SPIRITUAL HEALING.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 413, 23 January 1909, Page 14

SPIRITUAL HEALING.

'A REMARKABLE CASE; ,: The Rev,] Henry Norburn.'of St. Agnes* Birch Rectory, Manchester, in a letter to the i \ i-HS'" datod November 18, 1908, states:.The'.Conference- on Mental,-' Spiritual, and Jaith Healing, reported in -'The Guardian," should draw the attention'of'the clergy to: a. wonderful function'.which, as ministers of Christ, they might use to the relief;.of-much suffering, if only they were aware of its,potency and knew how to use it. - 1 perhaps may be permitted to'record a' StriX'J? Tn er ffi y care - ■■■ Tlie;facts.are strictly as follow:--Mr. ■ G :, -of this ISV-- 8 ' man °f sixt J-sis years of age, had bean-lying paralysed for over two years in - -° n; }H . gromid: floor -' '■■ I' l»d -been, ministering: to his spiritual needs in view of approaching death for, say, six months. As there seemed to be no rapid changer it-oc-KLr n,o^.9 ue sti?n him closely-as to condition This I felt justified in S^V PP v rently > tl,ero was no medical man in attendance except perhaps after long intervals; I l earn that two years ago Mr: . : £~ had- been-in the. infirmary, but was, atter some; time,; removed as incurable, with !s ,,ranc e ,M he.says, :tllat he would never, agam-.-get out. of his bid.- This un-. nappy declaration was repeated when"under treatment, at another;place. His long help-■-lessness.of now two years seemed to justify this terribly sentence. As a former student' °t-comparative-,physiology, and indebted to i^™ P - enter l works » especially his "Mental Physiology," I resolved to make an experiment. I was struck by a passage, in the : book-,quoted where "the writer has known ptnercasesm which'secretions that had been morbidly, suspended have been reinduced' by this • -process-viz.,, that -the idea that' a structural defect._ will certanly he . removed by a certain act-increases the organic action ' in the,part:" , How., was,l to induce the expectancy .of recovery after' the fatal- sentence: and the two years', absolute,inability to move limbs ? I used my physioS't «u E6 *?■ reinforC6 my ministerial, authprity. "How long have you been para-lysed,-Mr. G—?» "Over .two '■ years." l,if a o» got out.of bed without S- - f % e . r V % list en to,this'pas-: fago ■■ of;,;. Scripture (St.' James -v. -14, ;l^.-.^ow, ; :- although ■; I -- have; .called, many . times, you. have,' never. once sent tor me; as directed! You have' : not yourself started the process of'faith "I then; prayed--for; him, rose from my knees ; inquired if he could; move his big toe a litte.'r."l Grfd I Then you PW*™& »nd if,.three, weeks, with effort you wiU .be walking," said I -I inferred ™™/- ; shght 7eme nt-that, the motor nerve-must,be continuous from the brain to the toe,. Now was needed, an outward Visible token help hope; -insure effiorf ■ and.-.assist; the wiU. - I went to theeSst ■i£t*?TF : 'fy '^ nervous vitality. In three weeks, when I called, till f"""^' : ' ln ■■j, b - ed , s . tlU > told' me with ' jdr tt l°^ h T 4 ayS he had been walking 1 !, the^ backyard. Upon'my returning from fetching, more, of the remedy .'referred toT'the man met me at the door, dressed, and walked back- to - his fewS wTtw king al0 ?S the streeHb 1 park,..where, he.was subsequently.-daily, to be-wen,, to.th.e wonder of all the neighbours? nffitf-M - " myself and ow'sabred: 'ft w? Iy - 6 , x P ]ana twn of the-, case is Ithat' there, ; was ageneral deficiency of volitional power .over, the Muscles,, whichis/a marked frl Ul r ■$ ' the H hy ? ical d epressioh: arisfng from feebleness of, circulation. , The declara--r dica l ; -^n. d ant; waVperft justified .by the symptoms-at the'time,'.but, tn s sentence, had a -'mesmeric' effect.- ■ My/ • -bold prophecy;.{upon'.the, discovery of - Volitiona effect inspired: n$ hop* ; v.medicinevincreased /the/ ty: and induced/ the will to live, and, beihg a' co^muous^gent,/ P rolonged:ith6:expectaiy ; until .the .tissues, .nerves, .and: muscles Wo .romforced- ,-Fror^these > consideSns I: think we can ;see; the, wisdom of: the Church m .its, Sacramontarsystem,' oil ot.;bt.-James it the Outwarda;vast field for u"' v A^ ar SrP^ortion-of.: supposed' cases-of,, paralysis.; are' ;certainly , casls'-'of:, hysteria,.and,religmn and some:physiologic ' ,cal .knowledge, wisely, joined 1 together" may effect.gr^t:reliefto.many;suffer^B.^lvhav6 ;: had experienceof,othercases (not paralvsisV' fl^re,prayer,,,^,;,and /knowledge :iiave -been; similarly; effective.;.;-;; : -, . ' .