New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-02-20
GROWTH OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

DIR. HUGH MILLER THoMPsoN's REPLY TO DIR. r. C.
EwER-IisTs or COMMuNICAST5 RARELY COR
RECT-THE PEOPLE OBJ The LORD NOT TO DE
NUMBERED.
To me Editor OF The Tribune.
SIR: Some time ago / was rednested to nd
dress a meeting OF clergymen. addressed them Ic-
cordnsly The subject OF my address as tlo obstacles
TO Church growth. report Of the Address war PUG
ono OF tho wspapers. much perverted ana Ia"
OF errors and displayed with head lines, 40 rs 10 GiVo
meaning the reverse IN some things, Of what wps m
tended md O sensational eE 90 which vas utterly
foreign to tho Address and 20 purpose by esteemed
friend Dr. Ever will appreciate tJo situation wlsn
decline utterly any responsibility for that report At
the same time am quite willing 10 slender the re-
s6Onsiby of the statement which he disputes IL re-
cent letter Ia THE rRIBUNE
Whatever he the causes, whether Ham rIgDt OF "ro"K
IN my opinion about them, tho iGct "a the Church mas
slce 1867 80 1t grew from le'o 10 lSO" No"
quito agree with brother that In one vie" tAls Vi
10 account Truth does not depend on count OF heads
Like myself DR.. gcr believes Che Church OF which we
are presbyers 70 be Gods Church Ia this land whether
It grows as last "a would like not aud believing
IL TO he ID vine InsiItuhOn and not human. DO not
understand tho seDsitlyoBess Displayed Dy some "nyn
ia grow h IL discussed. There some wuo soe 70
ne an xious 10 show that Church Is always growing
faster tbln other bodies that faot were 1ne edt
al t9 az II i were rious to tho Church high
treason 10 her claims. For SELF believing te Cnucn
no neceS.ty for boa,tns about grown
II one we're "buillnS stock, IN waist
tney are That tho CIurcn IL growing there IS no que
non That sue Is not growing as tbose VINO Ove he As
oicst,on oGrr am sai. SIZED 40 never can grow fi,t
enough ~ either Of uo-Of couc-e meih IA rItt
"sIntei by numDers which, we b,.b recognise - me
bes. But when spoke Of eFo",t meant the conino"'
DE- Ever gives contluyiOSs. reached from ex-
aA1at.ons ami coliauon' Of aInana;' aMd var
BOOKS. and counts by commandments; mhot tssr
uas u,d much experience III statistics KnOT suat
a cont on that D4.is is most uncertain Lists o.
commandments very rarely acCUrdtelF Kept t"y"k
mach NOW taan formerly by op!ilon' -
pressed IT, was founded on the riHfn, 0i there "a no
States CensIs by Churches and sltlHs'i iHe, n
tdUlp vi membership for any rel 9ious ooJ k'Se
coriIs 10 the census rom 10Y ~
brsvccu ~ ciui ches ia 1850 ana 2s III 1850 an an Ia
OF eFe' sbou emu 80 SA'' per e ecat 1870
We increased from 2l5 clur"1n, % 2oJl-ioo
% per cent OF churches aud little o'r y Sc@, ..
s,tiiuss Here. Dy the CO Isus tne Ia u &c.. o'
stsw'h keep' up relatively |itn aa iorci f ~ ]
ion OF Lte consequence, tn. eed,y u ,is =. iea
yers previous The cures here arc from Ae census ro-
turns, and deal wiih mat9rs on ;ml aiii tangible.
ner ia certaiLIy 10 reach Ia, actual growth so
surely and satisfactorily as To count tue cnurches QUIZ
aud the stlugs suppled. Why ms Conclusion sAoud
are very tIckiish thing, AMI need careful htDding
am moro disposed 10 rasttne triued tltstcians n tho
{ ..Inlls
suen very carelc,sy Ordered thlDg, as oar diocesan
epur, NtytT beess, Tor one iloment,
ll refer latest uSure3 IN Dir. whitaker anna
aqs In 1873, Clergy, $685. IN 1874, $685. increase. 25
Ia 1873 baptIsns, 3SS2; IA 1874 4ol6 increase 3Ol4
CuurmatIOns Lcreas .rOul 1873 " 1914, gJ lcIeaso
ia same OF COMMITMENTS. is $50. (Ih-.3 last
knres sow the of such stdttstos
impos -ible, with Increase Uf only yJl conJfuoI'
thatOver 1900 saOuid nave been adde 10 Tie c1m-
mupOn Any chugchmln can seq thit tnere j, q us
crcpaucy) Increase Ordiuaous, Ii decrease III o!u-
Ill iAtcs IVr orders, g. - -,,
We ara safe M L. king tho lists OF clergy and candi
dates aud the lsUles OF tne cOUtrmed from 20 alma
Lat, OF commandments have discrep incto1 always Whc9
make Them Ih5 nlluDer VI CHURCHES thr NUN
Der OF clergy Number vi pcrsOI- cJhhtiuri Tue
ulDcr OF Orders, dro tue de OASIS I)r
an EXAMINATION o! growth. The reported uu'nOcr oi
communicates al Ways guess"OrA; souenes,l tuhA,
over the auty; IN Old days, far uAier IT, loo veY
well knOwn IeasOus. do uOt muCi believe Ia - num-
herring tho people OF tue Lord' Al duy case from
DLvi, TIL the UNDERTAKING mas never Ooea
success -
LII ue say IN conclusion, do NOT care enough ABOUT
this to arr Bat do not believe IL VA 40 Ca ifc'i-
u,ne OF the census fo 1870 Whether the CLdOd stO"s
decade another BOT AFTER al ~ tic
first consequence. TIC long days OF TIM are toys oHo
tue daughter q. this day. 0ut OF the ages. ne
number Of the haiIes together" was VncJ Od!y y AZ
hundred and twcuD," ami yet they cODqlerc inc
Roman Jplre IN Three ceDtItlcs! DeNeVt. Afl atn
inJ friend Brother believes VITA ih', That
Whatsoever the Church shall arise % tue grandeur Il ner
day aud her calling thu Dlyige spouse 81 mist,
early iait1 VIII again early victories AZ 1 same
the, ucuOt hot we equally agreo mat fof h4cu ana
ms wise To face the iacts anu take
good LOOK .rOunt anu ahead.
AeIc- Tor Feb. IL. 1878. HIGH MILLER THOMSON.