USA > Tennessee > History of Tennessee from the earliest time to the present : together with an historical and a biographical sketch of from twenty-five to thirty counties of east Tennessee, V.2 > Part 25
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Many good people of those times together with the leading divines, as has been seen above, unaccustomed as they were then to referring effects to natural causes, and supposing the church, as compared with the rest of the world, to be under the special care of Divine Providence, considered these bodily agitations to be manifestations of Divine power, looked upon them as miracles attesting the truth of religion as those on the day of Pentecost. Others believed them to be the result of the machinations of Satan, and designed by him to discredit religion gener- ally, and camp-meetings and revivals in particular, which he feared would convert the world and destroy his power. But it does not necessarily follow that because good Christian people believed them to be the effect of Divine power that they really were so, Although generally supposed then to be so, they were not by any means new or peculiar to those times. Such agitations were common and remarkably violent in the days of Whitefield and the Wesleys. They bear a close resemblance to what was known as the jumping exercise in Wales, described by Dr. Haygarth in his treatise on " The Effect of the Imagination in the Cure of Bodily Diseases." Besides these instances of these exercises there were in France 200 years ago, more wonderful manifestations than any recorded as having been witnessed in Tennessee. A quaint old book written in 1741 by Rev. Charles Chauncey, a noted divine, entitled " 1 Wonderful Narrative and Faithful Account of the French Prophets, their
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Agitations, Ecstacies and Inspirations," states that " an account of thenr would be almost incredible if they had not happened in view of all France, and been known all over Europe. From the month of June, 1688, to the February following, there arose iu Dauphiny and then in Vivarias (an ancient district in France, now the departments of Ardeche aud Haute-Loire) 500 or 600 Protestants of both sexes who gave themselves out as prophets, and inspired with the Holy Ghost. The sect soon became numerous; there were many thousands of them. They had strange fits, and these fits came on them with tremblings and faintings, as in a swoon, which made them stretch out their arms and legs and stagger several times before they dropped down. They remained awhile in trances, and uttered all that came into their mouths. They said they saw the heavens opened, the angels, paradise and hell. When the proph- ets had for awhile been under agitation of body they began to prophesy. the burden of their prophecies being 'Amend your lives, repent ye, for the end of all things draweth nigh.' Persons of good understanding knew not what to think of it-to hear little boys and young girls (of the dregs of mankind who could not so much as read) quote many texts of Holy Scripture. * The child was thirteen or fourteen months old, and kept then in a cradle, and had not of itself spoken a word, nor could it go alone. When they came in where it was the child spoke distinctly in French, with a voice small like a child but loud enough to be well heard over the room. There were numerous children of from three, four and five years old, and so on up to fiteen and sixteen. who being seized with agitations and ecstasies delivered long exhorta- tions under inspiration," etc.
Further on this book pays some attention to the Quakers: "They had indeed, the names of Quakers given them from that extraordinary shak- ing or quaking as though they were in fits or convulsions. Then the devil roared in these deceived souls in a most strange and dreadful man- ner. I wondered how it was possible some of them could live." The Rev. Mr. Chauncey in order to set at naught all pretense that there was any genuine inspiration in all the foregoing, cites many instances of the sayings and doings of Christ, and then says: "These be some of the proofs of the divine mission of Jesus Christ and His apostles. Compare the strangest and most unaccountable instances in the foregoing letter with the miracles recorded in the gospel and they sink into nothing. They carry with them, closely examined, the plain marks of enthusiasm, or collusion, or Satanic possession."
Reference to the above paragraphs will show that Dr. Haygarth's opinion was that these exercises were due to the imagination. and that
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the Rev. Mr. Chauncey thought they were due to enthusiasm, collusion or Satanic possession. The enlightened reason of the present day would instantly discard the idea of Satanic possession, and, as nothing but deceptive appearances can be attributed to collusion, it follows that only enthusiasm remains as a rational explanation for the genuine agi- tations or ecstasies, that is supposing Mr. Chauncey to have enumerated all the causes. It will be remembered, too, that the manifestations in this State and Kentucky were checked and diminished by the opposition, first, of a Presbyterian minister, the Rev. Mr. Lyle, at Walnut Hill, in September, 1503, and then by the united opposition of others who, like him, looked upon them as monstrously extravagant. The Rev. Dr. Blythe cured a lady of his congregation by threatening to have her car- ried out of the church at the next repetition of the paroxysm, and the Doctor himself at one time felt, through sympathy, an approaching paroxysm, and was able to ward it off only by continued and determined opposition. This was the means used by the Baptists to prevent them. and they were very generally successful. The inference would therefore seem to be that under powerful emotional preaching calculated to arouse the ecstacies or the fears of the congregation, the imaginations of som- would be so powerfully wrought up that the nervous system was very greatly affected, and that through sympathy others less imaginative would experience the same affliction, which the will-power could success- fully resist, except where the individual resisting was overcome by the combined influence of the mentality of numerous other people. The phenomenon was nothing more than religious enthusiasm carried to a very great excess. It was in all probability a nervous disease, having but little or no effect upon the general health. Though neither proving nor disproving the truth of religion, all such extravagances tend to the discredit of religion, and all proper means should be employed if neces- sary to prevent or discourage such folly and excess.
It should be mentioned in this connection that those who, during the progress of the revival opposed the "bodily agitations" as extravagant and tending to the discredit of religion. were looked upon by enthusiasts as being opposed to the revival, hence the division of the 'people into "revivalists" and "anti-revivalists." These distinctions, however, were but of temporary duration, terminating when the revival had spent its force. Other results also followed, some of which were transient, others permanent; some deplorable, others gratifying. "At this unhappy mo- ment, and in this unsettled state of things, when religious feeling ran high, that extravagant and (as we believe) deluded race-the Shakers ---- made their appearance, and by a sanctimonious show of piety and zeal
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drew off several valuable Presbyterian preachers and a number of un- wary members, doubtless to the great injury of the cause of rational Christianity.“*
About the same time other sects sprang up, known by the respect- ive names of "New Lights" or "Stoneites," "Marshallites," "Schismat- ics," etc. By these "heresies" the Synod of Kentucky lost eight mem- bers: B. W. Stone, John Dunlavy, Richard McNamar, Robert Marshall, John Thomson, Huston, Rankin and David Purviance. Marshall and Thomson after a time returned to the Presbyterian faith. The "Stone- ites" or "New Lights" were a body formed mainly through the efforts of Elder Stone, after he had decided to abandon Presbyterianism altogether. This new body was called by its adherents the "Christian Church." while by outsiders it was called by the name of New Lights. They held many of the views which afterward characterized the Campbell reforma- tion, especially the famous dogma of "baptism for the remission of sins," and Elder Stone intimates in his book pretty plainly that in adopting it the "Disciples of Christ" or "Campbellites," as the followers of Alexan- der Campbell were originally called, had stolen his thunder. When the Campbell reformation reached Kentucky Elders Stone and Purviance united with the reformers, and thus the Southern branch of the old "Christian Church" finally disappeared. Since then the name of Dis- ciples, or Campbellites, has been exchaged for the old name of the "Christian Church." Elders Dunlavy, McNamar, Huston and Rankin joined the Shakers.
Another but more remote result of the great revival was the expulsion from the Presbyterian Church of a portion of the membership by whom was formed the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. The necessities of the Presbyterians at that time in Kentucky and Tennessee were peculiar. In 1801 a few Presbyterian clergymen formed an association which was named the Transylvania Presbytery. On account of the 'great numbers added to the ranks of Christians by the revival there was not a suffici- ency of educated ministers to supply the demand. This presbytery felt justified in ordaining to the ministry some young men who had not re- ceived a classical education. In 1502 the Transylvania Presbytery was divided into two sections, one of which was named the Cumberland Presbytery, and which included the Green River and Cumberland Coun- ties. In 1804 a remonstrance signed by Revs. Thomas B. Craighead. John Bowman and Samuel Donnel was sent to the Synod of Kentucky against the proceedings of the Cumberland Presbytery in several par- ticulars, amongst other things in licensing uneducated ministers. Being
** 'Recollections of the West." by Rev. Lewis Garrett.
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taken completely by surprise, and thinking the citation of at least doubt- ful legality, the Cumberland Presbytery refused to appear before the synod when cited. At the meeting of the synod in October. 1805, a commission consisting of ten ministers and six elders was appointed to investigate the entire subject, vesting this commission with full synod- ical powers to confer with the members of the presbytery and to adjudi- cate upon their Presbyterial proceedings. Notwithstanding that the Cumberland Presbytery considered this commission vested with uncon- stitutional powers, they all, except two ministers and one elder, appeared before it at the appointed time and place. There were present ten or- dained ministers, four licentiates and four candidates. The commission after censuring the Presbytery for having received Rev. Mr. Haw into connection, and considering irregular licensures and ordinations, deter- mined to institute an examination into the qualifications of the young men to preach. This examination the young men resisted on the ground that the Cumberland Presbytery was competent to judge of the faith and abilities of its candidates. The result of this refusal was that the com-
mission adopted a resolution prohibiting all the young men in connection with that Presbytery, ordained, licensed and candidates, from preaching, exhorting or administering the ordinances until they should submit to the requisite examination. The revival preachers, however, resolved to continue preaching and administering the ordinances, and encouraged the young men to continue the exercise of their respective functions. They also formed a council, consisting of the majority of the ministers and elders of the Cumberland Presbytery, of which most of the congre- gations in the Presbytery approved. In October, 1806, an attempt was made at reconciliation with the synod, but the synod confirmed the action of the commission with reference to the re-examination of the young men. and at the same time dissolved the Cumberland Presbytery, attach- ing its members not suspended to the Transylvania Presbytery. The revival ministers determined to continue their work in the form of a council, until their case could go before the General Assembly, which met in May, 1807. At this meeting of the Assembly their case was ably presented, but that body declined to judicially decide the case. The synod, however, upon the advice of the Assembly, revised its proceed- ings, but was unable to modify them. Finally in 1809 the General As- sembly decided to sustain the proceedings of the synod. Thus the Cum- berland Presbytery was effectually excluded from the Presbyterian Church. However. another attempt at reconciliation with the synod of Kentucky was made, their proposition being to adopt the Confession of Faith except fatality only. To this proposition the synod could not accede.
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It had been the custom of the Presbyterian Church in North Carolina to ordain men to the ministry who adopted the Westminster Confession of Faith, with the exception of the idea of fatality taught therein, and the Transylvania Presbytery had also permitted ministers in their ordi- nation vows to make the same exception if they chose. Most of the Presbyterian ministers who had lent their aid in the promotion of the re- vival were men of this class. When. therefore, the acceptance in full of the Westminster Confession of Faith was required of them, they found it impossible to yield without violating their convictions as honest and con- scientious men. Thus the doctrine of fatality became an impassable bar- rier between them and the Presbyterian Church. Neither could they, on account of differences of doctrine, conscientiously unite with any other Christian body. Besides, as they regarded the Presbyterian as the most Scriptural form of church government in the world. they determined to form a Presbytery independent of the Presbyterian Church. Accord- ingly, on February 3, 1810, the Rev. Finis Ewing and Rev. Samuel King, and licentiate Ephraim MeLean proceeded to the humble log resi- dence of the Rev. Samuel MeAdoo, in Dickson County, Tenn., and submit- ted to him the proposed plan of forming a new and independent Presby- tery. After earnest prayer that evening until midnight, the next morn- ing he decided in favor of the proposal, and on that day, February 4, 1810, at his residence, was formed the first Presbytery of the Cumber- land Presbyterian Church. Before their adjournment Ephraim MeLean was ordained.
"The next meeting of the new Cumberland Presbytery was held in March, 1810. At this session it included four ordained ministers " (the four above named), "five licensed preachers: James B. Porter, Hugh Kirkpatrick, Robert Bell, James Farr and David Foster. and eight candi- dates: Thomas Calhoun, Robert Dommel, Alexander Chapman, William Harris, R. MeCorkle, William Bumpass, David MeLinn and William Bar- net. After a few months they were joined by the Rev. William McGee. These men were the fathers of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. They adopted as their standard of theology the Westminster Confession of Faith, excepting the idea of fatality."* This "idea of fatality" was supplanted by the following particulars: First. that there are no eternal reprobates. Second, that Christ died not for a part only, but for all mankind. Third, that all infants dying in infancy are saved through Christ and the sanctification of the Spirit. Fourth, that the Spirit of God operates on the world, or as co-extensively as Christ has made the atonement, in such manner as to leave all men inexcusable. With these
** Origin and Doctrines of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church "-Chrismon
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exceptions the Cumberland Presbyterians adopted the Westminster Con- fession of Faith, and thus was established in Tennessee a new Christian denomination, professing a system of doctrine midway between Calvin- ism and Arminianism, for further particulars respecting which the reader is referred to sectarian writings.
After encountering and overcoming numerous obstacles, this church was in a few years established on a firm foundation. At the fourth meet- ing of its Presbytery, in October, 1811, a vain attempt was made to effect a reunion with the Presbyterian Church, but this church, though theu and for many years afterward willing to unite with the mother church on "proper conditions," would, rather than recede from its position and preach the doctrines of her confession of faith, prefer to maintain a dis- tinet organization, and labor on according to the best light given them. Their success in this new theological field was from the first very great and very gratifying. In 1813 the original Presbytery was divided into three Presbyteries, and in October of that year the members of these three Presbyteries met at Beech Church, Sumner County, Tenn., and formed the Cumberland Synod. At the first meeting of this synod a committee was appointed to prepare a confession of faith, discipline and catechism in conformity with the expressed principles of the church. This committee, which consisted of the Revs. Finis Ewing, William McGee, Robert Donnell, and Thomas Calhoun, reported the result of their labors to the synod in 1814, by whom their confession of faith was adopted.
The numbers of Cumberland Presbyterians continued steadily and quite rapidly to increase. In 1520 they had numerous churches not only in Tennessee, but also in Kentucky, Indiana. Illinois, Missouri. Arkansas and Alabama. In 1822 they had forty-six ordained ministers, and in 1826, eighty. A general assembly was then deemed necessary by a por- tion of the clergy, and the plan of a college to be located at Princeton, Ky., was adopted. In 1827 the number of ordained ministers was 114. In 1828 the synod discussed the subject of forming a general assembly. and to carry the idea into effect. divided the synod into four-those of Missouri, Green River, Franklin and Columbia. The first general as- sembly met at Princeton, Ky., in 1829. To illustrate the rapidity of the growth of this church in membership it may be stated that in 1522 there were 2,718 conversions, and 575 adult baptisms: in 1826. 3.305 conversions and 768 adult baptisms; in 1827, 4,006 conversions and 996 adult baptisms. In 1856 there were 1,200 ministers of this denomi- nation, and 130.000 members, and since that time their growth has been proportionally rapid. The college established in 1528 at Princeton, Ky., was named Columbia College.
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The statistics for the Cumberland Presbyterian Church for 1869 were as follows: General Assembly, 1; Synods, 24; Presbyteries, 99; minis- ters, 1,500; communicants, 130,000; universities, Cumberland at Leba- non, Tenn., and Lincoln, at Lincoln, Ill .; colleges in Tennessee, male, Bethel, at McLemoresville: female, Cumberland Female College, at McMinnville, and Donnell Female College at Winchester. Since this time the Cumberland Presbyterian Church has continued to grow and prosper in this, as in many other States, as the following statistics will show: In 1875 there were, as now, fifteen Presbyteries, with an aggre- gate church membership of 22,566, and 10.961 Sunday-school scholars. In 1880 the church membership was 29,186, and the number of Sunday- school scholars 11,031, and in 1885, the last year for which statistics are obtainable, there were, omitting the Presbytery of Nashville, for which there was no report, 32.726 communicants, 13,447 Sunday-school schol- ars, and $543,545 worth of church property. The total value of the church property belonging to this denomination in the United States was. in the same year. $2,319.006.
As may be readily conjectured the Methodists reaped a bountiful har- vest from the great revival. It will be remembered that the Rev. Fran- cis Paythress was presiding elder on the Cumberland District. In 1804 Rev. Lewis Garrett was presiding elder in this district, which included Nashville and Red River in Tennessee, besides portions of Kentucky. Mississippi and Illinois. He traveled the entire Cumberland Valley. from the mouth of the river to the mountains, through the cane brakes of Caney Fork, through every part of the Green River country, visiting settlements and finding all classes much alive to the importance of re- ligion. The Cumberland District was then composed of six circuits and two missions, with about eight or nine traveling preachers. Mr. Garrett was the successor of John Page, who was the presiding elder on this cir- cuit when it was formed in 1802. He had much to do with the great re- vival, and had to assist him such men as Thomas Wilkerson, Jesse Walker, James Gwynn, James Young and Tobias Gibson.
When the Western Conference was organized in 1800 it included Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, southwest Virginia and the Missisippi Ter- ritory, all of the western country then occupied by the Methodists. To give an idea of the growth of Methodism in that early day the number of members for 1796 and 1803 are presented. In the former year the whole number in America was as follows: whites 45.128, colored 12.170. This was twenty-two years after the introduction of Methodism into the country. In Tennessee there were 799 white Methodists and 77 colorel. In 1802 the numbers were whites 2,767, colored, 150. In 1503 the
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numbers had increased to 3,560 whites and 248 colored. These numbers are, however, not strictly limited to State lines. The conference for 1807 was held September 15, 1806, at Ebenezer, in East Tennessee, Bishop Asbury present and presiding.
It was during the progress of the revival that Miles Harper was brought to trial for violating the torms of the union which had been en- tered into by the Methodists and Presbyterians regarding the rules to govern them in preaching. One article of the union was that contro- verted points were to be avoided, and another was that they were not to proselyte. Harper, who was on Roaring River Circuit, preached right on without reference to the complaints of his Presbyterian brethren. The complaints continuing MeKendree appointed a committee and put Har- per on his trial. His complainants, however, failed to prove the charges, and he in his own defense satisfactorily showed that they were them- selves guilty of the very charges they had brought against him, as they had been preaching the doctrine of the unconditional and final persever- ance of the saints, known to all to be a controverted point. The result was that Harper was acquitted. with which all were satisfied. However. when McKendree proposed to put some of the Presbyterians on trial for preaching as above they objected, and he pronounced the union a mere farcical thing. After this the union was of short duration.
Conference for 180S met at Liberty Hill, Tennessee, October 1, 1808. about twelve miles from Nashville in Williamson County, the site of an early camp-ground. At this Conference a regulation was made concern- ing slavery, which was that no member of society or preacher should buy or sell a slave unjustly, inhumanly, or covetously; the case on complaint to be examined, for a member, by the quarterly meeting, and for a preacher, by appeal to an annual conference, where the guilt was proved the offender to be expelled. At this time the Western Conference con- tained 17,931 white and 1,117 colored members, an increase of 3,051. In 1811 the increase in the Holston District was 1.279, and in the Cum- berland District 1,819. In May, 1812, the General Conference met in New York and separated the Western Conference into two conferences. the Tennessee and Ohio. At that time there were in this country, in the United States, Territories and Canada, 184,567 members and 688 travel- ing ministers. Peter Cartwright in his autobiography in making a com- parison showing the growth of the church, says: "Lord save the church from desiring to have pews, choirs, organs or instrumental music, and a congregational minister like other heathen churches around them."
The Tennessee Conference embraced the Holston, Nashville, Cumber- land, Wabash, Illinois and Mississippi Districts, the southern part of
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Kentucky being attached to the Tennessee Conference. The first session of this conference was held at Fountain Head, Sumner Co., Tenn., No- vember 12, 1812. Bishops Asbury and McKendree were both present. The rules by which the Western Conference had been governed were adopted by this conference. The membership as reported at that time was as follows: Holston District, whites, 5,794; colored, 541; Cumber- land District, whites, 4,365; colored, 327; Nashville, whites, 5,131; col- ored, 601. A new arrangement of circuits was made this year, Cumber- land District being made to contain Red River, Fountain Head, Goose Creek and Roaring River Circuits, while Nashville District embraced Stone River. Lebanon and Caney Fork. Answer to prayer was doubtless more fully and generally believed in than at this day. Two instances il- lustrating this fact are here introduced. The first is of the Rev. James Axley, one of the most remarkable of the pioneer preachers of the Meth- odist Episcopal Church in the West. It is related in the language of the Rev. Dr. McAnally:
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