Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1870-01-19
Watphman s. Journal.
wEpNEspAY, JANUARY 10. $50.
TKRns-t2.o per year strictly in advance or $3.50
ifnut paid within three months.
MethOdiSm and ROmaniSm.

Az the date oil the last Ocnaus lhe pVluia-
ton Of the country numbered some thirty-hyo
millions Of souls Since then we have passed
through great war, which has consumed
more than a million lives, and has interrupted
immigration and prevented the natural in.
crease of population, so that the next Census
will hardly show so great an increase eithor
absolutely or relatively as the last one. The
statistics Of 1870 will not be so far apart from
those of 1860, as they would have been had
the country been at peace, and had the great
tidal stream Of population from the Old
World been flowing without interruption.
And it is doubtless true that the increase Of
our population will not be so rapid in the
future. As wealth and luxury and vice in
crease, the ratio of the increase Of population
diminishes. But however this may be, no
one can doubt that the growth Of the country
is destined to be rapid and vigorous. The
child that is born to-day may live to see be-
tween the Atlantic and Pacific, between the
Lakes and the Gulf, greater population than
that which now crowds the continent Of Eu-
rope.
1t is an interesting enquiry then; what
shall be the religion Of the struggling masses
Of so great multitude VIII they be with
out any religious belief and action7 Is the
life Of our country in the future to be simply
the development Of an outspoken intolerant
materialism, or is it to be peryaded by the
spirit and power Of Christianity? Is it to
be Railroads.&c. or Evangelical, or Romans
tic2 viii it be the religion Of the reason,
or the religion of the Gospel, or the religion
Of ritual and the senses Will it be con.
glomerate, a composite structure where each
will check and limit the other2 Or will
some new thought and principle chrystalize
into form and organism and constitute the
new church Of the future, or will one Of the
structures already existing, be enlarged and
adapted to the coming time2 If the former,
no one can doubt that it will be church dis
carding the principle and discipline Of Chris
tianity; and ifthe latter, the query naturally
rises, which one of the existing churches will
be the one that will emerge into a wider aud
higher life, and rally to itself as a nucleus the
forces of Christian faith and truth ?
There are two such organizations which
from their numbers, their system and their
completeness, deserve attention in the answer
to such a question They are both resolute,
aggressive and daring. They are both Epis-
copal in FORM and their members are enrolled
in system which is centralzing and effective.
The one is the Roman Catholic, the other is
the Methodist. The former is the most com
plete and perfect in its machinery has its
members well in hand and under constant
and vigorous drill, and relies more upon the
force of the system than upon the power Of
ideas, sympathy with education or the cul-
ture and intelligence of the masses The lat
ter is the most vital and evangelical, by no
means destitute Of an efficient and powerful
organization yet holding that organization
tributary to the indwelling spirit and life.
What is the relative position Of these two
churches or what was it according to the
census tables of 1860, the latest we have :
Aud what indications of the future may be
derived from the statistics CLEANED from these
Whatever may have been the changes in the
last ten years in these two churches, they
have maintained very nearly the same rela-
tive position If there is any advantage it
is to the Methodist, In 1860, the Roman
Catholics had ., $50 churches, with accomoda-
tons for one million and half Of people and
with church property valued at nearly
twenty-eight millions Of dollars. The Meth
odists hadabout 10000, churches with church
Accommodations for six millions and half of
people and with church property valued at
some thirty-four millions of dollars. These
two Churches outrank any other in numbers
and in property devoted to the use of the
Church. and together own more than one
third in value of all the ecclesiastical pro-
perty in the United States. These figures
may not be perfectly accurate in themselves,
but they give pretty nearly the relative posi-
ton Of the two Churches, and il is safe to say
that the members of the Methodist Church
greatly surpass in wealth the members Of the
Catholic Church. 1t true that it has not
and cannot have that exhaustive system of
taxation which distinguishes the Roman sys-
tenn, and which enables it to do on poor and
barren soil such miracles of church building
as it attempts and accomplishes. But its
voluntary system of giving may inure more
to the benefit and enlargement of the interior
and spiritual church. What ii loses in con-
troll of the pockets of its adherents it gains
in control over their consciences and hearts.
II cannot build so magnificent Cathedrals,
but il can build and fill more smaller aud less
expensive houses of worships The average
cost Of the Roman Churches is sl0,501 -
The average cost of the Methodist Churches
is 81 $50. The numbers who attend the re-
ligious services held in the latter, is four
times greater than in the former The az
gregate cost is very nearly the same in both
cases. Romanism seems to use its taxes to
dazzle the senses with its magnificent and
gorgeous Cathedrals and Churches Method
ism, to furnish means to engage in and carry
on its spiritual warfare, and recruit under its
standards the souls of men, The former de-
votes its revenues to enhance the pageantry
of splendid ritual the latter to the reli-
gious instruction and enlightenment of the
largest possible number of individuals. Which
of these two Churches will win the day in
moral and spiritual and even in political in.
auence, in country that is governed like ours
| hy tho raorla he. Al III