The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-05-25
Evangelical Growth.

We have had special occasion more
IMAM once to delve into the comparative
reilglous statistics of the country; and in
DONG that have been brought in contact
Win the similar work of the Rev. DR..
dorchester, M. E. minister of Massa-
chusetts. He has Just made one of his
compact exhibits to the Preachers meet
ing Of Boston, which is given by Z1ou's
Herald in an editorial. As an offset to
the means caused by the want of revivals
and the decadence of particular conore-
CATIONS IN some localities, we quote the
main figures. They are substantially
correct:
"In 1900 there was one evangelical
Christian for fourteen and half of the
inhabitants, of all ages in 1880 one for
every five. 1t is an astonishing and
grateful fact that the evangelical church
membership of the United States is one
nth OF the population. The census of
the country in these eighty years has in
creased nine and one-third fold, while
communicates in the church have in
creased twenty-seven fold Since 1850
the era of unprecedented immigration
the population has increased ll2 per
cent, and evangelical Christians 1876 per
cent
There has been great acceleration
In the progress of the church. The in
crease In fifty years from 1900 to 1850
was 3, l65, l16; while in the next twenty
years the increase was nearly as much
3.l43, 40S; and in the next ten wears. TO
1880, it was more-3.392,567. The pre-
sent number of evangelical church mem
bers In the country is 1O,O65, 963-an
increase in eight years of 9,7O1,O91. Of
tins number three and half millions be-
long to the various Methodist families:
two and half to the Baptists; one mil
lion to the Presbyterians; nine-tenths of
a million to the Lutherans; $50 900 to
the Congregationalists, and 100000 to
the Episcopalians.
Romanism makes no distinction be-
tween church membership and popula-
tlon. Its population as estimated by its
own authorities, in 1850, was 1,6l4.0OO:
IN 1870 it was 100000; in 1880 it was
$780, ,330-an increase in thirty years of
4,753,33O. In this period, however, at
least 4,0OO,OOO Roman Catholic immi-
grants entered the country-more than
the UNCONVENTIONAL increase, leaving the
natural increase entirely out of the oues-
ton. According to the calculations of
their own statisticians, with their natu-
raj increase and immigration, there ought
to be twenty-six millions of Roman
Catholics in the country-which shows
loss OF twenty millions. In the period
OF the most rapid increase of this church
lo5O-the balance of more than
100000 has. been in favor of the growth
OF evangelical. Christians; although in
the case of the former, attendance, more
or less regular, upon public worship is
counted, and IN the latter only communi-
cants are numbered
"The comparative growth of evangel-
lcal and liberal churches is equally sup-
gestive. In 1850 the evangelical church
es were thirty-two times as manv as the
three iberal-the Unitarian, Universe
list, and Swedenborgian. Since 1850
these societies have decreased "a, and the
evangelical societies have increased 81
OBS. In the radius of ten miles. with
Boston as the centre, in 1900, the liberal
churches were %, in 1880 they were So.
while in 1900 the evangelical churches
were l6, and in 1880 they had increased
to 24l the one increasing two and one
half fold and the other fifteen fold
There really was never a period in
the history of Christianity when the
church grew so rapidly as it has in the
last eighty years in this country. We
speak of the wonderful growth in the
apostolic and early Christian eras; but
they do not compare with this At the
close of the first century there were esti-
mated to be 100000 Christians; in the
fourth, 100000; and in the eighth.
3O,OOO,0OO. 1t took four centuries to
reach the present strength of the evan
gelical church membership in the United
States. The thirty millions at the close
OF the eighth century were simply nomi-
nal, while the ten millions at the end of
less than century in the United States
are in church fellowship.