Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1873-04-19
Spiritual and Material Progress Of the
Churches.

The ninth census presents some in
tercsting facts showing the develop
ment and growth of religious denomi-
nation in the United States during
the past two decades. 1t is shown
that in that time, while the member
ship has only increased 81 per cent,
church property has more than quad
rupled, showing a steady increasing
departure from the apostolic simplic-
ity. None of the denominations seem
to have lost IN property. though num-
Der have suffered in point of member
ship. To hold its own with the growth
of population a denomination must
have added 66 per cent. to IT'S member
ship between 1850 and 1870, and % per
cent. between 1860 and 1870 Tried
by this standard. the regular Baptists
have fallen short about 80 per cent,
but the irregular Baptists Hard
shells. Complexities. New-lights, &C.
are far above the average, having sex
tupled in the period. The Congrega-
tionalists have trebled their property,
but have only increased their MEM
bership 80 per cent. showing decline
of nearly 30 per cent The Protestant
Episcopalians have also trebled their
property and added 30 per cent. to
their membership. This growth, how
ever, has been chiefly fostered by the
ritualists, and is principally upon the
emotional side of the church. The
spirit has evidently ceased to move the
Friends, who, financially thrifty, have
increased their dollars from 81, 713, 767
to So, 939, $50, but have reduced the
number of their churches by sixty,
and their membership by over $1,000.
The Qaakers have apparently suffered
in spiritual regards by the cOntamina-
ting influence of the late war The
Jewish churches have increased their
membership from 1881 to 73, 265, but
this is chiefly if not entirely by immi-
grafton The growth of the Luthe-
rams, about so or 80 per cent, in two
decades, is also to be attributed prin-
cipally to the large immigration of
North Germans. The Method;sts have
raised their estate from : 81, 600, 900,
to near $4,000, 600, and their member
ship has increased about 30 per cent.
The bulk of this increase, how
ever, was chronicled in the census of
1860 Since that date, while their
property has more than doubled, their
membership has increased only about
4 per cent, showing that they are IS
per cent. below their status in 1860.
The Moraviaas have gone down to al
most nothing, but the United Breth-
rem, reforming schismatists from the
Moravian fold, hold their own much
better than most denominations. The
Mormons have grown from 10000 to
81 ,S3S; and those pure and unworldly
Spiritualists, the Swedenborgians, have
more than trebled their membership,
but their property has increased seven
fold. The Presbyterians, Old and
New Schools combined, have only in
creased their membership about 30
per cent, but their property has aug
mepted $50 per cent. The Dutch and
German Reformed have grown largely,
bat chiefly by immigration. Immi-
grafton has contributed largely to
the growth of the Catholic Church, the
membership oil which is three-fold as
great as it was in 1850, while its prop
erty has increased six-fold
The Second Adventists, who totally
discard history, science, experience
and such trifles, and guide themselves
by the inner light, have increased
nearly seven-fold in membership, and
nearly thirty-fold in this worlds gear
The Shakers have added IS per cent.
to their membership, but this growth
was principally during the war, when a
good many men of pacific disposition
would naturally become Shakers in
view of the frequent drafts, and the
more readily that this sect was prac-
tieally exempt from military duty.
The Spiritualists are reported as hav-
ing increased their churches from II to
Is, and their membership from 6,275
to $50 since 1860 They have, how
ever, 95 organizations, and large class
of believers and semi-converts who are
ashamed to confess their belief
The Unitarians are virtually at stand
still in membership, though much
richer in money, and the Universalists
have declined largely in members, al
though their estate has trebled in
value.-NashuiHe Banner.