The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-11-20


attachment to one OF them that seems 10 step
out with little quicker tread; that goes across
the marshes, and through the swamps, and up
the mountain brow, with a little more energetic
movement and when 1t overtakes and cap
lures the sinner, shouts out little louder over
his salvation. SO care for and love her, aud
am pleased to be associated with her IN her
earnettness, by this one word for this society.
In 1850, according to the statistics furnished
by the UIlted States, we find that there we're
then in the United States and Territories 49, 1873
churches. These embrace all the churches of
all sects and denominations Romish churches,
Jewish synagogues, and Protestant houses OF
worship are all summed up in this general
result. OF this number (38, 1887, there we're
1883 houses OF worship that belonged TO the
Methodist Church. This was tue large fraction
OF over one-thtrd of the whole number. For if
you take 1888 from 3s,ls3, you will find the
balance belonging to all other churches in the
country 10 be 24,s45 showing that a number
equal TO Onehalt of all the rest were Methodist
churches. More than one-thrd of the whole
1883 compared to 24,s45, being the relative
numbers
Having had my attention called to the records
hrst made by the Government in 1850, felt a
great interest to see how this important part of
our Church work progressed from 1850 70 1860.
Visited the Department of the Interior at Wash
ington twice to procure the earliest COPY of the
census that contained the Church statistics; and
the Secretary was kind enough to promise, so
soon as they were ready, TO send copy. l left
the name OF DR.. Eddy and others, including my
associates, and believe they got the figures as
soon as did. went over the figures furnished,
to find what the different Christian churches
were doing. ] found the summing up to be
$4,000 churches. This also embraces, as the
other census, all churches of all kinds; not
merely Christian, but Jewish as well. OF those
64,009, found that 1895 belong to tue Metho-
dist Church; that Is, about 65 more would have
been one-thlrd of 60, coo. The whole number was
$4,000; the whole increase was 1926. OF that
1926, the increase of Methodist churches was
6497; and all others increased 1891. Thus, more
than two-thirds of all the increase in church
buildings from 1850 TO 1860 were in the Metho-
dist Church, and more than two-thirds OF all
In further examning these tables, l was
greatly surprised at their result The churches
rank numerically about in the folio wing order:
The Methodist, the Baptist, the Presbyterian,
the Congregational, and the Episcopal. l took
the four next; that is, | took the census OF the
Baptist, the Presbyterian, the Protestant Episco-
pal, and the Congregational, to see how they
were advancing compared with our own. l was
never more surprised at q result than was to
discover that whilst our increase had been 6597
the increase of all those four churches had been
but 1919. That is, 1t we had built 81 more
churches, we should have built Just twice as
many as those four next largest denominations,
was not at all prepared for this. l confess it
was highly gratifying; but to me it was highly
instructive. must not be understood as speak
ipg of the Methodist Episcopal but as of the
Methodist Church, embracing all its departments.
had the curiosity to see how those churches
were distributed; for great deal depends upon
the right location of q church. As much |
think, depends upon the church taking up a
good position in its aggressive movements, as
upon an army occupying good position in
its aggressive movements. selected the our
large States, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio
and Illinois, mainly to see how these churches
are situated. New ork, it has the great
commercial emporium, is the principal State of
the Union. with territory extending along the
lakes, and running down to tide-w water; aud it
has the natural basis for vast population,
when you take into consideration the great
agricultural wealth OF the State. The great
KnNo ofn Sfafa ctr hn t;,la
at Philadelphia to broad Lake Erie, with great
mountains in the centre; with immense mineral
wealth, its broad and beautiful Valleys and
the great lumber regions, you will see what
must be the position of Pennsylvania through
all coming time; and how important that
the cause OF Christ should be supported and
maintained in such an important State as this!
Then striking westward, you have the third
State, Ohio. spreading from the valley of the
Ohio up to the basin Of the lakes, embracing
one of the N ost delg ghtful champaign districts
in the world, the most delightfully."- situated in
the Union, which has made it the garden Of the
whole land.
Tue most wonderful State that the sun shines
upon is the State of Illinois, stretching
along its southern IbcIder from the Ohio 10
the Mississippi, and northwaTd 10 the lakes
/ have no doubt 1t is capable of supplying
all the citizens of this nation with bread, and
then be able to ship supply to Europe. IT
it was cultivated as Holland is, it would do 1t
an, year. mill .o,o ,bos. sour nuo., o...o.
you Will unu Iuey are lne lOlnS OF the
Union. They must always remain the great
centre of the nation, because of the boundless
resources they contain.
Now in these States were 10633312 inhabi-
tants, according to the last census. OF course
they have greatly increased, but they are tue
last statistics l have had. l took the four
leading denominations to see how they have
been acting in regard to these four important
States; Methodist Baptist Presbyterian, and
the Protestant Episcopal churches. ] deemed
II not fair to bring the Congreg gational church in
this list because their strength is mainly in New
England, and comparison outside would not
be a fair test But II is more than just to the
Protestant Episcopal Church, for the wealth of
their great corporation in New York has given
them their greatest influence in that State by
far greater than any where else. 1t was emil
nently fair to the Presbyterian Church to take
Pennsylvania, because Presby yterianlsm was
planted here by Witherspoon from Scotland 1t
there was large branch OF the Baptist popula-
tion in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia.
which colOniZed IN that State.
The Methodist Church. IN any case of the
comparison, had the disadvantage of laboring
under inauspicious circumstances. l took
pains to run over the figures before came here
this evening, and found there was 1915 Metho-
dist churches, 2093 Baptist churches, 1926
Presbyterian churches, and 774 Protestant
Episcopal churches; giving the Baptists Pres
byterians, and the Episcopahans 4493 altogether,
and giving the Methodists 1872 more than them
| all. ] merely cite these facts to show the re.
lative position In which the churches stand
throughout the nation, and in these four great
GENITAL States in particular.
In reference TO the movements OF this Society,"
As / said, the Church Extension work is no ne W
thing; but II must be obvious TO you my hearers,
| thatwhere Church has such an immense interest
as this II is matter OF the first importance that
oh ho 1aH flu