New-York tribune., 1875-02-27
RELIGIOUS DISCUSSION. 4
opowrp OF TgE EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

GROWTH OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
DR. f. C EwERs REPLY 10 DR. H. NJ iho"r'0''
70 ne BdstoF of rae Ir'o*"e.
SIR: Nv reverend brother, Dr. lhompson'
u nj. letter which You published last Saturday remarks
aha, no "a willing 10 assume the responsibility OF 'ne
a,en,ent called IN question by me. This statements Us
understood t was that the Episcopal 'hurcn n"u o'
velatvely crown fast as our population uuii"e ~
swo neroJs OF the Tractarian aud the Oa'noho oAoe
uents showed, on the other hand tnse 'no ""hoo,
=, nor communicates reported by her clergy nao
,.a.sad both daring the last decade and dofinR
rr.ctarian times in q much greater rauo thau o"i
,onulaton But my esteemed friend now compares .ue
,rovth of the Church in the last ten years. no. wiz"
that Of the population, but with her own CROWN III INC
,rey,ous decade-quite q different thug However as
70 this have already exhibited the fact that 80 far as
r. ..mvnp,cants are concerned, she has not only in
ereasad faster Than the population, but has also main
tanned in the last ten years the same rate OF gro"'"
.he held In the previous ten years. and furthermore
that this s thing unprecedented since she mas hc'or
held her own in this respect until the last decade
But nv reverend brother 1t seems objects to my thus
taking the increase of communicates as basis on "en
70 estimate Church growth He would have me take tne
nnu,her OF new churches instead as more accurate
,est Of increase The why did mos take s9e ne
number Of churches aud why o9 ! SHOULD SUN ue'hne
prsi: Churches differ very much in siEe ana tne
number Of ones Is, therefore, an unsafe suuo W
stoondiv: Churches are unequsly occupied large
sburch may have comparatively small How are
NE TO Judge then by the number OF ehurchesI .,. a,
7hy: 1t is notorious that while tb M an over
supply OF Christian churches Ihere Is Jus. @ I9m tbs
sc,naI demands Then again. hard flush times enter
~ an element 10 restrain or facilitate the eeeSn ea "a
sevrcSes are allowed to grow. and the young rural
parishes continue vorshping In halls TIL money ,e
~ Son,d he strange indeed II as much money were
freely given for Church building as ten years ago wnen
values were expanding And good reason IS there lor
me Smtnuon in Church building which DIR. Thompson
pointed out. In short the number Oh cnurenes so ~
the land s element which huctuates more OF Iess
sbout the steadily advancing MAGNITUDE Oh our co"-
Dunion , ..,-ou A.. ,rr,hor ~ s,t
tngs in the new churches better test OF growth
than the number Of communicants But tne oplec.on
20 this ia that while involves oil the uncer tnues
lust stated except the first 1t adds another whcn even
the number OF churches did not present FOR no!wn ~
sfandjng the reports Of agents the NUMBER OF
rttings is after ALL guesswOrk and subject TO more per
turbations than the number OF communicates lug Sh
ans agent asks the cergym how many his cnurch
seats and he gets his answer AND IL Is rare Una,
however this may be- men differ If they enter into
mathematical calculation; some assigning elghteeu
inches TO person Others Two zee, VIII orrT,uen an
peighborng city how many their church seated. Boh
gave what they really thought were correct answers ,
One said TOO the other little over OO counted tue
seats and t6e tOtai capacity was 64S: -, &c.,,
Imust equally decline 10 accept the number OF elergy
A. safe basis on which to estimate church growth II
s that some years ago there were 400 OF our
mari
than her clergy on the other hand sometimes there
are many clergymen without work. Besides there are
causes other than Church growth whlcn come IN 10
Govern more or less steady increase Of clergy with
the OF the Church The higher cost OF nylng
mseraby low salaries, and the varying temptations OF
other pursuits are disturbing elements Again large
churches cities may grow while, as tney MI up Tue
clergy that serve them do not increase IN number On
fhe other hand, many small wooden churches may go
np in rural districts all over the land and the number
OF clergy not in proportion to the number OF
ehurchmen, but 10 The number OF localities where small
bodies ehurchmen may have gathered For THESE and
& falQl i'm hat
Is also an element which huctuaes about the regularly
increasing magnitude Of the Church. 1t Is In some
sense, and in the long run, perhaps, standard OF
growth as the number of churches and OF sittlngs
but they all rough and inexact tests ..
But my reverend friend not only states that the
e inSge pS but aSo that the numSer
persons confirmed is further true basis Tor an e1ami-
nation OF growth" that number being accurately re-
ported by the Bishops Let us test them by this And
assert that whether we compare the Church
with the population or the Churcn WIN hersei sue WIN
she by falling behind. We have no full re-
OF combinations from 1861 70 1865 Owing to the
late the Southern reports are not IN suppose we
rake then the seven years between 1854 and 1860 and
compare them with the last seven years
1854 and 1860 ipclnsive S8,634
1865 and 1874 inclusive l65027
The combinations during years previous 70
1864 were b2672 Thus according to Dr. Thompsons own
lest the Church bears the strain OF either comparison
Take II by population: . 400
From 1917 10 1858 there confirmed to 4Ss population.
@ @ sSs 1858 10 10 1874 here wss consr@ed to S5S pOpaaGsn
Or take the other way, comparing the Church to her
Rae Of
Rate 1883 1860 S47to 1858 only 69 cent
hot and religious discussion II s refreshing II one
must differ. 10 differ with one who acknowledges and
mother the Church that bore US In the waters
Of her baptism F.C.E
~ Igaatius Parish, Feb. %, 1876.