Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1858-09-30
Camn.Meetings

Camp'neeCnSS.
In a late tour through the country We met
with hand-bills at public places, announcing
that a camp-meeting would be held i'll such Il
place at such a time, and calling on all class
es, saints and sinners, to grace the occasion
with their presence. Our Methodist breth-
rem have adopted these meetings at this sea-
son of the year as a regular institution which
they feel called upon to observe the same as
any other means of grace, though we be-
lieve they had their origin among the Pres
byterians and Baptists of Kentucky. The
first is said to have been held at Cane Ridge
in that State in 1900, and it took its rise
from a necessity of the case. They had no
houses of sufficient capacity to contain the
people who desired to attend, nd hence they
resortcd to the grove where all could be &C.
commodated.
Where houses Of worship are so common
as with us, however, we doubt the propriety
of these woods-meetings, and it seems to us
a great evil to make a permanent institution
Of them. They are made on the part OF
many Chris ians mere holidays, seasons Of
religious dissipation, while worldly people
often resort to them for still grosser purposes
The most disgusting scenes are sometimes EN-
acted in tine outer ring of the circle, the
centre of which is filled up with noisy tu'
multuous worshippers.
A correspondent of the Advocate ana
Journal, the Methodist organ, complains
that a change has come over its people in
regard to camp-meetings." He says
1.-The great mass of the church take nc
interest in them. But if one chance to bt
appointed near, and when the time arrives
we have leisure, and desire a little recrea'
tion, we speak to a few friends like-mindeC
with ourselves and get up a jolly load, anC
the latter part OF the week we go to spend
day or two at the camp-meeting but we are
mere spectators and not laborers. We dc
not 60 to labor, for we have little or no faitI
in the meeting. We 60 to spend a day Of
two pleasantly, and to look about and SCI
how matters are conducted generally. While
professors of religion pursue such a cours'
they cannot fail of getting a wrong impress
ion Of camp-meetings. They only get ar
outside view. They are neither interested
or profted. And after having thus rambleC
about the ground for a time, and taken thei
observations from "a wrong stand point, wher
only the improprieties and evils incident t.
such a gathering are seen, but all of its ben
efts overlooked and where, in fact, tina
which IN reality is perfect harmony and or
der, appears only deiormity and confusion
they turn away with prejudices agains
camp-meetings. 1t is true there are u fev
who 90 at the commencement, and max
Nature sanctuary their home, and enter int
the spirit OF the meeting, and work like mel
and women of God and these are the few
who like camp-meotings. They view then
from the right stand point, and are benefited
by them. They enter their inner sanctuary
where they see the Divine glory, and fee
the sacred fame. But at many of gu
camp.meetings there is but a very small
proportion Of the members of the church o
this class and here appears to be the tru'
reason why the eamp-mcetings Of our da,
are not what they were in the days Of tn
fathers"
Are not the evils here complained of TIN
result of making an institution of what begal
in necessity? A camp-meeting would nov
be a good thing, if u religious motive
brought together in one location more PEG
pie than any house could contain, and the,
simply resorted to outdoor or forest WORSHIP
to find room. But it is quite another thin
to drum up the multitude by means of tn
romance Of such an occasion.-N. Y. Chron
2cIe.