USA > Ohio > Shakers of Ohio; fugitive papers concerning the Shakers of Ohio, with unpublished manuscripts > Part 2
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It might be well to note that a former merchant prince of Chicago, whose name has been often mentioned in terms of great praise, through one of his agents, mulcted the Shakers of Union.
+ I fail to find the enactment in the Laws of Ohio for 1821. The- Shakers later were persecuted for military fines.
On January 27, 1818, the Ohio Legislature, among other militia laws,. passed the following :
"Be it further enacted, That in collecting all fines, assessed by the provisions of this act, all stewards, managers, agents, trustees or elders of any connected or associated society, whose property is all vested in com -- mon stock, shall be bound for each and every member thereof, who is liable to do military duty, and the common stock, goods, chattels, lands- and tenements, of all or any body or bodies so connected or associated, shall be held liable and bound for the payment of any fines assessed by the provisions of this act." This act is not found with the regular session laws, but with the militia laws, which was published separately in a pamphlet of 76 pages. The above clause may be found on page 12.
It was the above clause that caused the Shakers to issue their ad- dress "to the civil rulers and citizens of the state of Ohio, and all whom; it may concern," in a pamphlet of 24 pages.
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Village, out of $40,000 in cash. The money was a part of the proceeds of the sale of the North Union property.
SHAKER CONSCIOUSNESS. .
The Shakers are not and have not been a boastful people. Their mode of life practically forbids them from being ag- gressive. They are and have been unobtrusive, being devoted to the cause of religion and practicing the Christian graces. In their vicinage they have left an impress for good. From their com- munities thousands have gone forth schooled in the purest mor- als and an implicit faith in the Divine Being. Whatever the world may think, yet the simple fact remains that Shakerism has been an active example of the quiet life and simplicity of habits as well as an intelligent view of the Creator.
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THE KENTUCKY REVIVAL AND ITS INFLUENCE ON THE MIAMI VALLEY.
The Miami Valley properly embraces all the country north of the Ohio that is drained by the Great and Little Miami rivers and their tributaries. In this paper it is used to designate the southwestern quarter of the State of Ohio, or that territory lying west of a line drawn due south from Columbus to the Ohio river and south of another line drawn due west from Columbus to the State of Indiana. This district was greatly excited and stirred up by the "Great Kentucky Revival," and its camp-meetings lasted for a period of over fifty years.
Owing to the rapidity of the increase in population and the advent of foreigners with their variant sectaries, it is difficult to measure the depth of the influence of the enthusiasm resultant from the religious upheaval of 1801. However diverse may have been the elements to be operated upon, there was sufficient time and opportunity to carry out the work of the reformers.
The year 1800 showed Ohio with a population of about 45,- 000 and Cincinnati with about 500. In 1810 the city had in- creased to 2,540 and the entire state to 230,760. The population was principally made up of emigrants from the older states. Kentucky, with a population of 73,677 in 1790, had increased to 220,959 in 1800 and 406,511 in 1810. These figures show both states to have been sparsely settled, when considered with the present population. The settlements were almost wholly com- munities of farmers. Books and newspapers were but sparingly supplied to them, and religion was their chief intellectual food. Without the advantages enjoyed by their descendants, scattered, though naturally gregarious, a religious revival would hold out its allurements to all alike.
(19)
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STATE OF SOCIETY.
The early settlers of both Ohio and Kentucky, for the most part, were Christians by profession. Different denominations of religionists were early in the field, employing their zeal in mak- ing proselytes and propagating their respective tenets. The great majority ranked among the Presbyterians, Baptists and Methodists. The first church organized in Ohio was the Bap- tist church at Columbia, near Cincinnati, in 1790, and the build-
MAETT
[Columbia Baptist Church, constituted by Dr. Stephen Gano,in 1790.]
ing erected in 1793, which stood until 1835. In 1797, besides the Presbyterian church at Cincinnati, there were preaching points at Clear Creek (a short distance south of Franklin), Turtle Creek (now Union Village, west of Lebanon), Bethany (two miles east of Lebanon) and Big Prairie (at the mouth of Dick's Creek in Butler county, afterwards called Orangedale). Of these
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country congregations the largest and most influential was Turtle Creek.
The various sects, acknowledging one another as of the same parent stock, "stood entirely separate as to any communion or fellowship, and treated each other with the highest marks of hostility ; wounding, captivating and bickering another, until their attention was called off by the appearance of" deism. As early as 1796 a religious apathy appears to have pervaded the pulpit. One writes, "the dead state of religion is truly discouraging here, as well as elsewhere;" another says ,"I have this winter past preached with difficulty, my heart but little enjoyed," and still another, "I see but little prospect of encouragement."* How- ever dark the picture may be painted, the despondent were soon awakened to what they deemed a season of refreshment.
THE KENTUCKY REVIVAL.
During the year 1799, on the Gasper, in Logan County, Ky., on land now owned and occupied by the Shakers, of South Union, there began a religious revival, which was the precursor of the most wonderful upheaval ever experienced in Christian work. The excitement commenced under the labors of John Rankin. . Where this awakening commenced a church still stands, some three miles from church founded at South Union, owned by the Cumberland Presbyterians. Almost immediately James McGready, also a Presbyterian clergyman, was seized with this same spirit as possessed by Rankin. He has been described as a homely man, with sandy hair and rugged features, and was so terrific in hold- ing forth the terrors of hell that he was called a son of thunder. He pictured out "the furnace of hell with its red-hot coals of God's wrath as large as mountains ;" he would open to the sin- ner's view "the burning lake of hell, to see its fiery billows rolling, and to hear the yells and groans of the damned ghosts roaring under the burning wrath of an angry God." Under his preach- ing the people would fall down with a loud cry and lie powerless, or else groaning, praying, or crying to God for mercy. The news of the excitement spread not only over Kentucky, but also
* McNemar's "Kentucky Revival," p. 13.
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into Ohio and Tennessee, and people rushed to the Gasper to witness the scenes and returned to their homes carrying a meas- ure of the enthusiasm with them. Among those' drawn to the spot was Barton W Stone, afterwards the head of a new sect. Early in the spring of 1801 he repaired to the scene of excitement, which was now carried on by several Presbyterian ministers, headed by James McGready. "There, on the edge of a prairie in Logan County, Kentucky, the multitudes came together, and continued a number of days and nights encamped on the ground ; during which time worship was carried on in some part of the encampment. The scene to me was new and passing strange. It baffled description. Many, very many, fell down, as men slain in battle, and continued for hours together in an apparently breathless and motionless state-sometimes for a few moments. reviving, and exhibiting symptoms of life by a deep groan, or piercing shriek, or by a prayer for mercy most fervently uttered."* At this time Stone was preaching at Cane Ridge and Concord, in Bourbon county, under the Presbytery of Transylvania. He re- turned home, believing that he had "witnessed the work of God." Multitudes awaited his return at Cane Ridge; and he effected the congregation "with awful solemnity, and many returned home weeping." That night he preached at Concord where "two little girls were struck down under the preaching of the word, and in every respect were exercised as those were in the south of Ken- tucky. Their addresses made deep impressions on the congrega- tion. On the next day I returned to Cane Ridge, and attended my appointment at William Maxwell's. I soon heard of the good effects of the meeting on the Sunday before. Many were sol- emnly engaged in seeking salvation, and some had found the Lord, and were rejoicing in Him. Among these last was my particular friend Nathaniel Rogers, a man of first respectability and influence in the neighborhood. Just as I arrived at the gate, my friend Rogers and his lady came up; as soon as he saw me, he shouted aloud the praises of God. We hurried into each other's embrace, he still praising the Lord aloud. The crowd left the house, and hurried to this novel scene. In less than twenty
* "Biography of Stone," p. 34.
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minutes, scores had fallen to the ground-paleness, trembling,. and anxiety appeared in all-some attempted to fly from the scene panic stricken, but they either fell, or returned immediately to the crowd, as unable to get away."*
The revival became a veritable contagion. Its operations flew abroad and stirred up the curious, the sincere and the indif- ferent. Multitudes poured into the various meetings and the strange exercises increasing, no respect for stated hours was ob- served, and then it was deemed expedient to encamp on the ground, and continue the meeting day and night. To the vari- ous encampments they flocked in hundreds and thousands; on. foot, on horseback, and in various vehicles.
By January 30, 1801, the excitement had reached Nashville, Barren, Muddy, Knoxville and other places. Owing to the mul- titudes attending the meetings, the encampments took the name of "Camp Meetings." The camp-meeting once so popular had its origin in Kentucky, in 1801. It grew out of a necessity, but was prolonged until its usefulness had not only departed, but became a stench, a byword, a demoralizing power and a blighting curse.
As camp meetings became the order of the day, the first of note began at Cabin Creek, Lewis County, Kentucky, May 22, 1801, and continued four days and three nights. Attending this meeting were persons from Cane Ridge and Concord, and also Eagle Creek, in Ohio. The next general camp-meeting, was at Concord, in Bourbon county in May and June, same year. There were about 4,000 people present, among whom were seven Pres- byterian clergymen. Of these, four spoke against the work until noon of the fourth day, when they professed to be convinced that: "it was the work of God." This meeting continued five days and four nights. The next was held at Eagle Creek, Adams County, Ohio, beginning June 5th, and continuing four days and three nights. The country being new, the outpouring was not so great. Following this was the one at Pleasant Point, Kentucky, which equalled, or even surpassed any of the previous mentioned. This meeting spread the work extensively through Bourbon, Fayette
* Ibid, p. 36.
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and adjoining counties. The meeting at Indian Creek, Harrison county, began July 24th, and continued nearly a week. Next came the great meeting at Cane Ridge, seven miles from Paris, be- ginning August 6th. The number of people on the ground at one time was supposed to have numbered 20,000. The encamp- ment consisted of one hundred and thirty-five wheel-carriages, and tents proportioned to the people. Rev. James Crawford, who kept as accurate account as he could on that occasion, com- puted there were 3,000 that fell on that occasion, or an average , of 500 a day.
The people among whom the revival began were generally Calvinists, and all the principal leaders were clergymen of the Presbyterian church; yet other sects were rapidly swept into the maelstrom. Generally the first affected were children, and from them the contagion spread. "A boy, from appearance about twelve years old, retired from the stand in time of preaching, under a very extraordinary impression; and having mounted a log, at some distance, and raising his voice, in a very affect- 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, denouncing their certain doom, if they persisted in their sins; expressing his love to their souls, and desire that they would 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 ex- hausted 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 work spread in a manner which human language cannot describe."
One of the affecting speakers was Vincy McNemar, daughter of Richard, nine years of age. Her father held her on his arm while she addressed the multitude.t
* McNemar's "Kentucky Revival," p. 25.
t Vincy afterwards became a prominent Shaker. I have a kerchief owned by her, presented to me by Eldress Clymena Miner.
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PHYSICAL PHENOMENA.
The strange manifestations appertained to all the camp meet- ings. What would be a description of one would be the same recital in all, perhaps, varying only in excess. These excesses have thus been described by Barton W. Stone: "The bodily agitations or exercises, attending the excitement in the begin- ning of this century, were various, and called by various names : -as the falling exercise-the jerks-the dancing exercise-the barking exercise-the laughing and singing exercise, etc .- The falling exercise was very common among all classes, the saints and sinners of every age and of every grade, from the philoso- pher to the clown. The subject of this exercise would, gen- erally, with a piercing scream, fall like a log on the floor, earth, or mud, and appear as dead. I have seen very many
pious persons fall in the same way, from a sense of the danger of their unconverted children, brothers, or sisters-from a sense of the danger of their neighbors, and of the sinful world. I have heard them agonizing in tears and strong crying for mercy to be shown to sinners, and speaking like angels to all around.
The jerks cannot be so easily described, Sometimes the subject of the jerks would be affected in some one member of the body, and sometimes in the whole system. When the head alone was affected, it would be jerked backward and forward, or from side to side, so quickly that the features of the face could not be distinguished. When the whole system was af- fected, I have seen the person stand in one place, and jerk back- ward and forward in quick succession, their heads nearly touch- ing the floor behind and before. All classes, saints and sinners, the strong as well as the weak, were thus affected. I have in- quired of those thus affected. They could not account for it; but some have told me that those were among the happiest seasons of their lives. I have seen some wicked persons thus affected, and all the time cursing the jerks, while they were thrown to the earth with violence. Though so awful to be- hold, I do not remember that any one of the thousands I have seen ever sustained an injury in body. This was as strange as the exercise itself.
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The dancing exercise. This generally began with the jerks, and was peculiar to professors of religion. The subject, after jerking awhile, began to dance, and then the jerks would cease. Such dancing was indeed heavenly to the spectators; there was nothing in it like levity, nor calculated to excite levity in the beholders. The saints of heaven shone on the countenance of the subject, and assimilated to angels appeared the whole per- son. Sometimes the motion was. quick and sometimes slow. Thus they continued to move forward and backward in the same track or alley till nature seemed exhausted, and they would fall prostrate on the floor or earth, unless caught by those stand- ing by. While thus exercised, I have heard their solemn praises and prayers ascending to God. .
The barking exercise (as opponents contemptuously called it), was nothing but the jerks. A person affected with the jerks, especially in his head, would often make a grunt, or bark, if you please, from the suddenness of the jerk. This name of barking seems to have had its origin from an old Presbyterian preacher of East Tennessee. He had gone into the woods for private devotion, and was seized with the jerks. Standing near .a sapling, he caught hold of it, to prevent his falling, and as his head jerked back, he uttered a grunt or kind of noise sim- ilar to a bark, his face being turned upwards. Some wag dis- covered him in this position, and reported that he found him barking up a tree.
The laughing exercise was frequent, confined solely with the religious. It was a loud, hearty laughter, but one sui generis; it excited laughter in none else. The subject appeared rap- turously solemn, and his thoughts excited solemnity in saints and sinners. It is truly indescribable.
The running exercise was nothing more than, that persons feeling something of these bodily agitations, through fear, at- tempted to run away, and thus escape from them; but it com- monly happened that they ran not far, before they fell, or be- came so greatly agitated that they could proceed no farther. *
I shall close this chapter with the singing exercise. This is more unaccountable than anything else I ever saw. The sub-
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ject in a very happy state of mind would sing most melodiously, not from the mouth or nose, but entirely in the breast, the sounds issuing thence. Such music silenced everything, and at- tracted the attention of all. It was most heavenly. None could ever be tired of hearing it."*
Richard McNemar, who wrote the most complete history of the Kentucky Revival, applies the above exercises to the Schis- matics, or New Lights, or Christians, as they called themselves, but also supplies another, which he called "The rolling exercise." "This consisted in being cast down in a violent manner, doubled. with the head and feet together, and rolled over and over like a. wheel, or stretched in a prostrate manner, turned swiftly over and over like a log. This was considered very debasing and mortifying, especially if the person was taken in this manner through the mud and sullied therewith from head to foot." (Page 64.)
PERSONNEL OF THE REVIVAL.
While the revival was distinctively a Presbyterian one, yet, the Methodist Church was drawn almost bodily into it. While individuals from other sects participated in the meetings and came under the influence of the mesmeric current, yet the re- spective denominations of these latter were not thereby materially affected. Nor is it to be presumed that every individual who wit- nessed this carnival of folly were deluded into the conviction that "it was the work of the Lord." Stone admittedt that "in the wonderful things that appeared in the great excitement," "that there were many eccentricities, and much fanaticism," which "was acknowledged by its warmest advocates." The people were gathered into an atmosphere pregnant with animal excitement, mesmeric force and religious zeal which would readily operate on the sensitives, the impulsives, the excitables, the ignorant and the weak. The character of the leaders, however, is a guaran- tee of their honesty. Even in later campmeetings which had a blighting influence on community, it must be admitted that the ·
intent was for the public weal.
* Biography of B. W. Stone, p. 39.
Ť Biography, p. 42.
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It would be impossible, even to call by name all the active par- ticipants in the great revival. However there are characters that stand out conspicuously in every movement supported by influence and numbers. To Richard McNemar has been as- signed the post of first importance. He regarded the phe- nomena as a miraculous work. He was tall and gaunt, com- manding in appearance, with piercing, restless eyes, ever in mo- tion, with a very expressive countenance. His manner of preaching was fervent and exciting, full of animation and vocif- eration, which gave him great power over his audiences. With all this he was a classical scholar and read Latin, Greek and He- brew with ease.
Probably next in importance was Barton W. Stone, who has been described as a man of great independence of mind, and of firmness and decision of character. As an orator he was gifted with the power of swaying his audience. John Dunlavy pos- sessed a clear, penetrating mind, was scholarly in his habits, but not very aggressive. He inclined to studious habits. David Purviance possessed energy, clear perceptions, honesty of pur- pose, and disinterested motives. Malcolm Worley, possessing much ability, was excitable and somewhat eccentric, but never at a loss to act when convinced of his duties. Robert Marshall was conservative, lenient, and somewhat vacillating.
· DISCORD AND DISUNION.
Whatever zeal may have been felt or displayed in the re- vival, there were elements of discord that had their origin ante- rior to the awakening. Heresy had been implanted in the hearts of certain of the Presbyterian ministers even before the year 1800. Just what influence had been exerted by the Methodist doctrine of free grace, might be difficult to fathom at this late date; but as is well known, the doctrinally tutored, though illit- erate pioneer Methodist preachers did herculean service in storming the citadel of ultra-Calvinism. In the year 1793 Bar- ton W. Stone was a candiate for admission into Orange Presby- tery in North Carolina. Previously he had been a teacher in a
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Methodist school in Washington, Georgia. In 1797, we find he was in the Presbyterian churches at Cane Ridge and Concord, in Kentucky, but did not receive "the call" until 1798. "Knowing that at my ordination I should be required to adopt the Confes- sion of Faith, as the system of doctrines taught in the Bible, I de- termined to give it a careful examination once more. This was to me almost the beginning of sorrows. I stumbled at the doctrine of Trinity as taught in the Confession; I labored to be- lieve it, but could not conscientiously subscribe to it. * Doubts, too, arose in my mind on the doctrines of election, reprobation, and predestination as there taught. I had before this time learned from my superiors the way of divesting those doctrines of their hard, repulsive features, and admitted them as true, yet unfath- omable mysteries."* When the day of ordination came, Stone frankly informed Doctor James Blythe and Robert Marshall, the state of his doubts. In vain they labored to remove his diffi- culties and objections; but when Stone informed them that he was willing to receive the Confession as far as it was "consist- ent with the word of God," upon that admission the Presbytery of Transylvania ordained him. By the year 1801 he had cor- dially abandoned Calvinism, though still retaining his charge at Cane Ridge and Concord.
The minutes of the Presbytery of Washington, at its session at Springfield (Springdale, Ohio) on November II, 1801, show the decision respecting charges that had been made against Richard McNemar, respecting certain doctrines advocated by him.
It should be specially noted that at the commencement of the "revival, preachers in general, who were truly engaged in it, omitted the doctrines of election and reprobation, as explained in the Confession of Faith, and proclaimed a free salvation to all men, through the blood of the Lamb. They held forth the promises of the gospel in their purity and simplicity, without the contradictory explanations, and double meaning, which scholastic divines have put upon them, to make them agree with the doc- trines of the Confession. This omission caused their preaching.
* Ibid, p. 29.
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to appear somewhat different from what had been common among Presbyterians; and although no direct attack was made on these doctrines, as formerly explained; yet a murmuring arose because they were neglected in the daily ministration. This murmuring was heard in different parts of the country; but, notwithstand- ing, preachers and people treated with each other with toleration and forbearance, until a direct opposition to the new mode of preaching took place in the congregation of Cabin Creek."* These complaints, as previously noted, were formulated against Richard McNemar.
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