Another thing which has contributed to produce the melancholy effects above mentioned, was mistaking the nature of the various bodily exercises, ascribing to a wrong cause, and, especially, overrating them.
Whatever affects the mind will also affect the body, the organ by which it acts. These affections of the body will be different, according to the different constitutions of the bodies which are the subject of them, and various other circumstances.
The first bodily exercise, which appeared in our worshiping assemblies, was falling. This was succeeded by involuntary convulsive laughing, by the jirks, by an involuntary motion a little resembling dancing, &c. &c. These were supposed by some, to be the effects of an extraordinary diabolical agency: by others to be the effects of a miraculous operation of divine power and grace. Both these mistakes contributed to raise these agitations into vast consequence. The one made them matter of great dread, the other of ardent desire. Both helped to preserve, perpetuate, and extend them. The truth is, we knew not what was the cause, and this we ought modestly to have acknowledged. We ought, however, to have remembered that bodily convulsions, the jirks, &c. are never mentioned in scripture, as evidences of a graceless state, or a delusion of the devil; nor yet as evidences of a work of God’s grace. In a religious view, we ought to have thought but little of them, and endeavoured to have turned off the attention of the people from them to the great fundamental doctrines of religion, to the exercises of the mind, to the dispositions of the heart, and to a holy practice. Some, it is true, did this, but it was almost at the expense of their reputation as Christians. Most acknowledged that religion did not consist in these bodily agitations; yet many were more offended at hearing them calmly opposed, than at hearing some of the great fundamental principles of the Christian religion corrupted or contradicted by a warm lively preacher.
A careful observer of these bodily exercises, must sometimes have seen that the subjects of them were deeply affected with the truths of God’s word, and at first view would be apt to think these impressions their only cause. In other instances, he would observe that religious impressions were very superficial. In other instances, again, it could not be discovered that a knowledge and sense of religion had any hand in producing the effect.
A number of instances of the first kind being observed by some good men, they were incautiously induced to draw the general conclusion, that all must be from a good spirit, and this led them to act improperly. In instances of last kind, the cause was no doubt sympathy; a powerful principle, known to be sufficient to produce similar effects in cases where religion had nothing to do; but of which few instances had been known by any of the inhabitants of Kentucky. Where religious impressions were superficial, sympathy was, no doubt, the principal, though not the sole agent. And even where the mind was deeply impressed with divine truth, it is not unreasonable to suppose that this principle cooperated in producing the bodily affection, at least in a number of cases, in giving them their particular cast, and in spreading them through the land.
Where these bodily agitations were very great, and attended with some superficial impressions of religion, both together might very much terrify and alarm the subjects of them, and these terrors might be succeeded by transports of joy and songs of praise; the one without any knowledge of God and his law, the other without any knowledge of Christ and the gospel. Too often all was ascribed to the might power of God’s grace; the persona were said to have got religion, and proclaimed new born heirs of glory.
Thus the poor creatures were flattered into the belief, that they had passed from death to life without any scriptural evidence to satisfy their own minds, or the mind of any body else. Of these, many have fallen into error or sin, and more may yet fall.*
By mistaking the cause of these bodily exercises, we were laid off from the simplicity of gospel truth and gospel worship; and many having a religion chiefly consisting in affections, not excited by the truths of God’s word rightly applied, were prepared for being led into any error by such as could excite their feelings.
* The very unjust estimate which has been formed of those bodily exercises in our country, has produced incalculable mischief to society. It gave currency to certain agitations, which, at first, were merely accidental, or, at most, only sympathetic—It impressed them with the signet of Heaven, and taught the uninformed mind to view it as horrid profanity to utter a sentence against them. That imposing awe with which the uninstructed part of society viewed those exercises—that extravagant admiration with which they were hailed and courted every where, by well meaning people, as the wonderful power of God, and that unrestrained freedom with which they have been permitted to operated, has been the hot-bed of every extravagance of opinion and practice which exists amongst us. We need not wonder that a schismatic spirit, or even Shakerism, has risen up and should still make progress, when we consider how corporeal agitation has been admired and fostered. This made religion a mere animal thing with great numbers—Feeling became the test of truth, and thus the floodgate was opened for a torrent of error, both in sentiment and religious practice. From that sympathy which exists between mind and body, there can be no doubt that the latter may be, and often is, considerably affected under real and genuine impressions of religion, but those agitations of the body should never be estimated—they should never be considered as distinguished marks of piety. That which may be the result of a certain irritable organization of fiber—That which occurs in a great many cases of morbid excitement—That which may be, and often has been, successfully imitated by artificial stimulus—That which has been associated with pagan idolatry as well as with every hideous corruption of Christianity, should never become matter of admiration, much less triumph, with any one. Let those who have been in the habit of encouraging bodily exercises, read what history records of the violent, but similar agitations of poor savages, in worshipping false gods—Let them review the convulsions, and various animal motions, which happened among deluded thousands at the tomb of the Abbe de Paris—Let them peruse the biography of canonized saints of the Popish hierarchy, and the progress of the Mystics, the French Prophets, and many other fanatics, and if I am not mistaken, they will have little occasion to boast, and may, perhaps, learn how little confidence should be placed in things of this kind. There may be cases in which it will be Christian to bear with bodily motions, without either praising or reviling them; but to look upon them as allied to animated religion, to halloo them as glorious evidences of a great revival, and to interrupt the solemn services of the sanctuary, for their full and unrestrained exercise, is to open a wide door for the introduction of hypocrisy and every evil work; and thus in an indirect way to subject the religion of the Divine Saviour to reproach and contempt. In this way the church has been stricken through with many wounds, and it will be long, I fear, ere she recover from them. May the Lord redeem Zion from all her troubles. Anon.
Source
David Rice, A Second Epistle to the Citizens of Kentucky Professing the Christian Religion (Lexington, Ky.: D. and C. Bradford, 1808), 14–18.
