HEALING BY FAITH.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2345, 22 October 1921, Page 4

HEALING BY FAITH.

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE CLAIMS,

THE WORK OF RATANA,

A FUNCTION OF THE CHURCH

An urgent request to tjie clergy to study carefully the report of the Lambeth Conference upon the Christian faith, in relation to spiritualism, theosophy, and particularly Christian science, was voiced on Sunday by Bishop Averill, in his address to the Auckland Synod. '“The conference generously recognised,” he said, “that all these revived cults were, firstly, the outcome of a mental revulsion from materialism, and a desire to find a spiritual meaning and purpose in human life; and were, to somp extent, at any rate, the direct outcome of the Church’s neglect to expound fully and clearly the great verities of the Christian faith; that they were touching the fringe of great scientific truths not vet clearly revealed or understood —but they had no shadow of doubt that they were, as cults, a contradiction to the Christian faith. It is well that all Christians should read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest the following resolutions upon the subject, as many earnest people are deluded with the idea that they can uphold the Christian faith and doctrines of Mrs Eddy, at the same time. No man can serve two masters, and the Christ of spiritualism, Christian science and theosophy is not the Christ of the Bible or the Christian creed.

CONFLICT OF IDEAS

“We affirm our conviction,” says Resolution 55, “that the revelation of God in Christ Jesus is the supreme and sufficient message given to all mankind, whereb.V we may attain to eternal life. We recognise that modern movements of thought connected with spiritualism, Christian science, and (theosophy join with the Christian Church in protesting against a materialistic view of the universe, and at some points emphasise partially neglected aspect's of truth. At the same time, we feel bound to call attention to the fact that both in the underlying philosophy, and in cults and practices which have arisen out of these movements, the teaching given or implied either ignores or explains away or contradicts the unique and central fact of human hist or w viz., the incarnation of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.” Resolution 59 says: “The conference finds that while Christian science fixes attention on the supremacy of spirit, yet in the teaching given there is a direct tendency (a) to pantheistic, doctrine and at the same time (b) to a false antithesis between spirit and matter, and (c) to the denial of sin, and (d) to the denial of the reality of disease and suffering. Such teaching therefore cannot be reconciled with the fundamental truths of the Christian faith- and the teaching of Scripture on atonement, penitence, forgiveness, and fellowship in the sufferings of Christ.” It is not sufficient for the Church to condemn a cult merely, but to accept its warning and reproof and endeavour to win back the followers of that cult to their proper place in the fellowship of the Church. Each cult, contains cer tain elements of truth, and it is for us to sift the wheat from the chaff in them and ascertain where the modern presentation of the Christian faith luls failed to emphasise trulhs which to-day are being caricatured by over-emphasis in cults which arc anti-Christian. “Here we are bound to acknowledge,” says the report, “that there lias been a great deficiency in- our Church’s faith and teaching. Not sufficiently have we emphasised our Lord’s revelation of .the Fatherhood of God, of the fulness of His love, of Ilis loving care of body as well as of soul, which invites us to cast all our care upon Him. The gospel lesson of ‘God-faith’ and the inward joy and peace of which the, best Christian experience is the witness, have been allowed too often to lose their supremacy.”

GIFTS OF HEALING RECOG-

NISED.

Tim conference, largely as a result of the wonderful testimony brought before it, continued the bishop, was compelled to recognise that both in study arid in practice there has been a notable development in the direction of healing with prayer, accompanied by the laving on of hands and of annointing, whereby the power of Christ to heal had been released. “We would urge,” says the report, “the recognition of the ministry and gifts of healing in the Church, and that these should be exercised under due license and authority.” Referring to the work of Ratana, the- Maori healer, Bishop Averill said: —Surely Ratana is on right lines in emphasising the need for putting away the evils of tohungaism and what is generally known as Maoriism; and returning to a simple and real faith in the revealed God if the power of Christ to heal is to be released. It cannot be denied that real faith, real trust, leading to real peace —and consequently the absence of worry and nerves —contributed largely to the physical welfare of humanity. We are fully conscious from the Bible records and from-experience that it is often God’s will that sickness and suffering should not be removed in this world, and that God can and does overrule suffering and sorrow for good; buff spiritual healing in

no way 1 contravenes this great truth. Spiritual and mental suffering may be healed while physical suffering remains.