safeguards. Meanwhile there are many other ways in which laymen and laywomen can minister spiritually to the recovery of the sick, as we shall see in the chapters that follow.

PART III-FAITH-HEALING FROM THE SECOND CENTURY TO MODERN TIMES

CHAPTER XXIV

WORKS OF HEALING IN THE PRIMITIVE CHURCH

IN the Second Part of this book we considered the therapeutic records of the Gospels, and of that first age of the Primitive Church which is contained in the New Testament; including a statement of later developments in the case of Unction, since it would have been difficult otherwise to deal adequately with the teaching of St. James.

Let us in Part III give a series of typical instances which illustrate the persistence of faithhealing, through a great variety of ways, in the succeeding ages of Christendom.

So far as possible, we will leave the documents to speak for themselves, only supplying brief introductions, and italicising a word here and there for the convenience of the reader.

Quadratus, 126 or 127, A.D.

The earliest Christian Apology which is known outside the New Testament is that of Quadratus of Athens, who presented his work to Hadrian on that

Emperor's visit to Athens in 126 or 127. Only the following fragment remains of this Apology, which is worth printing here as it stands; for though it recounts no contemporary work, it gives a peculiarly interesting testimony to the permanence of those healing miracles which are recounted in the Gospels.

"But the works of our Saviour were always visible, because they were true. Those, namely, who were freed from disease, or who were called back from death to life, were not only seen of men whilst they were being healed or called back to life, but also were seen in the time that followed. Nor was this only for so long as our Saviour remained upon earth, but they survived long after his departure, so long indeed that some of them have lived on even to our own time." 1

St. Justin Martyr, c. 100-c. 163 A.D.

Justin the philosopher was martyred c. 163, in the reign of Marcus Aurelius. He wrote a dialogue with a Jew named Trypho, and two Apologies, the first addressed to Antoninus Pius, and the second to the Roman Senate.

In the Dialogue with Trypho he bears witness to the existence of charismata —

"For one receives the spirit of understanding, another of counsel, another of strength, another of healing, another of foreknowledge, another of teaching, another of the fear of God." 2

"2

In the same dialogue he speaks of Exorcism; and, arguing with a Jew, he claims that, while even the use of Jehovah's name is only sometimes suc

1 Quadratus, in J. C. T. von Otto, Corpus Apologetarum. 2 Trypho, 39.

cessful, exorcism in the name of Christ always succeeds. He must have been confident that the evidence for this was abundant and convincing

"For every dæmon when exorcised in the name of this very Son of God is overcome and subdued. But though you exorcise every dæmon in the name of any of those who were amongst you either kings, or righteous men, or prophets, or patriarchs-it will not be subject to you. But if any of you exorcise it by the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, it will perhaps be subject unto you." 1

In the Second Apology he makes a similar appeal to the abundant evidence of facts

"And now you can learn this from what is under your own observation. For numberless dæmoniacs throughout the whole world, and in your city, many of our Christian men exorcising them in the name of Jesus Christ, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, have healed and do heal, rendering helpless and driving the possessing dæmons out of the men, though they could not be cured by all the other exorcists and those who used incantations and drugs." 2

St. Irenæus, A.D. 180

St. Irenæus, Bishop of Lyons, also claims as a matter of common knowledge, the power in the Catholic Church to heal; his list is a wide one, and includes even the raising of the dead. He is here speaking of certain heretics "who are said to perform miracles," and he replies that they can

not

"For they can neither confer sight on the blind nor hearing on the deaf, nor chase away all sorts of dæmons

1 Trypho, 85.

2 Justin Martyr. Second Apology, 6, cf. Trypho, 30.

(except those that are sent into others by themselves if they can even do as much as this): nor can they cure the weak, or the lame, or the paralytic; or those who are distressed in any other part of the body, as has often been done in regard to bodily infirmity. Nor can they furnish effective remedies for those external accidents which may occur. And so far are they from being able to raise the dead, as the Lord raised them (and the Apostles did by means of prayer, as has been frequently done in the brotherhood on account of some necessitythe entire church in that particular locality entreating with much fasting and prayer, the spirit of the dead man has returned, and he has been bestowed in answer to the prayers of the saints) that they do not even believe this can possibly be done." 1

By Laying-on of Hands

A little further on he speaks again of healing and exorcism; and it will be noticed that he mentions the Laying-on of Hands and not Unction. The charismata, he says, are exercised every day for the Gentiles, and no fees are taken. Irenæus here refers to Mt. 108, and refers to that text in its right connection, not misapplying it to almsgiving as is our modern custom.

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Wherefore, also, those who are in truth his disciples receiving grace from him, do in his name perform [miracles], so as to promote the welfare of other men, according to the gift which each one has received from him. For some do certainly and truly drive out dæmons, so that those who have thus been cleansed from evil spirits frequently both believe and join themselves to the Church. Others again heal the sick by laying their hands upon them, and they are made whole. Yea, moreover, as I have said, the dead even have been raised up, and remained among us for many years. And what shall I more say? It is not possible to name the

1 C. Heres, Bk. II., chap. 31, 2.