Two years after Presbyterian minister John Lyle completed his 1805 missionary tour of the Cumberland Presbytery, an abridged version his travel journal was published in the Virginia Religious Magazine. Although misdated, the printed text included the author’s candid reflections on the jerking exercise. Click here for Lyle’s manuscript journal. Contextual notes appear in square brackets.
Of J. Lyle’s mission in the bounds of Cumberland Presbytery.
The Rev. John P. Campbell having decline the appointment given him to ride two months, in the bounds of the Cumberland Presbytery: on motion, made by Mr. Campbell, the synod of Kentucky unanimously agreed to appoint me as a missionary to go the above mentioned route.
Sat. Nov. 2, 1806. I went to the Beach meeting house, where a meeting was appointed by the Presbyterians and Methodists, called in this country, the union meeting. There I heard a sermon delivered by Mr. N—, who has lately been licensed by the Cumberland Presbytery, and is said to be a man of learning. There was nothing remarkable in his sermon, except his pressing exhortations to the people to pray out—shout—dance, &c. in time of divine worship. He told them to shout—pray aloud, or do whatever duty they felt an impression to do. Said he, “I believe it will not offend God, and I am sure it will not offend me.” The people, though prior to this seemingly careless and inattentive, were roused to action—shouted—prayed aloud—exhorted and jerked, till near the setting of the sun.
I am well aware, that it is impossible to describe an assembly thus agitated, so as to give those who have never seen the like, a just and adequate idea of it. I would just observe, that though I had been accustomed to seeing strong and indescribable bodily agitations, in the upper counties of Kentucky, and had frequently seen the jerks, yet all this observation and experience, did not prepare my mind to behold, without trepidation and horror, the awful scenes now exhibited before me. The jerks were by far the most violent and shocking I had ever seen. The heads of the jerking patients flew, with wonderous quickness, from side to side, in various directions, and their necks doubled like a flail in the hands of a thresher. Their faces were distorted and black, as if they were strangling, and their eyes seemed to flash horror and distraction. Numbers of them roared out in sounds the most wild and terrific. I had heard the howling of wild beasts, and the tremendous roar of the lion, but I can say, without hyperbole, that those were gentle accents compared to some I heard in this assembly. The people camped in waggons and tents around the stand. I retired to the Rev. William M’Gee’s. The people who lodged here appeared engaged in singing, conversing, leaping and shouting. They appeared much like a drinking party when heard from the other room; but when I drew nigh, found their language and rejoicings were of a religious kind.
Sabbath, Nov. 3. Preached in 1 Cor. 13, 13, last clause. The audience was large, very attentive, and a solemnity seemed to reign in almost every countenance, especially during the application. I heard that an infidel being convicted, exclaimed—“Where did that man come from”—fell on his knees and cried for mercy. Mr. M’Kendree, a methodist elder, preached after me: then the ordinance was administered to a large number of communicants, many of whom appeared deeply affected—some shouted—some wept—some leapt—and some danced and jerked, and jerked and danced a long time after they rose from table. Afterwards the people were dismissed. I retired to Mr. M’Gee’s with whom I conversed about the conduct of the Cumberland Presbytery, in licensing young men who were illiterate and tainted with Arminianism.
Source
John Lyle, “A Narrative of J. Lyle’s Mission in the Bounds of Cumberland Presbytery,” Virginia Religious Magazine 3 (1807): 117-118.
