RATANA AND FAITH-HEALING

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XI, Issue 200, 17 August 1921, Page 7

RATANA AND FAITH-HEALING

POWER OF SPIRIT OVER. MATTER Speaking on “Some Ancient and Modern Miracles” at the Rugby street Church, Christchurch, the Rev. J. Napier Alilnc referred to the cures of Ratana, which ho believed to bo perfectly genuine. He said the New Testament warranted a much bolder attitude to what was termed “faithhealing” than the Church had the courage to take. The Church had herself to blame for the rise of such movements as Christian Science and New Thought. It was easy to pour ridicule on these movements. But beneath the froth there was draught of reality; truth was mingled with the jargon. Thousands of people had undoubtedly been helped in their souls and healed in their bodies by Christian Science and New Thought. These movements, while explaining away some of the great central truths of. Christianitv, at some points emphasised partially neglected aspects of Christian truth. The Church had forgotten the power of spirit over matter, the power which nur Lord recognised when He said to those who came to Him for healing, “Thy faith hath made thee whole.” There were many invalids who had no business to bo invalids. Tt was possible to sicken and even to die because we believed that we would. Sickness must not bo spoken of as coming direct from the hand of God. If sickness and disease were according to the will of God, then we had no business to rail in a doctor. It was not difFi•ult to see bn”.- the error had arisen 'mt bodily affliction was divinely sent. We had all soon the gracious uses if adversity, and we had come to identify the grace with its channel, pronouncing them both good. The preacher did not think we were justified in expecting that any certain or wholesale method of healing would ever be orthcoming. Nor was there any need o discountenance the use of medical science. Body and soul, science and ’aith, cleanliness and godliness, the ulturo of Ike spirit and the search ' r anti-toxins- all had their use and nlace. Tt was absolutely proven that ho goodness of people made for health, that faith was a mi’/htv factor in hcal’iug, and that with God all things were possible.