The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-11-14
Progress Of Professionalism i'm
the United States.
from Harper's MeckIY.l

The notion of the decline of PrOtes-
tantlsm seems to have been adopted by
some OF our leading journals without q
careful examination of the facts, and
Tarl0usremedies or explanations are off
cred for condition Of things that has
no existence except in fancy. 1t is not
true that Professionalism shows any signs
of decadence. We are able to affirm that
within the past ten years nearly all the
Protestant bodies have shown an ex-
traordlnary increase. If we take as an
example the Lutheran Church, which
owes much OF its progress to immigra-
tlon, we find that i'll 1850 it numbered
1881 churches; in 1860, 1898, in 1870, 3032
church organizations. In other words,
III twenty years the churches of this sin
gle Protestant denomination have near
" trebled. The number of its sittings
ia 977,332 Indicating a church connection
OF nearly million of w0rshipers, If not
one still more extensive. The Protestant
Episcopal denomination is little less
progressive. In 1850 it had 1859; in 1860,
2145; and in 1870, 2601 church editices or
organizations. And as it is probable
that the earlier returns were somewhat
exaggerated compared with the more
careful inquiries of the present census,
the rate Of its increase is probably more
rapid than the record seems to show. Of
the great Baptist body, which is noted
tor its energy and its adaptability to all
classes of the people, we have q still
more remarkable account. In 1920 its
churches numbered 1876; in 1850, II 1921 :;
in 1870 its organizations were according
to the returns of the census, 14,474; ac-
COrdlng TO its own records, over 10000.
Thus five thousand Baptist churches, by
their own account, have sprungup with
III the past ten years, or ut the rate of
nearly one and One-half day. Five
hundred Baptist congregations are form
ed every year. The Methodists are
equally progressive, and even more nu
mero9s. aoh They y had a in $780, 1892 chur-
ches; IN 1850, 1883; and in 1870 their
organizations are given at the extraor-
dinary number Of 25,278. They too,
therefore, during the past ten years must
have created churches or church or.
carnations at the rate of nearly two
day. The idea, therefore, of any decay
or even check III the progress Of PrOtes-
tant1Sm among us must be at once dis
missed. 1t advances with renewed
vigOr.
1nspiritual matters, the advance of RO-
manism is far less rapid, Notwithstand-
ing its immense aid from foreign i'm
migration, while the growth of PrOtes-
tantism results chiefly from now con-
versions among the native population
The Roman Catholic Church. organiza-
tions numbered in 1870 only 4121 to 1850
i'll 1860. It is true, each one of these
churches attracts probably far larger
congregation than most of the PrOtes-
tant, yet it we withdraw from Roman
ism the stimulus of immigration, it
would plainly make but slow progress
compared to its evangelical rivals. It's
whole strength lies in what it bOrrows
from European sources. But the most
remarkable, and perhaps most alarming
trait OF ROmanism among us is the en0r-
nous INCREASE Of its wealth. Within
twenty years. compared with the num-
Der of its church organizations, it has be-
come the richestof all the denominations.
It's property in that period has increased
six-fOld. It's value is returned in 1870 at
S60,985, ,565 in 1860 it was but 1896, 1853
The Methodist denomination is the only
one that surpasses it, and no Protestant
body can pretend to rival its wonderful
capacity for accumulation. When we
reflect that this vast property is held by
the Roman bishops, under the supervis-
sion of their European head and that
within the next ten years, if it preserve
the same rate of increase, it will be near
ly trebled, we must look with natural
distrust upon the concentration of SO
vast a power in a single body or caste.