but — " alway, even unto the end of the world." (Matt, xxviii. 20.)

To assume, as the theory in question does, that Jesus and his Apostles wrought the cures attributed to them solely or chiefly for the purpose of establishing in the world a system of doctrines, is not very creditable to either their humanity or their honesty. Jesus is represented in the gospels as being " moved with compassion" for the afflicted, and as "touched with the feeling of our infirmities." He is said to have repeatedly and strictly charged those whom he healed to " tell no man." Shall we, in the face of such testimonies, believe that he had no human sympathy for the sufferers he relieved ? — that he coldly calculated merely on the credit he should receive for each "miracle" performed? and that he really meant the subjects of his power should all do as some of them did, despite his charge — " so much the more spread his fame abroad ? " This is asking quite too much. Besides, Jesus him-

INTRODUCTION Q

self taught, according to the record, that " great signs and wonders," i. e., miracles, did not prove the divine mission of those who wrought them. He warned his disciples against false Christs and false prophets who should come doing such things. (See Matt. xxiv. 24 ; Mark xiii. 22.) In fact, as all may see, a marvellous, inexplicable performance, seemingly contrary to nature, can never prove the truth of any moral principle or spiritual law taught by the performer. Such principle or law must be true in itself, or no amount of " miracle " can make it so.

But if any part of the purpose of the " gift of healing " was to relieve the sufferings of mankind, then surely there has been no less occasion for its exercise in the world since the first or the third century, even to the present time, than existed in the days of Jesus' personal ministry. Even our boasted advance in medical science and sanitary knowledge has not yet by any means rendered such works of mercy uncalled for in this world. The catalogue of patients who have " suffered many things of many physicians, and have spent all that they had, and are nothing bettered, but rather grow worse " (Mark v. 26), is far from being exhausted !

And, again, were it true that the chief purpose of those marvellous powers in the early days was to establish in the minds and hearts of men the truths which Jesus taught, there is scarcely less occasion for their display in this nineteenth century than there was in the first. Certainly, at no past age within historic periods has there prevailed materialism more stolid, unbelief in spiritual realities more deeply intrenched, or indifference to the soul's highest welfare more profound, than characterize multitudes even in nominal Christendom to-day. If the Almighty Father ever compassionated the ignorance, blindness and infirmities of his children, and condescended to meet the needs of their low estate, in any past age, it would be difficult to show why, as a Being of unchanging goodness, he should not continue to do the same at the present time.

Surely, then, as reasonable beings, we must look elsewhere than to the favorite theory of these sadducean Protestant divines for the truth in this matter.

It is the purpose of these introductory pages to adduce some of the evidences which go to show, in contravention of the theory alluded to, that the marvellous healing powers, as well as other " gifts of the spirit," displayed in the primitive Christian age, have never been wholly lost to or withdrawn fro?n the world, but have continued to be enjoyed wherever the requisite human conditions for their exercise have existed.

Should this point be established, it will follow that, in so far as these so-called miraculous powers have ceased to be exhibited in any age or section of Christendom (as notably among most Protestant sects), it has been because of a lack of either that special kind of faith indicated by Jesus, or some other condition essential to their exercise.

HEALING IN THE FIRST SIX CENTURIES.

The historic evidences that the healing power and other "spiritual gifts " of primitive Christianity did not wholly cease with the Apostolic age, nor even in the third century — in other words, that the promise of Jesus to those who believe, did not fail — have been so fully collated by that well-known and universally respected English author, Mr. William Howitt, and presented in his " History of the Supernatural " (first published in London, and afterwards in this country by Lippincott & Co., Philadelphia, 1863), that we need do little more than offer a few citations in point from his pages. We quote, italicizing some passages of special note :

" All the fathers of the first six centuries declare, more or less, the existence of miracles in the church. * * * Justin Martyr, who was born near the end of the first century, and died later than the middle of the second — namely, in 161— in contending with the unbelieving Jews, says, that the Incarnation took place 'for the sake of unbelievers, and for the overthrow of evil spirits ; ' and he adds, 4 You may know this from what now passes before your eyes ; for many demoniacs all over the world, and in your own metropolis, whom none other exorcists, conjurors, or sorcerers have cured, these have many of our Christians cured, adjuring by the name of Christ, and still do acre: * And again, ' With us, even hitherto, are prophetic gifts, for which you Jews ought to gather that what formerly belonged to your race is transferred to us.' In another place he says, ' With us may be seen both males and females, with gifts from the Spirit of' God.'

" Irenaeus, who lived at the end of the second century, and suffered martyrdom in 202, speaks most plainly, as quoted by Eusebius (v. 214, of English translation) : 'Far are they— the churches — from raising the dead in the manner

* It should be recollected that in those times many diseases were attributed (perhaps correctly) to possession by evil spirits, or demons — Ed.

INTRODUCTION. II

the Lord and his Apostles did, by prayer ; yet even among the brethren frequently, in a case of necessity, when a whole church has united in much fasting and prayer, the spirit has returned to the exanimated body, and the man has been granted to the prayer of the saints.' Again, p. 215, ' Some most certainly and truly cast out demons, so that frequently those persons themselves that were cleansed from wicked spirits, believed, and were received into the church. Others have the knowledge of things to 'come, as also visions and prophetic communications. Others heal the sick by the imposition of hands, and restore them to health. And, moreover, as we said above, even the dead have been raised, and continued with us many years. And why should we say more ? It is impossible to tell the number of gifts which the church throughout the world received from God, and the deeds performed in the name of Jesus Christ, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, and this too every day for the benefit of the heathen, without receiving or exacting any money. For as she freely received, she also fieely ministers.' In another place Irenaeus savs : ' We hear of many of the brethren in the church who have prophetic gifts, and who speak in all tongues through the Spirit, and who also bring to light the secret things of men for their benefit, and who expound the mysteries of God.' " — Vol.1, pp. 440-1.

" Eusebiusadds the reason why these gifts had declined in the church in his time — namely, not that the heritage of miracle had ceased, but that the churches were 'unworthy' of them (p. 215). Yet in his own times, the commencement of the fourth century, he says in his ' Theophaneia ' (p. 300 of translation), ' Who is he who knows not how delightful it is to us that through the name of our Saviour, coupled with prayers that are pure, we cast out every kind of demon ? ' " — lb. p 441.

" Tertullian, the most celebrated father of that age for eloquence, in his work 'De Anima,' says, ' We had a right, after what was said by St. John, to expect prophesyings ; and we not only acknowledge these spiritual gifts, but we are permitted to enjoy the gifts of a prophetess. There is a sister amongst us who possesses the faculty of revelation. She commonly, during our religious service on the Sabbath, falls into a crisis or trance. She has then intercourse with the angels, sees sometimes the Lord himself, sees and hears divine mysteries, and discovers the hearts of some persons ; and administers medicine to such as desire it ; and when the Scriptures are read, or psalms are being sung, or prayers are being offered up, subjects from thence are ministered to her visions.' " — lb pp.

442-3-

"Tertullian gives us a bold proof of his confidence in the spiritual power of Christians If a man, he says, calls himself a Christian, and cannot expel a demon, let him be put to death on the spot/' — p. 444.

" St. Cyprian, who was a pupil of Tertullian, and suffered martyrdom in A. d. 258, * * * declares that the word of the Christian exorcist burned evil spirits. ' There is no measure/ he says, ' or rule in the dispensation of the gifts of heaven, as in those of the gifts of earth. The spirit is poured forth liberally, without limits or barriers. It flows without stop, it overflows without stint.' By this, he says, they cleansed unwise and impure souls, restored men to spiritual and bodily health, and drove forth demons who had violently made lodgment in men, smiting them by the spirit and scorching them with its fire." —

" Origen, who was contemporary with Cyprian, says, ' There are no longer any prophets nor any miracles amongst the Jews, of which there are large vestiges amongst the Christians ; ' namely, in the middle of the third century. Gregory, Origen's pupil, and Bishop of New Caesarea in Pontus, was so famous for his miracles that he was styled Thaumaturgus, or Wonder-Worker. * * * Origen arguing against Celsus (hi. 24), says, 'By the use of the name alone of God and Jesus, we too have seen many set free from severe complaints ; from loss of mind, from madness, and numberless other such evils, which neither man nor devils had cured.' " — pp. 446-7.

" St. Ambrose, who lived to the end of the fourth century, * * * in his fourth epistle says, ' You know ye yourselves saw that many were cleansed from evil spirits, very many on touching with their hands the garments of the saints were delivered from the infirmities which oppressed them. The miracles of the old time are come again, when by the advent of the Lord Jesus a fuller grace was shed on earth.'

" St. Augustine, who lived to near the middle of the fifth century (a. d. 430), bears ample testimony to the continuance of the miraculous power in the church then. In particular he relates the case of Innocentia, a religious woman, who in her sleep was ordered to go to the font where she had been baptized, and there to mark with a cross her breast affected by a cancer, pronounced by the physicians incurable, and that it was inimediately healed. He relates twenty miracles, including the restoration of a child to life within two years, at the shrine of St. Stephen.

" St. Jerome, also living in the fifth century, relates numerous miracles, such as the restoration of the sight of a woman who had been blind for ten years ; the instant cure of the bites of serpents, of paralytic persons, of the casting out of devils, &c. Sulpicius, in his dialogues and life of St. Martin, in the fifth century, relates a number of miracles which he professes to have seen himself.

" We might thus proceed through all the fathers of the first five centuries ; the statements are precisely the same." — pp. 447-8.

" So much for the Christian fathers ; but it is not in the fathers only that the miracles of the first six centuries of Christendom are maintained. We turn to the whole series of the historians of the church through those ages, and the affirmation is the same. As in all the pagan world of all times, so in all the Christian Church, there is but one voice in the matter. We have a series of five historians of the church, reaching from the apostolic times to the end of the sixth century — Eusebius, Socrates Scholasticus, Sozomen, Theodoret, and Evagrius. Eusebius quotes Hegisippus and Papias, who went before him; Socrates, Sozomen, and Theodoret all treat of nearly the same period of time, from about 300 A. d. to 445 ; Evagrius advances from 431 to 594 a. d. ; yet all maintain the same great doctrine of the copious existence and free exercise of the miraculous power in the church during those six centuries. To state, even in brief terras, the whole of these miracles, would fill a large volume." — pp. 453-4.

IN THE SYRIAN AND GREEK CHURCHES.

The same author cites abundant evidences to show that the ancient faith in miraculous powers, including that of healing, continues to this day in the Syrian and Grecian branches of the Christian Church. A modern history of the Russian section of the Greek Church, by M. MouravierT, has been, within a few years, translated into English by an English clergyman and scholar. Mr. Howitt says :

" Warnings received in divine and prophetic declarations by eminent prelates, as well as cases of miraculous cure at the tombs, or from the prayers of holy men, the successful drawing of lots laid on the altar, and like proofs of spiritual intervention, will be found numerously throughout Mouravieff." — Vol. II. p. 47-8.

IN THE ROMAN CHURCH.

That the Roman Church, which is by far the largest branch of nominal Christendom, has ever claimed, and still claims, to be the repository of all spiritual gifts, that of healing not excepted, is doubtless known to all readers. It is common, however, for Protestants to regard all Romanist accounts of marvels with especial distrust and incredulity, as either the inventions of crafty priests or the exaggerations of superstition. A due degree of caution and discrimination should undoubtedly be exercised in accepting marvellous accounts from this as from all other sources, whether ancient or modern. But there are histories which cannot be rejected, except upon such principles as would destroy the credibility of all human testimony. And it is a rational and safe rule that we may give credence to any alleged facts, however marvellous, honestly related to have taken place in other countries or ages, that are paralleled by facts coming under our observation, or affirmed by credible testimony of our own times. In so far then as Romanist " miracles " of healing, or of any other class, are of the same essential nature with occurrences amply established as taking place among us to-day, we are fully justified in yielding them credence. If in any respect they go beyond our personal observation or experience, or that of credible witnesses of our own time, and assert events improbable in themselves, we may justly withhold our credence and wait for further proof.

It is by no means to be inferred, however, that the occurrence of these marvels — or " miracles," if any prefer the term — establishes the truth of all or any of the doctrines or theoretical opinions held by those among whom they take place. Far from it. As before remarked, moral and spiritual truths are true in and of themselves, and no amount of marvellous attestation can make a false doctrine true or a true doctrine false. " Mighty works " prove only the power and skill of the workers, whether visible or invisible — nothing more. If the works are good, then we may reasonably infer that they spring from beings of good-will ; if evil, then from those having evil design. But persons moved by the best intentions may, nevertheless, be mistaken in many of their theoretical opinions. It may yet appear that the possession of a peculiar kind or quality of faith (not correct opinions on general theological questions) is the main essential requisite for the enjoyment of the gift of healing.

With these preliminaries, we will quote a few of the testimonies on record regarding the exercise of the gift of healing in the Roman Catholic Church, in mediaeval and more modern times. After mentioning several of the female " saints " of the church who manifested remarkable powers, Mr. Howitt continues :

" Such also was St. Hildegarde, a woman of wonderful vision, which she was'tommanded by an inward voice to communicate, and equally wonderful powers of healiiig. For the greater part of her life, which was in the twelfth century, she was confined to her bed, and suffered incredible pains, yet she became the oracle of princes and bishops by her spiritual insight, amounting to actual prophecy. She had even predicted the exact time of her own death, though she lived to be old. She possessed the same faculty as Zschokke in recent times, of reading the innermost thoughts — nay, the very life, past and future, of those she was in company with, which, however, she revealed only to her confessor. The list of her cures is extensive, and comprehends a variety of diseases, some of which she cured at a distance by sending to the patients holy water. She had the faculty also of appearing to persons at a distance, a phenomenon which, in modern times, perhaps has astonished psychologists more than any other. In her clairvoyant state, she said that her spirit-vision knew no bounds ; it extended itself over various nations, however distant. ' These things, however,' she said, ' I do not perceive with my outer eyes, nor hear with my external ears, nor through the thoughts of my heart, nor by means of any comparison of my five senses ; but in my soul alone, with open eyes, without falling into ecstasy ; for I see them in my waking state, by day and by night.' " — History, Vol. I., p. 494.

Such statements may seem incredible to readers who have never experienced or witnessed any thing of the kind for themselves. But the author quoted states that he is personally acquainted with ladies possessing similar gifts ; so also is the editor of these pages, and so, doubtless, are many who will read them. Such will have no difficulty in crediting the history of St. Hildegarde. Again :

" The Roman Catholic Church can enumerate a great number of persons endowed with healing powers. Amongst the most remarkable of such therapeutists may be mentioned the following : — St. Patrick, the Irish apostle (claimed, however, by the ancient British Church), healed the blind by laying on of his hands. St. Bernard is said to have restored eleven blind people to sight, and eighteen lame persons to the use of their limbs, in one day at Constance. At Cologne, to have healed twelve lame, to have caused three dumb persons to speak, ten who were deaf to hear ; and when he himself was ill, St. Laurence and St Benedict are said to have appeared to him, and to have cured him by touching the part affected. Even his dishes and plates are said to have cured sickness after his death ! * Sts Margaret. Catherine, Elizabeth, Hildegarde, and especially the holy martyrs Cosmas and Damianus, belong to this class. Among others they freed the Emperor Justinian from an incurable sickness. St. Odilia embraced a leper, who was shunned by all men, warmed him, and restored him to health.

" The saints of the ancient British Church, St. Columbo, St. Columbanus, Aidan, Scotus Erigena, Claude Clement, and others, possessed the like divine power. * * * The pious Edward the Confessor cured diseases by the touch ; and hence the practice handed down till recent times of the kings of England touching for the king's evil. In France the same practice was inherited from Philip I., and continued till the Revolution. Amongst the German princes this power was ascribed to those of the house of Hapsburg, and they are said to have cured stammering by a kiss. The Salmadores and Ensalmadores of Spain were celebrated for healing almost all kinds of diseases by prayer and by the breath. Michael Medina and the child of Salamanca performed numerous such cures; and the innkeeper Richter, at Royen in Silesia, cured, in the year 1817-18, many thousands of sick persons in the open field, by laying on of hands." — lb. PP 505-6.

A more recent healer in the Roman Catholic Church was a priest by the name of Gassner, who, in the latter half of the 18th century, created an intense and extensive excitement by his remarkable cures in Switzerland :

" I give the account just as Dr. Ennemoser has abridged it from Dr. Schlisel's narrative, as an eye-witness : Gassner, a clergyman from the country of Bludenz, in Vorarlberg, healed many diseases through exorcism. In the year 1758 he

* This is no more wonderful than cures by "magnetized letters," magnetized (or "holy") water, or other articles, in modern times, of which we shall have testimonies in the following pages. — Ed.

was the clergyman of Klosterle, when, by his exorcisms, he became so celebrated that he drew a vast number of people to him. The flocking of the sick from Switzerland, the Tyrol, and Swabia, is said to have been so great that the number of invalids was frequently more than a thousand, and they were manv of them obliged to live under tents. * * *

" Gassner's mode of proceeding was as follows : He wore a scarlet cloak, and on his neck a silver chain. He usually had in his room a window on his left hand, and a crucifix on his right. With his face turned towards the patient, he touched the ailing part, and commanded that the disease should manifest itself ; which was generally the case. He made this both cease and depart by a single command. By calling on the name of Jesus, and through the faith of the patient, he drove out the devil and the disease. But every one that desired to be healed must believe, and through faith any clergyman may cure devilish diseases, spasms, fainting, madness, Sec, or free the possessed. Gassner availed himself sometimes of magnetic manipulations ; he touched the affected part, covered it with his hand, and rubbed therewith vigorously both head and neck. * * * Physical susceptibility, with willing faith and posinVe physical activity, through the command of the Word, was thus the magical cure with him" — Vol. I., pp. 122-3.