MINISTRY OF HEALING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19278, 16 September 1924, Page 4

MINISTRY OF HEALING.

APPEAL FOR. INVESTIGATION. MEDICAL ASSOCIATION’S REFUSAL,. (Feom Oue Own Corbespohdent.) LONDON, July 30. Something in the nature of a challenge to the medical profession was given hy the Archbishop of York in an official sermon delivered before the British Medical Association. "I venture to think,” he said, “that your council shqqld inaugurate an inquiry ji»to the relations.'.between the mind, body,, and spirit. I know of no considerable sustained scientific inquiry into' this subject, which is one that, should be inquired into. What I plead for now is not respect for religion on the one hand and science on the other, but that science should discover the place of the spirit in the healing and uplifting of the body.” “We have come to a time,” continued the Archbishop, “when the two channels of healing—the prayer of faith and the skill of the physician—should be brought together. There has been, or may be soon, a great revival of healing through the spirit of faith made active in selfdiscipline and prayer, /.t every stage in history there has always been this strangely potent power, and within the last few- months Canada and the United States have seen on a truly remarkable scale revelations of this potency. Explanations may be given of the phenomenon, but the facts cannot be denied. I venture to say that they have occurred, are occurring, and in the near future will occur on such a scale and over such a w-ide field that they must be accepted as proving the reliability of at least one great and enduring power among men to relieve or remove disease. “Men of religion would not hestitate for one moment to believe that here also, as through medicine and surgery, the Lord, from whom the power of healing comes, reveals as well the power to heal. It would be a great misfortune if the two lines of healing were to be jealously kept apart and one were to look with suspicion on the other. Such separations must in the long run prove dangerous if not disastrous.” COUNCIL’S RESOLUTION. The council of the association met on the following day in private to discuss the Archbishop’s sdggestion. Afterwards the following official statement was issued: “The council of the British Medical Association has had before it the report of the preliminary investigations of a committee recently appointed to inquire in what w-ay, if any, the association might be of assistance in the eludieation of what has been described as spiritual healing or the ‘ministry of healing.’ The council believes that the difficulties with which the matter is at present surrounded are likely to lead the investigation outside the sphere of the recognised activities of the association, and after deliberation has decided not to proceed with the reappointment of this committee.” BISHOP OF ST, ALBANS AND EFFECT OF PRAYER. In a letter addressed to the people of Ills diocese the Bishop of St. Albans (Dr Furse) says: “Canon Manning, rector of Barnet, has written to rne saying that the doctors have told him ho is stricken with cancer on the liver. Ho is facing the verdict, and he asks: ‘ls it right to pray for bis recovery?’ “Sncli a case ns ihia (proceeds Dr Furse) is a challenge to our faith in the healing and restoring and redeeming power of God. So we. will pray hard and seek to bring to bear on this gallant wounded fellow-soldier all the life-giving and liferestoring power of Christ which we believe faithful and corporate prayer can bring.’’ Preaching at Hadleigh Church, near Barnet, on Sunday, the Bishop of London (Dr Winninglon-Ingram) said he and (he bishop of St. Albans had tried to get the bishops to think over the truth there was in Christian Healing. One of the best parish pries! s in London was stricken with incurable cancer. “Christ sneaks a wonderfully direct message to the soul (continued the Bishop), and I have seen myself that message have an extraordinary effectover mind and body. I do not with these foolish people who think there is no need for doctor* and surgeons; but in our visitation of the sick we do toll people too much to lie down and die. The priest ought to take with him the great truth we are learning to-day about Onristian Healing.’’