New-York tribune., 1871-07-15
THE N4TJOy1L CAMp-MEETJyG

This cOnvOcatiOn, now in session at Round
Lake, offers curious psychological study to
any outside observer who can look a. it with
ont sectarian prejudice or partiality. The
Methodists in body continue to exhibit those
individual traits which give them their odd
mixture of power and weakness. In camp as
in class, he islsincere, unreticent, headlong; he
likes to feel himself the pioneer in the Chris
tian army has more relish for the chopping
down of the bulwarks of Satan than the slow,
patient upbuilding of the divine temple; prays
more than he reasons; sins, weeps, and re-
pents of his sin oftener than he eradicates it
by the tardy construction of opposing habit
While the Episcopalian seeks to draw the sin
ner into the fold by the genial influences of
association or aesthetic taste, and the Presby-
tcran pauses to argue with him, our Wesleyan
brother has taken him by the throat, hailed
him to his knees, shown him the pit of hell
and the glores of heaven, and has him on his
feet again in q trice, secure III saint
ship The Methodist, like the Catholic, moves
the masses by working upon the emotional
part of their nature. There is an odd likeness
by the way, between these antagOnistic Sects !;
one scruples as little as the other to use all
the machinery of terror, hope, or superstition; +;
in each the faithful see visions and dream
dreams, and in each, too, earthly sanctifcatOn
is possible. The manner of work is in essence
the same however different are the creed and
aims, and the same class of minds and temper
aments, educated or otherwise, are attracted
toward them.
AS to the amount of power that can be ex-
erted by any system which thus appeals to
the emotional man, the action of the MethO-
dist church during the war, or its work in the
great movements of Temperance and Social
Reform, offers us salient proofs every day.
The American, black or white, relishes hearty
enthusiasm in his politics or religion, and of
fers himself willingly to the manipulation of
the Wesleyan. Fortunately for him the leaders
of this church are, as a rule, well informed and
clear-sighted as well as bold, and are likely to
place him in a position as reasonable as heroic
in the van of human progress.
Camp-meetngs usually offer the ludicrous
side of this church system to the public (for
it has its absurdities rs well as any other)
and even the just and charitable of other sects
are too apt covertly to sneer at them. The
inevitable disorder, excess, and exaggeration
are on the surface, and it is easier to laugh
at them than to appreciate the vehement sin
cerity and pure motives underneath. Putting
aside all ridicule, however, there are some
points in the conduct of the present meeting
which seem to us irrecOncabe with the
shrewd practical good sense of its leaders.
We can understand, from their ordinary habit
why they should enforce an uncertain dogma,
not by argument, but by the personal ex-
perience of hundreds of witnesses. But
when they mingle with their prayers sneers
at the well-meaning teachers in other sects
because of the, high comedy of "thcr linen
land silken robes,n we must remind olr
ardent brethren that, while religion itself
is a matter of the SOUL its outward gulse
and symbols are the outgrowth of hered-
itary or natural taste or temperament
Cod they tell us, is in hurry We
confess we see no evidences of it. AT least,
He is leisurely enough to permit each human
being to come to Him in his own natural
way, whether that be by the decorated
of st. Albans or the crowded tents at
Round Lake. Our friends, too, prayed en- masse
for certain praiseworthy objects: for the
" reformation of an inebriate, just out of a fit
"of delirium tremens :" for "a melancholy
"man who had not spoken for four years -
for the "cure of woman who refused mcd-
"cine and trusted alone 10 Gods grace.r
Common sense and common reverence would