Shaking Spirits
It is not so much my intention to
delineate the character of what is known as the Shaker
church or community, in this chapter, as to give an
exposition of the fanatic shaking and quaking known as
"the power" among Shakers, Quakers, and the
followers of Mrs. Woodworth. Those who believe this
nervous shaking or power to be of God generally spend more
time in preaching about and praying for "the
power" than they spend in preaching the gospel and
praying for the salvation of souls. They will often spend
hours praying for "the power" to come upon them,
and when it has come they are prostrated and unable to
move or speak for some time. In this semi conscious state
the muscles become rigid, and the symptoms in general very
much resemble what is known in hypnotism as the cataleptic
state. In this state a person may be lifted by the head
and feet, and some have been known to bear up a weight of
five hundred pounds placed upon the chest while the feet
lay on one chair and the head on another. This may seem
incredible to some, but it has been demonstrated.
Mrs. Woodworth takes such
Scriptures as Rom.13:2, and perverts them to sustain her
theory. Many who are uninformed in the Scriptures become
entranced with her hypnotic devil powers and are led to
believe in "the power," which is the mainspring
of her cult. To the ignorant and unlearned the declaration
of Mrs. Woodworth and her followers, "Whosoever
therefore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of
God," seems quite convincing, especially when
accompanied by the zeal and power of a magnetizer. The
Scripture refers, of course, to the laws of the land, and
has no such application as "the Power" people
suppose.
As nearly as I can comprehend this
"power" or shaking is a mixture of hypnotism,
spiritualism, and nervous derangement. I have also noticed
that it has more effect on women as a general thing than
on men. This may be due to the more sensitive nervous
system of the female sex in general. I have also noticed
that people of strong personality of either sex are seldom
visited by "the power"; although under the
deception of its teeing the power of God many are deceived
by it. Sometimes this "power" takes on more of a
spiritualistic nature, and visions are received. Through
these visions people are sometimes led into unhappy
marriages, and many other snares of the devil.
People who believe in this shaking
power generally make much of Paul's being prostrated while
on the way to Damascus, comparing it to their being
prostrated under "the power." There is a vast
difference in the power of God that brought wicked Saul to
repentance, and the power manifested by modern Shakers.
(1) When God puts a man under the influence of His power
it is for some good, and is unto salvation, as in the case
of Paul; but this modern power seldom accomplishes
anything good. (2) When a man is struck with the power of
God he receives an understanding of what it is for, as did
Paul; but persons will lie for hours, and sometimes for
days, under the power of the devil without receiving any
intelligence whatever. (3) The power of God will never
cause any impropriety, while this "power" will
cause men and women to fall in the most promiscuous
manner, women sometimes falling over seats, etc., which is
the height of indecency. (4) Those who receive
extraordinary manifestations of the power of God generally
live consistent lives afterwards, as was the case with
Paul; but many who fall under this Shaker power live
inconsistent lives.
Finally, I would say it is not
God's most common way of bringing souls to Christ to
prostrate them, although He sometimes uses this means; but
whenever He does so it is to be considered an exceptional
case, and not an established rule. Those who make
"the power" their hobby generally neglect the
"weightier matters of the law" and take up the
time in spasmodic shaking or in the spiritualistic trance.
As a general thing when the power of God comes on a man in
a special manner it is for a special purpose, and it is
more often manifested in delivering a gospel sermon,
praying a prayer, or singing a song, than in shaking, or
falling into a trance.
