Smyrna times., 1872-07-10
WHOLE NO. S97
Methodist Summer Gatherings.

Camp meetings have become an absolute
necessity to the maintenance of American
Methodsm, and every year finds their number
increased and increasing This year more than
ever they have been multiplied, until we have
within easy ride OF New Y Ork nearly a score of
such meetings to be held during July and
August. With the advent of the Fourth of
July some of those will be in full trim, Sea
Cliff Grove, Long Island, leading off. There
are thousands of good people in the country,
we have no doubt, who would mourn the loss
of the camp meetings as they would an only
son; and yet these meetings are not what they
once were. Nor are they now continued
wholly under the inspiration of the idea with
which they were first started. AS means OF
reaching the fashionable city masses who take
their summerings in the country the camp
meetings are great failures. But as means
of social enjoyment on scale much more
extended than city life affords they are great
success. They bring together larger number
of Methodist Christians, and very often Chris
tians from other denominations, than are ever
: found gathered together elsewhere, and there
is freedom and ease of grace and manner In
those gatherings which go far toward molllty-
ing the asperities of human nature and bring
s ing Church people more closely together than
g they would otherwise be brought. Camp
} meetings, too, are not without their spiritual
fruits, though, looked at IN this light only,
7 But modern camp meetings have another,
:, and in some instances manltestly more i'm
o portant, feature. They are now for the most
o part magnificent landspeculstions. A number
!. Of wealthy men, ministers and laymen, organize
d an association, buy up eligible pieces of pro-
y perty at two, three or five hundred dollars an
't acre, which they sell by the lot at four or FIVE
o times that sum per acre. In this way they
s. turn an honest penny. But his speculative
n spirit is deteriOrating the meetings more and
IS more, and diverting them from their original
10 purpose. Formerly the church people were
r content to get away into some quiet out-oft
a way grove. But now the nearer they can get
ne to the fashionable resort the better they like it.
er Hence two of the most prominent camp grounds
ce of the country have grown up within few
nd years near Saratoga and Long Branch, the two
d. great fashionable resorts of the country. Tht
an idea was to give fashionable churchgOers all
Ter the advantages of fashionable life without the
n supposed. disadvantages which they would
to have to endure by going merely to Long Brancl
led or to Saratoga, had they no camp groves nea
re- those places. 1t was thought, too, that tn
ary successors of the Galiean fishermen might b
on, able in this way to draw some fashionable an
on, wealthy fish into their nets. But iu this the
ed, have been disappointed, and the fish hav
ut, rather captured the fishermen. ltis, ofcours'
mt legitimate for the Church to 60 after the pei
cry pie wherever she may find them; but if st
cle seeks their good she should not conform h'
out practices to theirs; yet, in part, this is wh
her has been done and what Christians are ST
ing doing