< Strange Forces in Nature (continued from page 3-98) >
derful. Indeed, so strange is its action, that only those who have actually observed its effects, and have had opportunities of critically examining the subject, can bring themselves to fully believe in its existence. The operation of this extraordinary force has been so mingled up with spiritual matters that they have been confounded, and hence the very name may excite opposition in some minds. I presume that it will not be questioned that all the forces of nature acting on matter are included in the domain of science, and that it necessarily is expected of scientific men to investigate their nature, and, as far as practicable, determine their laws. The only question, then is, as to the existence of this asserted strange force. It will be interesting to give the names of some of the eminent persons—all well known in the scientific and literary world—who directly or inferentially assert its existence; certainly, the list is sufficiently respectable to warrant some belief is its actuality. Dr. Crookes, the leading chemist of England, who is now devoting himself to its investigation; Prof Wallace, the eminent naturalist and late President of the Ethnological Society; Prof. Varley, the celebrated electrician; the late Prof. De Morgan, the distinguished mathematician; Mr. Harrison, F.R.S., now President of the Ethnological Society of England; Dr. George Sexton, a prominent physician of London; Prof. Gunning, William Howitt, Robert Dale Owen, the well-known authors; Hiram Powers, the sculptor; the Rev. John Pierpont; Harriet Martineau, the distinguished authoress and philosophical writer; T. A. Trollope, the novelist; Dr. Ashburner, the prominent surgeon; the late Brougham; Camille Flammarion and Herman Gold Smidt, the French and German astronomers; Prof. Strieff, of the College of Chartres; Dr. Hoffle, the author of the History of Chemistry; M. Bounemire, the historian; the late Emperor of the French; Archbishop Whateley; the poets Tennyson and Longfellow; Thackeray, Ruskin, Robert Chambers, Dr. Gath Wilkinson, Kossuth, Garibaldi, Mazzini, Victor Hugo, Jules Favre; the late Lord Lyndhurst; the late Sir Roderick Murchison, the eminent geologist; Guizot, the historian; the late Sir Charles Napier; ex-Senator Wade: Judge Edmonds; Prof. Mapes, the agricultural chemist; Dr. Robt. Hare, the greatest chemist America has produced; ex-Governor Tallmadge; H. K. Brown, the wellknown sculptor; Professor Gregory, of Edinburgh University; Sergeant Cox, the distinguished barrister of London; and numerous other gentlemen occupying prominent positions might be enumerated.
This singular force appears to have a more intimate relationship with the mind and will, than the nervous force; the latter, emanating from the grey matter of the nervous structure, controls the cell forces, as well as the physical forces, of the system, counteracting gravitation by the muscular fibres, causing chemical transformations and reactions by the aid of the cell forces of the tissues; as, also, by direct correlation probably with the physical forces, producing light, heat, and electricity. Thus nerve force acts on matter, and controls gravitation and cohesion, light, heat, and electricity, or the molecular forces generally, at a distance. The nervous force frequently acts without any connection with intelligence, but the psychic force is always directly controlled by Intelligence.
To the physician especially, this force, to intimately connected with intelligence, must be a subject of deep interest, it having been seen what powerful influence the mind has over the vis medicatrix nature. No attempt has as yet been made to apply it to the healing art, simply because its laws are not yet understood — they have not Wen determined; nevertheless, sooner or later, it cannot fail to prove highly valuable, — perhaps the most important of all remedial agents.
There is a strange power in nature, which, however, I should not have touched upon in this address, as it more properly belongs to another and higher domain than that of science; but an eminent physicist, one of the leading men of science, has boldly thrown the gauntlet down, and positively denies its existence. It is natural for those entering the walks of science to look up to its leaders as authority on all subjects of which they express decided opinions; thus assertions made by them expressly to affect the scientific mind are calculated to have great weight, although the subject may be, in fact, out of their legitimate sphere. Thus it becomes the duty of men devoted to science to examine into such expressed opinions, and to state their views likewise on the matter in question, if it be one calculated to do harm by leading younger minds into error.
The power alluded to is “the influence of prayer in healing the sick,” or rather its influence generally in the affairs of mankind.
This eminent physicist believes in the theory of evolution; let it be supposed that we accept this theory in its fullest extent. Then, starting at the twilight germ cell spontaneously brought forth by favorable conditions in the earth’s earliest history, by a long and continued series of developments, rising step by step through the vast periods of geologic time, to higher and higher organizations—leaving in the great charnel house of the rocky strata of the globe the vestiges of creation, scattered as fossil remains, in countless numbers, telling of life and death through all the countless ages of the past. Finally, from this almost interminable chain of ascending forms and forces we arrive at the human form with its wonderful intellectual powers.
At once, this intelligence, although but a feeble germ, like a ray from the spiritual world, begins to act upon and control the forces of nature. Fires are kindled; ferocious animals destroyed by the bow and arrow; wild weeds exterminated, and made to give place to useful grains; the force of the air is employed to turn the grinding mills, and to fill the sails; the power of water is used to turn machines and irrigate the soil. In succeeding ages, this intellectual power, increasing in strength, compels the force of heat to move its engines; creates light to overcome the darkness of night; controls chemical action; and even makes the all-pervading electricity act as his ready servant Everywhere this evolved force of intelligence takes its place in the complex machinery of the earth, as a prime mover, and most important integral portion, evidently arranged as an essential part of the mechanism in its original projection.
The intelligence of man continually controls and guides the forces of nature, causing results that would not have been produced had nature been left to the action limply of what are called her blind laws. Then, in the grand progression, intelligence has been evolved, not as a mere flower without teed or fruit, to give beauty to the landscape, or as an ornament limply in creation, but aa a potent power, placed on the earth to guide the subordinate forces to economic results and useful ends—to make two blades of grass grow where but one grew before; and, if a force, once created, is never destroyed, to pour into a higher sphere of action continued accession of intellectual working forces.
If man controls the forces of nature, why should it appear incredible that a higher intelligence should control and guide the machinery of the universe? Is it an answer to say that the mechanism is so perfect that it requires no supervision, no guiding hand of intelligence? If to, how is it that human intelligence is required to perfect the machinery of this world and guide its forces? If the Supreme Intelligence does not, in any case, directly control the forces of nature, certain it is that inferior intelligences are continually doing to, not on this earth only, but doubtless on all the habitable planets of the universe.
Gibbon, the great historian, said that no one would be apt to accuse him of superstition, nevertheless, that he was compelled to acknowledge that there was a strong appearance of retribution in the history of nations.
The earth is a microcosm, but in the infinitely small we catch a glimpse of the workings of the infinitely great. The universe is a mechanism of astounding proportions, acted upon by inconceivable forces, and controlled by supernal intelligence. Throughout its boundless extent, the power of intelligence must enter as an active factor, controlling and guiding the forces, but not annulling or destroying the laws of nature.
The forces of intelligence have a like nature, whatever may be their gradation of power, and hence must mingle and vibrate together. The intellectual force of man. urged to an active state by the emotions, sends forth a vibration of intensity that finds a responsive chord leading up to the great centre of intellectual power: a thrill of sympathy returns along a ray of motion, and the physical forces obey its mandates; the man has earnestly, with his whole power, appealed for aid, and presently the angel of health appears, bringing healing in its wings.
The testimony of a cloud of witnesses affirmatively asserts that prayers have been answered. The records left by good men, of all nations, corroborate the assertion, and if human testimony avails in any case, the great scientist must be convicted of error in denying that of which he is ignorant. Deeply earnest appeals are forces expended which cannot be lost, but in some way must bring an equivalent, not, perchance, in having the request accorded, for who is sufficiently wise to know that it might not result in harm, but in unforeseen ways producing good results, and not unfrequently the request itself is granted.
Thus, let me, as a watchman on the tower, assure you that science, in its fullest development, is no enemy to the nobler instincts and higher aspirations of the human soul; but that she stands ready with her torch to light you on, when you shall have finished your earthly career, to fairer climes and heavenly scenes.
One of the most beneficial effects of fervent, earnest prayer, perhaps, is that exercised on the one who prays, causing him to exclaim, “Not my but thy will be done!”
How frequently preachers teach the doctrine that prayer changes the purposes of an immutable and unchangeable Cod!
Spiritual Science a Necessity
Catherine Crowe, whose “Night Side of Nature" rendered such effectual service to modem Spiritualism, said, as late as 1859, “There is a department of knowledge which, as far as yet known, is not reducible to experimental science, and in relation to which our ideas, inasmuch as we have any, are extremely vague and unsatisfactory. I allude to the knowledge or science of ourselves. Of our bodies, as mechanical constructions or instruments, we have, within a comparatively short space of time, learned a great deal; but of ourselves, as composite beings, we know absolutely nothing. We have added nothing to the knowledge of the ancients, perhaps we have rather lost what they knew or suspected. Metaphysics gives us words without distinct ideas, and Psychology is a name without a science.”
Editor's notes
- ↑ Spiritual Science a Necessity by unknown author, Spiritual Scientist, v. 1, No. 9, November 5, 1874, p. 106
Sources
Spiritual Scientist, v. 1, No. 9, November 5, 1874, p. 106