The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1869-08-18
Camp Meetings and Sabbath Dissertation.

We clip the following from the Nea0 York EUan.
gelist The remarks it makes and those it extracts
from the Methodist New York; are worthy of con.
sideration. Many of our Methodist brethren else.
where do not favor camp meetings.-CEN. PRES.
'The Methodist is doing good service to its
denomination and to eamp-meetings Also by point
ing out the dangers which threaten their useful
ness. The amount of Sabbath desecration which
results from the fact that those who attend must
needs regae themselves with something warm and
good at every meal, and if they remain day OF
two, must have about them many of the comforts
of home threatens to swamp the whole institu-
ton, or at least to greatly obscure its purely rel
gious design. IF these luxurious inclinations can
not be depressed for the time, it seems to us that
it would be better to sell out the great camp meet
ing establishments, and reduce the paraphernalia
for physical comfort, and also the time OF the
meeting to four or five weekdays, not remaining
over Sunday. But camp.meetngs are so attractive
that we do not doubt all right-minded people who
go, will cheerfully submit to any regulations ne
cessary to insure their dstinctivey religious infu-
ence, and those in charge ought not to hesitate to
put them in force. Says our contemporary;
At our camp meetings which are held on the
Sabbath the butcher brings his meat; the baker
brings his bread; the boarding tent keepers cook
large numbers of meals which they sell for Stip-
ulated sum, selling the food and receiving the
money the same as on any other day, only working
a great deal harder, and handling great deal
more money. Sometimes the refreshment-s
are opened and their wares publicly offered for
sale; often ralway-trains and steamboats, make ex-
cursion trips good people hire carriages at livery
stables, and make long journeys to reach the
ground the roads for miles in every direction are
crowded with vehicles of every description, these
vehicles being filed with all sorts of people, the
profane as well as the pious. All this labor, traf
ticking, riding, and confusion are occassioned by
the Sunday camp-meeting No one pretends to
saw that they would exist if the camp we're closed.
Now alongside of these conceded facts we put
the law as contained in Exodus Xxx S.ll; 'Remem.
Der the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days
shalt thou labor and do all thy work, &C.
Who can make the facts of tie former of these
two paragraphs coincide with the law of the latter?
VIII any plead: These are for The most part works
of necessity, and therefore may be considered as
lust exceptions to the law Of the Sabbath? We
answer There can be no such necessity in the case
The people towhom these laws were first promulgat-
ed held camp meeting which lasted forty years,
and vet this law was obligatory on them. Their
provisions lasted over the Sabbath, and so may
they be made to do in these modern times if
proper care be used, and that without a miracle
IF not, then we say that camp-meeting managers
have no right to call together such masses of people
on the Sabbath as will make violation of Gods
law a seeming necessity to easy cCnsciences