The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-08-02

olden time would have looked to the West, with
its moving multitudes, and planted their tents
to capture them; but modern Methodism plants
the churches as the people settle, and. to pre-
serve the camp-meeting feature of the denomi-
nation, they seek fields already populated and
locate themselves in more profitable places.
Where are these placess To answer this ques-
ton discloses phenomenal fact that, could it
be announced to them, would bring scarlet to
the cheek of Wesley and bow the heads of As
bury and Whitefield with confusion of face.
! The camp meeting ofto-day is a very different
affair. 1t is not an extemporaneous festival in
which the membership of one or more churches
take the lead, select place of meeting, and in
vite neighboring churches to partici-
pate in common service, each bear
ing its share of the burden, and
then scatter to their homes, to disband and
be as if they had not been. No, it is a very diff
ferent thing Its the fruit of a chartered asso-
citation, with corporate rights and franchises, of
the same nature as those which belong to bank
ing and railroad associations. Of course, the
eorporators are religious men, and the controll-
ing influence is, secured to the ministry. 1t
gives the institution its corporate name, and
states Its object to be "the establishment and
maintenance Of a seaside resort, founded upon
Christian principles, and affording religious as
well as healthful recreation
The great end Of these corporations is to
establish and maintain seaside resorts; that is
to say, to sell and lease lots aud to build houses.
To provide market aud secure competition,
conventions of various kinds meet at these
grounds, occupy the connections buildings,
and transact their legitimate business 1t is all
done in the name of religion, and may or may
not be in fact and in spirit harmonious with
the most exalted standard of Christian meth
DDS, according to the outlook from which the
subject is viewed. If we take Ocean Grove as
the type of such places, it is not, after all so
great marvel that it has grown from desc
late sand bank to beautiful city within the
last twelve years, when we consider the whole
case. With missionary conventions, Sunday
school anniversaries temperance assemblies
and camp meetings, drawing upon an immense
constituency In all parts of the country, and
bringing thousands Of visitors to the spot,
with fair opportunities for invest
ing money with a good hope of speedy return,
it is not surprising that investments were made.
Then, every laudable thing was done to rekindle
and keep alive UNCONVENTIONAL pride and
LOYALTY. The lakes that bound the Grove on the
north and south are named for Wesley and
Fletcher, while the avenues and parks are known
by the names of departed worthless whose
memory is revered by the church; and
then, to complete the programme Of attractions,
the annual camp meeting, occurring IN the
height of the holiday season, is made the CEN
trail, the pivotal figure around which all the 9th
ers are grouped. 1t has been a success as a ven
ture to establish a seaside resort; whether it has
been success as a means of intensifying and
purifying the religious life of the people is as
yet problem without solution The time is
past when even the common mind measures the
depth of human character, and gives it credit or
not for truth and righteousness, by the amount
of religious fervor or the degree of religious pro
fession it may exhibit 70 be acceptable to com
mon sense. and appreciated by right-minded
people, the manhood must show itself moved to
all good activities by force from within that is
invincible-a force, in itself silent and unob-
served, but In its effect on character demonstra-
tive III life of goodness.