Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1869-07-29
LTha Bic Camp-Meeting.

1 - - - - = = =
i The Methodist denominaiion d
now carrying on one Of the most
extensive camp-meetings ever
heard Of, at Round Lake,near New
York City. The Herald Of that
city gives the proceedings daily.
/ The perusal Of the following ex-
tract will be attended with greas
interest. especially The paragraphs
lin reference 10 sanetlfcdtiOn and
1.-THE use OF tobacco:
The Southern Meihodists have
mot affiliated much with the
Northern Conferences in this msei-
ling, the division in the Methodist
Episcopal Church on the subject
Iuf slavery which took place some
years ago, still separating the tw,
religious sections. Since the close
!ofthe war and the settlement OF
1.-The slavery question, the conferen-
ces have made several attempts
to effect a, reunion; but very lit
tie success has been met with be-
Iyond the establishmentot of more
harmonious feeling between indi-
yidual members of the Northern
and Southern churches. The po-
lliticai differences of sentiment
among the preachers crop out oc-
casionaHy, however, as was Illus
trated.last evening at the clergy
mems evening prayer meeting In
the large Congress street tent
After protracted and unusually
demonstrative season Of prayer
and singing, one jealous preacher,
Ievidently with no other motive
than purely Chsistian desire for
the good of the government and
country, proposed that all unite
in special prayer for President
Grant and the national admins
tration. A preacher from Brook
lyn, and a brother of a New York
Alderman, Immediately sprang up
and emphatically objected to any
such proposition, asserting that
President Grant and the members
of his Cabinet were no better than
other men, and were not supposed
to be special objects of anybody's
consideration on an occasion like
this. These remarks were met
by an immediate retort, and a wet
blanket was rapidly settling upon
the religious element OF the meet
ing when a skilful flank move
ment silenced the contestants
The subject, however, did not rest
here, and at bedtime was freely
discussed in some of the tents.
Specification and perfect holi-
ness seemed to be the keynote Of
all the sermons, and the Eurden
of prayer. There had been
great deal of argument among tho
preachers on the ground represent
ing the degree of holiness or sano-
titication attainable, and the menu
bers seemed to be about equally
divided on the subject.
The ground taken by the advo-
Gates of this theological point is
that the forgiveness Of sin, which
takes place when a sinner sincere
ly unites with the Church and de-
votes himself to Christian life, IL
but an initlatory step to the work
of salvation, and that it is the
duty Of every new convert to per-
sistently seek in prayer and by an
exercise of faith, and evidence to
the heart that God has accepted
him as wholly sanctified.
The use of tobacco is emphaii-
cally denounced in many Of the
sermons, and is enumerated with
pride, vanity, licentious practices
and other sinful indulgences as be-
ing not only unbecoming to the
protesting Christian, but offensive
to God. Exhorters proclaim a
gainst it, narrations of Christian
refer to the abandon
ment of the useof the debating
weed," and many in their prayers
implore tbs. Almighty to exercise
His power in cleansing the. Church
Of tobacco.