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THE TORCH OF REASON, SILVERTON, OREGON, THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 1897.
A ncient an d M odern .T irad es.
REV. W. E. COPELAND.
Some three or more weeks ago
the papers reported that a miracle
had been performed during revival
meetings held at Kalama, V ash.
The Oregonian contained a full ac
count of the wonder and also re
ports of interviews with many of
the prominent clergymen of Port
land. The story, confirmed by the
testimony of trustworthy citizens in
Kalama,xwas that during a revival
then in progress an ignorant wom
an who had never learned to read
was enabled by the power of the
Holy Ghost to read understanding-
ly a whole chapter in the Bible.
The woman had never read before,
and she did read a chapter of the
Bible, so credible witnesses re
ported, in a manner that enabled
the hearers to understand her.
This was called a miracle, and the
evangelist claimed that it proved
the presence and power of the Holy
Spirit in his meetings, the Holy
Spirit and a seal set on the divine
origin of his evangelistic work. No
one after this can dispute that he
is a special favorite of God. If the
ignorant can read, then surely God
must have changed his laws to
prove the genuineness of the revi
val. Who can doubt that God is
with his people and especially with
the man conducting the revival in
Kalama?
We should naturally expect that
the Portland clergy would rejoice
at so signal a display of divine
goodness and the renewal of those
miracles, which it had been sup
posed had gone, never to return.
But with almost one accord, they
refused to accept the wonder as a
miracle. Some thought there was
not evidence enough, others that
the age of miracles was over and
that page in the history of religions
closed. God worked miracles
through Jesus and the apostles,
never since and never again.
Yet the evidence of the Kalama
miracle is ten-fold greater than
any possible evidence for the New
Testament miracles. The gospels
were written long after the event
had taken place, when it was im
possible to obtain evidence at first
hand. We do not know the writers
of the gospels; they do not agree
with one another; their evi
dence is very unsatisfactory and
according to the story itself, but
few’ were convinced; while the
witnesses for the Kalama miracle
are, as it were, in our midst, and
we can easily ascertain all the par
ticulars. If there is not evidence
enough for the Kalama miracle,
surely there is not enough for the
miracles of the New’ Testament.
Indeed these wonders, once sup
posed to evidence the divine mis
sion of Jesus, now’ tend to throw
discredit on the whole narrative,
especially w’hen one reads the mir
acles recorded in the apocryphal
New Testament, which were once miracles in the first century to an had been spelling and in a fash
believed by all the faithful. Few awaken the world to a knowledge ion reading for several years, the
Christians read the apochryphal of its lost condition and to turn brain had been working at the
New Testament; this is profitable men’s attention to things of the problem of reading; under the stim
reading, as giving a plain illustra spirit, why should he not do the ulus of the revival the work was
tion of the mental condition pre same in this age which so greatly done rapidly and the woman read;
vailing at the time when the gos resembles the last days of the Ro which proves that there was excite
pels were written. A condition of man empire? If miracles were! ment but nothing more. Under a
mind which accepted any wonder, needed then to convince the world similar stimulus men and women
no matter how’ great and how ab of the reality of the spirit so are slow of speech have become elo
surd, as true and as proving the they needed in this day for the quent, both at political and prayer
meetings.
supernatural character of the one same purpose.
reported to have done the wonder.
To the man who looks at these
The evangelist or the people may
So Mary, the mother of Jesus, be things from a common-sense stand have known the desire of the wom
came the Lady Mary herself, mirac point, there can be but one conclu an to be able to read the Bible and
ulously born and immaculately sion, a miracle or reversal of the bp hypnotism have conferred on
conceived.
laws of nature is simply impossible. her the ability. What is possible
What was the ostensible purpose The wonder of Kalama, the won by the use of hypnotism, when first
of the New Testament miracles? ders of the Christian scientists and told, seems miraculous, and some
To prove the divine mission of spiritualists, the w’onders of New years ago evidenced the presence of
Jesus, to prove that there was some Testament times and of the ancient a supernatural agent; an angel, a
thing superior to matter and more religions may be facts; but they are spirit or a devil; now it is simply
important than material interests. not supernatural. They may evi an effect of a cause, about which we
The people, part of them denied dence the existence of spirit, but in are learning more all the time.
the spiritual side of the universe, a natural way. Law reigns every Hypnotic suggestion entirely ac
and another part wasted their time where and there can be no excep counts for the wonder, and this
in superstitious rites and ceremo tions. All these wonders found in suggestion might find its way to
nies. Jesus came to convince a every age and used by every re the woman’s brain with no con
materialistic age of the reality of ligion to confirm its control over scious effort on the part of any one.
spirit, to prove to a selfish people man must have a natural cause, In the evangelistic meetings now
the value of selflessness and love.
are all under the control of the law, being held in Salem h\ pnotism
So the Kalama wonder-worker is which everywhere and in every age plays an important part. Very
battling against materialism and apportions results to causes, and many will be induced to join the
trying to replace selfishness with which in this age is accepted by church simply by hypnotic sugges
love. The work is identical and more than in any other age.
tion consciously or unconsciously
I am quite willing to admit that employed. How great and how
the need for the work as great now
as in the time of Jesus. Nor can it the ignorant woman read the Bible commonly this power is used we
be urged as a valid objection against under the influence of religious ex have only a slight idea; but it is
the Kalama wonder that it will citement, and the same thing might quite another influence from what
affect only a few, God is interested have occurred under the excite has been called the power of the
in the humblest; not a sparrow ment produced by a Christian Holy Ghost.
falleth to the ground without your Scientist or a Spiritualist or a
To reject the wonders of modern
Heavenly Father’s knowledge. Secularist; any great emotion or ancient times, whether worked
Moreover, the miracles of Jesus aroused by any one could produce by heathen or Christian, by Jesus
were know’n to but a very few’ ig the result. Apparently supernat or Apollonius of Toyana, by Chris
ural works can be done under the tian minister, spiritualist medium
norant fishermen.
So there seems no good reason influence of any great excitement or Christian science teacher, is just
why evangelical ministers should whether that excitement be what as absurd as to attribute them all
deny the Kalama miracle, except, we call good or what we call evil.
to some supernatural agency.
There
are
several
possible
ex
that if they admit its genuineness,
“There are more things in heaven
doctrine
of
it will be hard to make headway planations. The
and on earth than we in our phil
against the miracles of Christian reincarnation held by so many, osophy, Horatio, have dreamed of,”
science and spiritualism, w’ell at which teaches that we have been says Hamlet, and of this we are
tested, right in our midst, and wit on the earth before, and that the more convinced with every year.
nessed by hundreds if not thou woman then might have been
sands; while we have no evidence educated, and under the great excite There may be a narrow-minded
that one of the miracles recorded in ment of the revival her memory ness of science, as well as of religion,
the New Testament was ever per of the past was aroused, entirely of materialist as well as of spirit
formed. When orthodox clergy explains this and many other ualist. I am unwilling to deny
men deny the genuineness of the phenomena which seem at first anything. I may deny the conclu
Kalama miracle, they are denying sight contra-natural, and this sion which is drawn from the fact
what they have been continually doctrine has been believed by many and yet admit the fact, and wait
teaching, namely, that the spirit of of the wisent men who have ever for further knowledge to explain
the occurrence. I deny the con
God is with men today and will lived on the earth.
Under the excitement prevailing, clusion drawn from the Kalama
work upon hardened hearts until
they are softened, which Jesus de a process, which usually takes miracle, but am willing to admit
clared was a greater w’onder than months, may have been condensed its occurrence.
Of this one thing I am sure; a
into hours. As in the physical
to heal the sick.
It should be remembered that all world under unusual circumstance miracle in the sense of a reversal of
these miracles are worked to con natural processes are made to ad Natural law cannot occur, and no
vince man of the reality of the vance with incredible speed, and* wonder then can prove any special
spirit. This age is fully as mate we cry miracle. A seed which action on the part of God. A so
rialistic as the age in which Jesus ordinarily takes days to germinate called miracle simply proclaims
lived, and we need every possible and weeks to flower may be made the action of Natural law’ in any
means to arouse the people from a to go through the whole prcess from w’ay to which we are unaccustomed,
materialism not only in theory but germination to florescence in a few it is unnatural but not super or
in practice, the practical material hours. So under unusual stimulus contra-natural and must be studied
living being far worse than any a sluggish brain may be made to just as we would study any other
possible materialistic theory. And act with great rapidity. In the fact in nature, and its occurrence
if God thought it necessary to do case under consideration the worn- proves nothing more than the