The New York herald., 1868-03-08
RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.
RELIGION IN THE UNITED STATES.

AAxj4Q4UOO 4Iv 440A4QlxvO O1s
RELIGION IN THE UNITED STATES.
->~~-----------~~----~---
The present position, influence and tendencies
of various religious sects are of general inter-
est. Our churches doubtless accomplish much
good, but no one can avoid the belief that for the
capital invested, the number and character of the
workers employed and the facilities of operation,
they are not as efficient as might be expected.
With over sixty thousand religious teachers, and,
it may be fairly supposed, seventy thousand houses
OF religious worship In which o capital of over
$20O,0O0,00O is invested, we naturally look for
large results.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CHURCHES.
Although we have multiplicity of sects six of
them principally embrace those Of our people who
make religious profession. The Roman Catholic
Church is too well known everywhere to need any
special delineation. Its claims are exclusive and
does not condescend for moment to submit to
comparison with others. The other denominations,
if less dogmatic, nevertheless each claims mo-
nopoly of excellences. The Episcopal Church
elicitates itself on the apostolic succession of its
ministry, the exquisite propriety of its services
and the tendency of the tide of fashion to Its fold
The ministry occupies position of greater dignity
than in any other Protestant communion, and
though outside the large cities the salaries
are not better than in other churches, yet the
ranks of its ministry are constantly receiving ac-
cessions from the clergy of other denominations.
In fact, it is one Of the common arguments of
Episcopaians in proof of the superiority of their
Church, that 80 large proportion of its clergy
were originally Presbyterian or Methodist. The
Methodists, while they make no such special pre-
tension as Episcopalians, claim for themselves q
remarkable adaptation to the great work churches
should do. Beyond all others they have the merit
of organization, and at the same time fexbility
which adapts itself to all exigencies. They pride
themselves on being the Church of the people,
and have undoubtedly more of solidarity and
unity of effort with both clergy and laity than
any other communion. The leading minds
among them have a better knowledge of
every day human nature and more tact in
managing all kinds of people than any other. The
ministry are well drilled i'll their own tenets, and
having nowadays very little of the. cant of the
Reverend Stiggins sort which Dickens portrays,
cultvates a bon honlnie in general society which
contributes much to the growth of the Church.
The Baptists have much of the earnestness of the
Methodists and partake in large measure of their
1exibility. The independence of their congrega-
tions OF each other and the absence Of anything
vast amount of strength to lie dormant. No people
are more conscientious in what they believe Scrip
tural truth and none more morbidly sensitive to
adverse criticism. Though lacking the organza-
ton and combination OF the Methodsts, their
strong conviction of the Importance of their pecu-
liarities causes them to have much aggres-
siveness. They have some families of large
wealth, and rs general thing probably the mass
of their adherents are slightly above the average
of Methodists in worldly respectability The
Presbyterians, in all their branches, have, more
than any other so-called evangelical" denomi-
nation, q thoroughly learned ministry, but the
comparative secusion of college life causes many
of their clergy on the commencement of clerical
life to be exceedingly "grecn" with regard to
popular habits Of thought and action. As whole,
there is probably, take the country through, more
intellectual culture in Presbyterian congregations
than others. Professional men more com
monty identified with them than with other
churches. The Presbyterian churches have
always been marked by propriety and solidity, and
have rendered no mean service in promoting
conservative spirit both in Church and
State. The Congregaionasts, in their estima.
the Presbyterians. Until within recent period
their strength has been altogether in New Eng
land, and their pulpits have been rather remarka
bic for the discussion Of political themes The
to those who sicken under the mere platitudes In
which SO many 'evangelicap' clergy indulge. With
o very earnest conviction of the capabilities of
human nature and great interest in all phian-
thropic endeavor, they make their mark on many
6f the best minds of the country. The Unitarians
generally are weather. and more cultivated than
the Universalists. They profess great catholicity
of spirit, and prefer to be known as Liberal
Christians" 1t is very common propensity with
them to claim all men who have given evidences
of originality of thought as more in harmony with
them than the churches in which they have lived
and died. Other Protestant churches are jealous
Of this disposition to covet the best gifts Of their
dead men.
COMPARATIVE NUMBERS.
The almanacs and other sources of information Of
various religious bodies would seem to indicate the
membership of the various churches to be about as
follows:-The Roman Catholic Church has probably
million and o half of actual communicates. In
the Methodist churches of all branches, South and
North, white and colored, there are abont $50 900
in communion. The regular Baptists have men,
bership considerably exceeding a million, and in
all their varieties they come very near to 100000.
The Presbyterans, including the Reformed, late
Dutch Church, have in all their various branches
about zoe, 900 members. The Congreg egationalists
have about one-third as many as the Presbyterian
family. The Episcopal Church claims 1s0, 900 COM
municants. The Lutherans and other chiefly Ger
man churches have about 400, 900 in membership.
The Quakers have 100000. The Unitarians and
Universalists do not report their numbers, but az
they have about 1000 societies it il probable
they might claim a membership Of over 100, 900
were they reckoned as other denominations. so
far population is concerned il will probably be
found that the relative number Of adherents may
be reckoned as follows:-
Roman Catholics a, 500 900
Methodists. q, ,00O 900
Presbyterians. 2, 500, 600
Congregati0nastS.. ,000, 900
Epscopaiis. ................... VVOVUO
Unversalists and Untarans. ns............ ,000, 900
Lutheran and other foreign Protesants... 900
This gives q grand total of 70, 1000, and yet,
according TO the latest return of the population Of
the United States--Sl ,429 ,S91-it will show that
more than one-thrd of our people not even
nominally identified with any church and as
these statistics are much later than those Of the
census, II may be Judged that nearly one-haf of
our people, men, women and children, are not of
the church-goin order.
PROGRESS OF THE CHURCHES.