When the story of Mr. Comstock’s life was given to the general public two years ago, it was interesting to study the reviews that appeared in secular and religious journals throughout the country. Many recognized the wonderful nature of man’s work in life; some followed the time-honored precedent and criticized and ridiculed this Christian fighter. One newspaper reviewer paid genuine tribute to the great nature of the work done by Comstock, but said it was a glaring pity that his biographer did not deal with the man and his work in a conventional way, instead of mix the whole. according to the religious views of Mr. Comstock,—as if religion had anything to do with the real results accomplished by this practical man! Biography, the critic felt, would have greater value if religion were left out and only “true” and tangible facts were set before the reader in an impartial and normal manner.
This critic of Comstock’s old-fashioned views did not realize that “if religion were left behind” there would be no biography to be written, no work to be recorded. For the life story of Mr. Comstock is supernatural from start to finish. He was a practical man because he was a religious man,—a Christian. The evils and evil people he fought against were very real and practical. He knew more and more as the fight continued that unless God’s supernatural power took over the fight he would be defeated by the forces of man and the devil against him. When he faced such facts as unscrupulous people whose business and wealth depended on his defeat, a graft of political lobbyists who could sway the law against decency, brilliant newspaper writers who could cause the his storm of public denunciation, with other concrete facts like sand-bags, infernal machines, smallpox, revolvers, and murderous knives—he needed practical protection and power at his side. And he has it in God. Is it bigoted and foolish to acknowledge it, or does the folly lie in denying it?
Looking back on so extraordinary a life as that of Anthony Comstock, it is interesting to discover some points which give us the secret of how he lived and worked and fought.
His life began with a Christian mother who made God and prayer and the Bible the great truth for her son. Through him, moral heroism was implanted in his heart, in his breath, in his blood, from his birth. He learned to rely on God and God’s promises.
In his early twenties he got the beginning of the vision that grew increasingly clear to him of what his life-work should be; and he never lost that sight.
Comstock was always a man of extraordinary ability. He made remarkable achievements in various ways; there is little question that he may be a notable figure in the American business world. And that is what he set his heart on. But with the increase in his vision of the need to stop the obscene traffic that destroys lives, he made the unconditional surrender of his life to the will of God; he renounced his personal ambitions and took God’s will for himself, whatever that might be. This meant abandoning the business world, with its wealth and power in which young Comstock had already begun to prove himself; it means throwing himself body, soul, and spirit against the powers of evil in the closest and most abominable contact with evil. As a newspaper editorial said in commenting on Mr. Comstock’s death, “Few men would like to fish in a sewer all day, or make such a profligacy a life’s work.” But God called; and the rebellious nature of life’s mission is therefore not weighed against it.
Accepting God’s call, he stayed here until the end. Few men of our generation have manifested more admirable thoroughness and persistent perseverance both in the work of life as a whole and in every duty or adventure that arises. A newspaper reported that on the morning of the day he died, while suffering from pneumonia, he summoned a stenographer from the offices of his Society to his home and dictated a memorandum on the conduct of his business. God can use a person who fights his battle to the end.
Because of his unquestioning and complete acceptance of God’s will for his life and work, he showed courage and fearlessness that made his life a long wonder to others. Weapons, threats, physical attacks of great intellect and effectiveness, could not intimidate him. He quietly accepted God’s promise as a personal word to himself, “No weapon formed against you shall prevail,” (Isaiah 54:17a) and continued in his work to let God prove it to the confusion of his enemies.
We are now [Blogger’s note: remember this was written in 1915] living in a land relatively free from the open traffic in things which a generation ago worked their infamy in the eyes and minds of school children, of young men in business, and of old men ; and it is because Anthony Comstock lived in his self-surrender and triumphant battle against that evil. May God raise up others who will fight as faithfully as he did.
[Taken from Outlawed! How Anthony Comstock Fought and Won the Purity of a Nation, available for purchase in our store, in paperback, ebook and mp3 audio.]
