USA > Kentucky > A history of Kentucky Baptists : From 1769 to 1885, including more than 800 biographical sketches, Vol. I > Part 47
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"Rev. J. M. Peck, D. D., in Chris. Rev. Vol. XVII, P. 503.
+Western Miscellany, Vol. i., p. 275.
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ing manner, he attracted the main body of the people, in a few minutes. With tears streaming from his eyes, he cried aloud to the wicked, warning them of their danger, denounc- ing their certain doom, if they persisted in their sins ; express- ing his love to their souls, and desire that they should turn to the Lord and be saved. He was held up by two men, and spoke for about an hour, with that convincing eloquence that could be inspired only from above. When his strength seemed quite exhausted, and language failed to describe the feelings of his soul, he raised his hand, and dropping his handkerchief, wet with sweat from his little face, cried out: 'Thus, O sinner! shall you drop into hell, unless you forsake your sins and turn to the Lord.' At that moment some fell like those who are shot in battle, and the word spread in a manner which human language cannot describe."* Scenes like these were of com- mon occurrence in the general camp-meetings, and produced a wonderful effect on those in attendance. It can hardly be re- garded a matter of astonishment that the multitudes looked upon such wisdom, boldness, and zeal in children as the fruits of spiritual illumination.
THE FALLING EXERCISE. This very common result of a high state of religious excitement was neither new, nor very strange. It had often occurred under the preaching of Whit- field, Wesley and many others. › Men have often fallen down helpless, fainted, and even died, from sudden fits of anger, transports of joy, overwhelming fear, and sudden surprise. Can it be less credible that they should be overcome by a sense of guilt, remorse and danger, suddenly revealed to them by heart-searching preaching and the quickening influence of the Holy Spirit ? The first falling that occurred during the great revival, as before observed, was under the ministry of M'Gready and M'Gee, in 1799. From thence it spread rapidly all over Kentucky and Middle Tennessee, and soon became insepara- ble from all the sacramental meetings. "Some fell suddenly, as if struck by lightning, while others were seized with a uni- versal tremor the moment before, and fell shrieking. Piercing shrieks were uttered by many during the whole period of pros- tration, intermingled with groans, cries for mercy, and excla-
#Western Miscellany, Vol. 1, p. 278.
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mations of 'Glory ! glory to God!' In general there was no complaint of pain, but of great weakness, during and after the paroxysms. Women would fall while walking to and from the meeting-house, engaged in narrating past exercises, or drop from their horses on the road. In this condition the subject would lie fifteen minutes, to two or three hours; and we are even told of a woman's lying without eating or speaking, for nine days and nights. Some were more or less convulsed, and wrought hard, in frightful nervous agonies, the eyes rolling wildly. But the greater number were quite motionless, as if dead, or about to expire in a few moments. Some were capa- ble of conversing, others were not. During the syncope, and even when conscious, and talking on religious topics, the sub- ject was insensible of pain. Vinegar and hartshorn were ap- plied with no perceptible effects.
"The numbers affected in this singular manner were as- tonishing. At Cabin Creek camp-meeting, May 22, 1801, so many fell on the third night, that, to prevent their being trod- den upon, they were collected together, and laid out in order on two squares of the meeting-house, covering the floor like so many corpses. At Paint Creek sacrament, 200 were supposed to have fallen; at Pleasant Point, 300; but these accounts are beggared by the great meeting at Cane Ridge, August 6, 1801, when 3,000 were computed to have fallen."*
THE JERKING EXERCISE, or, as it was commonly called, the jerks, was not only a singular affection, but was wholly un- precedented. The first recorded instance of this phenominon occurred at a sacrament in east Tennessee, where several hun- dreds of both sexes were seized with the strange contortion. Like other exercises of the great revival, it was speedily com- municated to other similar meetings, and, soon became com- mon in all the great camp-meetings, and finally became a common disorder among all classes of people.
In this strange exercise "the subject was instantaneously seized with spasms or convulsions in every muscle, nerve and tendon. His head was jerked or thrown from side to side, with such rapidity, that it was impossible to distinguish his visage, and the most lively fears were entertained lest he should dislo-
*His. Pres. Church, p. 143 et seq. 1
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cate his neck, or dash out his brains. His body partook of the same impulse, and was hurried on by like jerks, over every ob- stacle, fallen trunks of trees, or in a church, over pews and benches, apparently to the most imminent danger of being bruised and mangled. It was useless to attempt to restrain or hold him, and the paroxysm was permitted gradually to ex- haust itself .*
The most graphic description of "the jerks" that has ap- peared in print was written by Richard McNemar, an eminent Presbyterian preacher who was both an eye witness and an apol- ogist. He says: "Nothing in nature could better represent this strange and unaccountable operation, than for one to goad another, alternately on every side, with a piece of red hot iron. The exercise commonly began in the head, which would fly backward and forward, and from side to side, with a quick jolt, which the person would naturally labor to suppress, but in vain. The more one labored to stay himself, and be sober, the more he staggered, and the more his twitches increased. He must necessarily, go as he was stimulated, whether with a violent dash on the ground, and bounce from place to place like a foot- ball, or hop around with head, limbs and trunk twitching and jolting in every direction, as if they must inevitably fly asunder. How such could escape without injury, was no small wonder to spectators. By this strange operation, the human frame was so transformed and disfigured, as to lose every trace of its natural appearance. Sometimes the head would be twitched right and left to a half round, with such velocity that not a feature could be discovervd, but the face appeared as much behind as before. In the quick, progressive jerk, it would seem as if the person was transformed into some other species of creature. Head- dresses were of little account among female jerkers. Even handkerchiefs bound around the head, would be flirted off al- most with the first twitch, and the hair put into the utmost con- fusion. This was a great inconvenience, to redress which the generality were shorn, though directly contrary to their confes- sion of faith. Such as were seized with the jerks, were wrested at once, not only from under their own government, but that of every one else, so that it was dangerous to attempt confining
*His. Pres. ch. pp. 145, 146.
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them, or touching them in any manner, to whatever danger they. were exposed; yet few were hurt, except it was such as rebelled against the operation, through willful and deliberate enmity, and refused to comply with the injunctions which it came to en- force."*
That this exercise was involuntary and irresistible, there is abundant evidence in the writers of the period, Benedict says: "At first it was experienced only by those under religious con- cern, but in the end it became a nervous affection, which was sym- pathetically, communicated from one to another.
"A Presbyterian minister heard that a congregation of his brethren which he highly esteemed, had got to jerking. He went to persuade them out of the frantic exercise, but in con- versing with them, he got the jerks himself. On his return home, his people assembled to hear the result of his visit. While he was describing how people appeared with the jerks, he was suddenly taken with them, and the whole assembly soon caught the distemper.
"Wicked men were often taken with these strange exer- cises, and many would curse the jerks, while they were under their singular operation. Some were taken at the tavern with a glass of liquor in their hands, which they would suddenly toss over their heads, or to a distant part of the room. Others were taken with them at the card table, and at other places of dissi- pation, and would by a violent and unaffected jerk, throw a hand- ful of cards all over the room."t
THE ROLLING EXERCISE was only another form of the ner- vous disorder, called "the jerks." It consisted in falling on the ground or floor, and rolling over like a log, very swiftly. Dust, mud or water formed no barrier to the movement. The subject continued to move in the same direction until the spasm ex- hausted itself, or some immovable obstruction stopped his pro- gress. He sometimes got up much in the plight that the swine comes from his wallowing in the mire:
THE RUNNING EXERCISE was another species of the same disorder. The excited subject started with his nerves strung up to high tension, and ran with preternatural swiftness till his strength was entirely exhausted. He then fell down and lay till
*McNemar, pp. 51, 52. Quoted by many authors,
fHis. Bap. Vol. II p. 255.
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he recovered strength to get up and return to the place of wor- ship, or make his way home.
THE DANCING EXERCISE: Dr. Peck, who was a dispas- sionate observer of religious affairs in the west, thinks that this exercise was originally a form of the jerks. It was introduced after, rather than during the revival. The first instance recorded was at Turtle Creek on the occasion of a sacramental meeting of the Newlights, in the spring of 1804. Rev. John Thompson, one of the ministers of the Springfield Presbytery, commenced dancing around the stand at the close of the meeting, and con- tinued about an hour, repeating all the while, in a low tone, "This is the Holy Ghost ! Glory !" During the following winter and spring, it became a common religious exercise, and was en- couraged among the Newlights, as an appropriate method of worship. They encouraged each other "to praise God in the dance," and quoted the example of David dancing before the Ark. The dancing was performed by a gentle and not ungrace- ful motion, to a lively tune, but ·with little variation of step. As all classes of the worshippers engaged in the dance when they felt the impulse or inclination to do so, it was often performed very ludicrously. But if this form of public worship began among the Newlights, who had recently seceded from the Pres- byterian church, it was not confined to that schism. "A writer in the Biblical Repertory," says Dr. Davidson, " states that, during the administration of the Lord's Supper in the pres- ence of the Synod of Virginia, he witnessed a young woman per- forming this exercise for about the space of half-an-hour. The pew in which she had been sitting had been cleared and she dan- ced in the vacant space from one end to the other, her eyes being closed and her countenance calm. At the close of the half- hour, she fell, and was agitated with more violent emotions. He saw another whose motions, instead of being lateral, consisted in jumping up and down." Mr. Lyle saw several women leap- ing most nimbly, at Point Pleasant, in 1803, and a young girl who sprang, a dozen times, near two feet high. The dancing exercise seems to have soon fallen into disrepute, even among the enthusiastic Newlights. A considerable number of these enthusiasts soon joined the Shakers, among whom dancing still continues to be a prominent exercise in public worship.
THE BARKING EXERCISE, or the barks, as it was commonly
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called, was the most ludicrous of all the strange contortions that accompanied camp-meetings during the great revival. The exercises frequently accompanied the jerks, and Dr. Peck reck- ons it a form of that nervous distemper. "The exercise con- sisted in the individual taking the position of a dog, moving on all-fours, growling, snapping the teeth, and barking, with such exact imitation as to deceive any one whose eyes were not directed to the spot. The persons affected were not always of the humblest or most vulgar classes ; but persons of the high- est rank in society ; of cultivated minds and polite manners, found themselves involuntarily reduced to this mortifying situa- tion."* "A worthy old Presbyterian minister, in East Ten- nessee, retired from the meeting-place to the woods for private devotion, when he was seized with jerking spasms. He caught hold of a sapling to avoid falling, and as his head jerked back, he uttered sounds. He was seen in this position by a mischiev- ous wag who reported he was barking up a tree."+ " A minister in the lower part of Kentucky," says Dr. Benedict, "informed me that it was common to hear people barking like a flock of Spaniels, on their way to meeting. There they would start up suddenly in a fit of barking, rush out, roam around, and in a short time come barking and foaming back."}
"The only method of securing relief from this wretched condition," says Dr. Davidson, "was to engage in the voluntary dance, and the opinion became prevalent that it was inflicted as a chastisement for remissness of duty, and as a provocative of zeal. Such as resisted the impulse, and declined the dancing, continued to be tormented for months, and even years. From being regarded as marks of guilt, the barks at last assumed the dignity of tokens of Divine power, and badges of special honor. Ludicrous as it may seem to us, at this distance of time, to hear of such extraordinary sounds as ' bow, wow, wow,' interspersed with pious ejaculations, and quotations of scripture, as 'every knee shall bow-wow-wow, and every tongue shall confess,' we are not at liberty to doubt the truth of the assertion, that then the effect, or at least one of the effects, was to over-awe the wicked and excite fearful apprehensions in the minds of the im- pious. It is easily conceivable that the dread of being reduced
#History Pres. Ch., p. 152. tChris. Rev. Vol. XVII, p. 510.
#History of Bap., V, II., 256.
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to this humiliating condition would check any disposition to indulge in ridicule."*
THE LAUGHING EXERCISE : This has been of such frequent recurrence that it need not be described. Most persons who attend revival meetings among the methodists have been eye- witnesses of this mode of expressing religious joy. It was con- fined to religious people, and like the various exercises described above, was at least in many cases, irresistible. As witnessed by the writer of these pages, in several different congrega- tions, as late as 1852, there was nothing in it offensive to the most grave and serious worshipper. In these cases there was an in- detinable peculiarity about it that inspired seriousness and awe, rather than levity. It was confined to young converts, at least in a great measure. In audible expression, it was soft, gentle, and monotonous. It exhibited no indications of excitement, except that of gently enrapturing love. However indecorous it may seem to such as only hear of it, there was nothing displeasing in it to those who witnessed it, except that it attracted attention from the preaching. There was nothing in it, kindred, to the boisterous haw ! haw ! that is sometimes heard at the present, in exciting revival meetings among the Methodists.
This exercise commenced rather early in the great revival: Dr. Davidson says : " Hysterical laughter was at first spora- dic, but in 1803, we find the 'Holy Laugh,' introduced syste- matically as a part of worship. While Mr. Findley was preach- fng a lively sermon at Silver Creek Sacrament, in June of that year, the people, at some sentences, laughed aloud. Sometimes half the professors of religion laughed in this way, appearing all the time solemn and devout."t
VISIONS AND TRANCES were concomitants of camp-meet- ings, during the great revival. They occurred sometimes in night dreams, sometimes in daylight-ecstacies, and oftner dur- ing the unconscious state which succeeded the falling exercise. The visions were of various characters. Sometimes they ex- hibited to the entranced spirit, or dreamer, the dreadful doom of the lost, sometimes he was transported to Heaven, where he saw, and talked with, departed friends, and even received mes- sages from them to the living. Sometimes the visions partook of the prophetic character. and the dreamer would be able to
*History Pres. ch., p. 152. tHistory Pres. Ch., 157.
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predict the results of an impending meeting, as who would preach, who would fall, who would be converted, and other particulars. Some of the dreams were very beautiful. One woman walked on the tops of the trees, another had a vision of Heaven, with a small door ; one man saw a glorious mountain, covered with trees having silver-tipped foliage. He thought the mountain led to God and Heaven. Above it he saw a great dazzling light, and sighed and sank before it as the great All in all. They had much confidence in their dreams, and either in- terpreted them themselves, or sought out persons whom they deemed more skillful in solving such mysteries.
Much injury was inflicted on the cause of Christ by encour- aging confidence in these dreams, visions, trances and impres- sions, by some of the ministers who were leaders in the sacra- mental meetings and camp meetings, especially those who afterwards went off with the Newlight schism. It diverted popular attention from the Bible, which must always be the sole standard of truth among intelligent christians, and fostered a fondness for those mysticisms, superstitions and novelties, so congenial, and yet so degrading to fallen men. The departures from the Bible teaching was very rapid, and the adoption ot delusive speculations, correspondingly accelerated. As the great revival among the Presbyterians and Methodists degene- rated into a misguided and corrupting enthusiasm, some strong, prave men exerted all their powers to stay the swelling tide that was sweeping away their bulwarks of safety, but all in vain. The demon they had unconsciously aided in evoking was too trong for them. The tide was with the enthusiasts, and the opposers were overwhelmed, and temporarily, at least, brought nto popular contempt. With the close of the year 1803, the evival may be said to have subsided. The Methodists, who ' were freely admitted " to the general meetings of the Presby- erians, early in the revival, "from assistants, became leaders,"* ode on the tide, or rather headed it, had their number greatly creased-probably doubled, while the Presbyterian church, hich received the first fruits of the revival, but opposed its xcesses, perhaps injudiciously, was well nigh in ruins. The par- culars of this disaster, and some of its more permanent results, ust be reserved for another chapter.
#His Pres. chap. 141. 34
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CHAPTER XXVIII.
SECTS ORIGINATING FROM THE GREAT REVIVAL.
Doubtless there were many people truly converted by means of the camp-meetings and sacramental occasions, con- ducted by the Presbyterians and Methodists, during the great revival. But it is equally certain that great evil resulted. Sec- tarianism among christians is always an evil to be deplored by all good men. Before the revival, its effects were sufficiently pernicious in Kentucky, when the sects were few and compara- tively friendly. But when the number of sects were augumented by the addition of three new ones, the evil was correspondingly increased. Two of these new sects were born of the great revival on the soil of Kentucky, and the third was invited to its territory by the extravagant enthusiasm gendered by sacra- ments and camp-meetings. To give a brief account of the origin and history of these new sects will be the object of this chapter.
The first was known, in the beginning, as MARSHALLITES, from Robert Marshall, their first leader. They were afterwards called STONITES, from Barton W. Stone, another leader. They
n S W were popularly known as NEWLIGHTS, * from their pretending to peculiar spiritual illuminations, by which they obtained much new light on the subject of religion. They finally adopted the name CHRISTIAN CHURCH. To this name they still adhere wherever they have a distinct denominational existence. Dr John P. Campbell, a distinguished Presbyterian writer of th period, traces the paternity of this sect to Thomas B. Craighead a brilliant Presbyterian preacher, from whom Stone and Housto received their tenets. +
It has been observed that, at the very beginning of th revival, the Presbyterian preachers were divided as to the meat
*By this name they are still distinguished from the Campbellites some of the North-Western States. +His. Pres. ch. p. 271.
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measures, and manner of carrying on the work. The parties were soon distinguished by the terms Revival and Anti-Revival. These parties continued to oppose each other, often with much bitterness, and with frequent shifting or doubtful balance of power during the entire revival period. The Methodists, with- out exception, sided with the revival party, and gave it its greatest impetus. Dr. Davidson says : " It is a well known characteristic of that sect, to exalt zeal above knowledge. Whatever changes have of late years taken place for the better, they were totally unknown at the period, and in the region of which we write. Then, boisterous emotion, loud ejaculations, shouting, sobbing, leaping, falling and swooning, were in vogue, and were regarded as the true criteria of heartfelt religion. Early admitted to take part in the meetings of the Presbyterians, it was not long before the contagion of their wild enthusiasm completely outgrew the control of the clergy."* Their doctrines rose in popularity with their zeal, and soon made decided changes in the doctrinal views of many Presbyterians, and not a few of the clergy. The speculations of Craighead began to be proclaimed by several of the Presbyterian preach- ers in northern Kentucky.
Meanwhile, the Presbyterian Synod of Kentucky had been erected, and held its first meeting at Lexington, October 14, 1802. This body comprised three Presbyters with thirty-seven ministers. At the second meeting of the synod, at Lexington, September 6, 1803, Richard McNemar and John Thompson were arrainged before the body for trial, on the charge of preaching " erroneous doctrines." The arraignment was made on petition from Washington Presbytery, of which they were members. "Synod now proposed to enter on an examination and trial of Messrs. McNemar and Thompson, agreeably to the prayer of the petitioners. On Saturday, pending the discus- sion, Messrs. Marshall, Stone, McNemar, Thompson and Dun- avy, offered a protest against the fore-mentioned decisions in the case of Washington Presbytery ; and a declaration that they withdrew from the jurisdiction of synod." Synod appointed a committee to labor with the seceding brethren, and reclaim hem. The effort was of no avail. On the 13th of September,
*His. Prés. Ch., p. 140.
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1803, the five seceding ministers came before Synod in person, and informed that body that they had formed themselves into a separate Presbytery. Synod proceeded to suspend them from the ministry, and declare their pulpits vacant. They had given the name Springfield to their Presbytery.
" Matters having now come to a crisis, and a separation being actually made, the war commenced in earnest. The Schismatics entered on a course of sleepless activity. The five suspended ministers, already highly popular, exerted themselves to the utmost to attract the multitude, and appealing to their sympathy as persecuted persons, endeavored to convert the censures of the church into so much additional capital in their own favor. A torrent of mad enthusiasm swept over the entire territory of the synod. Several tracts and pamphlets were pub- lished, breathing a spirit of confident exultation, and indulging in the boldest language of anticipated triumph." Before the end of the year, 1804, they had constituted sixteen churches on purely democratic principles, and multitudes of their sentiments were dispersed through Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, and Western Pennsylvania. These persons are described by McNemar as praying, shouting, jerking, barking, or rolling ; dreaming, prophesying, and looking, as through a glass, at the infinite glories of Mount Zion, just about to break upon the world. Their enthusiasm knew no bounds. An extraordinary shower, of reddish hue, readily believed to be blood, which fell during the summer in the vicinity of Turtle Creek Meeting House, was eagarly seized on as a convincing illustration of the prophecy of Joel, and an additional confirmation of the approaching advent of the Millennial Glory.
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