Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1828-01-30

FANATIcIsM We copy, from the Western
Luminary, published at Lexington, Kentucky,
the following paragraph, the terms of which,
have called forth our especial attention and re-
mark. They are such as might be expected
from such a source, and from their oddi,y, and
vulgari'y elicit a smile from the less puritanical
and less hypocritical:
AT PisgaI,. in woodford County, there is
an awful shaking among the dry bones"
At a four days. meeting at that place, which
closed on Monday last, seventeen were admit
ted TO the privileges Of the Church; and about
one hundred came forward, as awakened and
inquiring souls"
The Kentuckians, have been more or less
remarkable for their religious seasons Of fanat-
icism, or revivals, as they arc moro frequently
called, by the superstitious %puritans, and at dl-
| ferent dates, have dis,in guished themselves by
the grossest, and most ridiculous absurdities,
based on notions ofreligion. During the years
1899 and 1900. a strange kind Of religious ma
mia, existed among them, the description Of
which staggers human credulity, and sets one
belief at defiance, The people, would assem-
bic in great multitudes at Mount Pisgah. the
Great Crossings, and other distinguished places
Of public worship, where they would display,
the most repulsivo acts. and modes Of worship.
eat those meetings." says a Theological
swriter, " there assembled in the opinion OF
spectators, from four to ten or twelve thousand
and at one Of them, eight hundred fell down
under religious impressions, and five hundred
communicated" The falling down exercise
needs no description, as it is presumed every
reader will understand what is meant by it,
There was also in these meetings, what was
called the rolling crercise, which consisted ir
n PERSONS being cast down in a violent man.
ner, turned over swiftly like a log. sc. These
rolling disciples often met with mud in theil
way, and got up from their devotions in a sor
rowful plight. Dancing was a very common
practice; many pleaded they could not help it
and others justified themselves from David
dancing before the ark, and other passages o
scripture. The most singular exercise Of all
was the jerks. Morning in nature could bet
ter represent this strange aud nnaccountabl
operation, than for ono to goad another, al
tcrnatoly on cvery side, with a piece Of red-ho
iron. Tho exercise commonly began in tn
head, which would fly backward and forward
and from side to side, with a quick Jolt, whlc
the person would naturally labour to suppress
but in vain; and the more any ono laboured I
stay himself, and be sober, the more he stag
gercd. and the moro rapidly his witches In
creased. He must necessarily 60 as he wa
stimulated, whether with q violent dash on tn
ground, and bounce from place to place like
football; or hop round, with head. limbs. an
trunk, twitchins and jol'ing in every direction
as il they must inevitably fly asundcr. An
how such could escape without injury, was n
small wonder to spectators. BY this strans
operation, the human frame was commonly 9
transformed and disigured, as to lose ever
trace OF its natural appearance. Sometime
the head would be ,witched right and LETT, 10
half round, with such velocity that not q lei
ture could be discovered, but the facc nppe'
as much behind as before; and in the qu'c
progressive Jerk, il would seem as If the pc
son va. Transmitted into some other spce.sa
creature. Head dresses were Of but ,i't'c a
count among the female jcrkers. Even han
kerehicfs bound tight round The head. won
be aittcd of al,nost with the first twitch, al
, the hair put into the utmost confusion.
,Ar,htr rthc account Of up Kentucky Revival