The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1874-12-23

THE CENSUS STATISTICS.

The last reported census taken by law was
in 1870. From one Of the volumes the fol-
loving facts are gathered.
The aggregate population of Virginia was
1,225l6 There we're 1852 church organ
izatiOus (of all denOminatiOns;) J ,405 church
sdifces; 765, 127 church sittings. While, in
taking the census Of 1870, there appears to
have been great minuteness Of detail, and
manifest efforts to secure, as far as praetiea-
Die, accuracy and correction, both in the
methods and fullness of enumeration, and
while the census of 1870 IS believed to be
more reliable than at former periods, ye:
there are grave variations between reports
Of 1860 and 1870. For in 1860, the church
es Cof all denominations in Virginia. were
S,105, and the accommodations were !, ,067,-
$40. Without here accounting for these
remarkable discrepancies, yet the census of
1870 is believed to be nearer the facts than
formerly For We can hardly believe that
there we're 700 less number of churches, and
SO2,71S less sittings, in 1870 than 1860.
Might it not be accounted for BY the fact that
in 1870, West Virginia was not inoluded2-ED.
CEN. PRES.
The denominatiOnal statistics of the Bap-
tis,, Christian, Episcopal, Lutheran, Metho-
DIST Presbyterian, Reformed Qate German
United Brethren, are reported. In every
county of Virginia there are church organ
izatiOns, from sixty-four in Norfolk county
TO FIVE in Warwick The Methodists have
I1,011 organizations, and 27O,617 sitting8.
The Baptists have $40 organizations, and
.256, $50 sithngs. Tue PresOyterians 204
lchurehes, and 70,065 sittings. The Bap-
fists had churches in every county except
Craig, Giles, Highland. The Methodists
have churches in every county except War
wick. In thirty eight counties, according
TO the census tables, there are no Pres5yte
lriaH church organizations. In Augusta there
are twelve Presbyterian churches. In Char
lOtte eleven. In Washington twelve. In
each Of the other counties, the reported
] Presbyterian churches are less than ten. In
fifteen counties only one Presbyterian church
is reported.
After hearing the report on EVangelistic
Labor made at the late Synod of Virginia,
at Winchester, the writer re-examined the
census reports. Brethren, very properly,
made corrections of any error in that excel
lent report. When the worthy Chairman
read Of whole counties, in which our Church
had no labOrers and no evangelist, the errors
appear Insignificant, when We look at the
figures above. If eveyy sitting of every de-
nomination in Virginia were occupied on the
Sabbath, there would be more than four hua-
drsa and sirty thousand people outside of
our churches. The population of Henrico
county, in 1870, was 66,179, (inchldjag the
city Of Richmond Of 51,O38.) If the &c.
640 sittings in Richmond and Henrico, of
al denominations were occupied on the Sab
bath, .. $50 would be "out in the cold"
It is more than one hundred gears, since
Samuel Davies preached and Presbyterian
churches were organized in Prince Edward
county; there is a Theological Seminary and
College in this county. It's population is
1900, its church sittings are 5000, the
Presbyterian churches afordiug 1900 of
these sittings, in its FIVE Of the tWenty-one
churches in the county.
Now We give these figures in no spirit of
crOaking. We believe that there are earnest
workers in every church in Virginia. We
are glad to believe that if any man will take
up the official reports from the Auditors
office, of the taxable property in Virginia
in 1860 and in 1870, and, along With these
documents, if he viii take reports from vari-
Gus denominations of the contributions Of
the churches and the w0rk done and the
results, be will find that the Church in Vir-
ginia is progressive, and the proportion of
contributions to property in 1870 is far
greater than in 1860, notwithstanding the
poverty of the people. But much yet re-
mains to be done, and there is a great field
for eyangelisdc and regular labor at home
as well as abroad. Let US worE and pray
for Gods blessing on cur labOrs. W.
PERsEvERING HoLNEss.--H Holiness con-