The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1881-07-17

Those who have been asserting that
christianity was 0 setting sun have not
taken pains 10 look into the facts. A
ststistician. DIR Dorchester, has spent
many years IN making investigations
touching the condition Of Christianity
in the world. His statistics show that
q hundred years after the advent of
Christ there were about 500, 900 of that
faith. 10 the two following centuries
there was remark kabie increase, so that
about the beginning of the fourth CEN
tufy there were some 10000, 900 Chris
tiAns ia the world. At that time nearly
one hall the surface Of the globe was
unknevn TO civilization. About the
beginning Of the eighth century Chris
tisnity had 10000. 600 nominal sdher-
ents. Each of the preceding centuries
had shown o steady increase OF about
5000. 600 After that the advance was
much greater. in the year 1000 there
were $1,000. 600 Christians or nominal
sdhsrents Of that faith. In the next
two centuries the gain wss rapid; the
increase being not less than so per cent.
over the two prece ing eenturies. There
was then q Christian population Of not
less than 80 .000.0 900
Then came one OF the most trying eras
for Christianity. II was beset on all
sidss by bsrbsrism. No doubt there
were thousands OF skeptics at that time
who predicted the speedy disappearance
Of this form OF faith from the earth.
The Sarscens had made alarming en-.
croachments. 1t looked for Q time as
If the followers Of Mahomet would ex-
tinguish every other form OF faith with
fire and sword. In 1900 there had been
q considerable retrogression, 90 that
75.0OO,O00 stood in the place of so. .OOO.-
600 10 the preceding century. A century
later the losses had only been made up,
30 that the Christian population stoo
where II was two centuries before, viz:
sO.OOO.OO0. There were nearly two cen.
turiss during which ell the hostile pow
ers OF the world had been let loose
against Christianity. These were GEN.
turies Of wasting on all sides. The early
prosecutions served 70 make that faith
stronger. But the defamation Of Chris.
tians In these two middle centuries was
wholesale
After ths4 c..ls .:sther period Of
advance. 90 that in 1900 there ws.e not
less than 100. 600. 600. and in another
century 25. O00. 900 were added. From
that time the advance was rapid. The
host marched steadily on TO victory.
Christianity had gained wonderful
momentum. which it has not lost TO this
day. In the eighteenth century there
were 200. .000. 900 Christians in the world,
aud in the so years Of the present Gen.
tury still greater progress, so that now
the Christian population of the world
is found to be 100000, 900. DIR. Dor
chester thinks that if the same ratio of
increase should hold good to the year
1000. or for Q period of 1870 years, the
census OF Christianity would then show
1000. .000. 900 adherents.
The number of those under Christian
governments has increased even more
rapidly than this during the last $50
years; while in 100 the number of nom-
inal Christians and the number living
under Christian governments was just
the same, l55, ,000. 900; in 1900 the latter
were 3SS. .0O0. 900 as against 2O0, ,O00, 600
OF the former; and 10 1876 this number
had risen 10 6S5. .000. 900. Certainly 9
very remarkable advance for 30 short
time. Thus We see that almost 4S pei
cent. OF the worlds whole population
of .439. 900. 900 was under nomipally
Christian sway Eve years ago. 1hers
10 more than Q hint Of what might be
called the related domination of the sew
ersi forms OF Christianity in the follow.
ing paragraph:
10 100. the $4,000 Of Ro; man Catho-
lies had risen 70 90. 0.c0O. 900 the 10000
900 Of believers in the Greek faith bad
become IS. 600 600; while from almost
none. the Protestants had increased to
81. 100000. Iu 1880 there were under
Roman Catholic governments. 1884,
000. COS; under Greek 10000, 900; and
under Protestant 194, ,0O0, 900. That ia
Protestant rule. at the opening Of this
century. equaled that Of both the Greek
and Roman churches combined. while
100 years earlier, she could claim bu,
20 per cent as much ms they. II. now.
We 60 on 70 years. We .hall fnd. under
the dominion Of the Romsu Catholic
Church. 1S1. 200. 90; and under Prot
sstant rule 40S. 100000. Or, In other
words. the gain OF Protestant rule over
the combined Roman and Greek in T6
years was lei 900 900; or above AZ per
cent.
Bnt the question OF rule does not
determine the relative strength of re-
ligions denominations. EnelAnd has
the vast sovereignty OF the East In.
dies. Thsse millions are not Christians;
they are merely subjngatsd races.
There vas . time when il looked a. If
MohamedAnism would dominate the
world. Il could not produce . pro-
gressive civilization. Today near
ly ell tho civilization of the world
which has In 1t the elements Of pro-
grsss 10 within the limits Of nomirslly
Christian populations. II these were
united they could subjagate the world.
DR. Dorchester presssts q the close of
another oensury the Eneiish language
viii b spoken By 1000. 900 600 peo-
pie. The people who speak that tongue
and attain that prspondesAncs will
rule the wofld. Those Who have pre-
dicted thai Christianity IVES on the de-
clins would do we'll 20 look Into the
facts more closely. The modification
Of bslieh does n0t indicate any such re-
snlta The eliminstion Of dogmas.
mare human interpretation. IL some
thing. which, ipsssad Of opposing. sc>
| ooloenkoa The march of Chrietian isy.-