FAITH AND PRAYER AND "SCIENCE" HEALING.
By E. W. Webster
THE relation of these three, faith and prayer and science, and their order, is this,—(1) the science, which is the fact, what God says as he says it; (2) the faith, which is to believe what God says as he says it; (3) the prayer, which is to ask God to perform for us what he has already said he would do, to express to him that we are now ready to receive it. The relation of these three to healing is simply the application of the relation of these to James 5:14, 15, and other similar texts. The mistake so often made—and this is why I said at the beginning that the caption was a misnomer—is to think, it may be unconsciously sometimes, that the power of healing lies in the faith, the prayer, the science; whereas, the truth is that the faith and the prayers only open the way for God to apply his own science in his own way. Certainly there is a true "Christian science," which is this that I have stated. Certain it is also that there is a false science taking the same name. To distinguish it from the true we have but to go "to the law and to the testimony," for "if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." Isa. 8:20. We are to "prove all things," and that by the Bible. If their ways and fruits lead away from, instead of to, that word, it is because something is wrong. There are many tests which, if applied, would clearly show that what passed to-day as "Christian science," or "faith cure," is a damnable heresy accompanied by a powerful infatuation that is Satanic. Three or four of these will be sufficient: First, their fruit. It is not enough that they do actually heal. There may be such cases. What is the object of the healing, and its fruit? There seems to be no further object than merely the healing and the self-glory arising therefrom; and its fruit is selfishness and robbery—robbing God of the glory of doing it. (The Saviour always manifested his power in this matter, not for his own, but for God's glory.) This is further proved by the second test. They take money for the exercise of a power they claim is of God, and a gift at that. This of itself is enough to condemn it, placing it with the case of Simon, who offered money for the gift of God and was told, "Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money." See Acts 8:18-23. Third test: Their teachings are at variance with God's word,—(1) in denying the atonement, thus teaching Unitarianism; (2) in the nature of man, that he is a god and will finally develop into an infinite being; (3) that there is no death, no sickness, suffering, nor deformity; that what is called so is simply a condition of the sinful mind; (4) that there is no material substance whatever; that everything is spirit, and that materialism is the sinful mind; (5) that the power manifested in their work is of God, whereas all these things prove that it is not of God, for it teaches and does many things contrary to his word. The fourth test is that of the power itself. That there is a power there no one can successfully deny. But if it is not of God, of whom is it? We know that the Scriptures say that in the last days, which we have now reached, Satan will work "with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness" (2 Thess. 2: 8-12); that he will work miracles to deceive (Rev. 16:14); and that he will deceive (Rev. 13:13, 14). His object is to turn men away from God and his truth and eternal life; and the more completely he can cover himself with the garb of Christianity, the more successful will be his deceptions. Though much more might be added, this is sufficient to put us on the line of thought to prove ourselves and everything we and others teach by the Bible, man's only guide and safety. To do that we must know the word, which we can only do by laying aside our own and other men's ideas of that word, and study it with prayer and the aid of the Spirit of truth, believing the promise that he will guide us into all truth, which is his word. John 17:17. But there is such a thing as the manifestation of the power of God to heal in answer to the prayer of faith, even in this age of the world, concerning which the Saviour asked if he should find any faith. I know this from personal experience and observation, having seen remarkable cases of instant healing, and having been completely healed instantly of catarrh of fifteen years' standing. It was not the prayer that did it, nor the faith, but the power of God through his mercy. I cannot rob God of the glory of doing it, by saying it was faith cure, prayer cure, or science cure, and thus prove that it was of the other power. Nor could I announce that I could do healing, making myself the power of God, for fear I would fall under the same curse with Simon. But what should concern us not a little is, Why do we not see God's power manifest more in healing? and what can we do to open the way for God to work thus? My answer to these questions may not set well upon us as ministers of Christ, who is the Power of God and the Wisdom of God; but I will venture it, nevertheless, for I am convinced from my knowledge of the Bible that he would not have it as it now is, and my answer is the only reason I can see at present. It is this: We are out of harmony with God in faith and practice; we have not that simple faith that will allow God to work, and our lives are not what they should be. We are too slow to receive and act upon such texts as Mark 16:17, 18; Acts 2:17, 18; 1 Cor. 12:28; Eph. 4:11-13, and James 5:13-15. We are also too slow to act upon the light of reform started by the Reformers, and which was to have continued until the whole church392of God was brought back from the Romish apostasy to its apostolic purity in faith and practice, and thus stand ready to receive their blessed Lord with joy as he comes to gather his waiting people. One more point in closing: the power to heal is not in man, but in God, and we know it by the fact that the same power used in creation is used in redemption, which, as we have said, is but creation, the same original object gained in another way. We would see more of this power if we had not failed to teach this power and the sign of this power and had not put another sign of another power in its place. The Catholic Church claims the power to bless or curse, to damn the soul or save it alive, and says that "all christendom acknowledges this power of the Catholic Church by the observance of Sunday," which they have set up by both church and civil laws as a sign of their power. But the sign to us of God's power is his Sabbath (Ex. 20:8-11; 31:13; Eze. 20:12, 25, etc.); and as redemption is only a continuation of creation, we necessarily have the same sign still and no other; and as it is the power of God as seen in creation and redemption which is seen in true faith and prayer and science healing, when we as churches go to teaching and practicing this fact, we will see more of that work done, and less of the deceptive work which passes nowadays for the genuine, but is Satanic. And we will see a new life and light and power descending from on high and taking possession of all God's people who are not dead in trespasses and sins, as many now are.