the result. We must not do wrong, even to gain a soul for heaven. And if for one thus gained, ten should be virtually destroyed by the very process employed to reach the point, who will say that such a method of promoting Christianity would deserve to be approved? There may be movements in the name of religion, and under the form of religion, and yielding to some extent the fruits of religion, which after all come from beneath and not from above. The history of the Church is full of instances illustrating the truth of this remark.
Simeon the Stylite distinguished himself, in the fifth century, by taking his station on the top of a pillar, for the glory of God and the benefit of his own soul. This whimsical discipline he continued to observe for thirty-seven years. Meanwhile he became an object of wide-spread veneration. Vast crowds came from a distance to gaze upon him, and hear him preach. The measure took with the people wonderfully. Thousands of heathen were converted, and baptized by his hand. Among these, it may be charitably trusted, were some whose conversion was inward and solid. God made use of Simeon’s Pillar to bring them to Himself. The seal of His approbation might seem to have rested upon it to an extraordinary extent. No wonder the device became popular. The quackery of the Pillar took possession of the Eastern world, and stood for centuries a monument of the folly that gave it birth. We laugh at it now; and yet it seemed a good thing in its time, and carried with it a weight of popularity such as no New Measure can boast of in the present day.
But why speak of Stylitism in particular? The whole system of monkery may be taken as an example, of the same force, on a larger scale. What a world of abominations has it not been found to embrace? And yet, under what plausible pretences, it sought the confidence of the Church in the beginning! There were not wanting powerful reasons to give it recommendation. The whole Christian world in fact fell into the snare. The interest became a torrent, before which no man was found able to stand. Most assuredly, too, there was the life and power of religion, to some extent, at work in the movement. Monkery was to many, in fact, the means of conversion and salvation. And to this hour an argument might be framed in its favor, under this view not less plausible, to say the least, than any that can be presented for the use of the Anxious Bench.127
The Romish Church has always delighted in arrangements and services animated with the same false spirit. In her penitential system all pains have been taken to produce effect by means of outward postures and dress, till in the end, amid the solemn mummery, no room has been left for genuine penitence at all. Yet not a ceremony was ever introduced into the system that did not seem to be recommended by some sound religious reason at the time. The same thing may be said for the Services of that Church generally.
In another sphere, look at Millerism.128 The error, as it has been zealously preached within the past year (1843), has no doubt had an awakening effect on the minds of many; and some, it may be trusted, have been actually conducted by means of it into the kingdom of God. But will any pretend to say that it deserves to be encouraged on this account? It is said, indeed, that such an idea has been occasionally thrown out. Only, however, where the judgment had been in some measure corrupted by the spirit of quackery previously at work. No morally sane man could be willing for a moment to patronize such a lie, on account of any apparently salutary effects it might be found to have in particular cases.
Let us not be told, then, that the Anxious Bench is a godly interest, because many seem to be convicted by its means, and some are converted in fact. All this may be, and the general operation of the system remain notwithstanding intrinsically and permanently bad.
As a general thing, the movement of coming to the Anxious Bench gives no proper representation of the religious feeling that may be actually at work in the congregation at the time. It is always more or less theatrical, and often has no other character whatever. A sermon usually goes before. But frequently this has no felt relation at all to the subsequent excitement, so far as its actual contents are concerned. The writer was present, not a great while ago, as a stranger in a church, where a preacher of some little note in connection with the subject of revivals had been introduced under the expectation and hope that something of the kind might be secured at the time by his instrumentality. The congregation had but little appearance of life at the beginning, and still less as the sermon drew towards a close. The truth is, it was a very dull discourse at the best. The preacher was not well, and altogether he failed to make the least impression on the great body of his audience. A number were fairly asleep, and others were bordering on the same state. The preacher saw and felt that he had preached without effect; and took occasion, after the sermon was properly ended, to express his regret in view of the fact, and to add a few valedictory remarks in the prospect of his leaving the place the next day, without any thought evidently of calling out the anxious, where not a trace of feeling had been discerned. But the new strain adopted at the close, served to rouse attention and create interest. The congregation put on a more wakeful aspect, and something like emotion could be perceived in the countenances of a few. The preacher took courage, and after a few minutes dared to try the Anxious Bench. As usual, the hymn was started, “Come, humble sinner, &c.,”129 etc., and carried through, with pauses, in which sinners present were urged and pressed to seek their salvation by coming forward. Soon a female was seen going to the place, then another, and another—till at last a whole seat was filled. One old lady rose and moved around, trying to induce others to go forward. At the close of the meeting I retired, wondering within myself that educated men, as were both the preacher in this case and the pastor at his side, could so impose upon themselves as to attach any importance to such a demonstration in such circumstances. It was attempted to carry forward the work by an appointment for the next evening. But on coming together at the time, it was found that it would not go forward, and so it was dropped altogether.
Commonly indeed those who deal in the anxious seat rely far less upon the presentation of truth to the understanding than they do upon other influences to bring persons forward. Pains are taken rather to raise the imagination, and confound the judgment. Exciting appeals are made to the principle of fear. Advantage is taken in every way of the senses and nerves. Especially the mysterious force of sympathy is enlisted in support of the measure, and made to tell in many cases with immense effect.
As might be expected accordingly, the most favorable subjects for the operation of the system are persons in whom feelings prevail over judgment, and who are swayed by impulse more than reflection. In an enlightened, well instructed congregation the anxious bench can never be generally popular. Where it is in full favor, a large proportion of those who are brought out by it are females and persons who are quite young.130 It often happens that the “bench” is filled altogether with such cases, the greater part of them perhaps mere girls and boys. So, where a community is characterized by a general ignorance with regard to the nature of true religion, the measure is frequently applied with great effect; and those precisely who are the most rude and uncultivated, are the most likely in such circumstances to come under its power.
It requires then no spiritual power to use the Anxious Bench with effect. To preach the truth effectually, a man must have a certain spiritual force in himself which others are made to feel. But nothing of this sort is needed to secure success here. The object sought is a mere outward demonstration on the subject of religion, which may be gained by other forms of influence just as well. It shows no inward power whatever to be able to move a congregation in this way. It can be done without eloquence, and calls for no particular earnestness or depth of thought. It is truly wonderful, indeed, with how little qualification of intellect and soul a man may be fitted to carry all before him at certain times, and to show himself off to the eyes of a bewitched multitude as “the great power of God,” by having recourse to new measures. He may be vulgar, coarse and dull, and so pointless and sapless in his ordinary pulpit services that it will be a weariness to hear him; and yet you shall find him, from time to time, throwing a whole community into excitement, gathering around him crowded houses night after night, and exercising as it might seem, for the space of three or four weeks, an irresistible sway in favor
