The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1880-08-07
For The Cecil Whig
Methodist IN the United States.
EY &C. MCABE.


but the statistics given hardly do justice
to the denomination. Doctor Mansfield
says: "The Methodist Church is not adj
vancing as rapidly rs many people sup
pose. We mean relatively"
He then compares the decade from 1850
to 1860 with the decade from 1860 to 1870
and in the matter of church building
makes an unfavorable showing. But
why stop at 1902 Ten wonderful years
have passed since then. The great war
was fought between 1860 and 1870. 1t
was costly war to our Church. Every
one of our pulpits gave its moral support
to the Government, and was. in reality. a
recruiting station for the army. Taught
III a little Ohio Church large Bible class
of young men. They all volunteered but
three, who We're too young to so. Many
congregations had only left to them the
women, the children, and the old men.
Consolidation was an absolute necessity
in many localities.
"boys came marching home" we set the
hammers ringing on the roofs of 4 thou
sand churches. And now offer for the
consideration of DR.. Mansfield the fol-
lowing facts: speak of the Methodist
Episcopal Church alone. The gain in
church buildings from 1868 to 1878 was
4,954, which gain is only 80 churches
short of being equal to the whole num-
Der of churches owned by the Presbyter-
ian denomination in 1878. This increase
is 1, 800 churches beyond the entire num-
Der owned by the Congregationalists in
1873; and fully 200 beyond the entire
number by the Protestant Episcopalians,
and within /, 4G5 OF as many as the
Roman Catholics own in the whole rcptb-
lie.
Another fact. At the close of the year
1867 the Methodist Episcopal Church had
1, LAG, 0S1 communicates. We closed the
year 1879 with 1 ,70S, 300 communicates,
an increase of 562, 209 The increase is
equal to the whole membership of the
Protestant Episcopal Church, with 247.-
552 members towards setting up in &C.
clesiastcal life another such denomina-
ton.
This increase comes within j, GAG men,
bers of being equal to the entire member
ship of the regular Presbyterian Church
as reported in 1873, and surpasses the
whole membership of the Congregations
al denomination by 20G, S14.
Another fact. When it comes to Civ
ing money, although far below the Cos
pei standard, Methodism has no reason
to blush when compared with other de-
nominations. For the support of the
Gospel in this and other lands the Pres
byterians gave, in 1873, for all purposes,
IS, Psi, 945. The Congregationalists gave
$3,3'3,927. The EpiSeopalians gave Sc
Al. S03: The Methodist Episcopal Church
gave $l3, 445, 393.
AS to education, any man who init
mates i'll any way that the Methodists are
not the friends and patrons of education,
betrays his ignorance of the history of
the past and the facts for the present.
\ review of the statistics shows that
Methotlism ranks up with the Catholics
in the number of instructors and stu
dents. (See Methodist Year Book and
Sadler's Almanac for 1SS0.)
The former authority also shows that
Methodism is far in advance of all other
denominations. do not mean to boast.
but the readers oc the GazeHe must not
he misicd into the opinion that there is
any halt in the mighty onward march of
this conquering host.
The banners We're never fairer than
now; its Gospel bugles never more sweet;
its esprit du corps' never more intense.
Ask Iowa. with her Methodist church for
every 1000 of her population, if there is
any decline in Methodistic power, energy
or liberality.
Put the same question to Minnesota.
Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado. Go look
upon the Extension map that hangs in
the General Conference room,-this arti-
Gle first appeared during the recent ses
sion of the General Conference in Cincin-
nati-with its SO crosses indicating the
churches built through the aid of the
Board of Church extension in two years.
Look Southwark upon our fifteen colleges
for the education of teachers, and upon
our $500 churches that have been built
since the war. and remember that the
erty in the South alone has been at the
rate of six hundred dollars for every year
since Father Abraham sent forth the pro-
clamation of emancipation.
Never did aggressive effort produce
more marvellous results.
DR.. Mansfield says: "Some suppose
that MethodiSm is advancing rapidly.
They are right The doctor must
sharpen his pencil AMI write again. What
of Methodism united? God grant that it
may be some day. and from ocean to
ocean, and from the lakes to the gulf.
lone army of the living Cod
1t is startling to contemplate the posi-
bility of such contamination. The
table would stand thus if union should
take place to-day:
All Congregationalist, 30, Col
All EpiScopalianS, 81 36I
All Presbyterians, S91, J9S
All BaptistS, 1855. 12l
All Mcthodists, 1859, 10l
The Roman Catholics count from the
baptismal register. Allowing only one
a,lherent for each communicate. and We
would have host of Mcthodists far out
numbering the entire Roman Catholic
denomination. 1t is well for Protestant
Christianity, and well for the vast future
of the republic, that this is true and like
" to be true for many decades to come.
Wheat in the Red River Valley
Baron Joseph j. Van den Wyngaert.
of Berlin. returned from trip on the
Northern Pacific Railroad recently. The
Baron. who is the President of the Ger