The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-08-06
A NEW DEPARTURE.

have, by their action, afforded excuse and
apology for the most fragrant violations Of
the civil law, for fagitious dissertation of
the Sabbath, destroying its character as a
day Of rest, imperiing the good order Of So
ciety and trenching upon the rights Of every
workingman, and for the boldest and most
ribald assaults upon the sacred character Of
the day as held by all Christian people.
What we. have said has been in obedience to
conscientious conviction and in the discharge
of what we conceive a high and imperative
duty to the general public. We take sincere
pleasure in the many repeated manifestations
Of approval that have come to us,
and the knowledge, daily communicated, of
the presence and development of q
public sentiment which will speedily do away
with such abuses in the name Of religion, and
make it easy for courts and public opinion to
enforce a proper and decent regard for the
civil Sunday-not in any spirit Of puritanic
ascetieism, but with broad and liberal re-
gard for the physical and moral health Of all
the people, which demands a periodic day Of
respite from labor, and in the interest Of pub
lie peace and order which is always likely to
be disturbed by the gathering Of large and
promiscuous crowds Of the idle and possibly
vicious classes.
1t is, therefore, with great satisfaction we
read of the action Of the Acton Assembly,
taken on Monday, in SO changing its consti-
tuition, and in SO publicly proclaiming its re-
lation and subordination to supervisory
authority, as to show that, next year at
least, this association will not be amenable
to the charges and criticism that have hith-
erto been made On the motion of Colonel
Cumback the constitution is amended so
that the president of the association will
be "a member in active service in
the Southeast Indiana Conference" At
the time of taking this action special publicity
was also given to an existing clause Of the
constitution, which reads tsThis corporation
of the Southeast Conference of the M E.
Church, and shall at no time be under the
jurisdiction or control of any other religious
denomination or sect" We assume that this
action thus publicly taken and announced,
settles the question Of the future conduct Of
the camp meeting as to the points upon
| i .
which there has been difference Of opinion, and
which, in our judgment, and in the judgment of
vast majority of Methodist people, certainly,
as shown by their deliyerances, have been in
contravention Of law and order. The South
east Indiana Conference, at its session last
year 1883, passed the following resolution:
Resolved While we rejoice in the good accom-
plished by camp meetings in the past are of the
firm conviction that the time has come when they
should be held, if at ALL with closed gates on the
Sabbath day. That if after proper efforts have been
made to correct the evils complained Of meeting
associations and railroads will not regard and heed
oft-repeated utterances this subject we will
withhold our support influence and presence from all
meetings associations where the day of God des
ecrated by the running of Sunday trains gate fees
traffic of any kind.
The Acton Camp-meeting Association an
nounces itself under the jurisdiction Of the
conference that thus declared. So far as the
annual conference could go, this is the law for
the members of and those protesting allegiance
to this conference 1t is not to be supposed
that any member in active service in this
conference will be so disloyal and defiant as
to assume the presidency of the Acton associa-
ton unless he intends to abide by and carry
out the wishes Of the conference; neither is it
to be expected that the conference will take
any step backward in the future upon this
question, which has so largely occupied the
attention not only of the Methodist Church,
but Of all churches and Of all good people, and
upon which there is now sentiment that puts
under the ban of disapproyal all those camp
meeting associations which in any degree seem
TO disregard the obligations of civil and eccle-
siastical law respecting the observance Of
Sunday. The last General Conference Of the
Methodist Church, at Philadelphia, made q
strong and earnest deliverance upon the Sun
day question, saying:
We view with grave apprehension the growing dis
regard throughout the land for the Christian Sabbath
and the evidently increasing aity Of conscience among
our people respecting the sacredness Of the day II.
the foundations be destroyed what can the righteous
| do2 proper recognition of the sanctity of the
holy Sabbath is of the chief cornerstones in the
foundation Of the church and of our Christian civil
ization If this be removed by the persistent efforts
of those who seek to destroy it, lose in any sense
its sacred character through laxity Of conscience
among Christians, everything held dear or sacred by
both church and state cannot but be disastrousy
affected.
| In view Of all this, therefore, we accept the
action Of the Acton association in changing
the constitution. 50 as to bring itself still more