New-York tribune., 1876-07-10
JUF MEETINGS.

The season of religions camp-moetings las
returned. That at S.a Cliff began on Saturday.
The Ocean Grove U.Ong IirGnch) meeting VIII
begin to MORROW. There will also be meetings
Of "A ike character at Round Lake, Sing Sing,
and Martha's Vineyard. CougrC cations, which
In the early days OF Methodism we've rendered
a necessity by the sparse population and the
scattered positions Of the COMMITMENTS, have
become frequent through choice and from
conviction OF tie policy ard pleasure OF uniting
religious exercises with rural recreation.
sobiicty and high purpose, it i, felt, are better
than Summer lCuuginS and ;he pleasures Of
dissipation. What il desirable in such season
able recreation is retained; there is 10 very
strict rGlo of life at the camps, and none of
the ascetcism which marked religious retreats
in the early ages of the Church; but eeriou9
people dcport aud diSport themselves seriously,
and make their vacation an lntrlluGo ~ prayer
and OF praise, OF piOuS eXpcri,i'ce and cxh0r-
tati0n. IL would he easy to accuse these good
folk OF insnccrity, and to charge them with
psradng q lofty design when their real one
is OF u lover description but it issbcst to
take people ut their word, and TO believe
that the promoters OF the cainp-meet-
ing have really tho conversion of their
fellow creatures at heart. Indeed, We
inay leave the revival Of religion out of the
question, and still ii would be good thing
for those who really believe To gather to-
gether under agreeable auspices, and amid
the clcva.ing scenes of nature, 10 hold com
muni0n with these and with eacn other. a
protTacted meeting may be all the more fruit
full of benefit because it is held under some
gpn, In
sure of business and the worry of the house
hold and free from the interruption Of secular
duties. In such matters there is 10 reason why
all should not be LETT to consult their own
tastes and inc!inations, especially since they
are harmless.
The camp-meetng, at least in this part Of
the country. is now hardly ever the scene of
that unresralncd enthusiasm which formerly
gave some scandal to the moderate and judi
cicus. 1t - no longer marked by cpilepuc
exhibitions, by an unbridlcd frenzy, BY shouts
aud swoons and semi-unatic rawlings. We
shall not ARGUE with those, if there be any
such, who regret the moderate notifications
of the old method. The conversion of II
human soul from godlcssnoss to grace is really
such tremendous matter that we must be
Cll'tIS vi tDnttulliiilS NIlib VIZ may i'V d'o'-
lutcly approve. TO every form of religious ex
preston we would conccde the largest liberty,
aud every preacher of the word must preach
according to lis own ideas OF the right way.
Every church has its own ritual, creed and
fashion, and to meddle with these savors of
impcItineGce. Even bigotry IL to be tolerated,
cxccpt when il becomes inSOlcnt and tyIannCal.
But bigotry, we suspect, is not the vice of
this age, nor with our growing latitudinarian-
ism is it likely to be- We arc in no danger
of believing too much or of being too much in
earnest.
There is something very touching in the
spectacle of thousands of men and women, of
the young and old, gathered together in the
grove which was Gods first temple, or by the
sea which presents so many cmblems alike of
our mortality or Immortality, to consider those