330 



FAITH CUKE. 



FARMERS' CONGRESS. 



appear to be able to effect cures. It is claimed 

 for them that they are not bound to the old 

 routine of evangelistic services ; that they are 

 real successors of the apostles in working 

 cures ; that they are simply obeying the com- 

 mand of Christ: "As ye go, preach, saying 

 the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the 

 sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead. Freely 

 ye have received, freely give " ; that they are 

 also fulfilling the words of the Apostle James: 

 "Is any sick among you? let him call the 

 elders (or priests) of the church ; and let them 

 pray over him, anointing him with oil in the 

 name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith 

 shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise 

 him up." The words of St. Paul are also quot- 

 ed : " God hath set some in the church ; first 

 apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teach- 

 ers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, 

 helps, governments." Conferences, or con- 

 ventions, have been held by those who claim 

 that they have been cured by the power of 

 faith. One of the chief of these conferences 

 was held in Pittsburg, Pa., in November, 

 1385. As declared at the time, the object of 

 the conference was, " to gather together 

 Christians of common faith and spirit for mu- 

 tual fellowship and encouragement in life and 

 testimony ; to study the Word of God, and 

 learn to know better his message and testi- 

 mony to his people, and the testimony he ex- 

 pects from his people for this day and time; 

 to promote the deeper spiritual life among 

 Christians, and help all who are seeking such 

 a life to enter into complete union with Jesus 

 Christ as their life, sanctitication, and victory 

 over the world, self, and sm ; to seek to un- 

 derstand better the teachings of the Scriptures 

 respecting our physical life in Christ, and con- 

 fer regarding his word and his mighty work 

 respecting divine healing, and to enable those 

 who will to receive him as their healer; to 

 wait upon the Lord for a special baptism of 

 the Holy Spirit for life and service; to look 

 forward with fresh hope and encourage each 

 other's hearts for the prospect of the glorious 

 appearing of the Lord." All " who desire 

 simple and fuller instruction in the Word of 

 God, a mere vivid manifestation of Jesus him- 

 self, a deeper Christian life, a special baptism 

 of the Holy Spirit for services, and the work 

 of the Lord, and in the hope of his appearing," 

 were invited to attend this gathering, and 

 " wait upon the Lord for a deeper and richer 

 blessing for themselves, and a special out- 

 pouring of his spirit for the Church and the 

 world." 



The work of comparing experiences and 

 narrating facts in regard to the faith- cure lias 

 also been carried on in England, Ireland, 

 Canada, and other countries. The phenome- 

 non, if such it may be called, is explained, by 

 one who does not believe in it, as a religious 

 effect, in the following way : " It is a curious 

 phase of religious belief, and I have been in- 

 terested in it for some time as an investigator. 



It seems, certainly, to have more or less effect 

 upon human ills in some persons; but, as a 

 rule, the relief is only temporary, and that 

 would seem to place it with magnetism or 

 mesmerism. Then, again, we all know that a 

 person's mental condition has great influence 

 upon his bodily health, and where a patient 

 1 effaces ' himself, by relying implicitly upon 

 an all-wise, all-powerful Providence, he throws 

 off all care as to his future. When his mind is 

 thus wholly at rest, he gives Nature its best 

 aid in the process of recuperation. There are 

 many undoubted cases on record where a pa- 

 tient, bedridden for years, suddenly gets up 

 and walks about, by the order of a strong- 

 minded, magnetic healer; but the effect is 

 only temporary. When the exciting causes, 

 both external and internal, cease, there is a 

 collapse. I can illustrate this very well by a 

 case that came under my own observation. 

 An acquaintance of mine, a young woman, 

 was far gone with consumption. She attended 

 one of these meetings as a last resort, became 

 enthusiastic, full of hope, and finally convinced 

 that she would recover. She prayed and was 

 prayed for, and, sure enough, there was a 

 marked improvement in her condition. In 

 about two months she looked upon herself as 

 almost well, and the believers were jubilant ; 

 this was a case that must convince the most 

 skeptical. Then the young woman suddenly 

 died. You have, probably, at one time or 

 another, heard an old clock suddenly begin to 

 tick. Well, the human frame sometimes acts 

 like that." 



FARMERS' CONGRESS, an association of agri- 

 culturists of the United States, which has met 

 annually since 1881, at Chicago, Washington, 

 Louisville, Nashville, and Indianapolis. On 

 Dec. 3, 1885, it was reorganized by the election 

 of Robert Beverly, of Virginia, President; Ben- 

 jamin F. Clayton, of Iowa, Secretary; and J. 

 B. Conner, of Indiana, Treasurer, and adopted 

 the following constitution : 



1. This organization shall be known as the Farm- 

 ers' Congress of the United States, and its object shall 

 be to advance the agricultural interests of the Union. 



2. This Congress shall be composed of the same 

 number of delegates as each State and Territory is 

 entitled to in its representation in the Congress of 

 the United States, one member from each agricult- 

 ural college, and all heads of Bureaus of Agriculture in 

 each State and of the United States are ex-officio mem- 

 bers of this organization. 



3. The officers of this organization shall consist of 

 a president, and one vice-president from each State 

 and Territory of the United States, a treasurer, secre- 

 tary, and two assistant secretaries, who shall serve 

 for tha period of two years. 



4. Tne president, however, and assistant secre- 

 taries, shall be elected by the Farmers' Congress in 

 open session by a viva voce vote or by ballot, as the 

 Congress may decide. The vice-president shall be 

 elected by the respective delegates from each State 

 or Territory. In case any State or Territory shall 

 have no delegates when the election occurs, the presi- 

 dent shall, as soon as possible, appoint a vice-presi- 

 dent for such State or Territory, and the list of such 

 vice-presidents shall be reported at once to the Con 

 gress assembled. 



