MR. MILNER STEPHEN AND THE GIFT OF HEALING.

Kumara Times, Issue 2030, 2 March 1883, Page 2

MR. MILNER STEPHEN AND THE GIFT OF HEALING.

At the Academy of Music, Christchurch, last Saturday afternoon, Mr Milner StepheD, who claims to possess the power of healing the sick by the simple process of breathing or laying his hands upon the part affected, and by the use of magnetised oil and water and magnetised flannel, gave a public exhibition of his powers. The Press reports : Mr Stephen on coming forward, explained that he had been detained by private patients, and always allowed half-an-hour's grace. He said the papers had so kindly intoduced him, that it was unnecessary for him to tell them who he was. He was a comparative stranger in New Zealand, although there were certain persons moving in the highest circles of society who had known him in the Australian colonies, particularly professional gentlemen, because, as they had no doubt read, he was an English barrrister, and had practised for a long time in the Australian colonies, where, he might say parenthetically, he had held the highest position a subject was capable of holding. There were many theories respecting the wonderful power which he exercised. [After informing his hearers that, according to his reading of the Bible and ancient books, the power existed in the world nearly a thousand years before the time of the Apostles, and had continued even up to the present day, Mr Stephen said] —He did not wish to staud before them as a phenomenon, but simply as one exercising powers possessed before by men in different rauks of life, and now actually used on the other side of the world. He denied that he performed any miracle. He performed wonderful cures. That very morning a young lady was brought to him, thirteen yeais of age, who had been ten years with her foot three inches from the ground, and in the presence of eight persons he instantaneously lengthened her leg, so that he could not slip a card under her foot as she stood upon the ground, and by the kind permission of herself and father he would call her upon the platform to testify to the truth of this,— [Cheers.] Last week a girl thirteen years of age was brought to him who was totally blind of one eye and could not see daylight with it. He breathed

into her eye—which was his mode of restoring the sight in. such cases —and she at once recognised surrounding objects, and different articles on the table. Only yesterday he restored the hearing of a young fellow who had been, deaf for ten years. In Wellington a young lady was brought on the stage who had been born deaf and dumb, and had never heard a single sound. He breathed into her ear through a silver tube, and she could hear his voice ; he breathed again, and she could hear a whisper. Then occurred one of the most beautiful scenes he had ever witnessed. The girl threw herself wildly into the arms of her parents, and afterwards rushed to two other young ladies and shook them frantically by the hands, lie held in his hand a boot worn by a lady forty-two years of age, whose leg he had lengthened five-and-a-half inches in two mornings. She walked away iu an ordinary boot, and had worn one ever since. He also restored her eyesight in a marvellous manner, ultimately enabling her to read small priut. It was such an extraordinary case that the newspaper made inquiries and published a special report about it. He took the parties before the Police Magistrate of the district (Sandhurst), and the case had been sworn to and published in. mauy papers. Accounts of it had gone to England, Ireland, and Germany, and he had received letters from persons in Bristol and in Ireland, and was going to send magnetised fabrics and oil to persons in the heart of Germany, who, having read about the case, were impressed with the idea that he could cure them. The most astounding cure he bad performed was that of a gentleman with a cancer in his windpipe, whom the doctors had said could hardly live three days and probably not tweuty-four hours. Shortly afer being treated he coughed up a cancer ; a few days afterwards another formed which was also coughed up, and ultimately he brought up the cancer which was contained in the bottle he (Mr Stephen) now exhibited. This cure had also been sworn before a magistrate. He had cured another case of cancer recently. In all these cases he had effected the cure simply by placing his hand upon the part affected. He could not succeed in every case, but only when not opposed to natural Jaws. He could not cure an injured leg, for instance, where the bone substance had been formed. It would be contrary to nature. But if nothing of that sort had taken place he never despaired. He never despaired of curing a part that had not been destroyed, like an eye which had been utterly ruined by disease or by surgical operations. He did not perform miracles, but restored what was impaired. He was constantly lengthening legs which had been contracted, and had a perfect regiment of boots which had been given to him by persons who had no further use for them. He wished all those who were coming forward for treatment to understand that they were not to expect too much. They might be disappointed, and it was a very bad thing for a patient to feel that his case is incurable. Often the healing power would be imparted, but there would be no proof of it perhaps for two or three days. This remark was especially applicable to cases of bronchitis and asthma. He did not wish people to rush to him because they heard of successful public cures; his reputation was sufficient to induce patients to go to him. It might be on that occasion he would be successful. There might not be a single case which would enable them to judge whether a cure had taken place or not. But out of 10,000 cases 9900 had either been cured or relieved. Before beginning he would ask them to join him in a prayer which he always offered up to the Almighty on these occasions. Mr Stephen produced a book from which he read a short prayer, asking that the suffering persons present might be relieved of their various ailments, and be thankful for any benefits they might receive at his (Mr Stephen's) hands.

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