The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-08-09

The Springfield Union has quite n sug-
gestive article on the value of camp-mect-
ings as means Of bringing the members Of
different churches and others into social re-
lations. There have been serious COM
plants OF late, even among the Mcthodlsts
Ing little less than pic-nics, and that people
were attracted towards them rather for
social purposes than for religious ends. II
this were true the Union thinks II not very
serious charge, provided these meetings con-
tlnue to maintain their religious, devotional
and evangelical character, so far as their
general management Is concerned. The
social principle In Christianity II regards as
most important element Of It's power and
efficiency.
There is weight In this suggestion. Social
gatherings, In which prayer and praise may
hold their appropriate place, are, no doubt,
highly scrvlccablc to the cause OF religion.
And the fact that this has been so generally
aud fully recognized by the Methodists has
done much, perhaps more than anything
else, to give success to the denomination.
And In this particular they deserve to DO
Initiated much more fully than they are by
some equally worthy denominations In other
respects. Unless the social element Is cult
vatcd In religious society, II can make little
progress, particularly In cities aud large
towns. In tho changing, miscellaneous pop.
ulatlon OF large town, church must be
constantly alive TO the work OF attracting
around II strangers, now corners, or II will
gradually, and somewhat speedily too, die
out, however sound Its principles and excel
| lent Its instructions. Tho social wants Of
society, Of the young particularly young
men and women, and young married people,
we mean, not children merely-must be re-
cognizcd aud made use Of, or q religious So
| ciety will soon be reduced to few staid old
people and their immediate families, and
even these will ultimately fall away by death
and removals.
Now, whether camp-meetings are the best
| means for promoting soclnlity, We will not
decide. II was not, originally, so much with
any reference to the social influence OF
these meetings that they were instituted,
/ but rather as means OF awakening n rcll-
gious interest In sparsely settled regions,
| where religious meetings, from tho nocessl-
| ties OF the case, were unfrequcnt, and the
'modern conveniences for large gatherings
were unattainable. Tho original camp
meeting was held at central spot In the
wo DDS, because there was no other place
where the scattered population Of the region
could 60 for the purposes contemplated.
| There arc now In all the thickly settled Sec
tons OF our country, churches and halls suf-
/ fcicntly large to accommodate all who need
be called together for religious purposcs
| and except for picnic and purely social pur-
poses, there Is little call for camp-mectings
In the vicinity of our large towns and cities.
| The fact that these meetings bring togo
ther, not simply multitudes OF curious per-
sons and pleasure seekers, some Of whom
| may be benefited permanently by the reli-
gious services which form so prominent a
part In the arrangements OF the camp-mect-
lng-thls fact, after all, Is not, In our judg-
mcnt, the chief recommendation Of them;
but rather the fact that they bring together
the members OF the different religious socic-
ties from the entire region, and give orpor-
| tunity for fraternal and familiar Intercourse
| Is their chief recommendation. This Is what
| all denominations need and for the want Of
| which some are suffering severely.
| There Is a degree of isolation about many
Of our churches which Is bad for them, and
bad for all sister churches. II Is not good
for churches 10 be alone any more than for
individual men. 1t makes them narrow and
selfish. 1t prevents all esprit de corps. II Is
fatal to their own progress and to that Of the
denomination with which they arc nominally
connected. II Is as unseemly and evil q
thing for particular churches to live Isolated
and unacquainted with neighboring churches
and careless of each Others welfare, as II Is
for brothers and sisters Of the same family
to be thus separated. And so far as camp
meetings tend to bring different religious So
clcties together In Christian intcrcourse-so
far they are means Of good, great good, even
ifthey do nothing else that is specially praise
worthy.