Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1886-10-01

the congregation, with Scott and Brown.
4 marched to meet Tarleton. 1t was on
that occasion that Washington said. VII
I should be beaten will retreat west OF
the Blue Ridge and there with the boys OF
| Augusta arouad me, shall make stand. !"
Moses Hoge was another distinguished
member Of that little group. He was
elected President of Hampden Sidney
College, and the Synod of Virginia after
wards elected him professor of Divinity.
Under him thirty pupils were licensed
and ordained as preachers. He was the
author of the christian Panoply,' which
was written in reply to Tom Paine's 'Age
of Reason Such we're some Of the men
who took part in the organization,of Lex
ington Presbytery.
This house in which we are and in which
the Presbytery was organized was built
one hundred and thirty pears ago and
has through these years descended as a
| heritage from father to son.
THE TRYING DAYS THROUGH WHICH
THE CHURCH HAS PASSED.
When Lexington Presbytery was formed,
the country was just emerging from the
Revolution and there had come with war
something worse than war-infdelity.
The French had given America helping
hand in winning her independence and our
| people felt grateful to them. France was
on the very verge of her revolution, not
only against tyranny but against Christi
1od bv Ho1f air
Bastile was destroyed in 1889, and in 1898
| Louis XIV was executed. All these things
| happened just as the foundation of Licking
| ton Presbytery was laid. The ideas of Vol
taire found translator and dissemination in
| Paine, who published his ''Age of Reason. !"
| Volney's ''History of the Roman EN-
pire, a far more dangerous and subtle
work than any of Voltaire or Paine, was
published in this country at rs cents, be-
ing the first of the cheap literature ever
seen in America. The principles taught
In these works took large ground in New
England. but not in the Valley of Vir-
ginia. The period looked gloomy for the
| cause of religion. William Graham re-
signed his Office of President of Hampden
Sidney and removed to Ohio, SO discourag-
+, ed was he at the prospects of the church.
| This act will give us an idea Of what
power the cause of infidelity had gained.
A CURIOUS AND POWERFUL ANTAGONIST
APPEARs-THE "JERKs."
Victorious over infidelity, another and
stranger enemy had to be combatted by
| the church, in the shape Of fanaticism.
Early in this century great revival COM
menced in Tennessee. This did great
good, but with the good there came the
work of this Enemy of the Church. The
form in which 1t appeared was called from
| it's manifestations the clerks" The
phenomena of shouting and swooning in
religious excitement had become familiar
to the country under the ministries of
Wesley and White6eld. but no evil effects
had followed and great good had resulted
from their ministries. But this new
phenomena was very different thing
The "Presbyterian Review" of 1884 has
an account of it written by a Presbyterian
minister and eyewitness. 1t commenced
at a Sacramento meeting in East Ten
nessee. Several converted people became
affected. The Jerks first commenced with
the arms. For some time it characterized
all religious meetings. Soon it affected
people at home as well as at MEETING
People who out of curiosity went to a
| meeting were affected. Later it appeared
| in parts of the country where no one had
ever seen it or even attended a meeting
where it prevailed. It even affected old
grey headed preachers. 1t changed from
the arms to the joint back of the neck
At meeting of the Synod of Virginia
young woman danced back and forth in a
| pew for twenty minutes with her eyes
closed and her face without MOTION
Then came jumping with high jumps.
The Jerking of tie head was accompanied
by swapping sound and barking like a
dog. Sometimes the arms initiated violin
playing. People affected with one form
of jerks would come into meeting where
another prevailed and at once take that
form. A lady of Tennessee; with the
barks, came to Virginia and gave it to a
whole congregation of jerkers. Strange
to say there was no suffering accompany
ing the unnatural exercise. Many people
were kept from church on account of the
noise they made disturbing the hearing
of the service. When I. said Mr.. Arm
strong, came here to Timber Ridge to
preach, in 1888, there were many of my
congregation who still remembered and
| talknd ohout havino eaop pooplo mith tho
jerks. It was deemed to be of Demoniacal
origin, like the affection of the youth who
is spoken of in the Bible as being torn by
devils.
OF 1T.
DIR. Geo. A. Baxter, of Union Theolo-
gical Seminary, held that opinion. To us
of this day 1t appears very trivial mat
ter and we think it ought to have been
suppressed. But they were often united
with great revival and many of those
afflicted with them were people Of un-
doubted piety.
Rev. Samuel Brown. then pastor of New
Providence, commenced an investigation
| of the jerks and concluded that they were
not the work of the Spirit. He held that
If the Spirit sent man to preach,it would
not also disturb the congregation. He
kept the jerks ought of his congregation.
though they came into other congregations
A Ruling Elder in the neighborhood visit.
cd Mr.. Brown with view to protesting
against his conclusion AMI was much dis.
appointed in his visit. In leaving he said
"Mr. Brown, 1 am not able to reason with
you, but I know 1 am right and you are
wrong. If you continue you will find on
your dying bed that you have been striving
with the spirit of God" II am willing to