Faith-Healing (ePub)

The Rev. Dr. J. M. Buckley has collected together his papers from The Century and other sources, and like the wise householder who brings forth things new and old, has spread a rich table for those who enjoy reading about faith-healing. Christian science, and kindred phenomena. Unless one meets frequently the victims of the delusions of astrology, divination, apparitions and witchcraft, or happens to be personally acquainted with the librarians of our great cities, he will have little idea how great a hold the occult sciences (heaven save the mark !) have upon the minds of millions in our country. Under the shadow of our churches and scientific institutions, there are multitudes who still believe in one form or another of these superstitions. Dr. Buckley's method is to find a rational explanation of what unquestionably is, before he looks at what is supposed to be, and he considers there is no reason to suspect, and that it is superstition to assume, the operation of supernatural causes, when experimen'al science can reproduce the same phenomena and results. He believes heartily in the Christian doctrine of prayer, but he has very little faith in what is called 'faith-healing,'and considers that the claims of Christian 'faith-healers,' technically so-called, are effectually discredited, and he shows clearly the evils of the superstition. Under astrology, divination and coincidences he brings up a great many readable anecdotes from the classic times, as well as from the modern, and under dreams, nightmares and somnambulism, endeavors by analysis and characterization to show what are the real facts, and also the rational use of dreams. He devotes one chapter to presentiments, visions and apparitions, hinting at unsuspected mental resources, and showing what are the uses of these apparently abnormal phenomena. In regard to witchcraft, he does not believe that the Bible teaches the reality of that in which generations of men have long believed. As for the Witch of Endor, he considers that she herself was mistaken, and that the whole story is of what was said, rather than of what was done. Strangely enough, in treating of the manifestations of the delusion in Europe and America, and of the reaction from the frenzy, he does not mention the work of the great Balthazar Becker, the Dutchman who wrote the book which did so much to demolish the superstition. His last chapter treats of Christian science and mind-cure, and in this chapter, as in the others, he shows a commonsense which is contagiously healthful, and winds up with a very appropriate quotation from Ecclesiasticus.