FAITH-HEALING.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1450, 7 January 1887, Page 2

FAITH-HEALING.

(From Tuesday's Otago Daily Times,') Tho faith-healing mission vrhioh has ' been conduct 3d by the Mi and Mrs Oowte m the Garrison Hall for the past few weeks was brought to a close last night by a " praise and testimony" meeting. The hall waa about three-parts full, and a number of ladies and gentlemen occupied positions on the platfoara, the majority of whom profeased to have been healed by faith.

During the evening the Bey Mr Dowie gave »n address, la .the course of which he referred to some remarks made by "Oivla" m "Paßßing Notes" with regard to himaelf and Mrs l-'owie. He contradicted an assertion by " Oivls" to the effect that he professed to heal by faith. He also pointed out that ».« Oivls " had state i tli-.t "the whole explanation of faith heali g lien enclosed m the fact that certain nrrvoua disorder? were sensitive to iofl 16UC03 that act on the nervoa," and remark<-d that this w uli not account f-vr the heal'ng of many bases by faith. There were throe claaaea of die^a-eJ, he eald organic, functional and nervous; and or^inio <lisenßei had bean healed through faith m the Lord Jesus Christ, instantly, perfectly, and permanently. Iv support of this statement he cited the OK-eo of a lady roaiding m Napier street, Fi<z oy, who had been blind and whose Bif*ht had been instantaneously and perfectly restored throng hi faith. He also mentioned that he never reaeived any money from|peisonn who professed to have been healed through his inßtrumeotalUy, After his ad-Jroiß a number of persons testified to having been h:aled by faith. The fitat person who cime on the platform wan

M<bs Shepherd, who stated that about navon months ago she visited Misa Robs, of the Taiiri, who bad boen ill And quite hetpleßS for many years. She spoke to her a> out fal h-healing, and told her to read the Bible and ask God's direction, with refereuoe to It. Sne called upon her &£ain subsequently, and anointed her m the name of the Lord. Some of her friends were disappointed that she did not get up then, but she (Miss Shepherd) f It perfeoly sure +h<»t she would ia time. On the next Saoo-ai morning she (Miss Shepherd) received a message from the Lord, which she would never forget. She waa told to get up— she was m bed at the time— and go to Mias Ross, and tell her m the name of Jasus that she was to g«;. up. She promised the Lord thai if he would give her the message again ehe would go. She waited a few minutes and hoard tho Lord's voioa at di»ti ctly as before; m ooxs.quenoe of which «ho w^nt and told Miss Hobs, m th* name of Jesus, to ariße, and-she arose.

Miss Ross then oame forward on the pintform and, In answer to questions put by Mr Do >rie, stated that sha hud been ill for 18 years and quite helpless for 16£ years, &he had never b'ien able to. stund on her feet all that time, but had been healed by the power of the Lord» and wa* now quite well; After making these statements, Miss Ro?a walked npanci down the platform m order td show the audience that she had free me of hex limbs.

Mr Oooper sti'ed that his wife had been suffering from rheumatto gout for 18 years, a>d the last six years very acutely. She could not dress herself without being assisted, and sometimes was not able to walk. She had been, treated bp Bevaral dootors, and although the medicine taken by her at first gave temporary relief, yet whenever she left it off there was a return of the puns from whioh she suffered, and the disease gradually beoame worse after a time* She ultimately got well after attending Mr Dowie's meeting having baon heated by faith* This statement was corroborated by Mrs Oooper. Mr W-ight then stated that ha had been* requested by Mr EUmmond to testify at the meeting that the latter kad been cured of paralysis through attending Mr Dowle's meetings, Hie alao said that his wife had been suffering from a bad wound m the lug (or a long timo, m oonBequenoe of which she had not the proper use of her limb. Sho attended Mr D nvle'a meetings, with the result that her 1 g got porfeotly well. Mrs Wright, who was an elderly woman also oonfi-med what her huabtnd had said about her, and walked briskly across the stage. She said ehe had not been able to walk so well for 15 years;

Miss Allan stated I bit she had been lame for a long time, and had nut been able to walk without crulohes. One of her legs she had never put to the ground for 25 years, but now could stand upon it. She was told by Professor .Millar, of Edinburgh, that she would never be able to do without her crutches, but she could now do without them, and walked aorosi the stage unaided. She walked with a very pronounced limp, but this Mr Dowie stated wat owing to the faot that one leg was a good deal shorter than the other.

Mr Thomas Morris, of Port Chalmers, who had been suffering from lumbago, rheumatism, eoiatioa, atao profesaod to have been healed by faith, and several others who h»d been afflioted with complaints of various kinds.