The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1873-04-18
The Drift Of Religious rcndcn.

INC - i'lh tshSn> presents some Va
lerestinx sIaslscsl ntorna,ioa ia te::ap
to the vsrious religions denomination
In the I nitesi States. which wc tin.l tai
niatet iu the New York World showi la
their GROWN aud development durin,
The last twenty wears. The figures ar
interesting IN their presentation OF sue
cinct cataloge Of bewilslered sccts. an,
Us showing the direction Of the religion
tendencies OF the day.
FIom the summary made we lear,
that'whiie the number ut churches ha,
not doubled from 1850 to 1870. and th,
membership has only increased about u
per cent. the church property has NOR,
than quadrupled in the same period
showing steadily increasing departure
from the apostolic simplicity. 1t will
further be noticed that none Of the de-
nominations have lose in property,
though a goodly number have suffered
III point OF membership. To hold its
own with the growth Of population a
denomination must have added &C per
cent. to its membership between 1850
and 1870. and p per cent. between 1860
and 1870. Tried by this standard. the
regular Baptist have fallen short about
% per cent, but the irreglar Baptists
lHard-shells Complexities, Ncw-lirhts.
&c..) all of them revivalists and profess
sing more sensational forms of doctrine
are far above the average, having sextu-
pied in the period. The Congregation
slisfs have trebled their properly, but
have only increased their membership
- per cent, showing decline of nearly
80 per cent. The Protestant Episcopa-
lians have also trebled their property
ana added ~ per cent. their member
snip. This growth, however. has been
ch!eny fostered by the ritnalists, and is
principally upon the emotional side Of
the church. The spirit has evidently
ceased to move the Fviends, who finan-
cialiy thrifty, have increased their dol
lars from $l.713.767 to $3.939.56O but
nave reduced the number of their
churches by sixty and their membership
Oy over 5000. The Quakers have an
parently suffered in spiritul regards by
the communicating influences of the late
war, and they who were once the Wild
est and most unreasoning of fanatics are
now still and stagnant as Bethesda
pool when the angel that stirred il was
away on other business. The Jewish
churches have increase their member.
ship from 1872 to 1926. but this il
chiefly If not entirely by immigration.
Tho growth Of the Lutherans. about sol
or W per cent in two decades, is also to
be attributed principally TO the large
emigration of North Germans. The
Methodist have raised their estate from
S14,UOOO0 to near $4,000, and their
membership has Increased about SO per
cent The bulk OF this increase, how
ever, was chronicled in the census of
1850. since that date. while their prop
erty has more than doubled, their mem.
oership mas increased only about 4 per
cent, showing that they are Is per cent.
below their status in 1880. They have. 4
perhaps, more than made up in social
influences ,and political sway, and are
very likely quite contented with the
outlook. Camp-meetings, revivals, and
the doctrine Of sanctification (Which is
fair offset for Immaculate conception
and the Papal inf;sliibility doginas Of the
Catholics) will continue to give them n
powerful hold upon the emotional side !
OF the people among whom they prose-
iyte. The Moravians have gone down
70 almost nothing, but the United Breii,-
rem, reforming schismatsts from the
Moravian fold, hold their own much
peter than most denominations. The
Mormans have grown from lO.8OO to
1855; and those pure and unworldly
Splritualists, the Swedenborgians. have c
more than trebled their membership.
out, alas, their property has increased
seven-f0ld, and we tremble for the Swe-
cenborgians. The Presbyterians. old
and new SCHOOLS combined, have ONLY
increased their membership about 90
per cent. but their property has aug
mented 35o per cent The Dutch and
herman Reformed have grown largely.
put chiefly immigration. Immigration b
has contributed largely TO the growth
OF the Catho Ole Church, the membership
Of which Is Threshold as great MS It was
IN 1ooO, while its property has increased
ex-fOId. What has most helped the
Catholic propaganda in this country.
however, is its unbending, underwriting
dogmatism, which 90 firmly asserts it.
self to be right that sthe attitude alone
serves to make others feel themselves
wrong and desire to rest in the shelter
Of this rock. which they know will not
move, whatever else gives place.
The Second Adventists, who totally (
discard history, science, experience. and
such tribes, and guide themselves by the
inner light, have Increased nearly seven
fold In membership and nearly thirty
fold in this worlds gear. The SharkersI
have added as per cent. to their mem
bership, but this growth was principally
during the war, when a good many men
OF pacific. disposition would naturally