Smyrna times., 1877-02-28
American Churches
AS VIEWED AND REVIEWED IN ENGLAND.

Churches in the United States" in the
London Quarterly RevicV, is generally read
! IN England, it may correct many strange
impressions that there prevail in regard tc
our ecclesiastical affairs.
After alluding to the elaborate statistical
eXhit of Evangelical Christianity in the
United States that is published as an Ap
| pendix in the volume of Records of the
Evangelical Alliance in New York, the
| following is given according to the censu:
returns for 1870:
Methodists, 6,52S,OOO; Baptists, 1850,
OOO; Presbyterians of various classes, in.
Guiding the German and Dutch Reformed
| 100000; Roman Catholics, 100000
Congregational, l,l77,2l2; Episcopalians,
99l ,O5l; Lutherans, 977,3 1882; Christians, $685.
COZ; Friends, 224,6G4; Universalists, 2l0,-
SS4; Cnitarians, l55,47l; besides minor
sects."
Amid all this varied religions activity and
denominational vigor, the writer is most
impressed with the progress and triumphs
Of Methodism, speaking of the Methodist as
par e.ccelleace the American Church, and in
dicating many of the reasons for this extra
ordinary development:
1t is often eXcelled both in culture and
In power Of a certain kind by some of the
other Churches; excelled sometimes by
Congregatlonalism, sometimes by Presby-
terlanism, and again sometimes by Anglo
American Episcopacy; it is, on the whole,
IN proportion to its numbers and its
popular hold, eXcelled in high social and
even political influence by all the denomi-
nations we have named. But it is abso-
IuteIy more powerful as Church, it posses.
ses more ecclesiastical wealth and pr0Derty.
and 1t has more diifused influence in the
community than any of them"
vi the wide diffusion of the Baptists the
writer says:
"Like Methodism, they have had the
advantage of using to the Htermost Law
gifts and services. No scruple about col
Iege learning or ministerial training has
stood in the way of their advances. A
separate Baptist church can spring up any
where and find a pastor in some speaking
lay brother. Such rough and ready
system is well adapted to large proportion
OF the American people, especially to
strong-opinioned and unlettered farmers.
who love cheap religion and detest any
thing that savors of form or dainty cul-
ture.'
OF the Presbyterans he says:
Next to Methodism, among correctional
or collective churches, Presbyterianism has
spread itself widely and successfully through
the States. This has been very much, no
doubt, owing to the original tenacity and
hdellty of the Presbyterian settlers and
pioneers, who took their PRESBYTERIAN
principles with them wherever they went.
Sometimes they had at first to put up with
Methodism-in default OF anything more
like their own denomiEation-and after
wards became attached to it; but if possible,
and as far as possible, they, as a rule, adj
hered to their Presbyterianism. Hence
churches were founded in the wilderness.
and woven into networks Of synodcal con.
nectlon round about influential centres
lhus Presbyterianism has spread inland
and Tar away westward from the central
seabord States, and is found very power
fully developed through the States Of New
York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and still
further south, and all through the valleys
OF the Ohio and Mississippi In some cen.
tres-as in St. -Presbyterianism is
more than a rival to Methodlsm."
The article closes with paragraph on
the growth of the Episcopal Church. its
prospects in the West its strength in
many OF the large cities, and adds:
unfortunately, developed Ritualism is
its curse, especially in the fashionable
churches Of the East, and its discipline
enforces a law of exclusiveness as regards
other Churches not less arrogant, and in.
tolerant than the utmost p1etensions
known in this country, coupled, at the
same time, with a power and reach of
syn0dal inquiry and control of which moth
ing as yet is known in our own Established
Church; enforces it, too, equally on the
ministers and in the Churches of America
and the foreign mission-fed-in New York
or Wis Chang, in Milwaukee or Jeddo."
Although these sketches may not convey
any new impressions to our readers, they
may be of interest and value in showing
how the great facts Of our religious history
are seen and understood by those who look
at them from across the ocean. 1t is GER.
tainly very pleasant and encouraging to
have them thus fully presented and reviewed
without a line or word that is not appreci
ative and sympathetic.-N. Y. Observer.