Smyrna times., 1872-08-28
The New York Herald ON Camp Meet
ings.

Ii has never been our good or bad fortune
to have witnessed an Indian war dance, bet
from what We have read and heard Of such
scenes, and from what we have seen and heard
al Methodist camp meetings, we should judge
that there is not much difference between the
two, especially when the latter becomes in
tenseiy excited As means of social Chris
tan enjoyment undoubtedly camp meetings
have their advantages, not only for Methodists,
but for all other denominations of Christians; ;
but as means OF promoting spiritual growth |
they have, like many other means, outlived |
their usefulness, and have now degenerated into :
huge land speculatiOnS, whereby chosen few
make money at the expense of the many who
are called but not chosen. Viewing camp
meetings either in their social or in their re- /
hgous aspects We have never been able to !
comprehend Why such unlimited license of
word and deed should be granted to dweners
in the tented grove which would not be
allowed nor be expected in the private
dwelling or in the church. We cannot see the
prOpriety Of score or a hundred men and
women jumping upon the seats in church as
politicians do at mass meetings, and shouting
Hurrah for Jesus" and clapping hands and
falling on each others shoulders and neeks and
believing like maniaes let loose from a bedlam.
And IT there is no prOpriety in acting thus in
church, by what law and under the operation
OF what principal of physics or Of morals is it
permissible IN a grove church? The Apostle
Paul must have had some experience with
highly emotional churches in his day, else he
never would have written TO the Corinthians as
he did, eautioning them against all talking at
once. He recommends the Christian brethren
when assembled together to prophesy one by
one, that all may learn and all may be com
forted, and he fOrestalls the objections of some,
Who think they cannot repress their enthu-
slasm, by assuring them that the spirits OF the
ufAFa - .L~ea
there are many in the Church who think they
are led by the Holy spirit into these exeesses
and to all such the Apostle declares that God
y not the author of confusion, but of peace
"nie the Individual soui may be benefited
and relieved by good shout or a hallelujaE
once and again, it is unquestiOnably true tina
strangers, and especially irreligiOus persons
are not edited, but, on the contrary, they re
eeve the impression which Paul declared tn
unlearned aud unbelevers would receive upoi
catering such gathering of babbling Christian
Il namely, that they are all mad. This is on
reason among many why camp netting OF to
Gay lack the spiritual power over sinners Whlcl
they once possessed.
But eccentricity manifests itself in othe
lorms besides these in camp meetings. Ii
seen aud heard in its most udicrOus light /
songs and prayers, and sometimes in preach
n ing Some Of the most meaningless twaddl
mat can be gathered together is heard on cam
Il grounds and passes for sermons. They cor
b ds1rs.sv the statement of the fact nor tn
n ,EarY. the experience which an emlneI
Es = the Sing Sing meeting declare
Z oOnsth preaching. 1t seems to be taken Il
u gran' q 40 that any kind Of trashy rhyme
god enough tor the camp meeting, and peop
70 those gatherings sureharged VII
Wuretehed doggerel The good old songs
Wesley and Cowper, and Doddridge OF
MMatts, and Montgomery and TOPlady, an
Newton snd their cOmpeers, are too tame, Z
pure and too p0etieal TO suit the feveri'
nagInatious of the present generation
AethOdists. IL they coull be equalled, or
aay way nearly approached by the meteor
poets OF to-day. We should not find fault, but
re4aires very little poetic knowledge TO app
s@te the superior sentiment aud rhythm OF q
toFmer.
The prayers, too, Of camp-going ChrIstia
nek that eonciseness and purity OF dicti
shieh knowledge Of the nature OF pray
shonld and does impart We have sometim
heard men pray that the Lord would kno
nme certain sinner heals over head, or th
ne would shake him over the bottomless ,
sthout letting the guilty one fall in. We c
earcely imagine the effect such prayers mt
aass on the souls that feel their burden OF |
na eaa are seeking salvation by faith in Jes
II ehrist; but il seems 10 us they ought 10 de-
many from seeking, If they do not drl
Stners sway altogether. from the Cross.
aeard a ministers wife lately, at a camp me
mg, tell the Lord in prayer what good bu
asss her husband gave mp that he mig
sater the ministry, and how rich he might
aad he continued in business, and We COZ