A DIVISION must always precede a separation. That division in sentiment which began about the commencement of the present century in the Presbyterian church, continually encreased until it effected an important separation, which took place in the month of September, 1803. A particular account of which is published in a Pamphlet, entitled An Apology for renouncing the jurisdiction of the Synod of Kentucky, printed in Lexington, (K.) 1804. It is an old proverb, that "two cannot walk together unless they be agreed." For nearly three years the subjects and promoters of the revival, continued their outward church membership with those whose constant labor it was to oppose and suppress it; this was a painful situation to both parties: for the New-Light to be chained down in silence, forbidden to pray, exhort or make any noise or uproar in time of meeting, however clearly he saw the danger of the wicked, or felt his soul overflowing with the love and goodness of God: and no less painful did it feel to the expounder, and those who contented themselves with his learned and ingenious labors, to be interrupted by a sudden shout, and put to silence by the din which commonly followed; and worst of all, to hear that system by which he had all his wealth in this world, and the hope of a favorite interest in a better, set at naught by the general proclamation, whosoever will, let him come and take of the water of life freely. But thus it continued until the unequivocal and open testimony of several ministers, came forth in vindication of the new doctrine and the operations and exercises which attended it, and in pointed opposition to the Presbyterian system. This furnished the desirable occasion of banishing from the standing community, those flaming zealots whom ministerial authority had failed to reduce into subjection. [41]

      II. But that those who were destined to excommunication on account of their faith and zeal, might not be wholly left without the usual claim of congenial descent from Leo the great, the dissenting ministers voluntarily withdrew from under the jurisdiction of the Presbyterian church, and according to their own history, "constituted themselves into a Presbytery, as you will see from the minutes of their meeting." (See Apology, p. 37)

"We the above named Robert Marshall, John Dunlavy, Richard M'Nemar, Barton W. Stone, and John Thompson, having entered the above protest and withdrawn from under the jurisdiction of the Synod of Kentucky, and of the Presbyteries to which we belonged, do now formally unite in a body as a Presbytery, known by the name of the Presbytery of Springfield."

The design of these men as they themselves testify in all their writings, was not to lay the foundation of any church or distinct party, but as they express it (Apology, p. 20) they considered this

"Presbytery providentially formed to cover the truth from the impending storm and check the lawless career of opposition."

Nevertheless they proceeded to organize what they called churches, altho' they considered their existence as only pro tempore, a kind of asylum for those who were cast out, that they might come forth and be there like David's father and mother with the king of Moab, until they should know what God would do for them.

      III. On this occasion, as far as the way was opened for a separation, the subjects of the revival who were sincere in their profession, generally came forth and united with the seceding body, which were distinguished by the name of SCHISMATICS.

      As this separation was productive of a very important change and placed the subjects of the revival in a different situation from what they had been, as far as it extended, it will be proper to trace the outlines of those new formed churches in their separate capacity, and the first thing to be considered is their manner of constituting. Every house must be builded upon some foundation; all human creeds and confessions had been [42] disannulled or rolled out of the way; the power and authority of modern clergy, as successive to the apostles was renounced, and the Presbytery of Springfield confessed and denied not that they were as far off the true foundation as the rest. In this predicament they concluded that they would stand the safest and be most retired, and most out of sight from contending parties, upon the foundation of all their foundations, viz. the scriptures. The following minutes extracted from the records of the Turtle-Creek church will develop this point more particularly; according to which plan the churches in general which are called Schismatic, were organised.

      April 20th, 1804.--"The session taking into consideration the propriety of a more close attention to the government and discipline of the church, think it expedient to state to the people at large who have considered themselves under our care, the following observations on that subject."

      I. "We think it the privilege of the church, mutually to profess their regard to the holy scriptures as the only rule of faith and practice, the only standard of doctrine and discipline."

      II. "We think the eldership ought not to form a separate body distinct from the church itself, no go out of doors secretly to transact such business as concerns the body of the people at large."

      III. "We think it tends to keep the body of the people in the dark and obstruct a real spirit of communion, to examine and admit members--try causes of scandal-- censure--rebuke--reprove or suspend in secret, or to transact privately by the representatives of the people, such or any other business of a public nature."

      IV. "We think it expedient in order to the due exercise of government and discipline, that all who believe should be together in one place. * * * * * * We therefore recommend that the church constitute in the place for public worship," &c, "Moreover that the foregoing observations be publicly read in the congregation, and the voice of the church taken on the expediency of immediately reducing them to practice. Signed, William Bedel, Malcham Worley, Matthias Spinning, Aaron [43] Tullis, Samuel Sering, Francis Bedel, Richard M'Nemar. Accordingly at the close of public worship the above observations were read, and after a brief discussion of the subject, the following propositions were stated to the members of the church in particular, viz. Do we adopt the holy scriptures as the only rule of faith and practice, the only standard of doctrine and discipline? Do we agree to constitute a church, and in that capacity to transact business? The questions being put were answered in the affirmative with uplifted hands, without a dissenting voice. The number were about seventy-four who voted as above, remained in the house after the congregation was dismissed, and took their seats as members of the church. It was moved that the use of (lead) tokens be laid aside, and the members all take their seats at once. It was also moved and agreed, that the endearing and scripture appellation of brother and sister be revived among the members." * * * * * * * *

      It is to be observed that in those congregations where the members of the new Presbytery resided, the Presbyterian mode of government had been practiced for some time after the separation. Neither did the Presbytery immediately resign their reputed authority, although in every thing they introduced some alteration.

      They considered it their prerogative to license public teachers, or rather to forward those who they believed were chosen and called of God. The following, written at Springfield, March, 1804, will serve as a specimen:----

"Forasmuch as our brother, Malcham Worley, has made known to us the exercises of his mind for some time past, expressive of a divine call to labor in word and doctrine, and we being satisfied from a long and intimate acquaintance with him, of his talents both natural and acquired, being such, as thro' the grace of God, may render him useful; and considering that the way of God is above our ways, it therefore seemed good to us with one accord to encourage our brother to the work, whereunto we trust the Holy Ghost is calling him; and we do hereby recommend him to the churches [44] scattered abroad, to be forwarded in his calling according to the manifestation of the spirit given to him to profit withal. Signed in behalf of the Presbytery.

B. W. STONE, Cl'k."      

      As it was but a short time before the Presbytery were convicted that their union was formed upon antichristian principles, and under that conviction dissolved, it will be unnecessary to say any thing further concerning the government and discipline exercised by them.--Their principal object was to set the people at liberty from the contracted folds into which they had been gathered by idol shepherds in the cloudy and dark day. And as soon as they constituted into separate body as above, with the scriptures unexpounded as their only index, nothing remained for the Presbytery to do in relation to them, but to sit and watch as Jonah sat in his booth, to see what would become of the city.

      It now remains to give a more particular account of the churches and people called Schismatics.

      IV. From their own expressions it is difficult to say what their real character was in their own estimation.

      They speak of themselves as a church about to constitute a church, but how the first was constituted appears not to have been considered. Again, they speak of the people at large, the churches at large, &c. If these expressions have any definite signification, they must mean the churches at liberty, the people at liberty, &c. To be set at large and at liberty, means one and the same thing. It follows then, that they considered the people who had been set at large by the preceding work, as now constituting churches at large or at liberty, who should be bound by no form of doctrine or discipline, but stand loose upon the variegated fields of antedeluvianism, patriarchism, Judaism, baptism, Christianity and Gentile-partyism, or whatever else was meted out between the lids of the bible, either by history, precept, promise, or prophesy. Yet notwithstanding this extensive liberty, it is truly marvellous and astonishing to consider the regular manner in which they proceeded from thing to thing in the investigation of truth. And what is still more striking, is the [45] union and harmony which existed among them in those investigations, and the subordination which they manifested in relation to those who were considered the most deeply initiated into the mysteries of the spirit. Taking what is called the New-Light doctrine as the rudiments of divine truth, they proceeded to consider the nature of justification, reconciliation to God, &c. &c. concerning which I shall state a few particulars.

      They rejected as a dangerous error, the doctrine of justification by the imputed righteousness of Christ, and taught that no one could be justified or accepted of God but that they forsook their sins and became personally righteous; that no one could be pronounced just, upon the principles of truth, who was not so in reality, and therefore when the true God accepteth any as righteous in his sight, it must be such as are in reality so. Reconciliation or atonement is to be at one; Christ is at one with God; we must be at one with Christ. God is unchangeably holy, just and good, and therefore cannot be reconciled or at one with an unholy, unjust and wicked sinner. Man in his natural state is unjust, unholy and wicked, therefore God and man in his natural state, are at two, not at one. Christ the mediator came into the world to atone us to God, not to reconcile or atone God to us, for if God is reconciled or atoned to man in his natural state, it must be becoming unholy, unjust and wicked--this cannot be; therefore the work of reconciliation or atonement is to make man like God, holy, just and good, and for this purpose Christ came into the world. There is wrath and enmity to be taken out of the way; this wrath and enmity never was in God, for God is love, therefore it must be in man, and to remove it out of man the blood of Christ was shed, and to man that blood must be applied, not to the throne of God's justice which is unchangeably holy, just and good. Therefore Christ dying for sin was to condemn and destroy it, not in the room and stead of it that it might live. (See Stone's letters, p. 15 and 20.)

      According to the schismatic doctrine, the vicarious sufferings of Jesus Christ in the room and stead of sinners that they might live, was only a cunningly devised [46] fable, destitute of foundation either in common sense and reason or the scriptures of truth, that proxy sufferings were inadmissible by any just law, either of God or man, as it would be wholly unreasonable and unlawful to hang a civil honest man in room and stead of a murderer, that the latter might be delivered out of the hands of justice and set at liberty. And according to the unchangeable law of God, the soul that sinneth it shall die. From whence it was plainly deduced that there could be no reconciliation or atonement to God, until the evil spirit, which is prone to evil, and that continually, was overcome and rooted out of God's creature, and as soon as that spirit which is opposed to the law was extinct, sin which is a transgression of the law, ceased of course, and the soul which came from God became reconciled and at one with him; and hence followed the necessity of the sufferings of Christ being commensurate to the atonement and glory that should follow. He sets us an example that we should walk in his steps: He suffered in the flesh that we might arm ourselves with the same mind. Thus Stone's letters on Atonement, p. 33 "It is evident that Christians according to their measure have fellowship in the sufferings of Christ, and are filling up that which is behind of his afflictions, in their body." Upon this principle it was evident that all who were in Christ suffered with him, that they might be glorified together, witnessed the sufferings of Christ, 1 Pet, v. 1. rejoiced in his sufferings. (ch. iv. 13.) That when the glory should be revealed, they might be glad with exceeding joy. The sufferings of Christ abounded in Paul, which were effectual to the Corinthians; not to exempt them from sufferings, but in their enduring the same sufferings which he also suffered. (See 2 Cor. i. 5, 6.) But the greatest depth of the schismatic doctrine, lay in the reciprocal union which they supposed must exist between Jesus Christ and his followers, which rendered both the sufferings and glorification identical in each, and left no room for the disciple to suffer in the room and stead of his Lord, any more than for the Lord to suffer in the room and stead of the disciple; and therefore if the sufferings of Christ abounded in the [47] disciples of Jesus, the disciple did not suffer in the room and stead of Christ, but very Christ suffered in him the same as in his master. Hence they taught that all that were born of Christ and united to him, were true Christ as much as fire produced by fire, is very fire of fire; and as Christ proceeded from the Father, and was true God of the true God, so all that were born of the divine nature and seed of heaven, were perfect in one. Thus Stone in his reply p. 19.--

"It is very evident that the seed of Abraham are all believers. These believers are one, therefore not called seeds but seed. For there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.--Gal. iii. 28. For as the body is one and hath many members, and all the members of that one body being many, are one body so also is Christ.--1 Cor. xii. 12. Hence by Christ, in this verse, the Apostle means believers who are in Christ. And so I understand Gal. iii. 16.--And to thy seed, which is Christ, i. e. to all believers."

See also Observations on Church Government, p. 14. Upon the strength of this article of faith, the Schismatics were so abundant in their profession of having Christ in them and being full of God, both the Father and the Son. Not that they held as an established principle that a real hypostatical union existed between them and God, but a hypothetical or supposed union depending upon their faith, as all things are possible to him that believeth. The possibility of standing in so near a relation to God, afforded a lively anticipation of it to the mind while in the full exercise of believing, but still left room for the following prayer:--

      Were a swine capable of believing that it was possible for him to be lost and swallowed up in man, and be incorporated with the human body and become one with it, the anticipation of such an exalted state might be very pleasing to the mind of that base animal; but [48] should he imagine that man would from the union by swallowing him alive just as he was, he must find himself greatly mistaken in the issue. Now considering the great disparity between sinful man and God, it need not be thought strange if those who express the above prayer with great fervor, should be as greatly disappointed when the process is entered upon, by which the all important union is affected. The Schismatics however, considered this union to have taken place first of all in the person of Jesus Christ. Hence many important questions were agitated concerning this extraordinary person--the end of his mission into the world--the nature of the work which was given him to do--and how that work is to effect us, &c. Upon which different hypotheses were formed according to the proficiency of each in the New-Light and the Schismatic spirit.

      V. It was agreed on all hands, that God was unchangeable and needed not the sufferings and death of his Son, to render him propitious to the soul of any; that it was through love that he sent his Son into the world--that sin is the only thing in the universe that he hates--that he would have all men saved from it, and that to effect this, Christ made his appearance in the world. But that innocence and love could not suffer and die in the room and stead of guilt and enmity. Nor could the imputation of innocence and purity to the guilty and vile, render them happy in the presence of heavenly beings of a contrary nature. From these premises it was concluded and taught by some, that man by departing from God, lost the true knowledge of his character and fell into a gross mistake, in concluding that he was their enemy; that Christ came to reveal the true character of God in order to convince sinners of their mistake, and prove to them that God was their friend; that he had sufficiently established this point by submitting to be killed by them, rather than oppose or hurt them. Upon this hypothesis the Saviour was supposed to die in the room and stead of the wicked, in a sense, somewhat different from the former. Inasmuch as the parties must meet, and the sinner looked upon God as his enemy, and was determined [49] either to kill or be killed; the love of Christ to the wicked was so great, that he chose to be killed rather than kill, and this was supposed to constitute the gospel, the glad tidings, viz. that although wicked sinners killed their best friend through a mistake yet he freely forgave them. When any believe this they repent and are reconciled to God as their friend, whom before they tho't to be their enemy. This gospel method of salvation was however by no means established as a matter of common faith. The generality still believed mankind to be under deeper disorder, than such a mistake. For after that they knew God, they glorified him not as God. And did not love to retain God in their knowledge. Besides, if there is such implacable enmity between the sinner and God, that one or other must die, and if the enmity is found in the sinner, he must certainly be in the wrong; therefore unless the Deity sacrifice his law and justice as well as his life, out of love to the sinner, death and suffering must inevitably seize upon him that he is in the wrong. Moreover if the sinner is at enmity against God whatever the cause be, if God is reconciled to him in that state, he must be at enmity against himself. Therefore upon this principle, should the sinner conclude that God was reconciled to him, had nothing against him, overlooked his enmity, disobedience, &c. the last error must be worse than the first. So that from the propositions first laid down, another conclusion was drawn more consistent and which was more universally embraced, viz. that the coming of Christ into the world was to make an end of sin, and unless we are wholly delivered from it, we can never see the face of God in peace.

      VI. Pursuant to this conclusion, the first of those new satellites,^{1} which the Presbytery of Springfield had recommended as a light to the churches, began to shine out in the month of June, 1804; and from the effulgence of the great luminary, around whose centre the Schismatic body revolved, proposed to obviate every difficulty that had been attached to those intricate subjects, and lay open the whole matter plain to the weakest capacity. But however plain and obvious the new divinity might have appeared to him or to others at the time it [50] was divulged, certain it is, that none but Schismatics, federalists or such as unequivocally maintain the sacred rights of conscience, could ever have admitted the opening of sentiments so singular, with impunity. But under the auspicious wings of the American Eagle, which shades the honest enquirer after truth from the burning rage of popes and despots, the reader may calmly peruse those singular propositions which were so generally ascribed to a disorder in the brain, in which the following ideas were included.

      "Man was at first created in the nature and image of God, but being tempted and giving way to the serpent, the nature of the serpent was begotten in him, which is an earthly, sensual and devilish nature, directly opposed to the nature of God. This diabolical nature, however contrary to the divine, in which man was created, could not overcome nor extinguish it; hence there remained in the same person two opposite natures, at enmity and war the one against the other; the one denominated the seed of the woman, the other the seed of the serpent."

      2. "Adam begat a son in his own likeness, a double minded man, and in this situation the whole human race were propagated, and thus they remained till Christ made his appearance and began the work of redemption."

      3. "Jesus Christ the redeemer, assumed in the body of his flesh the same diabolical nature, which was in all other men--was made in all points like unto his brethren whom he came to redeem--had two distinct and opposite natures residing in his one body, of which the one was true God, the other very Devil. This diabolical nature which worked in the man, (and not some other being outwardly visible) tried and tempted him to seek temporal riches and honors, to convert the stones into bread, and cast himself down from the pinnacle of the temple, in order that he himself might be acknowledged and adored, as the coming Messiah. This wicked nature being denied of all its demands, crossed in all its cravings, gave him up for a season to the ministry of angels, but afterwards rallied its vanquished [51] powers, and struggled for life and victory against the Son of God, but was again overcome and held to the painful and ignominious cross, on which he was worn out, wasted and consumed as by a lingering fire, until he was forced in his last convulsive agonies, to cry aloud and yield up the invisible and immortal spirit. Thus the work of final redemption was finished, and the second man arose and ascended out of that lawless and wicked nature into which the first fell. Then the serpent's head got a finished bruising, and the first born of the woman's seed put everlastingly out of his reach. According to this transaction all the types, figures and allegories in the old testament, and parables in the new are to be understood. Thus, Cain and Abel, Ishmael and Isaac, Esau and Jacob, the sumptuous glutton and Lazarus the beggar, the foolish and wise virgins, &c. are to be considered as types of these two distinct natures; the one elect, the other reprobate; the one beloved, the other hated; the one and his offering accepted, the other rejected."

      "Again, the divine nature or seed of the woman which was chosen, redeemed, exalted and glorified in the person of Christ Jesus, is denominated in scripture the spirit--the inner man--the new man, &c. Its opposite, the old man--the man of sin--the son of perdition--the flesh which lusteth against the spirit--the carnal mind--that wicked which sitteth in the temple of God and defiles it:--which in the work of redemption must lift up his eyes in torment, be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, be consumed and destroyed and go into final perdition."

      "This wicked which is one and the same in all men, being overcame and destroyed in the person of Jesus Christ, laid a foundation for the gospel to be preached to every creature under heaven, and for all to look and hope for redemption at his final appearing.

      That it was necessary that this gospel should be published to all the world, before a full end of that wicked should come. By this gospel he was bound, but suffered to live another day, or thousand years. This thousand years is now expired and the period come for that [52] man of sin to be finally consumed from off the face of the earth. And for this end, the spirit of God is poured out upon the people, first to reveal, and then to consume this wicked." Such were the general propositions advanced by Malcham Worley, in the summer of 1804, and which was acceded to, by a number of those Schismatics who were considered foremost in the New-Light.

      VII. An epitome of the foregoing doctrine may be seen in Stone's letters p. 23, 24. in which are the following expressions. "From whom or from what did Christ redeem, &c. I answer: 1st from the Devil.--2. He came also to redeem us from sin, which is the same as to redeem us from the Devil. Mankind are represented as sold under sin, serving sin, servants to sin, under the dominion and reign of sin, &c. Hence it is plain that Christ redeems us from sin or from all iniquity."

      "I now inquire what was the price given for our redemption? The blood or death of Christ is every where in scripture, declared to be the price given. ACTS xx. 28. REV. v. 9. &c. It may now be asked if Christ or God in Christ, redeems from the Devil and sin? And if he gave his blood as the ransom or price, who got the price? The Apostle to the Hebrews answers:--Forasmuch as the children were partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same, that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the Devil. Here then we see that the devil had the power of death--and he got the price, which was the death of Christ. Then was fulfilled that old prophecy--I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed: It shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel. GEN. iii. 15." This particular point, "the devil getting the price," was combated by Dr. Campbell, in his strictures: Whereupon br. Stone agreed "to eat these dreadful words" because so extremely offensive to the Doctor, and the occasion of a wildness of imagination in the Calvinist preachers and people. (See Reply, p. 55.) But neither Dr. Campbell nor br. Stone fully understood the expression when they agreed that it should be eaten. [53] The offence of the expressions seemed to lie in giving the devil something that was precious; hence the Doctor's objection, "that the precious blood of Christ was given by God to the devil in payment!" That "God was so merciless as to deliver up his only Son to glut the malice of a blood-thirsty demon!" That "the lamb of God was immolated on the altar of hell," &c. But had he adverted to the Apostle's idea, quoted by Stone, viz. that this precious blood was intended to destroy the one to whom it was given, it must have appeared more consistent for the devil to get it, than the justice of God. The Doctor would not be so unreasonable as to give a dose of tartar emetic to one in perfect health to create bile on his stomach, and thereby at-one him to the bilious. He knows the precious tartar emetic (which is the very essence of bile) must be deposited in the bilious bowels of his patient, in order to collect into union with itself every thing there of its own nature and carry it off in the draught.

      Now admitting that Christ assumed that blood, life or nature, in which all mankind lay separated from God, that life was his, and he had a right to do with it what he pleased, and altho' it was endowed with no greater excellence in him than in another considered in itself, yet it might be denominated precious, from the use which he made of it, and admitting that he gave it up as a public sacrifice, made a shew of it openly and put away sin by the sacrifice of it, the Doctor must grant that Stone's inference that "the devil got the price," was not so full of horror as he at first imagined, and consequently it must prove a very strong emetic to him that eats it.

      VIII. The above schismatic doctrine, as far as it was opened and explained, threatened the total subversion of the Calvinistic system at one blow; for upon the principle that sin must be actually destroyed, that Christ did actually assume, overcome and destroy it, and that the same battle must be fought, and the same victory gained by all who are born of God, it follows of course, that proxy sinning, suffering, obeying, dying, rising, reigning, &c. are the proper effects of a disordered [54] brain. And moreover if it was the enmity which Christ nailed to the cross and took out of the way, and the Devil which he destroyed by death, the hypostatical union of two distinct natures in the Son of God forever, must be a capital mistake, and all the worship that has been offered to him upon such a faith, must have conduced to the dignity and honor of that spirit, which the meek, lowly, and self-denying Saviour foiled upon the mount. In fine, the Schismatics taking it for granted that sin was the whole occasion of two^{2}--That Christ came to destroy it--that his veracity was pledged to finish the work--and that the time of the promise was near at hand--expected, in whatever way the work should be affected, the day would soon declare it.

      Several objections were raised in the Schismatic fraternity against brother Worley's manner of understanding the scriptures, the most particular of which was 1st. That it led to Universalism and made Christ the Saviour of all men eventually, as well as officially; taking it for granted, that either in the plan of redemption or the execution of it; God had distinguished the souls of men by number and person. And 2d. That if such a doctrine was established it would open a wider door to vice, inasmuch as it would cut off at once from the carnal mind, the powerful influence of hope and fear; consequently the wicked spirit in man would become more violent, and sin with more greediness, knowing that his time was short. But as all agreed that they were only yet beginning to learn the mysteries of the scripture and each one had a right to exercise his own faith, and walk by the same rule, and mind the same thing whereunto he had attained, the investigation of these mysterious and intricate points, was put off to a future period, and the churches went on harmoniously in the first principles of the New-Light which they conceived to be so well established by the extraordinary power and gifts of the spirit. I shall now proceed to give some account of their particular form of government manner of worship, &c.

      IX. It has been before observed that they constituted by a vote, which considered the scripture as the only [55] written oracle thro' which the mind of God was revealed to them. And in order to this general suffrage, (in which the body of the people at large had equal privilege) every claim to superiority, (by a succession of church offices) had been laid aside, consequently the power of government was considered in the body of the people thus constituted. This new republic, under the standard of liberty and equality, and invested with so great a degree of light, life and power, assumed a threatening aspect toward the little surrounding kingdoms which had so long been weakening each other by civil broils. It is difficult to paint the zeal for liberty, and just indignation against the old aristocratic spirit, which glowed through every member of this new confederacy. And under the influence of this warm democratic zeal these churches soon exhibited an appearance, distinct from any thing that had ever been seen. The following minutes of the church at Turtle-Creek will serve to illustrate some of the particulars of their proceedings.

      "April 21, 1804. John Miller, Amos Valentine, and Joseph Stout, publicly related the circumstances of their conversion, with which the church was well satisfied and gave them the right hand of fellowship, as worthy members of the suffering body of Christ. Samuel Kimbel informed the church with tears, that he had wounded his own conscience and the cause of God, by associating with the wicked in a tavern, and tossing a dollar for whisky; professed his abhorrence of such conduct and his determination in future to be more guarded. The church was satisfied with his repentance and agreed that the offence be forgiven."

      "J. F. informed the church that he had been overtaken in a quarrel, in which he suffered anger to rise in his breast, whereby the holy spirit was grieved. Yet as he did not manifest that the leaven was purged out, in such a manner as to feel the fellowship of that spirit which turns the other check to the smiter, loves an enemy, and returns blessing for cursing; the church agreed that he be kept on suspense till further satisfaction be obtained." [56]

      Observe, it was upon the supposition that Christ was in this body of people, that transgressors came forward and confessed their sins, and such confessions were not considered as being made to men, but to God, and the forgiveness to proceed from that spirit, which was at one with the Father and the Son. In this mode of government, the republican body was filed off in a separate capacity, and the surrounding multitude were considered as belonging to a different family, and any one might have the privilege of coming over, confessing their wickedness, professing their repentance and uniting with their spirit as far as they chose. And the way was as free and open for any to change sides in a different manner. These churches still retained the use of the sacraments, but from the change which had taken place in the ministry, the end and use of the sacrament was very differently considered. When the imputed righteousness of Christ, the satisfaction made to justice in behalf of the sinner, and the imputed authority of the standing clergy to minister in the name of Christ, were set aside, the former use of the sacraments must of course go with the rest, for there remained no one regularly ordained to administer them. It may be enquired whether these churches did not consider themselves authorised to ordain ministers. I answer they did not, as appears evident from the tenor of their faith on that subject, as stated in the Observations on Church Government, as well as from the manner in which they acted in relation to that important matter. The farthest that they went was to express their satisfaction with, and encourage those who they believed had power and authority given them from heaven, as appears from the following minute, dated "Sept. 20, 1804. The church took into consideration the case of Brother Worley, relative to his laboring in the word--He was examined as to his soundness in the faith, with which examination the church was satisfied:" and he was encouraged to exercise his talents in public exhortation, as providence might call and direct. The Schismatics had too fresh a remembrance of the sufferings they had undergone in obtaining liberty from [57] the reputed vicegerents of Christ, acting in his room and stead, to allow them to lay hands suddenly on any one, and especially as they conceived it necessary that the Holy Ghost should be given in the important article of ordaining a true minister of the Gospel.

      In consequence of encouragement from the republican body, there were certain individuals who took the lead in public exercises, which leads me to state some of the peculiarities of their worship.

      X. From their general faith that God and Christ had their abode in the soul of man, and from those inward feelings of love and power which they occasionally felt, through the medium of a lively faith, they were led to believe that whatever exercise was congruous to that inward feeling, and had a tendency to increase it, was acceptable to God, as true worship. Hence by giving the right hand of fellowship to those who were admitted into the community, and finding that it tended to increase the inward workings of the spirit, it was gradually introduced as a common act of worship, in concert with singing hymns and spiritual songs. The whole society, old and young, male and female, would commonly unite in this mode of worship, and taking each other by the hand, would shake not only their hands but their whole bodies, like one churning, with such violence that the place would seem to quiver under them. This they called rejoicing, and in this worship they considered it the privilege of every one to unite who believed the new doctrine of atonement according to an observation of br. Stone, when he first heard that doctrine stated, viz. "that if these things were established as truth he would rejoice forever." Admitting that God was love--could not be changed---was the same to one soul as another--would have all to be saved, &c. nothing remained but for the soul to love God and rejoice in confident hope of salvation, and manifest its faith and confidence by every such bodily exercise as had a loving or joyful appearance. The New-Lights had considered it presumption to perform any of these bodily exercises voluntarily, into which they were forced by a supernatural power, but this [58] kind of faith appeared childish to the Schismatics. They supposed that whatever God moved the creature to by his irresistible power, must be acceptable to him. And therefore it was their privilege to do voluntarily what was acceptable to God, rather than be once in a while dragged to it, and the rest of their time offer up such voluntary worship, as was "full of unbelief and sin," and a stench in the nostrils of Jehovah.

      The New-Lights, struck down and held under the power of death for a time, then raised up as in a new world of light and vision, and carried away with such raptures of joy, could not possibly conceal their conversion. Such a conversion and way of manifesting it, however acceptable it might be to God, as being the effect of his irresistible power, yet the Schismatics conceived it to be more acceptable to God, (and not without good reason) for one who was convinced of sin and had turned from it, to rise up in the assembly of those who were like-minded, testify his views and feelings, and declare his intentions boldly and voluntarily. And again if he was overtaken with a fault, if it should be so small a thing as tossing a dollar for whisky or suffering a little anger to arise in his breast, that he voluntarily confess it in the open light and profess his abhorrence of it. There must appear a very marked difference between this worship and that in which the sinner was overtaken with the power of God, and constrained to do what he did not love, and might afterwards excuse himself that he could not help it, and still claim his union with the world by a voluntary profession that he was yet a sinner, prone to evil, no better than any other; and all that distinguished him from others, was the lighting down of a sovereign power upon him which he could not avoid. The Schismatics conceived they were worshipping God to acceptance, while relating their conversion, expressing their abhorrence of sin, and singing spiritual songs to that effect--"I shall be holy here"--shaking hands and shuddering with indignation against their soul-enemies--crying out for final deliverance from them.--"Make me Saviour, what thou art: live thyself within my heart."--Leaping and [59] skipping voluntarily in the joyful hope--"Then the world shall always see, Christ the holy child in me." So that the principal thing that distinguished the Schismatic worship from that of the New-Lights, was their taking the privilege of exhibiting by a bold faith, what others were moved to by a blind impulse. This they considered a great improvement, growth and advancement in the spirit of the revival: And upon this principle, the voluntary exercise of dancing was introduced as the worship of God, by br. Thompson and some others who were forward in promoting the grand schism. Although this singular worship was practised voluntarily with a degree of formality, yet it was not introduced in a formal way, but by following up and improving those operations which at first irresistibly forced them into that exercise. At the spring sacrament at Turtle-Creek in 1804, br. Thompson had been constrained just at the close of the meeting to go to dancing, and for an hour or more to dance in a regular manner round the stand, all the while repeating in a low tone of voice--"This is the Holy Ghost--Glory!" But it was not till the ensuing fall or beginning of the winter, that the Schismatics began to encourage one another to praise God in the dance and unite in that exercise; just believing that it was their privilege to rejoice before the Lord, and go forth in the dances of them that make merry.

      However, notwithstanding the Schismatics aimed at that worship which should be expressive of uniform and continual joy, yet they were far from attaining it, and at least the one half of their exercises were of a contrary nature: some of a voluntary and others of an involuntary kind.

      Among their voluntary acts of worship, were the general confession that they were sinners--rebuking, reproving, and laboring to reclaim their fellows who were more notoriously wicked than the rest--Some praying to God to sanctify their corrupt natures, &c. and others praying against their prayers. This kind of praying-match was a very common schismatic exercise. They considered it contrary to their federal constitution for one to attack another openly by any [60] supposed authority, and therefore they had recourse to the spirit, and by the brightest, boldest and loudest gift of prayer, the cause was commonly decided. In this way they generally settled their controversies of every kind. One would begin to preach or exhort, and if his doctrine was judged unsound or uninteresting, he would be presently matched with a prayer, and whichever collected the greatest warmth and manifested the most lively sensation of soul, gained the victory, and interested the general shout on that side.

      But there were moreover in the schismatic worship, a species of exercises of an involuntary kind, which seemed to have been substituted by the Great Spirit, in the room of the falling, &c. which had been among the New-Lights. The principal of these, were the rolling exercise, the jerks, and the barks.

      1. The rolling exercise which 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 thro' the mud, and sullied therewith from head to foot.

      2. Still more demeaning and mortifying were the jerks. 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; and the more any one laboured to stay himself and be sober, the more he staggered, and the more rapidly his twitches encreased. 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 round with head, limbs and trunk, twitching and jolting in every direction, as if they must inevitably fly asunder. And how such could escape without injury, was no small wonder to spectators. By this strange operation the human frame was commonly so transformed and disfigured, [61] 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 discovered, but the face appear as much behind as before. And in the quick progressive jerk, it would seem as if the person was transmuted into some other species of creature. Head dresses were of little account among the female jerkers. Even handkerchiefs bound tight round the head, would be flirted off almost with the first twitch, and the hair put into the utmost confusion, this was a very great inconvenience, to redress which, the generality were shorn, though directly contrary to their confession 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 them, or touching them in any manner, to whatever danger they were exposed; yet few were hurt, except it were such as rebelled against the operation through wilful and deliberate enmity, and refused to comply with the injunctions which it came to inforce.

      3. The last possible grade of mortification seemed to be couched in the barks, which frequently accompanied the jerks, nor were they the most mean and contemptible characters, who were the common victims of this disgracing operation, but persons who considered themselves in the foremost rank, possessed of the highest improvements of human nature; and yet in spite of all the efforts of nature, both men and women would be forced to personate that animal, whose name, appropriated to a human creature, is counted the most vulgar stigma.--Forced I say, for no argument but force, could induce any one of polite breeding, in a public company, to take the position of a canine beast, move about on all fours, growl, snap the teeth, and bark in so personating a manner, as to set the eyes and ears of the spectator at variance.--It was commonly acknowledged by the subjects of these exercises, that they were laid upon them as a chastisement for disobedience, or a stimulus to incite them to some duty or exercise to which they felt opposed.--Hence it was very perceivable that the quickest [62] method to find releasement from the jerks and barks, was to engage in the voluntary dance; and such as refused, being inwardly moved thereto as their duty and privilege had to bear these afflicting operations from month to month, and from year to year, until they, wholly lost their original design, and were converted into a badge of honor, in the same manner as the first outward mark of human guilt. Altho' these strange convulsions served to overawe the heaven-daring spirits of the wicked, and stimulate the halting Schismatic to the performance of many duties disagreeable to the carnal mind, yet in all this, their design was not fully comprehended, something doubtful and awful, was thought to be figured out thereby, which would suddenly fall with pain upon the head of the wicked; and nothing was more calculated to excite such fearful apprehensions, than the expressions that were sometimes mixed with the bow wow wow, such as every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess, &c. at least these kind of exercises served to shew that the foundation was not yet laid for unremitting joy, and that such as attached themselves to this people, must unite with them as a body destined to suffer with Christ, before they could reign with him. But however great the sufferings of the Schismatics, from a sense of their own remaining depravity--the burden and weight of distress they bore for a lost world--the hatred, contempt, and persecuting rage of all around them--together with the spasmodic writhings of body with which they were so generally exercised; yet they were not a little alleviated by the many extraordinary signs and gifts of the spirit, through which they were encouraged to look for brighter days. Among these innumerable signs and gifts, may be ranked, the spirit of prophecy--being caught up or carried away in this spirit, and remaining for hours insensible of any thing in nature--dreaming of dreams--seeing visions--hearing unspeakable words--the fragrant smell, and delightful singing in the breast. This spirit of prophecy is particularly worthy of notice, which had its foundation in a peculiar kind of faith, and grew up under the special influence of visions, dreams, &c. The first thing was to [63] believe what God had promised, with an appropriating faith; cast anchor upon the thing promised though unseen, and hold the soul to the pursuit of it in defiance of all the tossing billows of unbelief. This faith, so contrary to the carnal heart, they concluded must be of God. It must be the spirit of Christ, or God working in the creature, both to will and to do. What is the promise but the purpose of God? And what is the purpose of my soul (says the Schismatic) but to have the thing promised. Has God promised?--he cannot lie: Has he purposed?--he cannot alter. Therefore what his spirit leads me to I shall possess, as certain as God is stronger than the Devil. Upon this principle all were encouraged to believe the promise, and immediately set out in co-operation with the promiser; and in proportion to the strength of their faith, to predict the certain accomplishment of that purpose of God, which they felt within them.

      Notwithstanding this faith furnished a very bold foundation for predicting what should come to pass, yet it was far from comprehending the whole of that evidence, upon which the Schismatic looked for the purpose and promise of God to be fulfilled. It was very common for them to be caught up or carried away by the same spirit of faith, and be shewn in bright and heavenly visions, the indisputable reality of what they before contemplated in a simple belief. In those ecstasies some would seem to desert the body, and leave it for hours in a state almost or quite inanimate. Others in their transports, would seem to use their clay tenement as a kind of instrument, to sign out and represent to the spectators, what the active spirit saw in open vision, independent of any of its mean organs. Of these extraordinary visions, nothing can be communicated here beyond an imperfect hint, and whether they ever be correctly stated on paper is a matter of doubt. Their general import respected things that were darkly hinted at in the scriptures, and hard to be understood; such things as were especially to take place in the latter days. And hence notwithstanding they had adopted the scriptures under the notion of a confession of faith, [64] yet it was not immediately to the scriptures they applied for light, but to that transporting spirit which opened clearly to the mind, those mysterious things recorded in scripture, which the wisest men upon earth, without the spirit, could net understand. See the letter to Synod, published in Stone's Reply, p. 63, of which the following is an extract:--

"We view Christ as the only centre of union, and love the only bond. Let us labor after this spirit, and when we obtain it, then we shall all be united in one body. * * * * * * * * * Some are groaning for the wounds, of the Presbyterian cause; some for the Methodist; some for the Baptist, &c. each believing that it is the cause of Christ for which they are groaning. And some are as heartily groaning for the wounds of the Christian cause, without respect to names or parties. If we should unite our groans and cries to the Father of our mercies, for the general release and the coming of the Lord's kingdom with power, God would hear and answer us. O let us unite in the common cause. * * * * * * * * Then will Zion shake herself from the dust, shine forth as the sun in his brightness, and be terrible as an army with banners. Then shall she be a cup of trembling to all the people round about her, and shake terribly the nations. Then shall that man of sin be destroyed, and righteousness shall flow down as a mighty stream. These things, dear brethren, are not vain imaginations, for God is now about to take the earth. Thy kingdom come. Even so come, Lord Jesus.

            "Brethren, yours in the Lord.

"R. MARSHALL, "J. DUNLAVY, "B. W. STONE, "J. THOMPSON.

"Danville, October 18, 1804.

"To the Moderator of the   Synod of Kentucky."

}

      In these sublime figures was couched the whole purport of the schismatic vision, viz. the coming of the Lord's kingdom with power. A one body of people, [65] united in Christ by the pure bond of love; the house, habitation or dome of the king of kings, in which the groanings of Presbyterians, Methodists, Baptists and Christians, for the wounds of their petty party, causes should not be heard. A Zion or pure gospel church, shaking herself from the dust, i. e. from every thing unclean, all that belongs to the serpent and shining forth like the sun (i. e. Christ Jesus) in his brightness. Setting the people to tremble, and shaking terribly the nations. Consuming the man of sin, and opening a stream of everlasting righteousness upon the earth.

      These were bold figures, and that they were just about to be substantiated, required something more than a vain imagination to evince.

      Sleeping and waking, the whole topic with these Schismatics was the encreasing work of God, and the blessed kingdom just about to appear, and each one contemplating it through some special dream or vision, in which they felt confident they had a particular revelation of the Lord's Christ. This was the kind of manna which they were daily gathering, and out of the infinite abundance that fell on the camp, it may not be improper to deposit a little of it in the pot. In some of these rapturous scenes, they professed to be carried clear out of the body, and to be favored with a particular interview with the spirits of their departed friends, and to see and learn their different allotments in the invisible world.--Sometimes they mixed with great multitudes who had embraced religion in the past century, and were waiting for the new Jerusalem to appear, and the way to be opened into the holy city. At other times they professed to see the holy city, in the bright and heavenly glory, and to hear the songs of the angelic host; and that attempting to join them in their music, occasioned the melodious sound in the breast; and that entering into the overshadowing cloud of such celestial witnesses, perfumed their whole soul and body with a peculiar fragrance, which rendered every thing of a mortal fleshly nature, disagreeable and unsavory. This peculiar fragrance, which could not be found in any thing upon [66] earth, but the subjects of these strange operations, seemed of all other things, to bring the heavenly state the nearest to the senses of these people. Under the influence of this singular perfume, (which seemed to answer to the scripture notion of the smell of Christ's garments from the ivory palaces, and all the powders of the merchant) they would swoon away sometimes three or four times in a day, recover, rise, and dance round with such uncarnate and elevated springs, as might render it doubtful to the spectator, whether they properly belonged to the gross inhabitants of this globe, or to some other family of beings.

      Besides these singular transports, they had another species of vision more universal, in which the sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers, plains, vegetables, animals, and a thousand particular things and circumstances in nature, were used as emblems of things in the spiritual world, or kingdom of Christ. One has a night vision of two suns, another of three moons, another, wide awake sees a great platform of bight stars in the noon-day hemisphere. From these they descend to apparitions of strange things upon earth. (See the Raleigh Register of last September, concerning the multitude of Celestial Beings seen on the Chimney mountain, hovering round a great rock.) One discovers a certain spot of ground illuminated all over with the brightness of burning fire, and thousands of human creatures flocking into it from all quarters, and instantly purified from all the effects of a gross and fleshly nature. Another sees the air crowded with birds of prey, commissioned to devour the flesh of every dead beast. Another sees a road marked out in the color of bright light, a thousand miles long, and stands with his visive faculties intensely fixed upon it, until he discovers certain persons coming forth with good news from afar. Some in their visions were employed in crossing rivers, climbing mountains, finding treasures, fighting serpents, or more delightfully employed in eating the fruits of the tree of life, bathing in clear water, casting off old garments and putting on new. [67]

      In a word, all nature seemed to be impregnated with a new and spiritual quality, which rendered every object and every transaction presented to the mind, whether sleeping or waking, susceptible of some signification which, respected the then present work.

      These short sketches may serve to recognize the astonishing raptures in which the Schismatics were carried along in full expectation of the kingdom of Christ, but such was the unremitted flow of that spirit, which transmuted every thing into a different appearance, that were it supposable that disembodied spirits could enter living men and women, it might be thought that every visionary, recorded either in sacred or profane history, had rendezvoused in the Schismatics, and borrowed their active powers to revise their endless train of types and figures. At least it was, no doubt with the greatest propriety, that these singular people appropriated to their day, the full and perfect accomplishment of the following prophecy of Joel. I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams--and I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath, blood and fire and vapours of smoke. And to put it beyond all dispute that the work among the Schismatics, was that alluded to by the prophet, they generally supposed the extraordinary shower of blood fell out in the summer of 1804, about seven miles from Turtle-Creek meeting-house, traces of which are preserved unto this day. Not that they considered the spirit of prophecy, their dreams and visions and other signs, as having any thing in them to be depended upon for salvation. But as the merchant hangs out signals about his door, to direct the people where to come for merchandize so were the prophesier, the dreamer, the visionist, the sweet singer, and fragrant dancer, hung out to the view of the world, to shew where God was about to open his everlasting kingdom of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.--This kingdom was what the Schismatics were peculiarly bent for, and short of this they determined never to stop. About the latter end of the year 1804, there [68] were regular societies of these people in the state of Ohio: at Turtle-Creek, Eagle-Creek, Springfield, Orangedale, Salem, Beaver-Creek, Clear-Creek, &c. And in Kentucky; at Cabin-Creek, Flemingsburgh, Concord, Caneridge, Indian-Creek, Bethel, Paint-lick, Shawny-run, &c. besides an innumerable multitude dispersed among the people in Tennessee, N. Carolina, Virginia, and the western parts of Pennsylvania, who were exercised more or less with the same spirit. 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 open upon the world. At least those who were foremost in the schism, expected beyond a doubt, that another summer would not roll by with any degree of the light, gifts and power of God, short of that which bringeth full and complete salvation from all sin. And in this expectation, (besides the common exercises of shaking hands and pledging themselves to each other by every thing sacred, that they would persevere in the sin killing work unto the full feast of the lamb,) they practised a mode of prayer which was as singular, as the situation in which they stood, and the faith by which they were actuated. According to their proper name of distinction they stood separate and divided, each one for one; and in this capacity, they offered up each their separate cries to God in one united harmony of sound, by which the doubtful footsteps of those who where in search of the meeting, might be directed sometimes to the distance of miles. Whatever this portentous concert might have addressed to God in the inner man, a sensible spectator with the slightest attention might have gathered the general import of their univocal prayer, from such language as the following:--"LORD GOD, ALMIGHTY!

"Thou hast promised unto us eternal life, and this life is in thy Son. Thou art no respecter of persons. Glory to thy name, we believe it is thy will that all should be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. We venture upon thy promise, and roll our souls upon thy truth and faithfulness, as the rock of eternal ages. Thou has invited us to come to the waters, without money [69] and without price. We take thee at thy word. Heaven's King, thou knowest that we are thirsty. We have long wandered in the dry sandy desert of sin; but glory to God, we believe there is an everlasting fountain opened, and our souls have already began to taste the blessed waters. But Lord, we are not satisfied. We want the fulness; and we believe thou hast given us the foretaste, not to disappoint us; but to encourage us to press on to the overflowing fountain: and short of that we mean not to stop. We want to bathe in the ocean of Redeeming love, and wash away the last, and least remains of a fallen nature. Jesus, Master, we want to be like thee; holy, as thou art holy--Without spot and blameless. Come, Lord, and finish thy work! Cut it short in righteousness. We doubt not, it is thy will, even our sanctification. Thy perfect will is all we want to know. O send by whom thou wilt send. Work by means of thine own choosing: only supplant, root out, consume and destroy the man of sin, the son of perdition, and set our souls at perfect liberty from his iron bondage. Jesus, Lord, inscribe thy character on our every faculty. Make our bodies the fit temples of the Holy Ghost. Diffuse thy nature thro' all our active powers; and let every member be moved and actuated by the impulse divine. * * * * * "

      Could language be invented more expressive of the near approach of the day of real, positive, and full redemption? It therefore remains to give some account of those important realities, to which the foregoing signs and wonders pointed, and for the entrance upon which, they served as a preparation.

      I shall close this part of the history with a hymn composed on this preparatory work, though not originally intended for publication. [70]

[KRSO 41-72, 110]